Sharing 5 lessons I learned during my first year of blogging plus listing some of my go-to blogging resources. These are some major lessons that helped me turn my hobby into a profitable business.

This post was written March 2017 and updated with new photos and resources May 2020.

A year ago I had no idea blogging could be a full-time job. And by full-time I mean your husband can quit his job and your blog can support your family. I didn’t even know the words “affiliate link” or “unique viewers” even existed. I honestly thought people blogged for a hobby – and to be even more honest I thought it was a complete waste of time.

Then why in the world did I open up my computer and start blogging? My friend Suzi told me to! It sounds like a silly reason but I met Suzi on Instagram and she told me that I had more to say than what would fit in an Instagram caption and to just do it. So I did – a little reluctantly but I wanted to talk about my message on a platform that could reach more people so it did seem like a logical next step. To this day I’m so grateful for her encouragement.

My first post was about the toxins that can be found in organic hair dyes and it probably took me about 20 hours to write. After I pressed “publish” it weighed in with one page view (thanks Suz!). Twenty hours is a lot of time so at that point I was considering a quarterly blog post – at max. I mean who has time for all that?!

But a couple weeks after I posted my first post, I was invited to San Fransisco to visit Hairprint to get to know their product better. After that, “product discovery” became a passion of mine and I was on a mission to share healthier options with folks and prove that we can create a demand for a nontoxic world by spending with intention. I found my niche and got into a groove and things took off from there.

A year later I had 6,800 unique viewers and 15,000 page views/month. I mean I’m not Perez Hilton or anything BUT it’s been a pretty good start. People are asking questions, sharing + making recommendations to The New Knew and my hobby has turned into not only a passion but a part-time job.

A few people have asked if I have any words of advice to share for people starting a blog. And I DO! Looking back at the past year, I found 5 things that really helped propel my blog forward.

1. Fight Inside Your Weight Class

I love, love, love collaborating with brands and discovering new products and services. When I first started out, I would approach big brands that I love like Planet Box (the king of nontoxic lunch boxes) or Vitamix (I legit sent an email to Vitamix in like month 2 – haha!) and I wouldn’t hear back. It wasn’t until I started approaching smaller, just emerging bands that I found success. Why? Because this relationship is mutually beneficial.

For example, this is the first giveaway I ever did. It got 40 likes and 22 entries. I literally remembering putting 22 pieces of paper in a hat and hand-drawing the winner.

New blogs working with new brands works for several reasons. Companies who are just getting off the ground want to get their name out there but don’t have a lot to spend on product promotion. And new blogs are often looking for fresh and original content and are willing to try products for free.

Collaborating also benefits blogs because brands will share your content and pictures on their platforms. Cross-promotion is a great way to get your name out there. But above all you serve your audience because they get to discover new brands with you. So start small and reap the benefits of this win win.

2. Say YES and say NO

Don’t be afraid to colab with brands, bloggers, do interviews, write a guest post – anything that comes up. Saying yes leads you to doors you never even knew even existed. My first year I heard of this event happening in Boston called The WELL Summit and I asked a few of my friends what it was all about and no one knew. Instead of chalking it up to whatever-whatever, I went. I went by myself. I made friends. Introduced myself as a new blogger, met other bloggers and wellness gurus and guess what, these relationships flourished and two years later I am representing The WELL Summit as a brand ambassador. Don’t be afraid to put yourself out there – you just never know!

In this same vein, my very first year blogging I went to IBE NYC on a whim and met all of these lovely ladies for the first time; Amanda of A Beautiful Pursuit, Mercedes of L’Amoure et la Musique, Molly of Maison Pur and Jeannie Jarnot, the founder of Beauty Heroes who I still work closely with to this day!

Also, as important as it is to say YES, it’s just as important to say NO. Because when you say NO you are really saying YES to something else. Be smart with your time and invest it in what’s important to you and aligns with your mission. Say NO to tasks that will take you off course.

