Showing posts with label Blogging. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Blogging. Show all posts

THE STRUGGLES OF BLOGGING IN 2022: THE LOW DOWN

Saturday

Does anyone actually read blogs anymore? Well, you are reading this right now, so the answer must be yes but the truth is, it can be difficult to get people to read your blog.


I have heard a lot of people saying that nobody reads blogs anymore, even Amira from Gogglebox said it in an episode not too long ago.


My opinion on blogging is still a big thing is mixed. However, I do love writing my blog posts so either way, I am going to keep writing them.


Laptop at desk next to plant


The rise of video content


For me, it feels like a lot of people get their entertainment on social media through watching videos on TikTok and Instagram reels at the moment rather than reading through a whole blog post.


I really like making video content as well as writing my blogs, so I have been doing both to stay relevant online and to just make things that I enjoy making. 


If you are a blogger who struggles with reader numbers but want to make a big impression online, I do think video content like this can reach a lot of new people organically.


I feel like with blogging, you have to put a LOT of effort into making it SEO friendly so that people can find your blogs through searching on Google. Also, a lot of my readership comes from sharing my blog posts on social media anyway.


Advantages of blogging


There are a lot of bloggers out there that are really successful at the moment and I think a lot of people don't realise the success you can make for yourself blogging.


Some bloggers I follow, have left full-time jobs to pursue blogging, and they can make thousands a month by doing freelance blog work. Paid opportunities include paid blog posts, affiliate marketing (which is adding links to your blog and getting a commission whenever anyone purchases something through your link), creating digital products to sell, and many more.


Although people may come to the conclusion that people don't read blogs anymore, the ways to make money online are definitely on the rise, so for this reason I would say blogging is still very much a thing.


Don't give up


If you are an avid blogger and love doing it - don't give up! I have to admit, since the world has started opening up more since Covid, I have been getting a lot fewer reads on my blog. I am not taking this as a negative though because I would much rather everyone be able to go out and do stuff than being stuck in reading my blog!


This also makes me more appreciative of the readership I have now, and even though the reads on my blog posts have declined a little, I am still getting exciting opportunities and growing my social media following.


My advice would definitely be to stay current and keep up to date with new platforms that come your way, but if you really enjoy doing something, there is no need to stop just because there are new things coming.


What are your thoughts on blogging in 2022?

GETTING STARTED WITH INSTAGRAM REELS

I finally feel qualified to write this as one of my reels reached 11.5k views so I am pretty impressed with that.

If you are an avid Instagram user like me, you will have seen many Instagram reels by now but I won't assume EVERYBODY knows a lot about them. Basically, reels are taking over Instagram now. Before, Instagram was all about sharing photo content but now, Instagram is pushing video content by allowing users to create short videos called reels, which are very similar to the videos we see on TikTok.

I have been having a lot of fun creating reels lately, and as you may be aware, I am always wanting to grow my Instagram and blog so I can reach more and more people with the content I love creating.

At the moment, any reel content I post gets more reach than my picture content, and now that I have gone viral (yes I am counting 11.5k views as viral), I thought I'd give you some tips on creating successful reels. To put this into context I currently have 4.7k followers at the time of writing this so either way I count reaching that many people as a success.

Disclaimer though, sometimes I feel like it is random which videos do go viral. I have seen some really pointless videos go viral that have taken no effort, whilst seeing other well-thought-out videos that you can tell people have worked really hard on getting fewer views.

So before we start, it's important to remember it is a learning experience, and sometimes Instagram can be cruel that way. I am still learning and am not an expert, I am just sharing why and how to get involved for beginners!


Person holding iphone

Steps to creating successful reels


1. Watch reels


Before creating any kind of Instagram reels, you need to watch them. This might seem a bit obvious but it's a fundamental step. By watching Reels, you can see what kind of things are coming up on your page and the kind of things that are going viral. You are also able to see trends in what people are posting and you will probably notice popular sounds that get put over reels.

2. Be confident and go for it


Once you have watched reels and thought, maybe I could give this a go - then go for it! If you want to grow on Instagram this is a great way to do it. I used to feel nervous about filming content while I'm out somewhere or would be worried that they would get no views, but once I stopped caring about things like that I started to have a lot of fun creating reels.

I will admit, I could post them a lot more and I hope to soon, so keep your eyes peeled for more video content from me on Instagram.

3. Make a list of reels you would like to create


If you want to be a regular reel creator on Instagram, it's probably important to list the ones you want to make and be organised with the content. You can do this by seeing what similar accounts to you are making, or just thinking of what represents you.

