Happy Tuesday, friends! (it is Tuesday, right? Still getting used to this new schedule).
Allow me to preface this post by saying that I am in no way, shape or form an expert when it comes to blogging. I’ve simply picked up on a few things over the last year and a half (8 months, to be exact, which is completely mind-blowing when I think about it) and after sifting through the feedback from the blog reader survey and being on the receiving end of several emails lately, I figured I had better spill the beans on what I know. I hope that you find these blog tips and pointers helpful!
Let’s not waste any time this morning. Dive right in…
IT’S OKAY IF YOU DON’T HAVE A NICHE
At the end of the day, I blog about my life. My life is not only made up of the workouts I’m trying, the things I’m buying for our apartment, or the restaurants I’m frequenting and it’s certainly not just about the clothes that I’m wearing. It’s a combination of those things that make me a whole. And as a result, those topics make this blog a whole. So, I’m going to go against the grain here and say that it’s okay if you don’t fit into the cookie cutter of a fashion blogger or you aren’t strictly a DIY blogger. You can be successful and be a mixture of those things, I promise. Just think of it as putting the ‘life’ in lifestyle. And then you can call yourself a lifestyle blogger. 😉
MAKE YOUR SITE AESTHETICALLY PLEASING
You guys, I wish I had screen shots of my original blog layout because it would be downright hilarious to look back on. I literally hired a handful of different people from Etsy to help me piece together a site on Blogger before I realized I could get a legit blog template for $35 and install it with the click of a few buttons. You live and you learn. The template I ended up purchasing wasn’t bad and it served it’s purposed for a over a year before I migrated to WordPress and let Lindsay over at White Oak Creative work her magic. If you’re in the market, she has some great premade themes for WordPress that are very reasonably priced and for a few extra bucks, you can customize them!
Bottom line: If your site is an eyesore, people are going to be less inclined to stick around to see what you’re servin’ up, so make it easy on them and make it pretty right off the bat.
FIND YOUR PEOPLE
I’ve met some truly amazing women through blogging, many of them who I feel comfortable calling my friends. Their genuine passion for life and endless support of all my endeavors let me know that they’re “the ones.” Find the people who support you through and through. The people you feeling comfortable making “asks” to and the ones you jive with (or are 100% positive you would get along with if the timing is ever right and you’re in the same city/state) even when the topic strays from blogging. Life is about so much more than that, remember? Having the right people in your corner makes blogging better. Period.
DON’T BE AFRAID OF THE WORD NO
If you want something, ask for it. If you’re itching to collaborate with a brand, reach out and express your interest. Or maybe you want to partner with another blogger on a guest post. You won’t know if you don’t ask. People aren’t always going to seek you out, but I can assure you that if you put yourself out there enough, good things will begin to happen for you.
On the other hand, don’t be afraid to say no. We live in a time where the FOMO (fear of missing out) is real. We’re afraid if we say no, we might miss out. But sometimes saying no leaves more room for you to say yes to something bigger down the line. Trust your gut on this one and you’ll be just fine.
JUST BE YOURSELF
It’s as simple as that, really. This ties in with the whole niche thing I talked about up above. The good, the bad and the ugly of my life – it’s all here. The feedback that I’ve received from being open and honest about the things going on behind the scenes reassures me that I’m doing something right. Is this route for everyone? Maybe not. But I do know that the blogs I enjoy reading offer up a heavy dose of reality and that’s what keeps me coming back for more. My life isn’t perfect and it will never be portrayed that way. Please see the above photo for proof.
Before I wrap up, I’ll leave you with a few of the questions that people have asked as of late – one of which I found rather intriguing.
“HOW DO I FIND THE TIME TO GET STARTED?”
I give the same advice here as I do when people reach out wanting to know how to jump start their exercise routine. If it’s important to you, you will make time for it. Plain and simple. Plus, why wouldn’t you want to start knowing all that you know now?!
“WHAT DO YOU WISH YOU HAD KNOWN WHEN YOU FIRST STARTED BLOGGING?”
My first inclination is to express that I knew nothing when I started blogging. I had no concept of what I was committing to. I had no idea that there was an entire community out there waiting for me. I wish I would have known how insanely rewarding blogging is so that I could have started sooner. Before I hit publish for the first time, I had only (sporadically) followed one food/lifestyle blogger (hey, Jen!) and I decided that I wanted to do it, too. There was no real thought process behind it. I dove headfirst into everything and I’m grateful that I didn’t hesitate, because I probably would have never started.
WHAT ELSE DO YOU WANT TO KNOW? I’M AN OPEN BOOK!
Feel free to email me or leave a note down in the comments and we can make this a thing around here.
p/s shout out to my mom and stepdad who are celebrating their 10th wedding anniversary today!
This is such a great post, Jess! Amen to not having a niche and finding amazing people through blogging!
Thank you, Abby! Agreed. I hope that we can meet someday 🙂
Totally agree with all of this, ESPECIALLY the piece about a time commitment. Blogging is serious work, def something I didn’t know before I started!
x. Sabrina | Simply Sabrina
It is, who knew?! But it’s so worth it 🙂
This is such a GREAT post, Jess!! I love what you said about not having to fit into a niche. I totally agree. It’s freeing to not have to confine yourself. I’m so glad I met you! Friends like you definitely make this blogging world a lot more fun:)
Thank you!! I’m glad I’m not the only one. The feeling is mutual 🙂
Love this! SO true. Making your site clean and crisp is so important! And saying no can be hard, but it helps keep your vision true to yourself and your brand.
xo,
sarakatestyling.blogspot.com
You’re so right!
just what I needed this morning!! also also.. this means you’ll gimme feedback before I launch….. riiiiiiight? 🙂
Of course, I got you girrrrl!