3. Content Rules

It’s easy to get caught up in blog or social media post frequency – like “I have to post 3x a week or I failed!” But let’s be honest, putting something up just to check the “3x/week box” isn’t building a strong audience. You want an audience that trusts what you have to say and knows you value their time. Think of content as the foundation of your house. If you build a foundation from bricks your will make a strong house fortified with integrity. If you build one from straw, it won’t survive the storm. Having good content is a fail proof formula to achieving blog success and a strong house.

And when it comes to social media, posting picks of your kids and your dog and your weekend is fun and interesting and it helps foster connection. BUT that’s how you decorate your house. You add curtains and pick paint colors after building a strong foundation. Doing this will gain and retain follower/readers and most importantly build trust.

Sharing before and after photos of my going gray experience is an example of adding value by fostering inspiration and community. I’ve been very public about sharing pics, feelings and experiences here since day one. This type of content has been a great way to connect with my audience.

A great way to test your content before you post is to ask yourself, “Does this post bring value to my audience?” If yes, then post away. If no, then consider your post landscape. If you have posted strong content all week and want to add a personal touch going into the weekend then fantastic, do it up! Personal posts can be powerful too – use them strategically.

4. Engagement Over Numbers

I mean, of course numbers count. Unique viewers, followers, clicks and likes carry weight and they can directly translate into dollars. But if you want to retain numbers and drive traffic to your site, you want your audience to engage with your site and the community you are building. This means posting content that brings value, asking questions and being available to answer questions. Creating connections and building relationships fosters trust. And after that is where you can make a difference.  This is when your opinion drives behavior and you can create measurable and noticeable change.

I am blogging to make a shift towards sustainability, organics and a nontoxic world for my kids and generations to come. (I am also blogging to find the perfect red lipstick – obviously). I want to raise awareness by talking about safe options and continuing the wellness conversation. In this scenario whats better: 100K people who sign up to follow me but never read my posts OR 1000 people who follow me and all of them are genuinely interested in making a change, value my opinion and are ready to support this interest alongside me?

Power to make change lies in connection.

5. Make Friends

Making friends with other bloggers was the best thing I ever did. There are not a lot of rules out there in the blogasphere and having someone to bounce things off of, laugh over bloopers, guide you through mistakes and challenges and enjoy this online journey with is a total game changer. I honestly think I would have quit 6 months ago if I didn’t have this type of support.

My husband is The New Knew’s number one fan and he will listen to me talk all day about my ideas but there is something to be said about being able to pick up the phone and really hash though the work with someone who just gets it.

Making friends with other bloggers is also great for resource sharing and colabs too. Colabbing – or writing a post together – creates stronger content, has a broader reach and creates a really rich environment for learning – for the blogger and their audience.

Blogging Resources

Okay so theory is great but technical support is key too. Knowing your backend from your frontend, your Mail Chimp from your Media Kit, the difference between “no follow” and “unfollow”…all of that is key too. Here are a few resources I used (and still use) that were super helpful along the way.

Six-Figure Blog Academy (currently closed for enrollment) – This course is pretty much BIBLE when it comes to blogging. I still reference it all the time. Consider this an A-Z resource that holds your hand every step of the way. I wish I had this from day one, it would have saved me so much time, effort, money, and tears.

Food Blogger Pro – An online “How To” and blogger community forum. Everything from improving SEO to time management tips to how to earn money blogging to how to set up your website.

Lynda.com – Tutorials on WordPress Setup to how to use Mail Chimp to how to edit photos.

Everything I started with including hosting, platform, and theme is detailed out here!

Blogging podcasts:

• Do You Even Blog Podcast by Pete McPherson
• Goal Digger by Jenna Kutcher
• Success with Soul by Kate Kordsmeier
• Online Marketing Made Easy with Amy Porterfield
• Smart Passive Income with Pat Flynn

Okay that’s all I’ve got for now. Happy to answer any questions or provide more resources. Are you blogging now? What has helped you find success?