This step is my downfall at the moment. I usually just create reels at random and put together videos I take when I'm out. This is fine too.

4. Create saveable content


I always find points like this kind of ambiguous but what I mean by this is, create content people will want to save for later. At the moment, the more saves you get on an Instagram post the more likely your post is to get pushed to more people - they are way more valuable than likes as it stands.

So for example, if you are a foodie blogger and post a reel of a restaurant, people are probably likely to save this if they want to visit this restaurant. If you are a fashion blogger and post some summer outfit ideas, people will be likely to save this if they want outfit inspo.

The reel I posted that reached 11.5k views was of my time at Ballie Ballerson, a ball pit bar in London. As a lot of people want to try this place I got quite a few saves which could be a factor in the number of views.

5. Try to hop onto trends


When you are watching reels and see a trend that you might be able to hop on, then why not try it? For example, if you see a small business trend and you have a small business account - see if you can try joining in. 

Jumping onto a trend gives you a lot of potential to go viral because if you see a lot of videos in the same trend, it means that Instagram is clearly pushing videos that are trending.

6. Use trending sounds


When posting reels, you will notice you have the option to put music or sounds over your video. Similarly to trending videos, if you notice a sound going around your reel for you page, it is clear that Instagram is pushing reels with that sound so see if you can use it over one of your videos.

I usually try to use popular music for my reels, you will be able to see which music is most popular when posting.

Side note: If you are using original sound like you talking or a voice-over - apply subtitles. This makes your content accessible to more users. Also, a lot of people scroll past videos with no sound so this gives them a chance to read your captions.

7. Add text to your reel cover


The cover of your reel is something you can choose when uploading. You can either choose a part in the video or upload your own image. If you include a line of text on these, people will be able to read what your reel is about before choosing to watch.

For example, if you are reviewing a restaurant, you could write "McDonald's Salisbury Review" on the cover so it's easy for people to pick out from your profile or from their saved videos (hopefully). Also, McDonald's was the first thing that came to my mind - clearly, I need it.

8. Share your reel on your story


Did you know if you post a reel on your story, the views on that count as reel views? This way if someone is clicking through stories but not necessarily watching it on their home page, you will still get your reel across to them through stories. I do this every time I post one!

If you can, try tagging people who are likely to share your reel on their story too because views from their story also count as reel views. For example, if your reel is a restaurant review - tag the restaurant if you can as sharing it is good PR for them, and will help to increase your views and reach.

9. Trial and error


My first reel didn't get very many views and I could have easily given up and said that's not for me. However, you need to keep trying and seeing what works for you, it's definitely a learning process. 

Also, as I said earlier, sometimes Instagram can be cruel with what it pushes and what it doesn't. But hopefully, after following best practice (AKA the tips above) you should reach a good amount of people.

10. Be authentic


If you were wondering if I was going to end the tips with a cringe one then I hope you are satisfied. Yes, this is cliche and again, quite ambiguous but if you are not being yourself in your content and posting about stuff you are passionate about, what is the point? 

It can be easy to just want to create reels for marketing as they are good for reach but if you are inauthentic, it will really show to viewers and be reflected in your reach and engagement. You have to actually enjoy what you create and post meaningful content.
And there we have it. If you end up creating reels using these steps, let me know how it goes! If you have any tips for me that I haven't mentioned then I'd love to hear them - my goal is to beat 11.5k.

HOW TO CREATE A MEDIA KIT

You might be thinking, what is a media kit and why I need one? Well, I'm here to answer these questions and give you some advice on creating one, and what to include.


What is a Media Kit?

A media kit is a document that bloggers, content creators and influencers use to show information about their platform. It's usually shared to brands so they can learn more about the creators they are working with.


Books on a shelf

If you want to work with brands, it's important to have a media kit that you can keep up to date with your stats. This way if you are emailing a brand to work with them, you don't need to send a long email about the views you receive on your blog or the engagement you get on your social posts. You can keep all this information in your media kit and attach it, such a time saver.


I used Canva to create my media kit and made sure the branding aligned with the colours I have used across my blog and social media channels to keep it all consistent. Mine is also only 3 pages because I feel like for now, that is all that's needed but yours may be more or less depending on how much information you want to put in. I would try to keep it to around 2-5 pages though, to try and be concise.


What to include

Here is a checklist of things you can include, you may wish to include more if you need to.

