Now before I start I will say I only have been blogging for a year and a couple of months. Every blogger is different and every experience is different from the rest. 

When I first wanted to start a blog it was back at the start of grade 12 when covid wasn’t a thing and we thought a pandemic was just a movie. I remember being in the library spending hours researching blog topics and the overall community and life of blogging and keeping up with it. 

It wasn’t until about a year later when I was smack in the middle of covid and I had no life. I mean I had no life before the pandemic but it just shoved it into my face. So I decided you know what I am going to do it. I am going to start a blog. So with the help of my parents, I spent $160 or something dollars. I got a domain, protection and well a hosting site as to why I thought Shy Girl vibes was a good blog name is beyond me. I am horrible at coming up with names and it was a second idea that popped into my head that I do regret now. 

After buying it, came the fact of setting it up and although I was excited to get blog posts up and start marketing I had to actually make the blog look pretty and not ugly in a sense. I had a very hard time and really bad glitches that made me call support a couple of times to come and help me. 

After loads of calls, depression and anger going to youtube was my best friend to at least help me with the basics

Now I won’t bore with the whole process because it was well boring and long and maybe for another day another blog post. 

Now the biggest thing all bloggers say and although I hate when they say it but I agree with them is that you need a niche. For example a blog about food or a blog about mental health etc. The reason I don’t totally agree is because have you seen my blog I talk from depression to how my dogs don’t love me to how I have a horrible memory. But having some sort of niche is good in a sense. 

Another hard thing would-be writer’s block. Everyone knows that word and it’s every writer’s worst enemy literally aha. Now you can have ideas for weeks and boom your covered but sometimes you will sit and think what the hell do I talk about or what I have done sometimes I come up with an idea and realized I already talked about it. 

Then there’s the whole SEO thing and I do believe that works and will help grow your blog. Do I know the best advice for that no because for some reason my small brain doesn’t understand it fully. One day I will but after playing animal crossing new update for two hours and taking another hour nap my brain is a mess. Essentially though it’s about using the right words, making a good length blog and making sure that the blog idea in itself is good and makes sense. 

Then comes marketing or advertising. To get people to your blog to get people to say hey I like this blog and subscribe to your email. As of right now, I post on Twitter both my Instagram Tumblr, Pinterest and the one app I truly hate from the bottom of my heart and only use to market my blog is Facebook. With the right hashtags and the right posting time, you could get people to your site. 

I must admit because I hate lying and sugar-coating stuff. After a year of blogging and doing all that I only get about 10-15 views and sometimes 0. Am I doing something wrong 100% I know I am and one day I will find out what I am doing wrong and punch myself in the face..maybe it depends on how I’m feeling.

Like everything you do you will always learn no matter what you can do something for years and you’ll learn something from someone who has been doing it for not as long and thing huhhhhh I didn’t know that. 

So you’re are probably wondering why are you writing this blog post if you barely getting views. Because I am still learning and someone out there who wants to start a blog will read this and hopefully I didn’t give them depression. 

The last thing I will speak on and will keep it short. Monetizing your blog. There are many ways and the one way I am using is AdSense. It took me a year and 2 months for them to finally say hey you can have ads on your blog and you probably see them as you are reading. It was a very long annoying depressing wait but once you get them you’ll realize all the work paid somewhat off. 

So the reality of blogging. You will not become a famous blogger overnight. There will be days where you are confused and have no idea what you are doing. There will be days wondering what you are doing wrong and why your views are so low. 

I think I wish someone told me this but keep trying and don’t look at it for money and for views. Yeah, ad it around and see what you can do but have fun and write what you wanna write. You will hit blocks in the road and days will look gray and typing that sounded cheesy so I am sorry for that. 

But don’t overwork yourself and take breaks. Self-care is more important than a blog will ever be. 

Maybe this helped someone. Maybe it didn’t. But that ladies and gents and the non-binary that is the reality of blogging.