Outfit Details
Top | Pants | Sandals | Sunglasses | Necklace 1 | Necklace 2 | Watch
Good morning girls! I hope you all had a great weekend and a happy Mother’s Day yesterday. We had a relaxing day at home since both of our Mom’s are in Cleveland; lots of facetime happening. I finally got around to shooting these new pants I got from Forever 21, and let me tell you, they are amazing! I figured I’d try out the side slit pant trend and I’m now obsessed.
These pants are so comfy and are under $30. They also come in yellow and a peach color, which I think are so pretty for spring and summer. They are stretchy and have a fitted feel, I ordered a size small, but could have probably have gotten away with a medium as well. Sizes are going fast, so I would act quickly if you’ve been looking for a pair like this. These are a few other options I’m loving at the moment.
Recently I have been doing more and more research on the blogging world. I find the whole blogging industry very interesting and there really is no set way of doing things. I think that’s what I like best about it, you can take whatever road you want and make it your own journey. Since I started blogging, I have learned so much, and I know there is still so much more to learn. It can be difficult at times, because there really is no book on how it’s done, so finding your way can be hard at times. Knowing what I know now, and looking back to the beginning, these are a few of the things I wish I had known when I started blogging.
1. Don’t be afraid to reach out to other bloggers
One of the best ways to learn about the industry is from the people who have been testing the waters already. Just because you’re new and starting out doesn’t mean you should feel afraid to reach out. I wish I had started talking to other bloggers sooner, this is how you can learn tips about different things you might not even know about. Anytime I’ve ever messaged another blogger about something I was interested about or wanting advice, I have gotten such a positive response. The girls that I have met in this community really are so supportive!
2. Quality is key
Not everybody has money to hire a photographer to take their pictures every week, and that’s okay. One thing I would suggest doing is making sure your photos are decent quality though. Invest some money in a camera or editing software to help spruce up your photos. I have Mo take all of my photos and he’s pretty good with the camera, but we have learned a lot of different shooting tips along the way. (Golden hour is the best for lighting!) I recently bought Lightroom, which I wish I would have done sooner. I bought a few presets that I liked and felt fit my brand and use a couple of different editing apps as well. So make sure your photos are crisp and good quality. Especially when posting to Instagram and Pinterest, as these are both photo based platforms.
3. Use other platforms to boost your traffic
I’m sure by now you know that Instagram is a great way to boost traffic to your blog. With the new algorithm it has gotten harder to be recognized on Instagram, so I have started using Pinterest as another way to direct people to my blog. Make sure you create the same branding across whatever platforms you decide to use, you want to stay consistent.
4. Keep track of your analytics
The best way to figure out what content people are attracted to is through analytics. If you’re on Instagram and don’t have a business account, switch over. It is the easiest way to find what time of day is best to post, where your followers are located etc. If you have WordPress.org use google analytics to find out which posts your readers are interested in, where they’re located, how they’re directed to your blog and more. Stop guessing and get the hard facts, it can be a game changer in what content to post and how well it is preforming.
5. Treat it as your day job
When I first started out blogging it was just something fun and a great way to document my travels and living in a new city. As time has gone on and I realized how much I really enjoyed doing this, I’ve started to get more serious about where I want this blog/brand to go and that takes a lot of time and work. The biggest misconception of blogging is that it’s easy. That it’s people just taking pictures of their outfits, travel, home decor etc., but it’s so much more than that. There is a lot of work that goes into being a blogger, so putting in a sufficient amount of time is important to growing. This is still something I’m working on as I’m continuing learning on what I need to do to grow my brand, but I will tell you this, it’s a lot of work and it ain’t easy!
I hope that these tips will help any of you who are just starting out. I know that this is the kind of info I’m always looking for to help me grow. If you ever have any questions about anything always feel free to shoot me a message, I’d be happy to help in any way I can!
If you’re somebody who has been blogging for a while, what are some tips you wish you had known when you started out?
Xoxo,
Danielle
