11 musings on 11 years of blogging

On Saturday morning I sat down at the 4th(?) I think Problogger conference that I have attended. I spent the day learning about this and that, hearing from experts and colleagues about the best way to do this or that. I got a couple of ideas that I may try and implement and I had a crack at breaking through on some bigger ideas that always seem to be the biggest ones to get stuck on. Timely given that it was 11 years to the day that I started my blog with my first ever post…here I was all these years later, still going, still learning, still turning up.

This blog is older than any of my children. It's such a part of me now, that I am unable to stop, ever I think. Who knows? It makes me document all areas of my life and beyond: I have become an observer, a collector, a documenter…each post helps me stop in my day to day life, create mindfulness and start conversations. It connects people. It helps people. Every single day it does something, and that's something isn't it? I would never have imagined all those years ago all the things that this blog has given me and my family. It's truly amazing and I don't often stop to think about it, but shit right?

As much as I get emails about making a tree change, I often get emails about blogging. I have never been a great mentor, I try and help out whenever I can but I am not great at reading other blogs, commenting, connecting in groups of people in the Australian blogging community. I just literally do not have the time. It's a miracle some days that I even get a blog post out and reply to comments on my blog. But I thought I would share 11 ideas and thoughts on blogging, maybe helpful to some of you, maybe not, but here goes.

1. Remember why you started

I started this blog in 2006 because I was pregnant and I wanted to stay in contact with my sisters and share photos and stories with them. Facebook didn't exist! A blog seemed a natural platform to do it and I enjoyed reading some of the "family/personal" blogs in the US that were staring to flourish. I never had a clear goal or niche or voice, it was just me sharing. Of course things have slightly changed over that time…ha! There are approximately 12 gazillion more blogs now than there was, some still going, some left behind, lonely and not updated. There's different platforms and social media, it's "noisy" out there. Some people love the idea of starting a blog, get it all perfect and ready to go just so, before publishing their first post with their 45 draft posts ready to fly. Me? Well, I am still here, sharing my stories in words or pictures. Effectively my audience is still the same, women that I am connected to albeit that I may not know them all now and tha t there may be about 30,000 more of them every month reading it. But when I think about it, it's still the same. When you get stuck on your blog, unsure of what direction to go in, have a think about why it was you started and try and do that. Sure sometimes it may need to change, but keep it simple. Just do it. That's why I still blog when I am travelling, documenting Maggie each month, because it's my life, it's my diary and it's my story. I write it for me first and others second. It has become such an amazing and priceless amount of "stuff" that diarises documents our life over the past 11 years. What a precious gift! So when in doubt, go back to the start.

2. Be someone's whiskey not everyone's cup of tea

I love this saying that someone shared with me and that I have seen in many an inspiring quote over a stock photo on Pinterest. It's so true though, you cannot please all the people, all the time. Much like in real life when you meet people, some you connect with more than others for whatever reason, their style of clothing, interiors, home, parenting methods, humour, if you connect with a few good people that really get you – then how good is that? I'd rather connect with a few people than lots that really don't get me. There are never going to be surprises with me (same in real life) you know how I feel and think because I put it all out there. If you get it, great, if not then that's OK too! I am never going to make the people who don't like me, like me and that's cool. We're cool! I have gotten so much better at not thinking about the people that don't like me, like really don't like me. The ones that email, that comment, I just don't let them get to me l ike I used to. I can't change their mind, it's none of my business and I am getting too old for this shit anyway. So connect with the people that matter and don't spend a minute longer on the ones that don't.

3. Damned if you do, if you don't

I always have a little giggle to myself when I get the old "I'm a little disappointed in…." why? How can you be disappointed in me? You don't really know me. If it was my family and close friends saying it then sure, but we don't really know each other do we? Don't be disappointed! I am just a human and sometimes I make mistakes. I shop in supermarkets and sometimes I use plastic bags even though I would like to be foraging and only going to organic farmers markets. I definitely swear way too much in front of my kids. I sometimes complain about motherhood even though I know I am hashtag blessed to have them in the first place. Most of the time I can't win. But like I said above, as long as the people that matter are OK, then I am too. Don't be disappointed in me and if you are a blogger know that you are damned if you do or you don't, it's just how it goes. And the judgement and comments and the filter that maybe once was there has definitely fallen away the longer this whole social media/online business has been doing on. It's rotted our brains and made us judge quicker and harsher and easier than ever before – try and remember that behind blogs at least, a person is there, reading your comment. Save your disappointment for stuff that matters like your own life with real people that you know, or the fact that bread is SO good and yet makes us all fat. Now that shit is really disappointing.

4. Make mistakes

And boy have I made a few. Ha! I have overshared. I've hurt people. I've spent time on stuff that would get me no where. I've done jobs I shouldn't have done. I've forgotten my audience. I've forgotten why I blog. I've not taken breaks when I should have. Should I go on? I could! I have made so many mistakes but with all of them I have learned from them and they have helped me know what NOT to do. Mistakes are good, don't be afraid of them, and you can always come back from them.

5. Be persistent and consistent

Keep going, keep going, keep going. So boring! But it's what you need to do. Most bloggers that make a living from their blogs now work bloody hard on it and they do it each and every day. They keep turning up. And while at times it may be flowing easier than others, we all consistently turn up for work and write something, share something. This doesn't need to be every day (I know I blog too much and need to dial that back a bit) so long as you consistently do your thing: whether that's daily or 3 times a week or once a month, do that, and do it consistently. Turn up when your readers expect you to and surprise and delight them outside of these times if you can. Don't get caught up getting worried about numbers or stats and let them get you down, just keep going.

