Hi pretties!
Hi pretties!
I hope you have enjoyed your week :-) I've been super sick the past few days (yuck!), but I'm finally starting to feel better. Today, I wanted to talk about something that I get a TON of questions about.....tips for blogging. I am not an expert by any means, but there are a few things that I have learned along the way. Check them out below!
Outfit Details
Dress c/o (on sale - also love this) | Coat: Chicwish (last season - similar here and here) | Boots c/o | Handbag (currently 40% off!!!) | Ring Set (under $40!)
Last week, I shared my blogging schedule with you and even though I am not quite full time yet (getting there), you can see by looking at it just how time consuming blogging is. It seems that now-a-days, everyone and their mother wants to be a blogger. Sometimes, I think that people see the success of bigger bloggers and think that if they start a blog, then they can have that success too....immediately. A lot of people think that blogging is all glitz and glamour and the money will start flowing in as soon as they hit publish but that couldn't further from the truth. So, let's begin:
Do it for the right reasons
Let me just preface that if you want to start a blog solely to make money, get free things and go on trips, then blogging may not be for you. It definitely requires a certain amount of passion to post day after day even if you aren't making a cent. Start a blog because you love the subject that you are blogging about. Do it because you want to help and share your story, tips and insight with other people. Do it because you want to create a positive community of strong and uplifting women. Do it because you are chasing after your lifelong dream and finally making it a reality. But don't do it to make a quick buck. In all reality, blogging is an investment and you will likely need to spend money before you ever see a dime. You can read all about why I started my blog in this post.
Define your niche
Before you even hit the publish button, you should know what you want to blog about. If you want to blog about 50 different things, it might be smart to narrow it before you get started. If you blog about too many things, you are not only creating more work for yourself but your readers won't even know what to come to you for and this creates an audience that may not trust your opinion.
Photography is everything
I am not kidding when I say that everyone is a blogger now-a-days....and a lot of these new bloggers are killing it with their photography. To even stand out among the crowd, you will need to have great photos. This is not to say that you need to go out and buy the most expensive camera out there and or be a professional photographer as that will develop over time (I'm still learning), but the photos you post should at the very least have good lighting, be in focus and be relevant to the content you are creating.
Get acquainted with social media
When I started this blog, I had ZERO followers on Instagram. I literally had no idea how to use it and ironically, it has turned into my most followed and profitable platform. It has literally changed the course of my life. Some people will tell you that social media is not important, but in my experience is the MOST important thing you can have for your blog as far as marketing yourself and reaching a wider audience. On the flip side, I do know of a ton of bloggers that don't have a huge social media following and are still very, very successful with their blogs so please don't think that you have failed if you don't have a "big enough" following (what is technically big enough anyway?). I think that you should experiment and do whatever works best for you, whether that means going full force into social media or forgoing it completely.
Be patient
This is why you should not go into blogging to make money....it will likely take YEARS. It's human nature to be impatient and in today's society, we all want things now now now but if you really want to reach your blogging goals, you will need to be patient. I think that a lot of us look at the bigger bloggers who have amassed millions of followers and think that if we don't grow our following that large or that quickly, then we have failed. This is simply not true! Some of these bloggers have worked for 7-8 years to get to where they are and we don't know what they went through to to get to that point.
Be consistent
This goes along with being patient. Is it SO important to be consistent in your scheduling, branding, editing, posting times, etc. Be consistent even when you feel like giving up. Keep pumping out content day after day. Keep learning new skills, developing your brand and practicing the things that need a little bit of work. Your diligence and hard work WILL pay off!
Be prepared to work HARD
I will be the first to say that blogging is very hard work...probably one of the hardest jobs I've ever had (and that is saying a lot). A lot of people just don't understand the amount of time that goes into to running it. Bloggers wear many different hats and have many responsibilities that need to be fulfilled daily. Be realistic about how much you can do and create a schedule that works for you, but be prepared to put in some work.
Make friends
My favorite thing about blogging is the relationships I have created with other like-minded women. We are all from different walks of life...complete strangers, yet when we talk, it's like talking to a friend I've known my whole life. The blogging community is so incredibly helpful, kind and encouraging. They have been there to cheer me on when something amazing happens, have sent words of wisdom in times of confusion and have picked me up when I was broken. I am SO grateful for all my blogging friends (and I know many of you are reading this <3 ).
Have the right mindset
If you go into it thinking you are going to fail, then you will. It's so important to stay positive and have the right mindset even when you feel like everything is going wrong. There will be good months and bad months. Remember why you are doing this and push through the bad times knowing that amazing things are in store right around the corner!
Don't compare yourself to others
I have talked about this quite a few times on the blog (read here and here) and that's because it is just THAT important. The way that we compare ourselves to those around us in real life is magnified tenfold when you put yourself out on the internet. We start wondering why we don't have better clothing or photos, aren't growing fast enough or getting certain opportunities (and guess what, other people are comparing themselves to YOU too). This kind of thinking is toxic because, honestly, these things are out of our control. We have to come to terms that there will always be someone in a "better" position than us. If you want to reach your goals, then you should not be wasting time playing the comparison game. The time you spend criticizing yourself by comparing yourself to others and being envious of what they have could be better spent on things that really matter....like YOU. Instead of comparing yourself to others, compare yourself to ...yourself. Take a look into the past to see how far you've come and what you can do to get to where you want to be...then DO IT. Personally, I keep a running list of my "wins" along with a timeline and when I'm feeling frustrated or upset, I take a look at it and remember that I am doing great things too. We all have our own blogging journeys and you are who you are for a reason. You have something no one else has and that's what makes your voice unique. YOU are someone's favorite blogger and they take the time out of their day, every day, to visit your site because your words have meaning to them. That is what blogging is about.
With that being said, can we talk about this adorable outfit? ;-) #allpinkeverything haha! This Chicwish dress has been on my wishlist for a while now and it is every bit as dreamy as it looks! It has a lovely mix of tulle and crochet with the cutest bow tie. It's been pretty chilly (surprisingly!) so I styled it with a pretty pink trench coat. I added this gorgeous embellished bag and the most stunning statement rings for a hint of sparkle. I first saw these rings when I visited the BaubleBar showroom at NYFW. You better believe that I stalked the website for weeks until they were released ...and it was worth it haha! ;-)
So do you all like these kinds of posts? Is there anything you'd like me to share in the future?
Let me know in a comment!
If you are blogger, feel free to share your own advice below <3
Happy weekend!
xo
Shop the Post:
P.S. I will be joining Style Collective next Monday, November 6th at 5pm PST to be a part of the mentorship panel. We will be chatting about how to monetize your blog and how to stand out from the crowd. You check it out here!
--------------------------------------
Welcome back!
Today's favorite is...
I love how she styled this outfit! It's equal parts girly and edgy <3
-----------------------
Link up time - yay! <3
No comments:
Post a Comment