1/16/2014

Blogging Tips and Tricks


For a while I've been wanting to do some posts on all things blogging and January seems like an ideal time to get started. I love blogging and in the two years that I have been posting I have watched my blog change and develop more than I could ever imagine. These tips and tricks are all things I wish I had known when my first posts were penned. If you're new to blogging or just looking for some advice, I hope this post is useful for you.

Write for you-We all have passions and interests, whether it be makeup, fashion, food or something completely different. Write about what you love and what you would like to read. There's no point trying to write about something you don't really like as it will show through your writing. 

The tools you need-All you really need is a camera, computer and notebooks for organisation and post planning. You really don't need a fancy camera for blogging. It certainly does help, but I know some bloggers who use good quality point and shoots or even their iPhone cameras for posts.  If you're not much of a writing person then download Wunderlist to your phone for tracking posts and use the notepad to write ideas out. 

Images and Editing-Keep your images as large as possible to fit within your post template. When I first started my blog I really just got lazy with the sizing of photos because I didn't really know how to do it. Looking back on those posts make me cringe now. Again, Photoshop is not an essential tool, especially if you light your images well. Keep your image editing simple. Adjust the brightness and contrast to make your images sharper and crop or resize as necessary. For more on how I edit my photos head to this post. 


Content-If you're stuck for post ideas look around for inspiration. I head to other blogs, magazines, books and even Pinterest when I'm feeling a bit stuck. If you do look at other blogs for post ideas make sure to still write from your point of view. Don't just lift someone's entire post onto your blog. If I ever borrow someone else's phrase or insights I tend to credit them with a link back to their blog. When writing your posts try to use a formal but engaging voice. 

Posting Schedules-Try to keep your posts frequent and assign set days to blog posts so readers know when to come to your blog. I tend to post on Monday, Wednesday and Friday but alternate this if I end up doing more posts in a week. If you go a while without posting let your readers know you'll be absent. Alternatively, give them something else to look at like an Instagram snap or a Facebook post.

Engage-Reply to your commenters, especially if they are asking you questions. Leaving comments on other people's blogs is also a great way to get noticed. Engage with other bloggers too. I love Twitter for that purpose as it means you can chat to bloggers around the world.

Use Social Media-This may sound extremely obvious but social media will become your best friend if you use it well. Don't be afraid to promote yourself and your blog. Pinterest, Instagram, Twitter and Facebook are all great tools to utilise. 

If you have more questions then leave them in the comments or tweet me. Check back for posts on photography, inspiration and more in the coming weeks as well.

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