  1. A short bio about what your platform/blog is about.
  2. A photo of yourself.
  3. Who your main target audience is.
  4. Your blog and social media platfroms and stats - I just included followers on my socials, my blog views and blog domain authority, but you may wish to include social engagement rates too. Make sure these are up to date before you send it to brands.
  5. Brands you have worked with in the past. This is optional, if you are new to this you won't be able to add this just yet but it's just a good way to show your experience if you have it.

How to use it

The purpose of a media kit is to summarise your platform and also to pitch your brand to the person or brand you'd like to work with.


If someone asks to work with you, you can show them your media kit so they can learn more about you. Alternatively, you can email brands with your media kit and pitch to them. Pitching to work with brands is a completely separate thing, that I feel like I can't write a blog post on yet, just because I don't do it too often so I wouldn't be giving expert advice. Maybe this is one for the future when I start pitching more. 


What I will say is, it's definitely worth putting yourself out there to brands or even local venues that you'd like to work with. It has paid off for me quite a few times now.


Do you have a media kit?

MEET MY JUNE ADVERTISERS

Wednesday

AD - This post features advertisers on my blog. If you would like to advertise with me in the future, then send me an email at woolofthekingblog@gmail.com or DM me on social media.

I can't believe it's June already! I am so excited for warmer weather, and I have finished university now too. Now that I don't have to spend all of my time doing assignments anymore, I will hopefully be able to spend more time on my blog and also reading some more of your blogs.

Speaking of your blogs, I am so delighted to share the following bloggers with you. Since I started my advertising service on my blog, I have featured some really great blogs and I always love reading new blogs too. So without further ado, here are some of my favourite bloggers this month.

Bloggers you need to check out this month

Nyxie's Nook blog logo

First of all, we have Nyxie's Nook. Nyxie writes all about mental health, wellbeing and lifestyle. I think mental health blogs are so important an I love reading them. It's just a reminder that you can be open and vulnerable online and don't have to try to be perfect all the time. It's also an inspiration for others to open up when they have felt like they can't.

Start by checking out these posts

Sunshine sarah blog logo
If you need a bit of positivity then you definitely need to check out Sunshine Sarah. Sarah is a lifestyle blogger and content creator that wants to bring a bit more sunshine to your life! I always feel better after reading Sarah's blogs or seeing her uplifting social media posts.

Make sure you check out these blog posts by Sarah


lyla stone blog logo

Next up, we have Lyla Stone. I have only discovered Lyla's blog recently but I am already a big fan of her posts. She writes mainly about psychology and wellness.

Check out these posts

5 YEARS OF WOOL OF THE KING

Saturday

AD - This is a sponsored post.

This month marks 5 years of Wool of the King, so I thought I’d share my experiences over the years and the sort of things I have got from blogging and growing my social media channels, including gifted products and payment. I am hoping this post will encourage young people, bloggers or not, to pursue their goals.


Purple balloons
Image by Spemone on Pexels.


Early years


When I first started my blog in 2016, I was at college and I only really wrote blog posts occasionally. It was just a space for me to chat about things I wanted to chat about as a hobby. When I started university, I still only occasionally posted updates and one day, one of my posts got over 1000 reads. I was so happy and this really motivated me to write more, but with assignments, a part-time job and a uni social life, I found it really hard to keep up with my blog so I stopped writing for a while.


It wasn’t until 2020 at the start of the pandemic that I started to write weekly blog posts and really start focusing on my growth. At first, it was just out of boredom, I had so much more free time so I decided to use that time to grow my blog and social media.


Growing my online presence


Once I started blogging more regularly, I wanted to make sure these posts were being seen and gaining an audience, so I focused on growing my social media channels including Twitter and Instagram. As a result of this, my blog views were growing each month and I began to partake in gifted influencer campaigns on my blog and over on Instagram. I was so excited by this because I never expected to be doing anything like that!


If you want to find out more about influencer marketing, check out the Mindy Parisi Influencer Spotlight.


In this instance, engagement is key! The more you engage with others, the more they will engage with you, it’s so important in growing your blog and socials.


Onwards and upwards


This year is the first year I have started making money through blogging and I never thought I would be able to say that. It may not be a lot to some, and it’s not enough to make a living from at the moment but having any extra money through blogging is crazy to me as it started out as just a hobby when I was 17.


So far, I have made money through sponsored posts on my blog, influencer ads, advertising slots on my blog and affiliate sales. Last month I made a total of £184 which has been my highest paid month yet. I would love to be able to write E-books one day and sell those.


