Skills I have learnt as a Blogger

 While I am not a full time blogger, I totally understand the amount of work that goes into the final product/published blog post. Blogging may seem like a playful/fun/entertaining hobby (which it should be) but it does not mean it doesn’t take up a lot of time. I am not by any means complaining at all in fact I absolutely love it.  Blogging is the only thing I can ever do into the wee hours of the night/morning because I enjoy it so much that I even forget time is ticking by. If I did not love blogging so much, I think I would have given up a long time ago because it is so challenging to be a regular blogger when you have a demanding full time job/studies or a combination of both. I thought it would be nice to breakdown some of the skills I have learned in the past two years as a result of blogging. The only task I don't do a lot of  is the financial aspect which I guess is more relevant for full time bloggers or people fully monetising their blogs. I hope this encourages any would-be bloggers to start a blog or current bloggers  Seriously, if you are thiking of starting a blog, just do it (like Nike). Right, let's get on with it....

Writing/Editing Skills: This is a no brainer because blogging is all about writing as you would expect. You don't necessarily have to be an author or writer but you need to love writing at least for you to effectively run your blog. Of course, you don’t have to write lengthy posts every time but you want your content to be informative and stand out so you can add value to your readers. You would also have the grand old job of editing what you have written to ensure there are no grammatical errors before publishing, Honestly, it is hard sometimes to see small errors especially when you have read it on preview a thousand times but you have to try. It is a skill I have improved on over the years and my full time job has benefitted from it and vice versa.

Researching Skills: Research is extremely important especially if you are reviewing products and I love to do it. I am always so pleased when readers and fellow bloggers leave positive feedback on my reviews; it honestly makes my day. My full time job involves endless research which is why I apply the same knowledge or expertise with my blog and vice versa. When I am reviewing a product, especially new/unknown ones, I like my readers to feel like they know so much about the product for them to make an informed decision on purchasing or not. I also like to feel that way when I read other bloggers' reviews. I personally don’t think it takes a long time to do research because it also involves your personal experience with the product. Most times, I just write how I feel about a product on my Notes on my iPhone or on Evernote and when it’s time to write my review I just add everything together so it provides the bigger picture.

Photography Skills: I cannot think of any blog without pictures because it would just be so drab. If you are a beauty/fashion/lifestyle/food blogger or any blogger that writes personal posts or does product reviews, you would need to take your own photos unless you are blessed to have someone who does that for you. Even if you have someone to help, you still need to know how to operate your camera and take your own photos in case there is no one to help. After taking pictures, you also have to edit them so they look nice and fit well with your blog and trust me, these two tasks can be very time consuming although they are enjoyable. If you live in the UK or any other country that has shorter days during A/W, then you would struggle with getting good daylight for photos so you need to plan your time and daylight effectively. You have to be super organised as well.

Social Media Strategist Skills: It is imperative to be active on social media if you want to promote your blog and get your voice out there. Many people underestimate the power of social media and the amount of time that can be spent on it promoting your blog. Interacting on social media is not just promoting your blog; it’s about networking, checking out other people’s blogs and brands. It is very rewarding and give syou a chance to meet many amazing people. I think I absolutely suck at this but I am trying to get better.

Graphics/HTML/Coding Skills: Even if you buy a pre-made template from a designer or you have a regular one from Blogger/WordPress, you still have to acquire a basic knowledge of HTML and simple codes to personalise your blog. Google is the answer and there are tons of tutorials out there which teach simple or not-so-simple tasks  like designing headers, adding widgets, banners, making social media buttons and tweaks to make your blog look better. Everything I learnt was via Google through trial and errors.

Blog Housekeeping Skills (Administration Skills): Back of house tasks are very important especially if you want your blog to remain fresh and relevant. Back of house tasks can be anything such as removing old links, replacing links, changing some pictures, editing any grammatical errors, updating your information (about me and FAQs pages), etc. You can change the look of your blog and get a new template, add new social media buttons, etc. The list is endless but it is really essential so your readers are confident they are getting the most up to date information from your blog. It may seem like a drab task to do sometimes but I have improved on my skills in this area and apply to my personal life. It is also strongly linked to being organised.

PR Skills: Public Relations is related to social media and promoting your blog but it also involves other areas such as working with brands and other bloggers. When brands approach you, you would need to know how to represent yourself professionally to deal with their requests. To be fair, it has never been an issue for me but it does need a good touch of professionalism. I get quite a few PR requests every now and then. I accept some and turn down many  because I don’t think it is a right fit for my blog or I don’t think it would be beneficial to me or my readers. I have learned to understand how to represent and negotiate with brands and having a good knowledge of my blog’s worth. This usually involves emails and sometimes, telephone calls. Whatever mode it is, it is a job that you have to do yourself unless of course you have an agency/network that sorts that out for you. The more you do it, the better you beccome and of course this skill can be applied in other areas of your life.

Finance/Accounting Skills: Aha, this is one area many people shy away from. The truth is you would spend some money on your blog no matter what. It could be a small sum or a large sum but you need to understand how you manage this spending. If you are reviewing products, buying equipment for blogging or tools (whether for personal use or not), it is a cost. If you buy a template, social media button, it’s a cost to your blog. Paying for a custom domain, renewing or hosting your blog is a cost as well which needs to be managed. There is also the flip side of getting some income on your blog. If you live in the UK, you may need to be registered as self employed if you are making a significant amount from your blog either via sponsored posts, affiliate links, adverts or paid placement. Some bloggers even have to pay an accountant to help with their Tax Returns which may mean that you have to pay attention to your expenses and file everything. I don't think everyone would learn finance/accounting skills from having a blog but if you are monetising your blog, it is a good skill you would pick up over time.

Overall Thoughts

Regardless of how many these tasks look like, blogging is one of the most rewarding things I have ever done. The sense of pride I feel when I publish a post, take a nice photo, get a comment or positive feedback is so amazing and it keeps me going and loving this little space of mine even more. I cannot think of having it any other way and all my readers make it all so worth it and for that, I say a massive THANK YOU!!! Hope you all had a nice week. See you in my next post...xx