Out of all of the questions I answer daily, this may be the most frequently asked one, so it’s about damn time I make it into a cohesive blog post for you to come back to if you’re interested in starting down the path of becoming a blogger! To be honest, when I built this little space, things were SO DIFFERENT. A lot of the bigger “must do’s” remain the same, but there’s also a lot that is constantly evolving – for example, when I started this blog instagram did not even exist. I never had to focus on my instagram strategy, photo editing style, or anything within that realm! I was mostly posting to Lookbook.nu, and that was my main focus for growing an audience. I think the most important starter thoughts before we dive into things are A. Which platform do you want to focus on growing on/ building a following on and B. What is the message you want to spread. Truly think about the focus of your blog, because before you even pick a name or a domain, you’ll need to have a seed of an idea of what you want your blog to be about! I also think you need to step out of the mentality that your audience will grow overnight, and that you will make money from this. This may sound mean or harsh but you WILL NOT just magically start to blog and see people show up to read it, and you WILL NOT make a cent for a long time, so set your expectations low so you can be very vey happy when these things eventually happen for you. I did not make money from this blog until 4 years of blogging for free.
Ok, to the tips!
1 – Pick a name that’s catchy AND MAKE SURE IT’S AVAILABLE ON ALL PLATFORMS.
Once you have your blog idea figured out, start to brainstorm names! Your blog name should also ideally match your instagram handle, twitter handle and .com, and this is something you should check before committing to a name. The name should be very easy to say, search for and remember, because this can only help you VS harm you! I actually did not think about this years back, and had a completely complicated instagram handle for years (steffyspandcs) and it made it difficult for networking at events. I recently changed my handle to @steffy, but now my twitter remains @steffyspandcs and my blog name is steffys pros and cons, so there is a disconnect. I was a newb, what can I say!
2 – Buy the .com domain!
This is another one I’ve learned from experience on. When I began this blog it was on blogger, which was free and looked very good dollar wise to me. But one day I woke up and had intense anxiety that someone else owned my site, and that if blogger shut down, I would have no idea what would happen to my blog. That day I transferred my site from WordPress to blogger, and never looked back. I bought my domain name from GoDaddy. Yes, it is a lot more complicated to buy the .com – you will need to find a hosting site (I use Blue Host and my site is a WordPress site) and you will probably need to hire someone to help you set up your theme and watch tutorial videos on how to create content on the WordPress back end, but in the long run this decision will be VERY smart if your blog sees success!
3 – You don’t have to customize everything, but customize SOMETHING.
As you can see, my site is pretty cut and dry, BUT I have my own logo that sets my site apart (I actually designed it myself!) and some custom tabs in the header to make my content easier to navigate. I think especially starting out, it’s okay to not hire some fancy shmancy web designer to build you a beautiful and custom site, and maybe over time you will decide to go that route. That being said, you will want something on your site to make it quintessentially you, and maybe that means a special logo. It shouldn’t cost too much to have someone design a special logo, or you can even try to do it yourself using Youtube tutorials like I did!
4 – Decide on your “look & feel” for your instagram feed and stick to it long enough for people to associate it with you
There’s so many ways you can brand yourself online, it’s overwhelming. For me, my style has always been somewhat the same since the beginning, but I feel like I fell into the groove of my EDITING STYLE only about two years ago. I think before you begin to post you should think long and hard about what style fits you – do you want your feed to look white and bright? vintage inspired? is there a color you want to feature prominently? While I think you can 100% shift your style over time, I think that in the beginning it is very important to be consistent in who you are, so people can get to know you and make associations. My best advice is not to find someone else’s feed who you love and copy it, but to become inspired by it and make it your own. Watch tutorials on editing, find editing apps that make you feel comfortable, pick a filter you love + then STICK WITH IT. There’s nothing worse from a branding perspective than a brand who doesn’t know who they are and keeps shifting. So decide on which edit/ filter fits you, and then commit to it!
5 – Post consistently, and make the time for your blog if it’s truly what you want to do!
This one might scare you, but if you want to succeed as a blogger you need to create a content calendar, decide how many times you would like to post, and you need to commit to it. When I started out, I would post to my blog 5 days a week, and I would post to my instagram every single day. I currently post to my blog 3 times per week, and update my instagram once per day, and I’ve been on this schedule for a while. I realize that most people starting out have a full-time job, because that was once me too. I worked and blogged on the side from 2012 – 2017, and it was really friggin hard. I never ever took a break. But if this is important to you, the best way to build a following is to post compelling content consistently, so people remember you and look for your writing/ photos. So my best advice is to choose a day each weekend or on a weeknight you’re free after work, and take a few hours to shoot and write your content for the week. Plan ahead! It may be more difficult in the winter when the sun isn’t up as long, but if there is a will, there is a way!
