Mimosas and Lipstick is six months old this week. If you had asked me when I started M & L where the blog would be today, I would have never in my wildest dreams thought it would be here! I have encountered so many amazing people, become a more positive person, tried new things and learned a lot along the way. Some lessons stick out among the rest but every experience has taught me something new that I can build upon going forward, and that’s what matters.
I have received so many amazing tid bits of advice, and I felt compiling them would be a great way to share what I have learned. I also want to display what qualities I find important if you are interested in becoming a blogger.
The six major things I’ve learned these last six months that have helped me get to where I am today:
Consistency and Honesty
I don’t just mean posting at the same time, every day, all the time. Although that is an aspect of blogging, consistency should be found in all aspects of your brand, and it is still something I’m trying to work on.
Your brand is you. It’s how you present yourself across all channels. You need to find your voice. You need to find your brand. Who are you? What’s your brand? What makes you, you? And go from there. I suggest looking into yourself and identifying your passions. If you love doing A, but you chose to blog about Z, then it will be harder to generate content or connect with people who interact with your blog. If you’ve been following me on this journey, I have definitely tried new things, new styles of writing and new products. But overall, what I blog about involves lifestyle and fashion. So if I all of a sudden go off the beaten path and only blog about food from small countries or only share stories about snorkeling in Antarctica (can you even do that? Probably not), it’s going to be hard to follow. Stick to what you know and what you’re passionate about. If you’re genuine, people will listen and you can build from there. Be consistent - no matter if you have two followers or two thousand followers - will help create your voice and your brand.
You can always try new things, but be sure that your voice remains the same and that you’re still sharing things that you would actually use - even if you weren’t a blogger. I often get asked, ‘would you promote something even if you wouldn’t use it’? The answer is always “No,” and I believe that I have stuck to this. I have turned down opportunities if I felt that I wouldn’t be authentic to my audience. At the end of the day, I owe all the success of this blog to you, my readers and supporters. I want to look out for products or services you can afford and would actually want to use!
Reach Out and Connect
I knew almost nothing about how much time and effort went into blogging. However, I had thought about it for a while before I started, and I wanted to be prepared. If I was going to do this, I was going to do it right.
I was fortunate enough to have met some sweet girls during my time at LSU, and I asked them each a few questions. They were so helpful and made sure I had the tools to succeed. Most bloggers that I have come into contact with are nothing but helpful and kind. Being in this network has made me realize how amazing it is to have daily support from inspiring individuals.
All that being said, reach out! Most of the time, other bloggers have been exactly where you are and will answer your questions. Never be afraid to ask for help. So much of this is learning by trial and error. If you try and mess up, at least you can learn from your mistake.
And finally, build relationships. Engage with other people. Ask questions, comment, make someone else’s day. You will only get out what you put into it. Find and follow other bloggers who inspire you. There are so many amazing individuals who inspire me to be a better person everyday, and I believe that surrounding myself with this positivity has renewed my outlook on life.
This is Supposed to be Fun
I remember about a month and a half into M&L, I was really stressed. I was putting a lot of pressure on myself to be perfect and successful. I also wasn’t really happy with where I was in other aspects of my life - I was burning out. I was having a hard time generating content, and I may or may not have had a mini-meltdown. While it may have been just a picture on my feed or a blurb on my blog, it meant a lot to me. My boyfriend helped to put it in perspective for me. “This is supposed to be fun,” he said. “You can’t put all this pressure on yourself, because then this isn’t your creative outlet anymore.” And he was right.
I decided to become a blogger for fun, as a hobby. To have a creative outlet that allowed me to connect with others. Not to stress about how many followers I had or how many likes I was getting or if I was posting everyday and turning out content continuously. I was doing this because it was a hobby that I enjoyed. If you go into it with a pressured mindset, then you’ll end up adding another thing that stresses you out. Do it because it’s something you’re passionate about.
Comparison is the Thief of Joy
It is so easy to get bogged down in comparison. She has this, he went there, they have that. Before you know it, you feel like you’re going nowhere - which isn’t true! Everyone is on a different journey. Everyone has a different brand. You cannot assume that because another blogger has landed something you’ve always wanted, that they have the perfect life. Everything happens the way it’s supposed to. You need to enjoy and relish in your accomplishments. This is not about having all the followers in the world or getting the most likes, it’s about letting your passion shine through. Recognize how far you’ve come and the community you have built with the help of your followers and the people who have always supported you.
Willingness to Try and Taking Constructive Criticism
You never know until you try. You will never progress if you don’t learn from mistakes. I’m not suggesting go skydiving or try a new hair do, but I mean that until you try creating a website, or apply for partnerships, or share your story with the internet, you’ll never know.
Look up tutorials, ask questions, get answers, try. And if you’re try does not work, take a step back, tweak it, and try again. No one expects you to know everything, and if ever something needs to be changed, it’s not always a negative. If you’re growing and improving, you’re bound to make a few changes here and there.
I always have my dear friend, Caitlin, look over my posts for errors. I bounce photo ideas and potential partnerships off of my cousins. Our group text is jokingly called “The Board of Mimosas & Lipstick”. Surrounding yourself with people who will make sure you’re putting your best foot forward is so important. When they make suggestions, edits, or give my honest opinions, I cannot take it personally. If I didn’t ask, I would never know. And if you never try, you’ll never see your potential.
Time
I think the most important thing I’ve learned is that everything takes time. Rome was not built in a day, and, honestly, anything else that is worth your time won’t be either. As long as you’re genuinely interested in doing something, the success will follow. It will take time, effort and determination. But if you love something, it won’t feel like work. I am constantly learning, trying, adjusting and trying again, to create the best content for my readers.
I do not have all the answers. I am no guru. But these are the important lessons I have learned these last few months. There is so much for me to still learn, do and create. I cannot thank you enough for coming along on this adventure with me, and I cannot wait to see where it takes us next! I am so humbled by where Mimosas and Lipstick has gone in the last six months, it is beyond my wildest dreams and I cannot thank everyone enough for their support.