I have spoken a lot about blogging in this post, but a lot of my influencer campaigns are on Instagram. These days, lots of brands look to collaborate with content creators on there. I used to think you had to have over 10k followers to collaborate with brands but this is not the case anymore as smaller accounts often have higher engagement.


Read more about the rise in influencer marketing


I have really loved my blogging journey, but it hasn’t always been easy. There have often been times where I’ve wanted to give up, or thought no one was going to take me seriously and it’s fine for that to happen. The trick is to just not give up when you feel like that, and keep pushing through with whatever it is you may be wanting to do. I have been blogging for 5 years now, but it has only been in the last year that I have started seeing signs of success.


When was a time that you wanted to give up on something but kept going?

THE ART OF BLOG WRITING E-BOOK REVIEW

This product was gifted to me as a PR product but all views are my own and I will be honest in my review. This post also contains affiliate links, meaning if you purchase a product through the links I will gain a small commission at no extra cost to you.

So if you're in the blogging community, you will probably already know that Eleanor from Not So Modern Girl, recently released an E-Book called The Art of Blog Writing, and I am so excited to have a copy to review!


Even the most seasoned bloggers need advice on blog writing from time to time and it's always great to hear advice from different sources, so we can keep on top of our game. 


two brown pencils on white surface
Image by Jess Bailey Designs on Pexels.

The E-Book usually retails for £3.99 which is a great price considering Eleanor is a blogger with over 4 years experience. It includes a step-by-step guide on writing a new blog post as well as tips on creating great social media posts and advice on spelling mistakes to avoid and proof reading checklists.

Related: How to find out the best blogging niche for you

A lot of E-Books these days can have some scary jargon in that is intimidating for new bloggers but The Art of Blog Writing, in my opinion, has really straight-forward points that could easily be applied to blog writing.


The text also includes some great advice on writing social media posts as well as blog posts. If you are using social media to support your blog as many bloggers do, you will need to know how important it is to represent yourself and your brand across your social media channels and Eleanor explains this in the E-Book.


If you are looking for advice on writing blog posts and social media content then look no further. The Art of Blog Writing explains all the basics in a simple way, without any scary information or jargon that you may learn later down the line.

Related: Top tips for creating digital branding as a blogger

Have you read Eleanor's E-Book?

MEET MY MAY ADVERTISERS

AD - This blog post features my monthly advertisers. If you would like to advertise with me or find out more then please contact me.

This is now my 4th month of featuring advertisers on my blog and I have been really loving it. I love reading posts like these too and discovering new bloggers so I hope you have been enjoying discovering these wonderful bloggers too! This month, I have 5 amazing bloggers to share with you, I also offer ad slots to small shops too so if you are a small shop or business owner wanting to increase sales or views to your website then let me know!


Enviroline blog logo

The first blogger I have to share with you is one of my favourites, it's Enviroline Blog. Caroline is not only a lovely person, but she also shares amazing content about the environment and eating disorder recovery. I always learn so much when I read her blogs and love keeping up with her content on social media too.


Check out these posts from Enviroline Blog

Sunshine Sarah blog logo
Sunshine Sarah is another great blogger that I am proud to share with you. Sarah is a lifestyle blogger and she also shares really great vegan recipes. Her goal is to bring a ray of sunshine into your life with her content and she definitely succeeds in that.

Start by checking out these posts

Brit Voyage blog logo
Next up on the bloggers you need to check out this month is Brit Voyage. Georgia from Brit Voyage is a travel and lifestyle blogger that writes amazing blog posts all about her adventures around the UK. I am always looking for new places to explore in the UK which is why I love Georgia's content.

Here are a few of my favourite posts from Georgia


Skinned Cartree blog logo

A great blogger who I have only recently discovered is Corinne from Skinned Cartree. Corrine writes fab posts all about lifestyle and blogging help so if you love reading about that then you need to check out Corinne's blog!

Start by checking out these posts


Miel and mint blog logo
Finally, last but not least is Nadia from Miel and Mint. Nadia writes really helpful posts all about self-help, productivity and lifestyle. She is another blogger that I have discovered recently and I love her content. Again, I am always learning new things when I read her posts.

Check out these posts from Miel and Mint

I hope you enjoyed reading about these bloggers as much as I enjoyed sharing their content with you. Don't forget to check them out! 

Who are your favourite bloggers at the moment?

JUGGLING BLOGGING WITH UNIVERSITY

This is a guest post by Ruthie Loves Glamour. 

