My First Year of Blogging: What I’ve Learned as a Beginner Blogger

This Time Last Year

A year ago I was nestled into the corner of a local coffee shop, hot chocolate in hand, earbuds in, laptop open and numerous notebooks by my side. I was preparing to launch my blog, “Otherwise Kate”.

I was studying blogging courses, listening to podcasts, and reading books while setting up a website. My reason: to offer solace to people who were living through the same experiences as me and feeling alone in it.

Life had thrown some curveballs and I can only conclude that they either changed me or released something that had been lurking within me. Previously, I would never have dreamed of sharing so much of my life with others but the thought of others feeling isolated compelled me to start sharing my experiences.

Life as it was just wasn’t working for our family, or for me as an individual. In discussions with friends, I had been introduced to “the possibility of living otherwise”. Living otherwise was an appealing notion - a better, more peaceful and meaningful way of living. A departure from conforming to societal norms, doing what was expected of me. It became the focus of life and helped me to focus in on the components of designing a life I love - my family, freedom and finances. Hence Otherwise Kate: Family, Freedom and Finances.

I can’t claim to be an expert in any of these areas but I’ve learned some lessons that have actually helped me to change my life - to go from someone who dreaded every day to someone who feels in control of her life and wakes up feeling hopeful and positive (most of the time!). Speaking to others revealed that I was not the only one trying to learn how to improve life but they didn’t have the support network I was fortunate enough to have. I wanted to reach out to those people and a blog felt like a natural way for me to do that.

I Still Can’t Call Myself “A Blogger”!

I’ve been blogging for a year now but I still can’t bring myself to say that I'm a blogger. On a recent trip to Montenegro, a friend introduced me as a writer and I instantly felt like a fraud. Maybe it’s because I’m not earning money from it, or maybe because it still feels too personal to call a profession. I wonder if I’ll ever have the confidence to describe myself as a blogger or writer…

I suspect part of my hesitation to claim it as I did my teaching job is that I don’t make any money from doing this. But if I’m to reflect on my own article about the true meaning of "What Do You Do?" then I should be able to claim the title of blogger. It is what I do - just not for a living. 

You Don’t Know What You Don’t Know

This is something we used to say when I was a teacher planning learning experiences for young children. I’ve found it to be relevant in blogging too. Because I was blissfully ignorant as to all that I would need to learn, it’s been a messier learning journey than one I would have planned for myself.

I quickly discovered blogging involved far more than I had anticipated. As this began to dawn on me, I wondered whether I had been too hasty, whether I should have perhaps taken six months to learn all there was to learn before starting to publish posts. But on reflection at the end of my first year, I realise that some of the learning can only take place when I have an actual blog to work with. At least going into year 2, I’m prepared for learning to play a major part in my blogging story.

What Have I Learned In My First Year Of Blogging?

Writing Is Therapy

I’ve rekindled my love for writing, a passion I had left behind when I finished high school. 

Yes, I started to write my blog with the aim of helping others. Little did I know how cathartic it would be for me! Sitting at my laptop and letting my thoughts and feelings spill onto the screen has been a release I wasn’t aware that I needed. It’s also given me the opportunity to reflect on past experiences and to try to make sense of life.

There Is An Awesome Blogging Community All Over The World

I’ve heard people speak of “online communities” and now I feel lucky to be part of some of these communities. My “real life” friends and family have been very supportive of my blog, showing an interest and taking the time to read my articles. But connecting with other bloggers has been invaluable to me. I like to consider them “My Blogging Friends”! These people are facing similar hurdles and supporting other bloggers by sharing their learning and cheering each other on. There seems to be no gatekeeping among bloggers; people are more than happy to share tips and skills to help fellow bloggers.

Early on I discovered Facebook blogging groups which encourage “follow-for-follow” style support. That’s not for me. But spending time engaging on various platforms allowed me to connect with bloggers who would be genuinely interested in my content and me in theirs. So our support for each other is genuine.

Sometimes We Can Learn More From Real People Than “The Gurus”

The social media algorithms have sent numerous bloggers with courses, books and guides my way. At first, that’s who I learned from. But the real learning - the stuff I could implement on my own blog - has come not from the “gurus” but from less famous (although mighty!) bloggers. I think we‘re supposed to refer to  these creators as “small or micro content creators”.

With no plans to monetize in the near future, I found the six-figure blogging hype off-putting -  that was never my aim. So discovering bloggers who just love blogging and manage to earn enough to live on was a treat and I have to say, I’ve learned more from them than any of the perfectly polished gurus. They may not have millions of followers or millions in the bank but they make me believe that I can make a success of my blog and they’ve shown that success can look different for everyone. 

Blogging Is SO Much More Than Writing

I was very naive about what was actually involved in producing a blog post. I think I had envisioned typing all my thoughts, adding a few nice images, pressing “Publish” and - abracadabra! - my blog would land in front of the eyes of everyone I hoped to reach. Spoiler alert: that’s not quite how it works!

Since setting out on this little blogging foray, I’ve learned there’s so much more to blogging than “just writing".

Image used with kind permission of thissplendidshambles.com

The Problem With My Niche

If you’ve been blogging for even five minutes, you’ve probably heard that you must have a niche. And technically, I knew this when I started. But try as I might, I couldn’t make my life, or my blog, fit into just one category.

