Here's what I learned in 7 years of blogging

7 years ago I started my blog. And I entered the magical world of writing. I was living in the Boston suburbs. After finishing my work and household chores, I still had some spare time. I remember the exact moment I clicked the 'B' icon on Google and I created a Blogger account. I knew only two Bloggers that time - Amitabh Bachchan and Lisa Ray. I had no idea what it takes to be an accomplished blogger, but I was excited to be a part of a community which is independent and expresses its views without any inhibition. I must say, it has been an amazing journey only because I have learned so much.

I started by writing poetry, then I started writing articles and now I can write anything. Professionally, I am a content writer for a couple of websites. I ghostwrite for two more agencies based out of North America. I write sponsored articles on my blog. I tweet, post Facebook statutes, answer Quora questions, and mention brands on Instagram for money. Brands even consult me for social media strategies. One opportunity has even led to full-time employment. If you want to ask, 'how I get work?' All these people approach me. People have been really kind. They recommend me to someone else, he to someone else, and the chain continues. I've also won Indian Bloggers Award in Literature in 2013 and I was among the top 6 Creative Bloggers in India in 2014. My work is published in an anthology, I was interviewed by an Indian TV channel in New York, I've been featured on many websites. The most heartwarming feature of all - when The Bhukkad Cafe in Dubai decorated their walls with my couplets. In blogging contests - I've won a trip to Australia, iPad Mini, Kindle Fire, Kindle e-ink Display, Micromax Tablet, 3 Smartphones, Amazon and Flipkart vouchers worth INR 107.5K, many goodies, and loads of appreciation.

Before you think, it's all very impressive, let me tell you - this is just 1/10th of what anyone of you can achieve. I've many flaws - I don't network, I haven't read any blog in the last 2 years, I'm not a part of any writing/blogging community, I don't add or follow people just to market my work. Heck, I don't even reciprocate the affection I get on the social media. I wish, I become a little better with time, and do what other remarkable writers and bloggers are doing, and create a space for myself. I respect them for their hard work, creativity, and sense of companionship within the community, which I seriously lack.

But let me also tell you - because I don't concentrate on numbers, followers, money - I enjoy my writing journey so much that I can't explain it in words. I don't worry about the number of likes on my social media posts. Other than the free-spirited nature, I guess, I know the interaction on social media posts is a combination of time of posting, the day of the week, hashtag, your network size, and social media algorithm. The last is certainly something I can't understand. As far as blog posts are concerned, the number of comments on your blog is dependent on how many blogs you read. If you are good at reading and promoting other blogs, chances are you will get 100s of comments. It's a great feeling to see tons of comments on your blog. But it's heartbreaking to see that most of the comments are posted just to get a comment back. Worse, they have commented without even reading your blog. And the worst, when bloggers pick up the shortest post on your blog to comment. I mean, grow up! So with all these experiences in my kitty, now I've become a crazy writer who gets happiness by creating something beautiful. If money or appreciation follows after that - I take that as a bonus. If nothing follows - who cares? Nobody can take away the pleasure of writing something beautiful from me.

If you want to know what I've gained in the last 7 years, I'd say a better perspective. Now, I know what I want from life and on what terms. Writing has given me a way to consolidate my emotions, ease off the confusion and give direction to my actions. It has simplified my life. People often say I write simple posts. I feel if I can say the most intricate things in simple words, I can somehow deal with it. Like when I miss someone, I know what I miss and I talk to them about it. Also, writing has given the opportunity to meet exceptionally talented people. Some of them, in spite of being super accomplished in their fields, have approached me. All of them have taught me to be humble, grounded and to concentrate on work. Their company has been extremely educative.

On writing, blogging, and social media front, here's what I learned. Do these to get some wind under your wings and soar high. I recommend these. Though, I don't do all of these myself.

• Read good blogs or follow good artists. Don't spend your time reading or commenting on blogs just to market yourself. If you read good writers, you will eventually become one. Even if you try to market yourself, choose your audience wisely. It's human nature to seek validation from people who are good. So when we write/create something remarkable, we want acknowledgment from people who know the craft, not mere 'nice' or 'great post' from 100 people.
• Interact with your audience. Treat them well. Answer their questions. Help them. These things will help to create a brand for yourself. I did that. I have met really good people. And I have met bad people, too. One girl shared, interacted, and praised me for months. She wanted something in return. I did that free of cost. When I asked for a favor, she conveniently stopped replying to my messages. But that has not stopped me from replying to every single message or query I get. As I said earlier, to create a brand for yourself, you need to be a better human being. Rise above petty thoughts and people.
• It's great to have a niche but expand it over time. You write poetry - foray into articles. You do travel photography, add food photography to it. Notice how your audience reacts to it. If they like it, good. If not, understand why. Expanding your areas will help to gain more work. If you stick to one type of thing, the work avenues are limited. Book bloggers hardly get any other campaign than books. In addition to that, expanding your niche helps in understanding different types of craft, which is inspiring.
• Be a part of groups, communities, and organizations. It helps to learn and market yourself. In case you don't like it, you can always leave. But do join. There are Facebook groups, Pinterest groups, websites, Twitter and Instagram hashtags which are very beneficial to gain visibility. Try to be on multiple platforms. One or the other always work.
• The most important lesson moneywise is to always ask for your worth. I made this mistake. I worked for a really low price. Though,  I learned very fast. Be confident. Calculate your worth - time taken to create a post ( be it a post or photo), time to edit it, uploading it, promoting it on various platforms, replying to comments, and most importantly the value of your artistic expression. Factor in all these before quoting a price. In case someone says, ' your price is too steep,' show them the amount of effort to put in. This usually has a lot of convincing power. 
• Lastly, be honest. Follow the basic blogging ethics. Don't comment without reading. Don't share only with an intent of getting a share back. Share what you feel is good. On social media, don't buy followers. Nothing takes your credibility away than resorting to this cheap tactic. I know, growth on social media is very slow because of the algorithm change. But one can always promote work or politely ask your friends to share your work. You can also keep 5%-10% of your blog earnings to market your work.

Blogging is like a baby. You have to nurture it. It's not built in a day. It takes years of hard work to reach a certain level. So treat it like one - love it, take care of it, and have faith in your medium of expression.

To end, I want to say, thanks so much for reading my work. I owe what I am today to all of you.

Love,
Saru

P. S. For 7 years I posted every single Monday. Now, it's time to change. Moving forward, I will write and post once a month. Rest of the Mondays, I will update the blog with my creative writing that I share on social media.