When I started this blog a year ago, I wasn’t sure where this journey would lead me. Then again, that has been a running theme for the last two years since my husband and I decided to move our family to Bangkok. When we were preparing to move, many people suggested that I document our experience. That is all well and good, but what would I write about? I had no clue what I was going to say or how much of this adventure would be share-worthy. Now, one year later, it felt like a great time to reflect on how I got to this point and where this site is going next.
Over the past year, I have written about vacations in Thailand and around Asia, my attempts to try new things and even tried out Blogtober to see if I could post once a day for an entire month. I couldn’t, but learned some valuable lessons along the way.
Before I got started, I needed to overcome this paralyzing fear I had of getting it wrong. Perhaps some people out there can relate? I really thought this blog needed to be perfect; that everything needed to be figured out before it was up and running. I know, silly. I still want things to look as good as possible, but I realized that I could learn as I go along.
Even though it was difficult to get started, I’m so glad I finally did. The positivity and encouragement I received from friends and strangers was overwhelming. That was just the boost I needed to keep pushing forward – but there is still a whole lot of work to do.
Now that Perspectives from Abroad is up and running, it’s time to build and grow for the next year and beyond. That means really focusing on the nuts and bolts of growing this site. For me that means focusing on two key areas: content and engagement.
Keep the Content Flowing
Writing regularly and having the inspiration (and motivation) to create new, engaging posts is really difficult. There’s a lot of great advice out there that other bloggers share generously. The most important tips I have learned are also the most simple.
- Create a schedule for creating and promoting content, and stick to it.
- Develop a bank of topics to keep the content going.
- Promote older posts continually.
- Regularly check to see what’s working and what’s not.
What tips have you found most helpful?
Here are some of the blogs that I found most useful:
Growing My Blogger Network
Another important piece of blogging that I have been slow to incorporate is connecting with other bloggers and letting people know about Perspectives from Abroad. There’s such a fantastic network of people out there blogging, sharing tips and information and just generally supporting each other with views and encouragement. Connecting with other bloggers is a wonderful way to build your confidence in blogging, grow your readership and learn new tactics to make it more successful. There is a lot to the whole blogging thing: writing, promotion, SEO, monetization, etc… Why not learn from folks who are doing the same thing?
A lot of things may have changed in my life since starting this blog. Not only have I learned what I am capable of, I have also gained the confidence to take on so much more. In year two of Perspectives from Abroad I can’t wait to build on what I have started and see where this journey takes me.
Interested in connecting, collaborating and growing with me? Drop a comment below to share your blogging journey. I would love to hear from you!
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