Happy Five Years to the KMD Blog!

I can’t believe another year has passed by since the re-launch of my blog!  I know I say this each year, but it still amazes me that I have been able to keep up with my blog for as long as I have.  This year, we are celebrating a huge milestone on the blog- the FIFTH anniversary!  I can’t believe I have been consistently blogging for half a decade now.  It’s crazy to think that this passion of mine started with an interest in having a hobby outside of my normal 9-5 job.

Anyway, as with each blog anniversary post, I like to go over things that I have learned throughout the year.  These could be things that I have also learned from previous years however, they have still stuck with me thus, I’m still focusing on them for this year.  If you want to check out the previous year’s posts, click here:  Year 1, Year 2, Year 3, and Year 4.  Without further ado, check out the lessons that I have learned in this previous year of blogging.

Batch Content

I mention batching content every year, but I can’t emphasize enough how important it is to batch your content.  When you can devote one day a week or month to focus on creating content and then schedule it out for days or weeks in advance, you notice that you have more free time on the day-to-day.  During my first year of blogging, I didn’t quite know how to batch content well.  However, as time went on, I became good at batching content.  My husband and I even block a day out of the month to shoot my content.

Once I got a hang of batching content, my day-to-day life as a blogger/content creator became easier.  I was able to focus more on brand deals and building relationships with fellow bloggers and/or brands.

I also enjoy batching content since it allows me to dedicate a certain time for my creative ideas to come through (via photos or videos).  This way, I’m not always shooting content whenever a creative idea comes up.  I can write it down, think about it, plan it out, and then shoot it.  It allows me to work more on my creative ideas.

Be Consistent

The number one piece of advice I got when I started to blog was to be consistent.  Dedicating a certain time for blog posts to go live, Instagram posts to go live, etc has helped me in being consistent.  For example, I dedicate Fridays for blog posts and like to post on Instagram at least three times a week (usually Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays).  I also post on Pinterest and Twitter the same day as my blog posts- to promote the post.  I post randomly on Instagram stories but aim to have at least 3-4+ daily stories.  I plan to post on TikTok weekly but that has not been as consistent as I would like.

Anyway, I’ve changed my schedule around over the years.  But my focus has always been to have a schedule for my blog and Instagram.  If you’re on multiple social media platforms, like me, focusing on 1-2 of your preferred platforms will be better for you to remain consistent.  I also use scheduling apps, or prep and schedule my posts in advance.  This way, if something comes up on the day of my post, it will already be live for the time I selected, no matter what comes up for me.

Using scheduling apps and the “scheduler” feature on Instagram, WordPress, Pinterest, etc has been a game changer for me over my five years as a blogger.  Without those features, I wouldn’t have been as consistent as I have been.  Thus, checking out those features on the apps or using third-party apps for those features is the best advice I can give for a new blogger. 

Have Fun

Last but not least, have fun with the blogging experience!  If social media is not your job and you are doing it as a hobby/passion, then learn to have fun with it.  I’ll be the first to say that I started blogging as a passion and a way to allow myself a creative side to shine since I’m not naturally a creative person.  However, the pressures to perform consistently and constant brand deals over the years (especially last year), had burnt me out.  So, this year, I changed my schedule to less frequent blog posts (one post every other week), Instagram posts (only 3 posts/week no matter what), and posts on other social media platforms. This new schedule has allowed me to focus more on my home life and explore other hobbies such as reading, etc.

Always remember that this is supposed to be fun so don’t burn yourself out.  Take the breaks and change your posting schedule to be less frequent, if needed.  I’m constantly changing my posting schedules for all my social media platforms so that I can allow myself to not be burnt out again.  I had experienced that feeling of being burnt out last year and did not enjoy the feeling of hating to write a blog post.  Once I made changes to a new posting schedule, I am enjoying writing blog posts again.  Make sure to always remember this is supposed to be fun to do what it takes to allow yourself to enjoy yourself as a creative – unless it is your job however, some people enjoy their jobs as well.

And those are all the lessons that I have learned in this past year/five years of blogging.  I can’t believe I’ve been blogging for the past five years.  I thank you all for reading my posts and consistently being supportive.  Without your support, I don’t think I would have continued to blog.  I hope you all are also enjoying my journey and growth as a blogger.

How long have you been blogging and what is one lesson that you have learned as a blogger?  Let me know in the comments below!

Much Love,