6 – Make meaningful connections, and lean on others also trying to build a following
There is nothing better than someone else who understands what you’re going through! If you feel like you’re working tirelessly to build your blog, there is nothing better than finding other local bloggers to chat with and bounce ideas off of! The blogging world has some weird unsaid rules, and one of them is that bloggers tend to connect with other bloggers with around the same numbers that they have. If there’s a local blogger that has a very big following you could by all means message them, ask if they need help shooting or can give you pointers, but I think you will benefit the most from meeting other bloggers with around the same following as you have. The best ways to help eachother are:
I met Noelle when both of our followings were about 1/5 of what they are today, and part of the reason we’re close is because we supported each other and built each other up! If I find a new editing app, I tell her and vice versa! We share tips, we shoot with eachother and we work on campaigns together. Other bloggers are an invaluable resource.
7 – Tag + wear brands you aspire to work with, and use their hashtags!
Brands are constantly looking for new talent to work with. Starting out, when I reached about 10-20K followers and before brands paid me, they would send me free product to shoot photos in! This helps them create content to repost and to generate traffic for their site. Don’t think that you need to have 100k followers in order to work with brands because that is FALSE. If your photography is strong, and your following is growing, brands will want you, but the best way to get them to notice you is by shopping at their stores, tagging them, and using their hashtags! When I first began to blog I had Forever21 regram one of my photos, and I gained thousands of followers from it. It’s a great way to speed up growth, and gain exposure from companies!
8 – Tag your location or restaurants/ coffee shops you shoot in!
Instagram definitely weighs photos with a location tag more heavily in their algorithm, PLUS most locations are either being searched by other people planning on visiting, or have an instagram account of their own! My photos have been regrammed by tons of coffee shops and restaurants, and while their following is usually not as large as a clothing brand, it’s still something!
9 – Host giveaways
I think too many giveaways can become annoying, but hosting a giveaway once a month or so is a great way to grow! Yes, it’s an investment on your part, but it doesn’t have to be anything too crazy! People love free things, and if you giveaway a free amex gift card, or a free dress and you ask people to tag friends in the comments and like your photo to enter, you should see an uptick in growth while the giveaway runs! Once you hit a certain number of followers you can also e-mail or DM brands and ask if they’d donate product for you to giveaway if you include them in the giveaway. You’d be surprised how many brands are happy to participate!
10 – Figure out what your audience likes, and do more of that
Use your analytics, they will save your life. Every blogger has weird things they know about their own audience, for example when I post images of Hudson they get the most likes, but I usually lose followers. When I post fashion photos I always gain followers, even if they receive a little bit less engagement. Knowing this, and knowing that I want to grow my audience, I try to focus on what the numbers tell me, and stick to posting fashion photos. Once you’ve posted for a month or so, sit back and reassess the data – which blog posts received a lot of traffic? Can you expand on those posts?
11 – Differentiate which content fits the blog + which fits instagram
This is a big one – You need to make a clear differentiation between all of your channels, because they are all different and should be used natively. You wouldn’t post a full recipe on your instagram, just the finished product photo with a link to more on your blog. For me, I usually try to use my blog to open up about more personal topics, to discuss the business of blogging and share tips for motherhood, while my instagram feed is more curated and fashion focused. The two are very different, as they should be! Sit down and have a think on what you want each to look like, and then stick to that plan!
12 – Expect to work really hard before you see any money! Don’t continue to blog for the money, but instead for the love of the craft!
I cannot state this one enough. I receive hundreds of messages from people asking me how they can make money blogging, or what they are doing wrong. I think anyone who starts a blog should just have this inner drive to share – whether it’s a message or personal experience that changed their life, fashion tips, lifestyle tips, etc. It should be because you WANT to provide knowledge for others, because you love beautiful photography or because you love to write. If you’re not passionate, or you feel blogging is just a means to be able to quit your job and make a quick buck, you are absolutely wrong. I can tell you, working my 9-5 job was 100% easier than being a blogger. I clocked in, and I clocked out. Blogging is non-stop, and the trends are constantly shifting. You need to have 0 expectations, and if you’re unique and you have something to offer to the community that is new and exciting the followers and money WILL follow!
I really hope I helped you if you’re thinking of starting out, and I hope I didn’t sound too stern! If there’s anything else you’d love to know, please leave it in the comments and I can expand upon this post!