Blogging and studying are two really hectic, time consuming and effort taking things. And if someone had asked me few months ago if I would be able to juggle university with blogging, I would have given a big NO! but I'm doing it today and even though it gets tough sometimes, the fact that I'm able to juggle them both is something I am proud of myself for as they are no joke. Blogging and University are two different things but they both require an insane amount of time, energy, commitment and hard work. If I had to juggle university with babysitting the neighbours' 4 year old daughter, it would have been a completely different case as baby sitting even though stressful, is not as stressful as blogging. 

In the few months of me juggling blogging with university, there has been ups, downs, positives, negatives. I have learnt a lot from juggling both and today, I'll be sharing the good, bad, the ugly and the lessons I have learnt from juggling university and blogging.

messy work space
Image by cottonbro on Pexels. 

Some positives 


Juggling blogging and university made me realize that I am stronger, can handle so much and stay organized and I am so much more capable than I know. Sometimes, being faced with a really tough situation brings out our capabilities and brings out a kind of strength we never knew existed. I never felt like I wasn't strong or capable of handling things but I did feel like I wasn't capable of juggling university and blogging. I knew just how much time, commitment and energy they both require and at some point I did feel like it would be impossible for me to juggle both of them but guess what! I proved myself wrong. 

Though, it has not been easy, I have been doing well and the fact that I have been able to handle so much and still be on top of my game has made me believe so much more in myself and my abilities. Even with the fact that I have been juggling both, I have been able to do assignments, post twice a week and catch up with some other non blogging/non uni stuff and boy aren't I awesome?! 

Some negatives 


Juggling the both is stressful as hell. Juggling these two have given me sleepless nights, late nights and early mornings and sometimes, I get so stressed, I just leave both of them and go relax somewhere haha. The stress that comes with juggling these two is just too much but I have been able to stress less and up my productivity game with to-do lists. I swear to-do lists are a lifesaver and I would be forever grateful. Even with the to-do lists, juggling blogging and university is still a handful but the to-do lists make such a difference. Aside from the experiences I had juggling blogging and uni I have learnt a lot from juggling university with blogging and below are some of the things I have learnt! 

LESSONS I LEARNT FROM JUGGLING BLOGGING WITH UNIVERSITY 


1) Nothing's impossible and you can do anything you put your heart to


Who would have known that I would somehow be able to manage blogging and uni together? If you are a blogger I'm sure you feel me when I say blogging is super stressful. If you are a student too then you know that even though uni is fun, it does entail a lot but I did put my heart to juggling these two and it worked for me. I have been so hell bent on not leaving any behind, I have gone out of my comfort zone to make sure I keep up with both and things have been going well. There will be challenges on the way but you can overcome any challenge and cross every hurdle once you put your heart to it. 

2) It's about finding the right balance 


Balance is so important in everything we do and it is important that we try and find a balance in our lives as much as we can. Finding a balance between blogging, university and other aspects of my life really helped me a lot and as much as I put my everything into university work and blogging, I did learn not to ignore other parts of my life even when I am super super busy. 

3) Me time is a must even when there seems to be too much on my plate 


Imma be honest now, there have been times when I neglected me, my health and my wellbeing just to get everything else done but never again. Creating time for me is a must and it is also an important part of self love. I have realized that it is very easy to neglect ourselves and get wrapped up in everything else, all the hustles and bustles of life but juggling blogging and university made me realize that overworking myself would only make me less productive and I need to create time for myself no matter how much work I have to do. 

4) Passion is so so important 


I have always known that passion is super important but juggling blogging and university made me realize that the importance of having a passion for whatever you are doing can never be overemphasized. Passion gives you motivation to go on even when things are rough. On days where I have felt like quitting, passion kept me. If you are doing something you don't have passion for, it will be easier to call it quits when the storm hits but having a passion for something will give you the drive to keep going even when nothing seems to be working. 

These are my experiences and the lessons I have learnt from juggling university and blogging. Are you a student blogger out there, or are you juggling blogging with your day job or anything at all? How do you cope with juggling both and not getting burnout? What are some experiences you have had and what are some lessons you have learnt from juggling blogging with whatever you are juggling it with? Let me know! 

About the author 


Name: Ruth 
Website: Ruthiee Loves Glamour - www.ruthieelovesglamour.com 

Ruth is a student blogger who loves to inspire people to be the best version of themselves. She runs a blog about personal development, self care, self love, positivity, personal growth and all things lifestyle. Ruthiee Loves Glamour is a space for everyone to learn, develop themselves, interact and navigate their way through life. Keep up with Ruth and her blog. 

