5 Things I've Learnt About Blogging

In Winter, I'll have been blogging 3 years- crazy! Over the 2 and a half years I've been blogging, I've learnt a few things along the way. The blogging world has changed drastically since 2012, that's for sure. For starters, blogging has now become a career. Not only that, but the Irish blogging community in particular has grown majorly. When I started, there was definitely only half the amount of bloggers there are now! Here are some things I've learnt about blogging over the past few years, that will hopefully be helpful/relatable to new and old bloggers alike.

1. It's ok to say no: This is something that I've only really started to learn in the past year. As a blogger, there's always new opportunities and emails arriving in your inbox daily. You don't have to say yes to every single one, and that's totally ok! Not every new product will suit your blog, and you won't be able to make every event. Learn to be choosy about what you say yes to, rather than saying yes to everything and working too hard.
2. It's not easy: Not everyone will be supportive. It takes up a lot of time, and it can be frustrating when you have no inspiration. Thankfully, almost everyone I know is super supportive over my choice of hobby but you will meet a few question marks along the way!
3. Followers aren't everything: When I first started blogging, I didn't pay attention to my followers at all. In fact, for my first full year of blogging, I probably only had about 30 followers! Now I've realised that a large follower count doesn't mean more oppurtunities. In fact, many brands will just ask for your monthly view count, not your following on bloglovin'.
4. Comparison comes easy: .. but it's a dangerous thing to do. It's easy to wonder "why didn't I receive an invite to that event?". It's easy to look at another blogger's following and wonder how they got xyz amount of followers in the space of the year. We all do it, as much as we hate to admit it, but it will do no good. Everyone grows at their own rate!
5. It can be really frickin' cool: I'm not gonna lie- blogging really has its perks sometimes. From swanky event invites to new clothes, there's always something new and exciting in my email inbox. I'm so grateful for all the oppurtunities that blogging has given me!

There you have it- a mixture of negative and positive truths about the world of blogging. Let me know if you can relate to any of them!

-Rachel x