One Year of 'Little White Socks'

Little White Socks is officially one years old! Exactly a year ago today, I took up my own little tiny space on the Internet and wrote my very first blog post. Thank you to those who have stuck by me, and thank you to all the new readers too! I'm not usually a quitter, but I didn't realise how committed and dedicated I would have to become. LWS is practically my baby; I've nurtured her and she is growing beautifully.

When I first started my blog, I really didn't know what to expect. I never thought it was going be easy, but it can be so freaking hard sometimes! There is so much you need to do for a single post, and when you're posting 3 times a week, a lot of your week becomes dedicated to just your blog. It's not just taking photographs and writing up the post, but you've got to make sure your SEO is at its best, and finding the best way to promote your posts all over social media and forums. Luckily I really enjoy doing it, and it's not a chore at all. It took a few months to get used too, but I think I have learnt to split my time up well.

A problem which I'm sure every blogger goes through, especially as a new blogger, is comparing your blog to others. Even though I read blogs before I started writing one, I never really looked at them from a bloggers viewpoint. Once I started to blog, I would notice little things bloggers would do, whether it would be about layout or photography. You sometimes get in a habit of looking to blogs you've read for years as inspiration, but just end up comparing yours to theirs; you should never compare your blog to anyone. It takes time to get your blog to where you want it to be, and if you stick to writing in your personal voice and stay true to who you are, you will get there. It doesn't matter if you've been blogging 3 years and only have 30 followers, it's important to think that those 30 readers love reading what you do. Don't get caught up in statistics.

One thing I am trying my hardest to do is to stop being a perfectionist and so precious with my posts. I know that sounds pretty odd as we have all got to take pride in what we do, but I end up getting caught up worrying about the little things, like my background not being completely white, instead of the important part like making the content the best it can be. Don't get me wrong, photography is still important, but that it what you learn over time and with the right equipment.

Even though it has only been a year, I feel that LWS and me as a blogger have grown so much. I've been reading up on different parts of blogging and understanding the more technical side, and taking more time thinking about my posts and trying to stick to a schedule. I've been invited to take part in my first campaign, (you can read about that this week), and I am excited to get involved with others. I can't wait to see what the next year holds!

Let me know in the comments below what you found most hard during your first year of blogging, and what has been your biggest achievement so far.