Socials: 


Facebook page - @ruthieelovesglamour

MEET MY APRIL ADVERTISERS

Monday

 AD - This post features my monthly advertisers. If you are interested in advertising with me then please contact me or find out more on my advertise with me page.

woman working on a keyboard

I have really enjoyed sharing some of my favourite blogs with you each month, it's such a good way to interact with and discover new people.

Life of Morag blog logo

Firstly, we have Life of Morag, a fabulous blog all about travel, politics, health and life in general. I recently discovered Morag on Twitter and I'm so glad that I did, she has such insightful posts that are written from the heart. Be sure to check out her blog!


Start by reading these posts


A girl with a view blog logo

Tash from A Girl with a View is one of my all-time favourite bloggers. She writes about lifestyle, university, travel and more. I always make sure to keep up to date with her posts and you should too! If you love reading helpful, honest posts then you need to check out A Girl with a View.

Check out these posts by Tash


Pickle Emporium logo

Now, this suggestion is a little bit different as I usually advertise bloggers but why not promote small shops too? Prickle Emporium sell really lovely succulent plants and plant accessories. These plants would really brighten up a room and by buying them you would be really supporting a small business. Make sure to check out Prickle Emporium for your plant needs.

Lynn Mumbing Mejia blog logo
Lynn Mumbing Mejia is a great lifestyle blogger with some really helpful posts about DIY and life in general. My favourite posts of hers are her recipes, they always look amazing! If you want really informative posts and advice then you need to check out Lynn's blog!

Make sure you read these posts by Lynn

Sophia Patel blog logo
And finally, last but definitely not least we have Sophia Patel. From blogging help to lifestyle and travel, Sophia has such an amazing range of posts on her blog. If you love reading all about lifestyle or need a bit of blogging advice from time to time then her blog is definitely for you!

Check out these posts from Sophia


Thank you for reading and I hope you enjoy these blogs and shops as much as I do, let me know what you think of them. I loved having them on my blog! Remember, if you want to advertise with me for as little as £3 per month then you can just reach out to me.

HOW TO WORK OUT THE BEST BLOGGING NICHE FOR YOU

Saturday

This is a guest post from Sophia Patel.

Blogging can be a challenge, especially when you feel like you are always scraping for content. After 6 years, at times I can find it a weekly struggle to come up with content good enough. There are, however, several tools and habits to stop you from walking down this path - one of them is establishing your niche. Here's how.

Get To Know Your Audience

Just like your blog, your audience will evolve. You will gain some, lose some, and others will stick with you along the way. Base your key topics of interest on your analytics - what are my most popular posts within a particular time frame? What is the demographic of your audience? Both your topic and audience have to work together, otherwise, you will have no one reading your posts. For example, a parenting blog would not be 100% relevant if your audience were 10-15-year-old boys, would it? Establish your demographic first.

What Are You Interested In?

Over the last few years, I had had so much inner conflict with this. I started as a beauty blogger (reviewing the likes of Benefit's They're Real Mascara). Now, you will see 3 beauty posts per year. Why? Because over time your niche will naturally change. I have always considered it an evolution because the ideas you come up with at silly hours in the morning is usually a clue as to what you want to post. And let's be honest, content is always better when it comes from the heart. That's why over time I have ditched the beauty and moved into blogging tips for beginners and home & finance. When the content slowly evolves, some will stick around, and some will leave - that's just part of the process.

laptop coffee and to do list

Don't Try and Blog About Everything

This is a mistake I learned pretty late on. Over time, it is so easy to add a little bit of everything. Been on holiday? Blog about that. Done some clothes shopping? Blog about that. Cooked yourself a nice meal? Blog about that. Just in this example, your blogging niche has expanded to travel, fashion and food. But it begs the question of which one is your direct niche. I have been calling myself a lifestyle blogger for years, yet what does it mean? If new audiences want to gain a snippet from your blog and see a dozen blog posts in different niches they may be slightly confused. Nail down your focus to a few interlinking topics (I have linked blogging tips and home niches by talking about creating a home office to blog), and perfect them. Chances are, there will always be someone else blogging about the niche you ditched so no need to worry.

