Hello everyone, I hope you’re having a lovely morning, afternoon, or evening! I’m coming up on my fourth year of blogging (you can read my first-ever post here!), so I figured I would dish out some advice for those who my be starting out!

Why are you blogging in the first place?

Is it to make money? Just to have your own little corner of the internet? It’s important to ask yourself this question before you truly start diving in. I created this blog initially to attract audience and such for when I (eventually) publish my books. However, that’s taking longer than expected and by now, I’ve grown to love just having my own little corner (literally). If you’re looking to monetize your blog and make it your full-time job or whatever, this advice is probably not for you, as I don’t have the desire or expertise in that field.
(but, I mean, feel free to keep reading maybe pass on to a friend—I do love attention)

Do what you want.

If you want this to be your special, personal space, write for you, not others. I’m not the biggest blog or anything, but I love what I do, because I create for me. It wouldn’t be Callie’s Corner, if it was full of what other people wanted. This is my corner of the internet, I write what I want. Don’t feel pressured to try and predict what other people will want to read, don’t stress about choosing the perfect niche that will get the most attention, write for you. Do what you want, or this will become a chore.

Give it time.

Especially if you’re not advertising your blog and making it a business and all that, it will take time to get followers and readers. I’ve been blogging for almost four years and only have 87 subscribers and get at least 1-3 visitors a day. Now, again, it’s not that I care to be popular and widespread, but as a beginner it is easy to get sucked up into views and followers and such. Why blog if no one’s even seeing it? That can be hard; I feel that sometimes. But then I get reminded that I have a website; I have a corner of the internet all for myself. It purely exists, whether people see it or not. I just think it’s cool and fascinating.

Let yourself change.

My blog overall looks very different from when I first started. The main colors were pink and white and had cartoon-ish graphics rather than the watercolor-y design of it now. Not to mention, my formatting has changed a ton, too. I started this blog when I was about seventeen-and-a-half and I’m twenty-one-and-a-half now. Of course my personal style is going to change, especially as I mature and realize what style actually suits me and how I want things to look, be written, etc. So, as you grow (mentally, blog-wise, etc.) let yourself and your blog change. Remember, this is your corner of the internet; if you don’t like how it looks, you have every right to change the style, aesthetic, and all that.

Don’t be afraid to research and find inspiration.

I look up blog prompts sometimes; I need external inspiration sometimes. That’s okay. It’s totally okay to research what to do, especially if you’re just starting. Even looking at other blogs for inspiration regarding how you want yours to look is helpful. I did the same thing! I have a document where I write down all my post ideas and such and even a calendar to plan out when they’ll be published. Jot down all your ideas, research, and inspirations.

Don’t be afraid to reach out.

One of the biggest ways you can grow and get more views is by connecting with other bloggers! When you come across a post, leave a comment. If a blogger has a “Blog Buttons” page (like I do), scroll through and visit each of those blogs and follow them. There are so many more bloggers out there than you may realize, so get out and get connected!

Helpful Resources

1. Canva: a graphic design website. I have been using it for years and create pretty much all of my content on there.
2. Grammarly: you’ve probably seen ads for this site before. Again, I’ve been using this for years and it is so helpful! I use it for my blog, but also my stories and other writings. If you’re still in school, it can be a lifesaver, too!
3. WordPress, Squarespace, Wix, etc: you’ll need some sort of website-hosting, -creating, -etc. platform. I use WordPress, but I’ve heard good things about others, too; it’s best to research each of them and decide which is best for you!
4. Adobe Lightroom: the mobile version of this is free. I use it for editing my photos, and it helps tremendously with adapting any pictures to match the same sort of aesthetic, filters, etc.
5. Carrd, Linktree, etc: especially if you have multiple socials (like me), this is super helpful. You can put it in the bio or whatever of each account/profile, and it will link to all the others. I use it to draw people to my blog, my sister’s business, my YouTube, and a bunch of other stuff.

Are you brainstorming your own blog? If you’re already a blogger, for how how long have you been blogging? If you have any other pieces of advice, feel free to drop them in the comments! I hope you have a wonderful rest of your day or night. Keep on loving others and seeking the Lord!