I've been blogging consistently here on EM for just over a year, and it's been quite the ride! Who would've thought that when my mom forced me to start a blog in high school, it would turn into my favorite hobby? My mom, because apparently she really does know best.

BUT back to blogging!

There have been so many times in the past year where I have looked to the heavens and shouted, "WHAT AM I DOING?" because I didn't know if people would ever like my style and posts, or even care about what I had to say. Honestly, there was a period of time when I first started EM when I actually didn't want people to read my blog because I was so self-conscious and didn't want them to talk to me about it. Looking back, it's actually so silly how afraid I was--like the whole point of me putting my posts online was so other people to read them, but I was in high school, and I was a typical high school girl. Lol. 

I'd like to think I've come pretty far since I first started blogging, and I can confidently say that I don't cry out of fear every time someone reads one of my posts (it's out of happiness now). I never thought that I would be interested in blog design or social media marketing, but when I started blogging I discovered that I really had a passion for those things. Learning about these programs has helped me with advertising and creating an aesthetic that reflects who I am and what I want EM to be. Things like SEO (search engine optimization), Google Analytics, and connecting with other bloggers have been so important to EM's success. I'm actually working on a post about these elements right now, but there's one specific thing that I've learned about blogging that I want to share with you today:

The most important thing I've learned about blogging is that your personality is what sells you. People love seeing you act quirky and be yourself.

Your personality is your greatest marketing tool. Hands down. No joke. 

People are drawn to other people who are so comfortable with their personality that they choose to share it with everyone else, which is why readers want to see yours. If you're brave enough to start your own blog, my advice is to jump in with both feet. If you want to blog, blog well. Give people a glimpse into your life by incorporating the things you love into your posts. It's not about creating the most "driving" content or whatever other crap those social media experts are trying to sell you--it's all about YOU. Those things can--and, most of the time, will--help, but they can't substitute for a lack of personality, or "you" factor. 

There are a few easy ways to do this, the first one being so obvious that people forget about it literally all the time:

Blog about the things you like.

Can you believe people forget about this? They do!! I did for awhile, too. Don't get caught up in blogging about what people like or what will attract the most views, because you will get bored of it. It's not you. It's not what you're interested in. So if you like fashion and you want to blog about really good sales that your favorite brands have, DO NOT start a blog about food, fashion, and life, just because you think it will attract more views.

Don't say more than you have to. 

Now listen, I'm a writing student, so naturally I love writing. But if there's one thing I've learned from both blogging and my professors is that extra words are clutter. They bore people and confuse them about your content. Social media and blogging experts or whatever they call themselves (can you tell I don't like them very much?) will tell you the exact opposite--they say that more words attract more viewers...

Uh, SOOOO not true. Here's a sad fact: millennials do not read, at least not with the interest and patience that people used to, so the more words you have crammed in a post, the less likely they are to read it. 

Do not monetize your blog.

I sound like a radical, I know, but I'm just telling you what social media marketers won't. Ever heard of a sell out? That's what you'll be if you start monetizing your blog too early. If you begin accepting paid promotions while you're still trying to find your blogging-niche, you will lose a lot of freedom to figure out what you're really passionate about. 

It's hard to have courage and put yourself out there--it's obviously something I struggled with. Has anxiety stopped you from starting a blog or website? Fellow blogger friends, I'd love to know how you have dealt with blogger-anxiety and marketing your personality. Let me know in the comments below! 

xx, Em