It has officially been ONE YEAR of blogging with themakaylalynn.com and I’m resisting the urge to throw a birthday party as an excuse to purchase an entire cake for myself!

In all honesty, I am nowhere near where I thought I would be as a new blogger after a year of creating content on multiple platforms—but, thankfully, I know WHY I am not yet near my goal.

If you want to start a blog, YouTube channel or full-blown business I urge you to first accept the fact that STARTING a project is the hardest step. Creating my website was easy, as well as the first couple months when I thought uploading transparent short novels about my day was acceptable. However, when I finally decided to take my website seriously around April of 2016, I soon realized how difficult it was to spark the amount of ambition and discipline it takes to, essentially, start a business.

By no means does my website look like a business, but, as any experienced blogger would notice, this platform is set up in a way to become a business later down the line. Because of this, during what was supposed to be a relaxing summer break after my spring semester, I was busting my butt to grow this platform and lay down a foundation to the possible future I envisioned for myself. 

Quick Tip: If you're interested in learning more about how to make a blog into a business and earn some extra cash on the side, check out my recent post on 10 Ways to Make Money Blogging!

I’ve learned a ton over the last year, especially during those crucial summer months, with a new-found respect for full-time bloggers and online entrepreneurs. This may seem like a cute and fun hobby to those on the outside looking in, but believe me when I say that ANY job you care enough about can easily become the most difficult.

Down below I wanted to list out some tips and advice that I wish I knew or was told from day one of creating this site. I hope this post is encouraging if you want to start something of your own, as well as insightful. Make sure to pin this post on Pinterest to share the love and visit My YouTube Channel to join the family. Let's get started, shall we?

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Free websites are awesome up to a point

When I first thought about creating a written platform, I was already four months into creating content for my YouTube channel and didn’t think paying for a website was necessary just yet. I had a free wordpress.com site with a bright and distracting homepage that boasted an odd color scheme. I didn’t know what I was missing until I came across a web designer with gorgeous WordPress themes for self-hosted sites. Only then did I realize that customizing this site to my liking was the only option if I wanted to truly take this blogging journey seriously—which, inevitably, prompted my investment in a domain name, host, and theme!

Quick Tip: In my Planning A Blog post, I spoke thoroughly on the topic of free versus paid websites with advice on which platform would be right for you. If you're interested in creating your own blog, check out that post Here and learn more about what it takes to start your own blogging journey.

 

A schedule is more than necessary

What’s hilarious about this tip is how I RECENTLY applied it to my own life. I’m gaining a lot of traction on both platforms and realized how unorganized my posting schedule was. I caught myself unintentionally posting videos and posts on the same day, skipping a week and a half only to post random content on equally random days. This habit of mine has not only hurt my chances of remaining disciplined in order to create content, but it also adds to the likelihood of confusing my audience.

If you find yourself in the same (sinking) boat, I suggest you write down a tentative schedule on a Post-It note and place that in a place that’s frequently seen, as well as pre-writing that schedule into every week in your planner so you're constantly reminding yourself of what’s due.

 

 

Start monetizing early on

First off, I must throw out the fact that blogging is not the platform you should try out if you want to see your bank account numbers rise over the course of 24 hours. There are plenty of success stories that have led to four or even five digits worth of earnings within the first month, but those cases are for communities that you may or may not belong to.

With that said, I always recommend new bloggers start researching Monetization Methods early on in their journey with the intent to implement certain methods as soon as possible. I personally waited six whole months to start researching this topic, which, as you can expect, was valuable time lost. Monetizing your site early on could be as simple as putting a couple ads on your homepage, or signing up for an affiliate network that offers links to products your audience may be interested in!

Cheers to every online #entrepreneur and ambitious go-getter! 💪🏽 Share on X

 

Research, jot down ideas, and research some more

I have done enough research on all things ‘blogging’ within the last six months to write at least 50 papers on the subject, and then some. When I first started my blogging journey, I spent more time pinning food pins to my ‘foodie’ board on Pinterest than actively searching for and reading posts about blogging / entrepreneur tips. I’m glad that I realized in April how important research was, but, even back then, I was still lacking one simple habit that has played a role in where I am today.... Note taking.

Taking notes for my blog is nowhere near as intense a task as it is for my experimental methods class in college. Nevertheless, it is important and I choose to take it just as seriously. I’ve accumulated too many notebooks to count that house ideas for future posts / videos, digital content ideas and project outlines that I would rather not leave on a computer that’s not as accessible throughout the day. Carrying around a detective-like notepad in your purse or backpack comes in handy during those ‘AH-HA’ moments when your mind’s racing with ideas. Take it from me, my handy-dandy Blue's Clues notebook has been a lifesaver these last couple months. (I purchased this one below from Target for $1!

 

Their success is belongs to them, not to you

I recently wrote a simple and transparent post about the negative effects of comparing yourself to others, check it out Here if you also agree that Comparison Is A Thief!

Comparison is a thief of joy. Their situation is theirs, NOT yours! Enjoy YOUR journey. Share on X

I would be a liar if I said I haven't sat on Pinterest for hours visiting every blog that shared an income report, wondering why I wasn't receiving the same amount of views or attention. Questioning my website and ability felt as though I was stacking bricks onto my shoulders that ultimately symbolized unrealistic expectations I had for myself and my brand!

Major Key: Don't add more unnecessary pressure on top of the pressure life already places on your shoulders. Cut yourself a break. 

We, as a community of influencers and online entrepreneurs, need to stop expecting someone else's journey to manifest itself into our own. You shouldn't want a big-time blogger’s life if you're starting out, just as I am, because the amount of TIME and EFFORT they’ve put into their brand may be too much for where you are currently. Stop comparing and start clapping for those who've ‘made it’ in your eyes, knowing good and well that you will need clappers when you're in that same position weeks, months or even years from now.

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I am proud of how far I’ve come and I appreciate, wholeheartedly, how long it has taken me to arrive at where I am today. Reaching 1K on YouTube will be a blessing, seeing more daily views on this blog will also be a blessing, but, most importantly, the information I share and the honest advice I give is what I strive to care about most. I am honored and overjoyed when I receive random messages about my content helping or encouraging someone with their journey, whether it is faith-based, college or the struggles of young womanhood—I am here for you in every stage, shape, and mental state.

My faith in God, myself and my ambition has grown so much over the last year—I can't wait to share another year with you all. From the bottom of my heart, thank you for your support if you have visited my site before and WELCOME to new visitors!

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Keep being awesome,

- Miss Lynn