I’ve questioned myself on this more times than I can count. Is it a problem that one post is about parenting or autism and the next is about travel or finances? According to Google’s SEO wisdom: yes. But according to my heart and my readers: not necessarily.

The truth is, I write about what matters most to me and at this stage, I’m not ready to let go of any of the topics I cover. Parenting, mental health, family life, freedom, personal growth, and money are the intertwined components of my life. It feels impossible for me to write about one without addressing the others.

I understand that not every post will resonate with every reader. But over time, I’ve come to see that I have a loyal band of readers who are not here for just one topic - they’re here for the journey, to follow my story.

Some blogging experts say your story is your niche, and that resonates with me. I may not be an expert in a specific subject, but I am an expert in my own experiences. I’m not trying to dominate search rankings or build a perfectly branded content empire (yet!). Right now, my goal is to write truthfully, connect meaningfully, and support people who might be navigating similar terrain.

While my blog doesn’t fit neatly into one niche, I think reflects the complexity of real life. Maybe that makes my blog a little unconventional but I’m choosing to embrace that - I guess it’s part of “living otherwise”!

Being Vulnerable Brings Connection

I’m still surprised at how much of myself I’ve shared in my blog. It’s something I would never have imagined doing a few years ago. But here I am! The experiences I’ve had over the last few years, coupled with some of the people I’ve met, have compelled me to share more with others in the hope that I can be helpful. Being publicly vulnerable can feel so uncomfortable (and I was never one for leaving my comfort zone) but doing so has led me to find connections with others which I know would not have come about if I had continued to keep everything to myself. It almost feels more uncomfortable to keep quiet now.

The Importance of Social Media

Of course, sharing my story wouldn’t be possible without a way to reach people, which brings me to another lesson: the unexpected power of social media. This was another area of blogging I was unprepared for! To date, social media is still the source of the majority of traffic to my blog. This means spending way more time on Facebook and Instagram than I ever have in the past. To grow on social media takes consistency (it takes a lot of other things depending on which guru you listen to!) and I’ve found it hard to be as consistent as I should while balancing that with prioritising time to write the actual blog. 

Being at the mercy of the algorithms and trying not to get hung up on how many people have followed, liked or even seen posts is not my favourite aspect of blogging but I’m trying hard to see it as only part of the process. Keen as I am to grow my blog, and therefore social media accounts, I’m not quite ready to become a slave to the ever changing algorithm so I guess I’ll need to stick with my slow and steady pace.

Social media isn’t all bad though. It has been the source of not only new connections but a huge amount of free learning opportunities. Since creating Otherwise Kate, I’ve discovered that you don’t need to have a huge following to connect with people in a meaningful way. I have met some wonderful people who have become some of my biggest supporters, always taking time to engage with posts and read my blog. Some of them have inspired me more than they’ll ever know. 

Blogging Helped Me To Find Purpose

At a time when I’m having to focus so much on my family and also getting used to not working, it’s been nice to have a little project that gives me purpose - just for myself. It’s been a way of moving on from teaching and exploring possibilities for the future. Sometimes when things are hard going, it’s a blessing to have a distraction and my blog has given me that.

Unexpected Gifts

I don’t even know what I’d expected in return for sharing my blog but I can tell you now that what I get back in return has been connection, support, recognition and validation. For each experience I’ve opened up about on my blog, I’ve heard from others who can relate, reassuring me in several situations that “it’s not just me”. 

The most overwhelming reward has been the messages I’ve had from people thanking me for sharing my story, telling me their own and letting me know that my blog has found them at a time when they needed it. That is a special feeling and it’s these messages I remind myself of when I wonder whether I can really make any difference with this little blog. Sometimes the most heartfelt responses come on the back of posts with the least views and that’s what keeps me writing - if each post can help even one person to feel less alone, or even just seen, I can feel I’m achieving my purpose.

Gratitude

I feel so lucky to be in a position to be able to explore blogging - to learn and create. 

Being a part of the blogging community is a joy and I’m grateful for all the new people who have come into my life through a screen. 

I’m truly thankful to people who have supported my introduction to blogging. It’s been a bit of a family affair with support from my husband, brother and sister in-law to get me set up and ready to start. Without them, my lack of IT skills could have proved problematic! And when it comes to social media, having two teenagers to guide me keeps me safe from making too much of a fool of myself online - I hope!

More than that though, these two teenagers have not only allowed me to write about aspects of their lives - they encourage and support me to do so, helping me to make sure that my portrayal of their experiences is accurate. 

Over this first twelve months, over 100 people have signed up to follow my blog and I’m not too proud to admit that I still get a little bit excited every time I hear the “New Subscriber” notification. If you are one of them, THANK YOU!  (If you want to join that list, just click here.)

What’s Next For Otherwise Kate?

I’m determined to keep plodding on with my weekly posts and having faith that they will find the people who can benefit from them. One lesson I’ve learned is that blogging success takes time and I’m happy to keep working away at mine, slowly and steadily while working on some new exciting projects.

I have a LOT of blogging related learning planned over the summer and I’m really excited about implementing what I learn within my blog. I’d forgotten the buzz of learning about something I'm actively interested in. A year ago, I was just hoping someone might read my words. Today, I know that even if one person feels seen or less alone, this little blog has done its job.

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