Great tips! I’d say the biggest thing I’ve learned is that if you’re consistent it makes blogging so much more enjoyable. I’ve gotten into the habit of posting 3 times a week. Sometimes it happens M/W/F but today Monday turned into Tuesday. Consistency is key but you have to stick with what you’re comfortable with.
Annica
http://www.lifemodifier.com
Thanks so much, Annica! Precisely – I’m right there with ya 🙂
Thanks for the shout, Jess! I couldn’t agree more with your points here, especially about finding your people and writing about you. I think when people start writing about themselves, they actual find a structure in it!
Of course! The relationships I’ve found are hands down the best 🙂
Great tips! I love hearing about other blogger experiences! There is always something that can be learned!
-Kara
http://www.everydayk.com
Thank you, Kara! I’m so glad that you found them helpful 🙂
Could not agree more with these tips!! I can not say enough about all the great relationships I’ve made – it’s amazing! xo, Biana – BlovedBoston
It truly is!
Can I just tell you, thank you for saying you don’t need a niche? I’m so glad someone finally agrees with me! And yay for blogging buddies…truly the best part of this whole thing!
I got your back, girlfriend 😉 It really is!! Happy Tuesday!
First of all, THANK YOU for posting your real-life desk, because I don’t know some bloggers keep their workspaces so darn tidy and pretty, meanwhile I’m struggling to find my COMPUTER most days.
I think it’s also important to remember that comparisons suck big time. Blog about what makes you happy, try not to compare yourself to people who are different or more successful than you!
Haha, it’s a hot mess. I should have opened up the drawer for the full affect 😉 There is always going to be someone bigger and better than you and dwelling on them isn’t going to make your experience any better.
The people – YES! <3 <3 <3
When are we going to meet?!
Girl, I just watched this work space tour video on Youtube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=39PnGWppm5I) and fell in love with her desk! She got it off of Amazon, but unfortunately it’s no longer avaialble. BUT! I found one that is similar and it has THREE drawers! Kind of pricy, but i’m sure something cheaper will pop up if you keep looking: http://www.amazon.com/Home-Office-Triangular-White-Finish/dp/B0044FTQK2/ref=pd_sim_sbs_hg_5?ie=UTF8&refRID=1DEXFKAAQH5DNEWGEKFN
Thanks so much for sharing this! That desk definitely has wayyy more space than what I’m working with haha
Love your tips, Jess!! I agree with all of it!
xo,
Angela
Nice tips! Thanks for sharing 🙂
XX
http://www.floortjeloves.com
http://www.facebook.com/floortjeloves
Great post! LOVE all of this fabulous advice.
~Samantha
http://goldcoastgirlblog.com/
Such a helpful post. I too enjoy using wordpress as well.
I like that for just a few extra dollars, it allows me all access to drill down and see where my visitors are coming from (country, city and in some cases county), what photos people enlarge, etc. It helps me to know as by what means they were refered to my blog. It’s nice see that 9-10 people came in through, so and so’s blog. The section that alwyas makes me laugh is the search engine field. People search my blog by very funny phrases…..sometimes by naughty ones but I can’t stop that.
You’ve made me rethink my home page. Maybe I’ll jazz it up some.
http://www.stylegonerogue.com
Thank you so much, Shoshana! Do you use Google Analytics? I’ve found that it’s a lot more accurate than the WordPress dashboard! I’ve definitely had people find me with some crazyyyy search terms. It’s one of my favorite things to look at haha. Let me know how the home page update goes 🙂
These are some fantastic tips. I love the one about not having a niche. When I first started I wasn’t sure what I wanted to write about; now I realize I don’t have to be strictly a beauty blogger or fashion blogger, I can be whatever!
:] // ▲ itsCarmen.com ▲
Precisely! I couldn’t agree more, Carmen. I sound like a broken record by now, but I think when you’re writing about your true passion, it shines through in the posts 🙂
Such a great post! I struggled with my “niche” for so long and now I’m just writing about what I’m passionate about which happens to change week to week and I think my readers appreciate the authenticity!
xo, Jen
Thank you, Jen! I think when you’re truly writing about what you love, it shows 🙂
Love this! I’m just starting my blog and there’s a lot of tips that you listed that are comforting to read (not having a niche, not knowing anything in the beginning…). I’m excited to join the blogging community. Thanks for sharing! 🙂
Of course! I think the most important thing to figure out is your writing style and how you’re going to present yourself to readers. If you nail that down, they’ll always know what to expect from you 🙂 Good luck getting started, Allyson!!
Great post! My big question would be: how do you decide which parts of your life to share/not share?
Meg of An Affair of Character
Hi Meg! That’s a great question. I’ve always been extremely open in my posts. Pretty much anything going on in my personal life is fair game, except when it involves other family members or people in my life who wouldn’t feel comfortable with me sharing. I’m a naturally curious person and I want to know what’s going on in the lives of the bloggers I follow!
Great read! I agree with the niche advice – if you’re passionate about blogging it’ll show in what you put out. You’ll gain traction and have the opportunity to blog about whatever you want. Web designers just like to propose finding a niche to make it appear as though there’s a methodology behind what they do which can be hurtful to prospective clients in the long-run.
I’m a loyal wordpress user too and swear by it! Super fast loading times on mobile devices I’ll take any day. 🙂
Passion is everything. I hope you had a great weekend. Thanks for reading, Stephanie!
Such great tips – sharing now!!
Great post, Jess! I love all of your advice – especially putting the life in lifestyle blogging.
Thank you so much! Looking forward to following along with your blog posts 🙂
🙂
Great, great advice Jess! I learn so much from you time and time again 🙂
The feeling is mutual 🙂