What I Learned in 5 Years of Blogging

This is so surreal to say but today marks my 5 year anniversary as a blogger. My journey to influencing and entrepreneurship began in May 2019 when I was at a now closed bar in Olympia WA. I was out for celebratory drinks with a high school friend and we were chatting about social media and I shared how I had been mulling over starting a page of my own. I had done YouTube creation for 3 years at that point but never really tried Instagram and documenting outfits in that way. Suffice to say Instagram has been the best platform for me and I grasped the app pretty well from the jump.

Fast forward 5 years and I went from zero followers to 81,000 at the time of writing this post. Never in a million years did I think I would even get 50,000 let alone over 80k. While numbers aren’t everything they do provide you access to opportunities that I never thought possible for me. It’s been surreal reflecting on this journey and I cannot wait to share what I’ve gleaned in these last 5 years.

One: You Have to Start Somewhere

Photo from my first summer as an influencer!

I believe the biggest tip when starting a social media page and platform is to just start and be fearless. You never know what will happen unless you try the new thing out. While it’s scary to put yourself out there and mess up at first, it’s part of the process and will ultimately help your confidence overall. I have become so self assured at 26 because of my time as an influencer and creator. I used to live my life so afraid and unsure of myself and values. Working in this industry for half a decade now has helped me feel good about myself and who I am. You quickly learn that some people will like you and some people will hate you just for existing and there is no point in worrying about the haters.

Another key to just starting is learning to forge your own path. Becoming a content creator can be lonely at times but the reward is that much sweeter because you know how much you had to go through to get to where you are today. When I first started out I didn’t think I could turn this into a career and make a true name for myself but I have. Just find a few days a week to start sharing and see where things go from there!

Two: Patience is the Key to Success

My second lesson seems intuitive but it took me a bit of time to fully realize this. In influencer marketing for the vast majority of creators patience is really the key to a successful career. It took me nearly 4 years for my page to take off in any sense of the word and I am still figuring out how to be a better entrepreneur and business woman 5 years in. In my case it has been especially challenging because I am doing all of this on my own. I oftentimes find myself comparing my journey to other creators that have husbands and have been working in this industry even longer than I have. There is certainly a level of privilege that comes from influencing and while I don’t personally have every privilege I know I had some on the start to where I am at today. Fortunately I was able to develop grit through my experiences and with a college background I know my journey was faster than some.

The main takeaway here is to remember slow and steady wins the race in this industry. As with anything good things take time and the more you work at your craft and stay humble you will be set for the long run. I was at 10,000 followers for nearly 2 years and that micro influencer status was difficult at times but made me a better influencer overall. I learned how to value myself as a creator, I got good at negotiating and putting myself out there and now that I have more opportunities I still show up with the same work ethic and act like that smaller creative I once was. I just am now able to charge more and can make a bigger impact.

Three: Take Time for Self Reflection

When you are starting out as a creator, I recommend sharing what makes you happy. I have always been a fashion girl so starting in the fashion realm made the most sense to me. From the start I was sharing daily outfit inspiration which is something I always consumed as a user of social media but also made me happy to create. When you begin building a platform the key is to find that thing that makes you smile and something you can do for a long period of time. From there, you can blossom from your niche and share other forms of content that make you happy. As a woman who has been on her own for some time and is rather reflective, I am always thinking about my work and how I can use it as an extension of who I am. My top 3 passions are fashion, food and travel so my content encompasses a lot of those worlds.

Through that authenticity to myself I have now been able to find a community of likeminded people who share similar interests and I can in turn help through my posts. Some ways to get there is to attend therapy, journal, and try new things. Several years back I studied abroad in Europe and was able to learn a ton about myself which has bled into my work as a creative. My content directly reflects who I am as a person and I think that is the key to success as an influencer and being able to share content each day without getting terribly burnt out.

Four: Build Relationships with Others

Recent photo taken by a fellow creative!

If you want to turn blogging into a full time career, you have to learn how to build relationships. Early on in this journey I was awful at connecting with others online. I began as someone who just put out content hoping for the best instead of connecting and building relationships with other creatives and eventually businesses. Once I learned how to make internet friends that is where the fun really began. I now have women all over the world that I can go to to ask questions and commiserate with regarding this ever changing industry. Influencer marketing has changed a ton in the past 5 years and I still sometimes struggle to keep up this far down the line. By having those connections that understand what this world is like I am able to maintain this high level of work ethic and tenacity on those days when I want to give up.

Similarly I was awful at connecting with brands and businesses in the first 3 or 4 years of influencing. I used to do random one off partnerships through platforms and never really developed relationships with brands. It was only in the last year or so that I realized the key to working with companies is to have calls with people and develop relationships with their teams. Now I am able to negotiate at a higher rate because the brands know me as a person and I can offer more than what is see in an email. I also now talk to PR groups and put myself out there far more than I once did. I oftentimes remind myself that your net work is your net worth and it’s really benefitted me as a creator in this field.

Five: It’s Okay to Diversify

Myself and my business partner Kinley of Gals Need Pals

My last tip once felt like a failure to me but has now turned into a saving grace. I felt the only way to be successful was to become a full time influencer and just focus on that instead of diversifying my experiences and learning new tips and tricks. This year I took on a side quest of sorts as a social media manager and stylist at a local boutique. This job has provided me with so many opportunities to learn and grow in the fashion niche specifically. Now I get to take what I already love and experiment with it in a whole new way. It’s also allowed me to meet so many cool people and again develop those relationships that I was once lacking.

Similarly something influencers do not talk about much is diversifying their portfolios and experiences with other business opportunities. Alongside my work as a fashion blogger I now am the vice president of a women’s event group called Gals Need Pals. I get to be an influencer of sorts for that role but we also get to have in person events to help foster community in a detached world. It’s been incredible utilizing the skills I gained over the past 5 years in a new industry. I never thought I would be a serial entrepreneur but you never really know where one seemingly insignificant decision can take you.

Thank You for Reading and Being Here!

Thank you so much for reading this jumble of a post. I am so fortunate to do what I love after all this time, it’s been tough don’t get me wrong but I am so happy I took this risk and have continued on with it. 5 years is such a major milestone and I feel like I’ve come a long way since 2019. I live in my dream city, I have incredible friends and family and a job that fills my cup. Of course I wouldn’t be where I am without you all supporting me and this platform. I hope to continue doing this another 5 years and by then I might have a family of my own to celebrate with once a decade hits. I’m forever grateful and humbled that this is my real life. For more posts and daily updates please visit my Instagram and TikTok.

Until next time,

Lauren

5 Year Blogging Anniversary Lessons and Reflections