6. Bring everything back to your blog platform

I most certainly do not have a great, huge following of people. I get around 30,000 unique visits to my blog each month (less than a few years ago now too) I have only 14k followers on Facebook and 22k Instagram followers. Not huge numbers at all, but they are my numbers and I have worked hard to maintain them remembering that it's just me that does all the work: the writing, the photographs, the marketing, the finances, the selling, the pitching, the reporting (ok, I do get some help with that). There are blogs that have HUGE platforms and audiences on social media – for brands that counts for something and it makes them attractive to work with. But for me I will always make my blog the main place to focus my attention. It's where I want to drive my audience and traffic and it's where I want all the eyeballs, most of the time. You know why? Because I own that platform. If Facebook was to close, what good is an amazing community? Or if they make us all pay to use it? It ha s changed and it will continue to and for me, keep people back on the blog. For me the blog is my home and where the heart of things are and where I will invite people in. You might see me around at the shops (Facebook) or on my phone (Instagram) but I really want people coming into my home (blog). That's your strength I reckon.

7. Don't complain or explain

I learned these wise words from an old blogging friend and they always ring true to me. I always get frustrated when I see others (and I have too) justify this or that or try and explain how hard they work when some dick tells them they have sold out or whatever. Don't explain yourself to anyone. You don't need to! And don't complain. Pretty simple mantra isn't it? But I like it.

8. Be proud of how far you have come

Blogging can be a lonely old existence. When you are juggling it with family life it's long hours and just plain hard work. You might love a piece you write and it flops. I turn down more work than you guys would ever know about, it's a juggle and it's just plain exhausting at times. And when you are flying solo you can forget to remember how far you have come – I am terrible at stopping and looking at my successes as I only seem to see all the things I haven't done right, or that others are doing better than me. Stop. Look back. Remember how far you have come and how you go in a little while. I remember this post that I learnt from a Problogger session  few years ago about writing down your milestones and putting them into a cup so at any time you can pull out those milestones that were a big deal then and see it really was a long time ago. I need to do this more often.

9. You can change someone's day

How cool is it that your words, your story, your photo can literally change someone's day?! Hopefully for the better! My blog has changed someone's morning with a smiling photo of Maggie, it has helped someone's dinner with a recipe, my story has made people think about making a tree change, has made people move, have extra babies, make an appointment with their GP about post natal depression, have a laugh, roll their eyes, take a trip, eat a custard tart. HOW COOL IS THAT? It might just be a blog, but it's something. Help someone fix a problem that they didn't even know they had. Show them a solution. Teach them something that you know and are good that you can't imagine that anyone wouldn't know how to do – do it all and change someone's day, or life. Hopefully for the better!

10. If you want to go pro – treat it like a business

If you really want to go professional or make a living from your blog then you need to treat it like a business. Your blog is your "brand" and with you being your blog you are your brand. Know your numbers. Don't get obsessed with those numbers, but know them. Know your readers, their ages, where they live, their ages. Know your social media numbers, your reach, you should be able to let any brand know ALL OF THE THINGS if you were to get stuck with them at a networking function. Being dumped by my agent at The Remarkables Group last year was actually the best thing that could have happened to me. It made me take things seriously. I have to work harder than ever before to get jobs and make clients happy but I think I can do that better than anyone else because I know me better than anyone can sell me. I am planning more than ever, across my income and expenses better than I used to and I think the work I am doing now is better than before. Now my skills are best in doing wha t I do on the blog – like any business owner they become successful for their "thing" whatever that is and then it grows and they get stuck having to do all these other things like manage staff and finances. Get good people working for you that can do the things you aren't best at, so you can focus on the things you are good at and hopefully keep growing. So while I am probably doing more than I used to before, I know what's going on, I am working proactively with people I want to and I am getting help from people that really understand me and where I want to go.

11. A little each day becomes something

So that one post back on the 29th July 2006, turned into 2,881 posts. That first comment from someone other than my family turned into over 45,000 comments, that first page view turned into almost 8 million views 11 years later. See? All those little bits, turn into something much bigger. If you just keep going, keep turning up and doing it, before you know it you will be able to look back and see that all that work, well it's something.

And for me that something is something that I am very proud of. I have created a body of stories that connect, humour, inspire and teach thousands of people every single day. That's something indeed.

So to all of you out there thinking about starting a blog, or stuck in your one, I hope that these thoughts help you a little. It's not what you want to hear, but just keep going. It's hard and lonely but it's so much more than those things. Your something makes someone's day a better place, a story can make someone feel less alone. These words these connect us and bring us back to what we have been doing since the beginning of time, connecting with each other. Alone we can only do so much but together? Well, watch out.

Keep your head down, don't compare your success or failures to anyone else's, own your story and your voice and remember to stop and look at how far you have come. And keep turning up. I'll be here doing the same.

And to those of you that are just readers, thank YOU. Without you guys there would be no BabyMac. Thank you for sharing your stories, for getting me and my humour. Thanks for turning up, still, all these years later. It makes my job the best in the world. So thank you.

Here's to 11 more. Shit, no, that seems a little exhausting, let's start with another year. Thank you x

Source: 11 musings on 11 years of blogging