Though blogging is not a super recent phenomenon, it is one that seems to be here to stay, especially among college-aged women. The nice thing about blogging is that you can write about pretty much anything you want—fashion, food, fitness, business, travel, literature—and if none of those fit, you can always write a “lifestyle” blog! Lots of people even make money by blogging, which can ultimately turn into full-time freelance jobs. The big problem with blogging lies here: how do you start? And once you’ve started, how do you keep going? Whether you’re graduating or going abroad and want to start a blog to keep in touch with friends (or you just want to try it out!), the task can seem pretty daunting.
Luckily for Her Campus Kenyon, we have our very own resident Her Campus affiliated blogger—Julia Weaver. Julia is a senior English major at Kenyon. We sat down to ask Julia all about the blogging life, and her advice for anyone thinking of starting out.
HC: Hi Julia! Can you tell us a little about your blog? When did you start and what do you blog about?
JW: Hi! I’ve been following fashion blogs since my senior year of high school, starting with the blogger everyone and their mothers know about, Blair Eadie of Atlantic-Pacific. I’m a bit camera shy plus a busy college student, so I wasn’t sure if I could ever start my own. But after studying at Exeter for a semester and taking so many photos plus finding myself really at home in the British style there, I made my own blog as a New Year’s Resolution and kept it going throughout the rest of Exeter up until now!
HC: How did you start your blog? Are there any platforms or steps to start out that you recommend?
JW: I noticed that the bloggers I followed used the “.blogspot.com” domain so that was what I chose. It’s also called Blogger and it’s hosted through Google so that makes linking things easier. I’ve also heard WordPress is good! As for starting it, I’d say don’t be intimidated and don’t measure yourself against people who have been blogging for years. Just make it your own, use your own voice, and bit by bit you’ll find yourself getting the hang of things.
HC: What’s been the hardest thing about blogging?
JW: Honestly just trying to find the time. It does actually take a bit of time to take the photos, edit them, and make the blog post. Also, it’s super awkward taking photos of yourself for apparently no reason. I remember I set up my tripod in front of my NCA back in September and I was ready to duck if anybody walked by. I’m still trying to figure out taking outfit photos on campus without looking like an idiot!
HC: On that note, what has been the best thing about blogging?
JW: I think that blogging, like scrapbooking or keeping a journal, has helped me really cherish moments – like all of the amazing places I visited while abroad. It’s also then helped me remember those moments in a more creative platform.
HC: Lots of abroad-bloggers seem to suffer from “blogger burnout.” Have you ever experienced that, and how do you manage that?
JW: Yeah, I can see that. I actually had the opposite problem; Once I came back from abroad, I felt like I didn’t have a reason to take outfit photos anymore. Even England is more “exotic” than Gambier, and I tried making my blog posts coincide with cultural, literary, or just plain touristy places while abroad. As for handling that burnout, it’s actually nice to take advantage of the blog format, so I’ll go back and look at what I’ve posted and I’ll see how much time and effort I put into that and it makes me not want to give up now!
HC: Any advice on social media and blogging?
JW: I probably over-use my social media to promote my blog but hey, it’s my own stuff so who cares? This is something I need to learn more about. I know A Beautiful Mess (the epitome of the blogging world) has written some things on this. But I’d say just try to be engaging and light-hearted. If you’re excited about what you’re posting, chances are someone else will be too.
HC: Okay, last words of wisdom for future bloggers?
JW: You rock, don’t change. No, but seriously, don’t let the “blogosphere” change your voice or what you’re passionate about or what you have to say. You started a blog because you have something you love and lots of things to say about it – that’s great! That’s the whole point. Don’t lose that.