HOW I AM CELEBRATING 9-YEARS OF BLOGGING

I am celebrating nine years of being a blogger, and though it seems like a frivolous feat to celebrate, re-enacting the timestamp of when I started my blog in Nigeria will prove otherwise. A few years ago, when I started my blog, the scene was still fresh with very few bloggers existing in Nigeria. Most lifestyle bloggers like me did it for fun and to share our stories. 

Fast-forward to 2020, things seem little different, and various sectors have morphed out of this trepidatious experiment.

The standards have continuously risen, people learning how to use SEO’s, understanding online marketing CRM, online advertising the list is endless- the blogging world has shifted, and bore stars from humble beginnings-myself inclusive. However, one thing has remained true about maintaining relevance in this space, and that is consistency. The nine years of me being in this space have not been rosy because of that expectation, with little breaks here and there.

But I’ve realised that when it comes to the success of any venture, nothing beats doing the work and improving on it. Click to Tweet

But I’ve realised that when it comes to the success of any venture, nothing beats doing the work and improving on it. I know people ask questions on how to grow their following, increase blog readership e.tc the answer remains “be consistent.” I have also written a few helpful resources, which can be found here and here. But there are other factors to put into consideration. For example, “what is your story and how can it connect to to the people you are writing it for?” As someone who is usually adamant about coming across as likeable, I’ve stuck to the model of treating my blog as a diary- that means readers who read my work here, do so to get a look into my fashion and lifestyle.

That take has worked successfully for me over the years with over 1.3 million readerships and counting. With my blog, I’ve collaborated with the best brands in the world and found a way to build a growing community.

Since my style takes on a comely model, it is usually hard to scale to a professional level as that would force a more restricted or scripted narrative. There are a lot of reasons people start-up blogs these days, most of it, usually centred on the PR gifts that bloggers are privy to- that isn’t a wrong reason to start a blog, but it also not a sustainable reason. Being that PR gifts can only bring so much gratification before it becomes a chore. 

I am not here to police peoples intentions on how to run their content on this platform, but I hope that people understand that there is no short-cut to achieving sustainable success.

For others, the craving for perfection can often-times delay our need to create content or tell our stories. I say this because of my experience, where I have had to put off writing on this blog for weeks because I wasn’t comfortable with the content I created. The truth is as you grow, the expectations become higher, and I did maintain a certain level of excellence till I uprooted myself from an environment where I was comfortable. But it also holds that sometimes life happens and we are not in the best place to put our best work forward. However, that shouldn’t stop us from creating or writing- sometimes it’s the quality of the story and other times its just about the story being told. 

Lately, I have learned not to be too hard on myself and create to the best of my ability. On days where I am not able to whip anything tangible in pictures, I could try to use my word to create magic. So here is to more years of creating content in words or images, and thanks for the continued support.