Blog: Maintaining your blog

I have now written about starting a blog and growing your blog, so today's post will be about maintaining the blog you have built.



Design

 

I think a nicely designed blog can make a huge difference to the vibe your blog gives. I personally like clean, neat and minimal designs, as I find it harder to focus if they are too bright and cluttered. It's important to be happy with your design and let it reflect your personality, however consider being a reader and how easy it will be to navigate. I offer blog designs, so you can look at my page here if you would like to see the type of things designs can include.

 

Scheduling

 

Staying organised is very useful when it comes to blogging. I like to keep notebooks and diaries to jot down all of my ideas, posts I need to write and photos I need to take. I also plan blog posts on my laptop calendar, so I can see which ones need to be up soon and check they are ready! Blogger allows you to schedule posts, which I always do. I post every Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday and always schedule the posts before hand.

 

Advertising

 

I mentioned advertising with others in my post yesterday and when you feel the time is right, I would suggest offering advertising on your own blog. Don't jump into this too soon, as if you don't have many followers or don't post very regularly, people may not choose to advertise with you. Let your blog grow and look at other blogs to get an idea of prices.

 

Photos

 

I think it is very important to take photos yourself and avoid using stock photos. I used a compact camera and no lighting for a while, however I have now invested in a Canon 600D and studio lights. Studio lights were definitely my best investment as they have truly improved my images. You don't need a DSLR camera, however I absolutely love mine and use it for Youtube as well. Try and work out if an SLR camera would be a worthwhile investment, as they can be a lot of money!

 

Youtube

 

Some people may never want to start Youtube, which is perfectly fine. It's a different environment to blogging and something I find a bit scarier. If you do feel like trying something new though, a Youtube channel may be a great thing to try! You can link it with your blog, so they will almost promote eachother. It is nice having the option of either writing or filming, as some blog posts can be hugely long, so filming a video would be more appropriate.

 

I hope this post has been helpful for you. If you have any requests or questions on blogging advice, then please let me know!

 





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Blog: Growing your blog

My first post in this little series was on starting a blog, so today's is going to be about growing your blog. Your blog will not grow overnight and it does take some time for people to discover it, so here are my tips for getting a bit more exposure.

Social media

I mentioned in my first post that it is a good idea to secure social media accounts all with the same name. I think social media is one of the best ways to let more people know about your blog, and also find new blogs to read yourself.

Twitter is my favourite and a brilliant social media platform. Regularly throughout the week there are Twitter chats, which I would highly recommend getting involved in. Every Wednesday and Sunday evenings there is a beauty blogger chat, plus there are ones for fashion, lifestyle and lots of other bloggers!

It is also a great way to build relationships with other bloggers and PR companies. You are able to chat with people from all over the world which is amazing! Socialising and staying active on social media accounts is great, as other bloggers can talk to you, ask you questions and I have made some lovely friends through blogging!

Commenting

 

Commenting on other peoples blog posts and replying to comments left on your own is a nice thing to do. I always try and comment on other bloggers posts if I have really enjoyed reading it. Please avoid comments such as, 'Follow me and I will follow you' or any fake compliments. Just comment if you have genuinely enjoyed the post, as it's nice to let people know that their blog is amazing and enjoyable.

If people ask me questions in the comments, I will always try and reply to them. I read all of my blog post comments and they make me so happy.

Advertising

 

Advertising on other blogs is a good way to gain more exposure for your own blog. Lots of bloggers offer advertising, which can include anything from having your button in their sidebar, to having a post written about your blog and tweets promoting it. I love advertising on other peoples blogs, as there are always some lovely new followers that say hello to me which I love. If you would like to get an idea of what advertising can include, I have a page dedicated to it here.

 

I hope you have enjoyed this post. My third one will be up soon! Please leave in the comments your top tips for growing a blog.



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Blog: Starting a blog

I love reading blogging tips posts, so I am going to write my own as I hope some of you will find them interesting. Today's is going to be based on starting a blog, so for anyone considering starting their own blog, I hope this is helpful!

Topic

 

When you first decide you would like to write your own blog, decide what it is going to be based on. This could be absolutely anything you like, such as beauty, fashion, travel, cooking or lifestyle. I think it's important to be truly passionate about whatever you will be writing about. Your passion will shine through in your posts and you will find it easier to write if you are passionate about the topic.

 

Name

 

You will then need to decide on a name. I would do this after you have chosen your blogging topic, as the name could reflect this. For example, my blog name is Beauty Becky, which lets people know my blog is predominantly based on beauty. I would recommend not including lots of numbers or punctuation and just keeping it simple so it's easy for people to remember.

 

Platform

 

Once you have decided on your name, it's time to create your blog! There are various blogging platforms such as Blogger and Wordpress. I personally use Blogger and have had no experience with Wordpress. You may find that the name you have chosen is already in use and therefore unavailable, so I would recommend having a play around with the words and order to find an available one.

 

Social media

 

Now that your blog is created, I would also create your social media platforms. It's nice having the same name for everything, so even if you aren't planning on using social media, its a good idea to create an account with your blog name so you have it for future use. All of my social media accounts are beautybeckyblog, which makes it easier for people to remember!

 

Expectations

 

Finally, I think it is important to start a blog with the right expectations. Start blogging because you have a passion and an interest in it. Don't start with the intention of receiving free PR samples, being invited to events or getting lots of followers. This can all take time and having true passion and commitment will show through in your posts.

I hope you have found this interesting! My second blogging tips post will be up soon, so keep a look out for that.

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