If You Cannot Write About It, It's Not The One

If you have a niche that you love, but cannot ultimately write content about, then it is not the one. Increased competition means that posts need to be near 1000 words to meet the requirements of Google. If your niche cannot meet that easily, you will still struggle for content. When thinking of a niche, without any resources - make a list of as many blog posts as you can. When I moved to home and interior blogging, I came up with 50 ideas, meaning I could effectively have enough titles for the next 6 months (excluding guest posts and exclusive content). Bounce blogging ideas off one another and aim to interlink many of your posts (a series / two part post). Not only will this help to create content, but strengthen your niche.

What Blogs Do You Read?

Chances are, your niche and the topics you are interested in are going to be linked. If you are still struggling to pinpoint your niche, look at it from a different angle and self-reflect. Think about yourself - your hobbies, career path, the books you read and the blogs you follow. Create a Venn diagram if need be and see where it all overlaps.

Then look at the competition. If the market is oversaturated, it is going to be difficult to stand odd / offer content that Google doesn't have the answer to. E.g. Blogging tips is a very large field with lots of high DA Bloggers competing. As this is something I want to pursue, my niche has shifted to beginner level. We strip back all the technical terms and start from scratch. The key is to find a balance where you are offering content that has not been done a million times before, and something that you have enough experience to talk about. After all, list posts and how-to's are the most popular.

working on laptop with flat white

Give It Time

This is the number one piece of advice. Blogging takes time, finding your niche takes time. If you find it straight away then you are the lucky one - but more than likely a new blogging niche is caused by a love for something else and a critique of current work. If you ever have that dilemma, then it is time to change, because otherwise it'll be shown in your content.

About the Author:

I am Sophia - a recent marketing graduate who is blogging full time in lockdown. I talk about all things blogging; as well as the progress on renovation of an 18th century home on a budget, to boost valuation for sale.

10 STEPS TO HELP YOU GROW YOUR INSTAGRAM

This post contains affiliate links, meaning if you purchase a product through these links I will earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.

Over the last couple of months, I have been trying to up my Instagram game and it's been paying off so far so I thought I'd share my tips with you. If you have Instagram already, you might know how frustrating it can be but don't give up! Most of my brand collabs are actually on Instagram and my blog is secondary to that so it can be a really good way to score collabs if that's what you're after.


First of all, you will need to think of why you want to grow your Instagram. It could be because you want to attract more people to your website or business, or you might want to collaborate with brands.

 

Before anything else, I just want to emphasise that follower count is not the be all and end all, engagement is what's most important!


You can follow me on Instagram here.


Like Comment Follow Instagram icons
Image by Christian Dina on Pexels.

1. Take care in the images you upload


The main reason people will want to follow you or engage with you is because of the content you put out. You will be wanting to put out content that your followers will enjoy and content that says a lot about you. For example, if you love travelling then post some of your favourite travel snaps!

Related: 5 Steps to Taking Successful Instagram Pictures

2. Engage with people


If you are wanting people to engage with your content, you should engage with theirs too. Don't be scared to comment, reply to stories and even DM people sometimes. The more you connect with an account, the more likely Instagram is to show your post to those accounts.


Remember to support your favourite creators by engaging with them and seek out accounts you think would like your content and engage with them too. You should be engaging with people before and after you post too!


3. Follow relevant people


Similarly to my point about engaging, if you are expecting new followers, you are going to have to follow some people to. If I see an account with over 2000 followers but they are only following 200, that says to me they don't really want to engage with other accounts.


If you keep following relevant people (by relevant I mean people that post similar content to you) then you are getting your name out there and hopefully you will gain some engaging followers too.


4. Utilise story features


Now, posting on your Instagram story won't gain you any new followers, but it will keep the audience you do have engaged. I would recommend using the features on your story such as polls and questions regularly. Let your audience get to know you and post stories regularly!

Related: 3 Tips for Staying Creative

5. Post reels


As reels are a relatively new thing, Instagram seem to be pushing them and they have potential to get a really high reach. Sometimes when I have been scrolling Instagram, I have seen just reels and nothing else on my homepage so it's definitely worth getting onto them if you haven't yet.


6. Hashtag research


Using the right hashtags is the best way for your images to reach new people. Generally speaking you should be using hashtags relevant to your image. For example, if it's an outfit image you will want to be using fashion hashtags. You will also want to be using different size hashtags. Smaller ones have 10k or less images in it whereas larger ones will have over 100k. A lot of hashtags such as #fashion will have millions of images so it's unlikely your image will be seen with those ones.


There are a lot of blog posts out there with hashtags you should be using for your niche so just do some searching. Also, remember to use 30 hashtags on each post!


