Truthfully, I had set up my blog name (Kama ❤️s Agility) back in 2013. I even did a post or two in somewhere in 2013 and 2014.
So, why then, do I consider January 2015 to be my first month of blogging?
Simply put, blogging is so much more than just signing up for a blog. It is more than writing an occasional post. It is connecting with your readers, writing regularly, being passionate, and putting yourself out there. Being a blogger is intimidating.
So, for 2015, I decided to face my fears and tackle blogging head-on. Writing is something I have always been passionate about, along with dogs, so I finally worked up the courage to put my blog (Kama ❤️s Agility) into action.
To start, my blog was self-hosted through WordPress.com. There is a difference between WordPress.com and WordPress.org, but I didn’t feel confident to make the leap to the .org version of WordPress yet. After all, this was my first month blogging!
Having a self-hosted blog at this stage really meant I had the domain name registered so that my blog was KamaLovesAgility.com instead of KamaLovesAgility.Wordpress.com. I realize this is a tiny detail, but it is a big part of a personal brand, and therefore, a big part of creating a blog where readers can connect.
After making that little change, I then set my goals for the year I wanted 500 views in January. Then 1,000 views in February. And 2,000 views in March. If you are good at seeing patterns, you’ll notice that I simply doubled each previous month’s goal (and I did this all the way through December 2015). I realized that this was ambitious, but I love aiming high. Who’s to say it can’t actually happen?
With written goals and a self-hosted blog behind me, I then joined Pet Blogger Social Network groups. I wasn’t ready to share content with friends or family, but I felt I could get a feel for the blogging world (and gain some views) with strangers.
Not only did the Pet Blogger Social Network groups help me hit my goal of 500 views in January, but they also helped build my confidence. They helped me add an additional goal to February (which is discussed in the next installment of this series), and ultimately, follow my dream of becoming a real blogger.
