The ONE Thing I Wish I Knew When I Started Blogging

Blogging is an ongoing learning process. Whether you're a beginner, intermediate or expert, there's always something new to learn every time you write a new post and click Publish. 
Back in the fall, I wrote a post about the 5 things I wish I knew when I started blogging. There's all sorts of blog advice out there that covers all aspects of having your own space on the Internet. These tips range from what social platforms to use, what kind of design works best, how often to post new content, and everything in between. I've heard a lot of these tidbits and can vouch for many of them myself.

  But the ONE best piece of blogging advice I've ever gotten, and the ONE thing I wish I knew from day one?

Follow other bloggers, and be active and social with other bloggers.

It sounds obvious, but these are seriously two of the most important aspects of having a blog and being a blogger. It's like making friends at school: you don't make friends just by doing your own thing and expecting others to come to you. You've got to contribute to what others are doing or talking about and keep the interactions going. I'll admit that it took me over a year to really get involved and avidly follow new bloggers. But once I started, I realized how vital that is to growing my blog and being a successful blogger. 
Following other bloggers helps you refine the vision for your own blog, too. I find a lot of inspiration from the bloggers I follow (and my blog friends), and I hope they find the same in me. Sometimes I see something I like on another blog, and I like to try something similar myself. We all inspire one another, whether we know it or not!
The best ways to be social with other bloggers are to comment on their posts and interact with them outside of their blogs. I love leaving comments on my favorite posts to let the writer know that I loved it, and to respond to what they said. Nine out of ten times, the blogger will respond, and boom, you've got a new connection. For me personally, if someone new comments on a post, I check out her profile to see if she has a blog, too. And if she does have a blog, I'll definitely read a few posts and add it to my reading list. 
My blog friend (and blog role model) Neely from A Complete Waste of Makeup said it so perfectly in an earlier post: "You have to be social and help others to expect them to help you." 
Following and learning from other bloggers is easily one of the best things you can do for your blog, if not the best thing. Follow in and outside of your niche; you never know who you will meet or what you can learn from them! 
What's the one thing YOU wish you knew when you started blogging? Who are your blog role models? Give them a shoutout in the comments!