If you read Monday’s post you will know that Waketon Road just celebrated its first birthday! It’s been a fun year of learning the ins and outs of the blogging world. Now, I am by no means an expert but I have learned a thing or two that I do want to share with you. Whether you’re thinking of starting a blog, have been blogging for a while, or just curious what it’s like, hopefully these will help.

Narrow your focus – When you first start blogging you will probably be all over the place. I was! It’s hard to know what you are truly passionate about sharing in the beginning so take your time and really focus on what you want to be known for. This falls under the “branding” category. You will hear a lot of people in the blogging world talk about their “brand.” I was so confused in the beginning because I didn’t know how to establish “my brand”. Don’t do this to yourself. Post what inspires you and share what you love and your “brand” or aesthetic will naturally present itself. People will start to associate you with certain aspects of a brand over time.

Quality Always Over Quantity – This is one of the biggest rules I have for myself. When I started out, I really only had time for one post a week. That was all I could dedicate a good amount of time to. As I got into my routine I was able to add more posts but still kept the focus on quality. On average I probably spend 5-6 hours per blog post. Not all in one sitting, and that includes shooting, styling, writing, etc. Know what you can handle and post a certain amount of times per week that still allows you to create quality content.

Stay Consistent – Staying consistent in all aspects of your blog is so key to growing your following. If you post on Monday’s then it’s important to always post on a Monday. As your readership grows they will learn your posting schedule and will continue to come back knowing they can expect something new from you. This holds true on social media as well. I have a schedule that I try to stick to, I find that I struggle to connect with my community when I deviate from my schedule.

High Quality Imagery – This is one of the most important to me. I knew from the beginning that I wanted to make the photography on Waketon Road and my social media channels high quality. I can honestly say that neither myself nor my husband had ever shot in manual mode before I started this blog. We both learned how to use the camera (still learning) and that has made all of the difference. We both love photography now and it helps keep me inspired each week.

Build a Community – I have to admit I wasn’t sure how I was going to do this in the beginning. It’s something you hear very often in regards to growing your online community, but it can sound daunting. My best advice would be to start small. Find a few girls (and guys) that have similar accounts that you genuinely love to follow. Start commenting on their blog and social channels and you will be amazed at the connections you form. You need support from others in order to grow. No one can do this on their own, and people can tell when you are being fake. You are not going to love everyone’s aesthetic and not everyone will love yours. So find your niche and put your effort into supporting those people. It will come back to you ten-fold!

Post What You Love – This may seem obvious but in a world of social media, comparison will happen. There have been plenty of times where I have second guessed whether or not to post something because it doesn’t look like what other people are doing. There is no right or wrong way to do any of this. Everyone’s content will be different as long as you stay true to what you love. I stopped worrying about what I thought I “should” be doing with my blog or my Instagram feed and that’s when I started to see my engagement change. Inspiration is contagious, so share what inspires you!

Thank you again for all of your support this past year! It’s been a fun ride and I’m excited to see where it takes me! xo Bryn

Shop the Look:

Sweater: Romwe (Under $20), Earrings: Ann Taylor, Jeans: J.Crew, Shoes: Schutz