I got the idea to write this post the other day and I haven’t been able to get it out of my head ever since, so today I’m sitting down with a cup of coffee and doing it.
Something that almost never fails to make me laugh is looking back on my old blog posts. When I first started Currently, Lately, I had basically no understanding of the blogosphere or how any of it worked. If you take a glance at some of my older posts, I think that becomes very apparent.
I thought it would be funny to scroll back through my old blog posts and find “mistakes” that I made in my early blogging days. What I really mean by “mistakes” are things I did in the past that I wouldn’t do now. They’re not necessarily wrong (there really is no wrong or right way to blog. If you love what you’re doing, by all means you should do it!), but they’re things that I personally wouldn’t do now.
I should also state that I don’t really regret doing any of these things, because I honestly believe that they helped me grow as a blogger. I think it’s important to learn from your mistakes in order to improve upon them in the future. Making these “mistakes” allowed me to figure out how I really wanted to blog.
Not setting featured images/using photos
A lot of my early posts don’t contain feature images, or even images at all. When I first started my blog, I didn’t realize how important it was to include photos in your blog posts. I assumed all that went into putting together a blog post was brainstorming an idea, writing it down, and hitting publish. I failed to see that photography was a critical element to blogging, so, for the most part, I didn’t do it. Occasionally I would include a picture in a product review, but even then it was terrible quality. I would take the fastest photos possible, not considering things like blurriness or clarity to be of importance. Looking back at some of the photos that I used to put up, I seriously wonder how I once thought they looked good.
What I would tell my past blogging self: Your pictures don’t have to be perfect, but it’s always a good idea to have them there. Setting a featured image is a great way to draw in readers.
Weird lighting in my photos
Something that really cracks me up (I’m seriously laughing about it right now) is that I took my blog photos in some of the worst lighting situations possible. When I finally realized that blog photos mattered, I still didn’t get that lighting was important, too. I took a lot of my early photos on my bathroom counter, which often resulted in bright glares on the products in the flatlays. Instead of thinking to myself hmm, maybe I should take these photos elsewhere, I decided to just use the filters that were on my camera to make them less bright. What I didn’t realize was that this just made the photos darker, not better quality. The glares were still there and they looked even worse with the dark filters over them.
What I would tell my past blogging self: Take the photos somewhere else. Your filters aren’t fooling anybody.
Not allowing myself to develop my blogging voice
The one thing that makes each and every blog unique is the blogger’s personal voice. Everyone has a different set of opinions, values, and experiences that shape who they are as a blogger. The only way you can make the most out of your blogging experience is to let that voice be amplified through your content. When I started my blog, I feel like I wasn’t focused enough on finding my blogging voice and figuring out the style in which I liked to blog.
What I would tell my past blogging self: Blogging is all about finding your own voice. Let yourself figure out what works best for you.
Not utilizing social media
Social media are such important elements of blogging, but it’s one that I ignored for the first few months. I didn’t realize how platforms like Instagram and Twitter would enable me to connect with other bloggers as well as share my posts with a wider range of people. Pinterest, for example, is a great place to post your old blogs. Plus, you can use social media to let people know when new posts are up. I definitely think that I should have been more consistent on social media, especially in the beginning.
What I would tell my past blogging self: There’s more to blog social media that simply making an account. Make sure to post regularly!
It’s fun to look back on how your blogging style changes over. The way that I blog now is certainly different from the way I blogged eight or nine months ago and will probably be different from the way I blog eight or nine months from now. The part that’s funniest to me is that I don’t even seem to notice how I change until I do posts like this that reflect on it.
Anyways, thank you for reading!
What are some blogging “mistakes” that you believe you’ve made?
Sincerely,
Currently, Lately 
[ Smiles ] In the past, I made the mistake of not optimizing my blog posts for SEO.
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Thanks for sharing your blogging growth. I’m fairly new, but I think I’m doing good. The only thing I don’t use is social media. I guess I’m afraid of what my Facebook friends will think. I’d rather just stay anonymous. As if my friends have no idea I’m even blogging. I believe only one friend does. But I’m just not ready to link my blogs to Facebook. Is this going to hurt me in any way?
Anyways, you wrote this very nicely. I read it very easily and it makes me think how I am doing myself.
Thank you 🙂
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I totally understand that and I’m pretty skeptical of using Facebook too but how about others like Twitter or Instagram or Google+?
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Hey! I don’t use any other social media outlet. I really only use WordPress. I have considered using other blogging platforms, but haven’t looked into it yet. 😆 oh wait! I use Pinterest.
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You’re welcome! I know exactly what you mean about not wanting to share your blog with people you know in real life. I don’t really share my blog with my friends and family because I don’t really want them going on it lol. The only social media I use is for my blog, so I don’t actually have personal accounts. If you’re not comfortable sharing your blog with people you know in real life, then you can always set up blog social media! It’s nice because it allows you to keep that anonymity! You don’t need it if you don’t want it though 🙂
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I appreciate this post. I have just started my own blog and will take any tips I can get, and hopefully start off on the right foot. 🙂
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This is so helpful and I totally get the “set featured image” point since I never really gave it the importance it deserves. Blogging voice is also so essential. I love this write up!
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Thank you so much! I know right! Setting a feature image never really occurred to me when I first started blogging!
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Thanks for sharing such honest thoughts! It was really helpful.
Plz chekout my latest post :
https://pinklogs.wordpress.com/2017/06/25/how-to-take-care-of-your-lips-during-summer/
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You’re welcome!
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This was such a fantastic reflective post! I have made so many mistakes over time and I definitely still make them! Great to see blogs growing and developing over time 🙂 xxx
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Thank you so much! I love seeing blogs grow and develop as well 🙂
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I have only been blogging for two months so posts like these are so helpful!! I am yet to share my blog on my other social media platforms as I am afraid of judgement but if you say it helps then I may have to be brave haha! xxx
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I’m so glad! I know what you mean about sharing on social media haha! If you’re worried about it, I recommend setting up separate blog accounts 🙂 it’s nice because you don’t have to worry about people you don’t want seeing/knowing about your blog to see what you post!
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Oh yeah that’s a good idea, thank you!! X
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Interesting perspective! Thanks for sharing:)
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You’re welcome! 🙂
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Great tips. I do agree. The more photos the better sometimes.
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Thank you so much! And definitely!
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What sort of social media stuff would you recommend? I use pinterest and google plus but I need to find a way to reach more people
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I’ve just started blogging a few days ago and this post has already helped so much! I just linked my social media to my blog and so far I have received great encouragement from my friends! Thanks for these tips!! :)))
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As a newbie blogger, I’m glad to have come across your post! I’m finding that I need to learn how to utilize social media more, especially Pinterest and Twitter!
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I enjoyed reading your post. Sharing tips on what not to do is quite beneficial for we newbies. Thanks so much!
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Hi currently, I just started blogging last week. Before that I had written some occasional pieces on medium but didn’t like to share them with people I know either, just my wife. The first time I decided to share something on a WhatsApp group of friends I felt so vulnerable just before I clicked the send button. Anyway I stumbled on your blog today. I really like your style. It’s really encouraging to know you improve over time. Some of my pieces are a little crappy, but sometimes you just have to do it, or it will never get done.
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Really great advice!
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Thank you!
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