It’s officially been a year since I started Coffee and Coos.  To this day, I can’t tell you what possessed me to think that this was a viable way to earn an income.  I had never written for a living, done anything in the technology field, or done any marketing of any kind.  That’s right… I had absolutely no idea what I was doing.  I just knew that I wanted a job where I could work from home, on my own schedule, while Weston napped upstairs.  I had no desire to go back to work while my baby was young and I needed something that allowed me to use my brain and contribute financially to our family.  A year later, I couldn’t be more excited about how far this blog has come, the skills I have learned, the people I have met, and the opportunities I have been provided.  In celebration on my one year anniversary, I’ve decided to share five lessons I’ve learned in my first year of blogging for any new bloggers who might be exactly where I was 12 months ago.

5 Lessons I Learned in my First Year of Blogging

1. Success Takes Time

First and foremost, you need to know that blogging is not a get rich quick scheme.  You’re not going to start making tons of money overnight.  It takes time, persistence, and dedication.  In my first month blogging, I made exactly $4.67.  Although this isn’t even enough to buy a Big Mac and fries, I was ridiculously excited about this $4.67.  It gave me a tiny glimmer of hope that maybe this whole “making money blogging” thing was possible.  My second month of blogging brought in $82.92.  By my 8^th month blogging, I had earned more than I did when I was working full time (before baby).  My income has grown every single month, but it has taken time and a lot of hard work to see this continued growth.

2. You can’t get Caught up in the Small Stuff

I spent the first several weeks of my “blogging career” sifting through fonts, colors, and photos for my website.  Guess what?  It turns out that these things really don’t mean a whole lot.  When it comes down to it, people don’t care if your header is black or pink, they care about your content and whether or not it’s helpful to them.  Sure, your website needs to look nice and your fonts need to be legible, but at the end of the day, every new blogger should be focused on creating quality content that their readers want to consume.

3. The Possibilities are Endless

When I first started blogging, I found it helpful to read other bloggers’ income reports.  When I’d see monthly income reports in the thousands of dollars, I thought of all the reasons why they were successful and why it probably wouldn’t happen for me.  The truth is (and I really believe this), anyone can be a successful blogger.  You don’t have to be an expert in anything (I’m surely not a pregnancy and parenting expert), you don’t have to have a ton of startup money (I purchased my domain and three years of hosting for $143), and you don’t need to know the crazy ins and outs of the blogging world.  It truly is a business where you learn as you earn and the first step is to just get started.

4. You Never Stop Learning

There is so much to know in the world of blogging.  Every time you think you have something figured out, something new comes along that you need to learn.  There are always ways to improve, ways to earn more money, and ways to keep learning.  One thing I love about blogging is there are no mistakes.  Everything is worth trying and learning from.  If a post doesn’t do well… so what?  Move on and write another one.  The only way to figure out what works and what your readers want to consume is to keep trying new things.  Although blogging may seem like an alternative way to earning an income, you’d be shocked at the number of resources that are available on the topic (you’d also be shocked at the number of people who are earning a full time income, and more, by blogging).

Anyone who knows me knows that I absolutely hate spending money.  Being that I started this blog to give our family a financial boost (and start paying off our student loans), I wasn’t eager to spend money on e-books or blogging courses.  However, once I started to bring in a little income, I realized there was a lot to learn and the whole “teach yourself how to blog” thing was sort of slowing me down.  In the past year, I invested in three different blogging resources.  The first two were e-books by my friend, Caroline Simmons, who owns Swaddles n’ Bottles and The Basics of Blogging.  I purchased her Pinning for Pageviews e-book and her Mastering Affiliate Marketing e-book.  Both were excellent resources, especially considering the price.  They’re great books for beginners and truly teach you how to get your blog off the ground.  Next, I became a member of BBC (which is soon changing its name to MOMO).  BBC, or MOMO, members receive lifetime access to courses, e-books, challenges, and trainings on all things blogging.  It’s been some of the best money I’ve ever spent.  I wrote a complete review of the program if you want to learn more.

5. You have to Treat it Like a Business

Lastly, I’ve learned that you have to treat your blog like a business.  This means a whole load of things:

• First, you have to give it the time and energy it deserves. You only get back what you put into it.  When I first started, I spent every nap time hour on my blog and some evenings (this included weekends).  While it still didn’t total the 40+ hours a week I was working before I had Weston, it was still a job that I was dedicating all of my free time to.  I’d estimate I was spending about 20 hours a week on the blog when I first started out.
• Second, you have to track everything! You have to set goals, keep track of your statistics, and most importantly, track your income and expenses.  Blogging isn’t just free money.  You have to pay taxes on it just like the rest of America has to pay taxes on their income.  My best suggestion is to set aside 30% of everything you earn for tax purposes.
• Third, you have to keep showing up. While blogging has this beautiful way of taking on a life of its own over time, there is still plenty of work to do.  You have to remain consistent, continue to come up with fresh ideas, and constantly look for ways to grow.  Being your own boss is wonderful.  You don’t have to answer to anyone, you get to make your own schedule, and you’re allowed to work in your pajamas.  But, being your own boss means that everything is up to you.  Everything.

While I’ve dumped loads of time and energy into this blog over the last year, I can undeniably say that I’m so proud of how far it’s come and what it has done for our family.  This crazy blog has renewed my faith in myself, made me feel like more than just a mom, helped us pay off (almost) five of our debts, and allowed us to save up a nice little nest egg for baby number two.

If you’re thinking about starting a blog, or recently started one, I hope these tips help guide you in the right direction.  You got this!

DISCLOSURE: Coffee and Coos is not intended to replace the advice of a medical professional. Always consult your doctor for medical advice.

---

Some posts on this site may or may not contain affiliate links.  Coffee and Coos is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases at no additional cost to you. To learn more, visit our Privacy and Disclosure page.