10 Things I’ve Learned From 10 Years of Blogging

This is a sponsored post.

This years marks my 10th anniversary blogging here at Contest Corner – wow! It’s hard to believe that I’ve been doing this for a full decade already. So much has changed in the past ten years, and I’ve continued to move and adapt what I’m working on in the blogging realm. I frequently get emails from aspiring writers and social media influencers asking for business advice, so in honor of ten years in the blogging business, I wanted to share ten things that I’ve learned along the way:

1. Adapt Quickly…

They say the only thing you can rely on in life is change, and that’s especially true of blogging. Technology and social media evolve constantly, and trends will come and go, so you have to stay on the 8 ball and make sure that what you’re doing is current for how people are consuming media. That’s why I made the leap from print media to digital in the first place! The old school journalist in me got hung up on running the blog like a print newspaper at first, and I quickly realized that I had to be faster and more adaptable than that. People’s core desire to read content doesn’t change, just the medium.

2. …But Don’t Get Too Distracted

The flip side of this is that it can be easy to get sucked down the social media rabbithole. There are always new social networks to learn, new methods to try, new tools, new ideas, and that’s great; but make sure you don’t spend all of your time chasing your tail. Which leads me to point number 3:

3. Determine Your Core Strengths & Goals

Always play to your strengths. For me, it’s writing: That is my lifelong passion and the whole reason I got into blogging in the first place. Social media doesn’t interest me as much as writing does, and while it’s an excellent tool for my business and promoting my writing, I will never be passionate about it the way I am about writing. That’s one of the reasons why people talk so much about authenticity in blogging: You’re going to have a difficult time getting 100k Facebook followers if you really hate Facebook, so put most of your energy into things that you get most excited about.

4. Outsource Chores Whenever Possible

Piggybacking off the last two points, I highly recommend hiring a virtual assistant to handle whatever you can possibly outsoure. I was lucky enough to find an amazing VA 2 years ago, and being able to hand over tasks to her has been an immense help. I can enlist her to handle things like social media promotion that take up a lot of time, and that frees me up to do more writing and handle other parts of the business that can’t be outsourced, like emails and meetings.

5. Be Quick to Drop Dead Weight

Time is so precious and there’s never enough of it. One of the things you’ll find in blogging is that, as things change, something that might have worked for you before stops being as efficient; or you might try a new project and realize it isn’t turning out quite as you thought. Do not hesitate to drop anything that isn’t working like a hot potato – even if it’s somewhat worthwhile, if you aren’t getting enough value for the time you’re putting in, you have to be ruthless and it cut it from the schedule. This is a continual process working in this field.

6. Use The Right Tool For The Job

Think about what you want to achieve with your blog, and mull over what tools you could use to make that easier. What do your readers want? What do you need to accomplish? For example, on Contest Corner we use a submission form where people can submit their giveaways, which automatically generates a blog post that I can then review and publish as-is. I found this solution after much searching, and it’s a process I’m always looking to refine. For another blog, it might be finding the right coupon database tool, or using something like UserIQ to identify user needs and offer things like website tours or other interactive elements.

7. Trust Your Gut

Did you get an email from a client for a sponsored post or other project that you just know is going to be a huge time suck? Do you notice that you’re talking yourself into something? “Oh, I could make time, it won’t be that bad…” Are you making decisions based on what you would reasonably have time for – if you were Superwoman? Trust your instincts and start cultivating the habit of walking away from projects that aren’t delivering enough value for your time.

8. Put Yourself Out There & Network

Getting out there and connecting with your peers in person is so fun, and so valuable! I’ve met so many amazing people through press trips, blog conferences, local events, and just making coffee dates with other local-ish bloggers, and these connections are an invaluable resource in sharing ideas and making connections.

9. Maintain Strong Boundaries

Technology has removed the boundaries from most jobs in the modern world with 24/7 connectivity, but it’s especially noticeable when you run your own social media business from home. Set regular working hours for yourself and only deviate when it’s a special circumstance; you need a break away from work so that you don’t burn out, hardcore. (That could be a whole other article, trust me!) In addition to that, taking a mental break from social media in general is also necessary, not just to avoid getting sucked into work off-hours, but just for general sanity. Turn your phone off at night and enjoy doing something else!

10. Have a Life

The irony about blogging is that you take all of your cool hobbies, put them online…and then get so busy running the business that you have no time to do them anymore. I definitely fell victim to this and it’s part of the reason why I’m being so ruthless with things like point #7 – you need time to still have a life outside of your job. Not only will this help stave off burnout, but you’ll also have more interesting things for people to read as a happy side effect!

The last ten years have been quite a ride, and I have big plans for what 2018 will have in store for Contest Corner. Here’s to the next decade!