things I wish I had known when I started blogging

Sooo we just hit 700! This is absolutely insane to me because I never imagined that 10 months into blogging I'd have so many of y'all! You have no idea how much the continuous support means to me. If you had told me when I started out that I would make a ton of amazing and talented friends, I would've laughed in your face. The other day a had a girl reach out to me and tell me that she had just started out, so of course I told her everything I wish I had known when I first started. I realized how passionate I really am about talking about my blog! So I decided to let ya'll know everything I wish I had known those first couple months of blogging.

Know That Brands May Not Work With You In The Beginning, and That's Okay!

When I first made my account I carelessly sent "pitch emails" to huge brands that I loved. I thought that just because I called myself a fashion blogger, brands would want to work with me. I quickly learned the truth about that once I got rejection emails back. Truth is, I've been blogging for almost a year now and just got my first brand package in the mail a couple weeks ago.

It's Okay To Not Have All Of The Followers

One thing that I was so concerned about when starting my blog was the numbers! As the months have gone by, I've realized that numbers aren't what's important. The beginning is a time to make connections and build relationships. I've made so many friends through this platform and I am so thankful for it! Chances are, you're probably not going to blow up immediately. But the process can be so much fun if you let it!

Work On Your Theme!!

I cannot stress this enough. Having a aesthetically pleasing theme is one of the most important things you can do. Your theme is sort of a first impression when someone clicks on your profile, so make it count!

Get Some Help With Your Engagement!

It's totally okay to get a little help! Joining engagement pods and engagement pages are great ways to boost your engagement and even make friends! I've made some amazing friends through these methods! As long as you're willing to keep up with the work, these are amazing resources.

Find The Right Hashtags

Finding the right hashtags is VITAL to have a successful account. Hashtags are how your posts are seen! Doing research on Pinterest will be extremely helpful. Pro Tip: Use hashtags with a lower number of posts. Using hashtags with millions of posts at the beginning aren't going to help very much because your post will get lost in the sea of other posts.

I really hope that these tips helped you out. I am by no means claiming to be a professional, these are just a few things that I wanted to share with some of my new bloggers out there! I'd love to hear your best tips so we can all support each other! Also, feel free to drop your Instagram handle so we can connect!

Thank you so much for reading! Until next time,

Jo.

Here's a comparison of when I first started v.s now!