7. Set goals


I find when I set realistic goals, it helps me to achieve them and set new ones. If I set myself a certain follower goal in a week, it helps me to work towards it. Now, Instagram can be tricky at the best of times so don't feel disheartened if it takes a while for things to change.


Check out this Instagram Branding Pack.


8. Be consistent with posting


The more consistent you are with posting on your story and on your feed, the more engagement you will get. Also, you will look active to new people discovering your account and they will be more likely to follow you than if you haven't posted in weeks.


It can be hard to find the time sometimes, which is why it's best to plan your content ahead. I use an app called Feed Preview on my iPhone to plan all my feed content. I do try to plan out story content too but a lot of the time life gets in the way - which is OK too.


I try to post on my feed every other day and a few times a day on my story.


9. Use your analytics


Set your account to a business account, then you will be able to see your analytics. You will be able to see which posts have done well in terms of hashtags and you will be able to see when your audience is most active. Mine is most active around 6pm each evening so I will try to post around then where possible.


Also, once you have been posting for a while, pay attention to the posts that have had the most engagement and see if you can post something similar.


Check out this social media template bundle for Pinterest, Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.


10. Have fun with it 


This is the most important step! Remember, you are posting your content for YOU so make sure you are posting what you enjoy. There's no point posting things that you hate just to impress people or brands. If you're authentically you, it will pay off!


Do you have any Instagram tips?


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TOP TIPS FOR CREATING DIGITAL BRANDING AS A BLOGGER

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As a blogger, not only do I write and share blog posts, but I also have to make sure I keep my digital branding up to date. This is in order to show my personal brand and my blogging brand off across my social media platforms.


The digital branded content you may create as a blogger are as follows:

  • Media kit
  • Blog logo
  • Social media templates
  • Instagram story templates
  • Pinterest pins
  • Products in your branding such as Gumroad e-books
  • Newsletters and emails
  • Email signatures

In this post, I will be giving you some advice on how to keep your branded content fresh and up to date. So without further ado, let’s get into the tips.


laptop with flowers and phone
Image by Jess Bailey Designs on Pexels.

5 tips for updating your digital branding as a blogger


1. Create a clear logo


The first thing you will want to do as a blogger is to create an eye catching logo with your blog name on. Think about the colours you use because you can use them in a colour scheme for your other content.


Once you have created a logo you are happy with, you can then use this on other content you may wish to produce such as a media kit or social media templates.

Related: 3 ways to stay creative

2. Pick a colour scheme


Choosing a colour scheme is what all brands do when creating their content and products and bloggers should too. At the moment I tend to use light pink as that is in my logo, and other light colours such as a muted blue and peach. Admittedly, I need to work more on my colour scheme.


3. Choose fonts to use for different content


When creating different digital branded content, you will need to pick some fonts to use. For example, I have one font for my logo but I have a few other, more readable fonts for when I am writing more text like in my monthly newsletters or for the paragraphs in my media kit. Once you have decided what branded content you are going to create, I would suggest picking different fonts that you will use for different things and try and keep them as standard across your content.


Start your search for fonts by checking out this fancy fonts collection by font bundles. They offer a range of fonts for each occasion.


4. Standardise your content


Similar to what I was saying about picking standard fonts to go across your content, you should try to standardise all of your branded content using colour and any other signature effects you might use. This will help people recognise you. For example, if you have a branded Twitter header and one of your Twitter followers finds your Facebook page that has the same branding, they may remember your branding from Twitter and be more likely to connect with you on another platform too.


On social media, you should create pin covers for Pinterest and Instagram story highlight covers in your branding. It is also a good idea to create headers for Twitter and Facebook in your branding that contain your logo. These are just small ways to make your social media channels look more professional. If you are a blogger, your audience or brands will be more visually pleased when seeing branding on your social media than if you don’t have any. It also shows that you are serious about marketing yourself and blogging too.

Related: 100 Blog post ideas for every niche

5. Try and show you in your branded digital content


Try and bring yourself into your branding as much as you can. It is promoting you and your blog so make it personal, and obviously relevant to your niche. If you are a travel blogger, don’t be using makeup brushes in your logo, for example.


Creating personal branding should be fun because you can choose what you want everything to look like in a way that best promotes you, your blog and your services.


When it comes to branding and creating content, play around. It doesn’t have to be perfect straight away! I have had a range of logos before, it’s all trial and error until you have found what you’re happy with and it will feel really good when you do. I usually just play around with things until I get it looking perfect, just try not to stress out too much about it and have fun!


How are you getting on with your branded content? Do you have any tips?