By Natalie Rohman
Blogging has definitely become a part of me over these last four years or so. I remember the day I decided I wanted to start a “website” where I could share all my thoughts and opinions on beauty products, latest fashion trends, and all things happening in my high school life at the time. It was the beginning of summer and I was honestly just bored. I wanted something creative to do and to express myself with.
My blog, Natalie, has been a platform that has stuck with me through the highs and lows of my life and I am so grateful for my ability to persist and put my all into it. A lot of people don’t really know where to start when creating a blog and to be honest, I didn’t either. I had no knowledge of how creating a website worked. My knowledge was as far as my Google searches could allow me. I did a ton of blogger homework and it wasn’t perfect and I was not reaching for it either.
I started out really slow. I would recommend anyone who is trying to start a blog utilize templates and blog building sites like Blogger or Wordpress. There’s no need for a fancy schmancy website with all the bells and whistles—what matters now is developing your voice and expressing yourself through your work. Success will come with time, trust me.
As your experience grows, you develop a tone and style, get to practice your writing, share personal photography and other work, and get sentiments of the happenings in your life as you share whatever you want about it. The beauty of a blog is that you are the owner, the creator, the writer, the facilitator, the sharer, and everything else that comes with it. No one tells you what to write or share; that freedom is the most empowering.
Especially when it comes to becoming part of the public relations industry in the future, I’ve found that having this platform has allowed me to establish myself and personal brand. It has grown so much support from my family, friends, college peers, and grown interest among many other brands and companies that have noticed my work across social media. It has allowed me to develop a community and a network that I never would have had if I didn’t take the risk of putting myself out there.
I realize that there are so many other competing blogs out there that are far more established and popular—I wouldn’t say I’ve reached even a very high level of impressions compared to some others. However, within the last four years, I’m almost at one hundred thousand views and it keeps growing. No matter the numbers, I’ve definitely noticed growth in myself. I, for one, do not get paid for having this platform, but I don’t need to be. My dedicated work is the most rewarding.
In PR I feel as though that this same mindset applies very well. Public relations has a lot to do with numbers and analyzing statistics and data in order to understand a certain public. It’s important to remember that success is not measured by numbers and superficial ratings. At the end of the day, your success will reflect the quality of work you’ve done and what more you are willing to learn from.
It can be difficult focusing on your work when everyone else around you seems to be climbing and you fall stuck. I’ve noticed that the best motivator to overcoming this negating mindset is knowing that you tried with your best effort and continue to persist no matter what. My blog has come a very long way and I hope it continues to grow and grow as I do. With that dedication and determination, success is just around the corner.
Photos Courtesy of the Author
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