Blogging 101

Today I'm dishin' on what I've come to learn about this whole wonderful world of blogging.  This is just my experience of what has worked for me! By no means is this the right way to do things...just how I've done things and my opinion on the subject :)


I started my blog in the summer of 2010 as a way to collect all my design inspiration in one place. I never would have expected so many awesome things to come from blogging! Here's some insight into what I think makes a good blog, how to grow your blog, how to keep readers coming back and a few things in between :)


A good blog has:
1. A visually appealing, clean, layout that represents YOU. Nothing is worse than a scattered  blog design with background music and no direction. I'll just be honest and say that I judge a blog by the layout and if it's messy or I don't know what type of blog it is, I'm probably not sticking around. It's the first impression! 


2. An About Me Page! Let's be real...bloggers are nosey :) We want to know about the author before we start reading their posts! Personally, my About the Girl page is the most viewed page on my blog. With this comes a picture! If you don't have a picture of yourself on your blog {or specifically your about me page} then you need to get one.right.now. It makes your blog look more professional. Again with the bloggers are nosey thing :)


3. Good Content. Readers love original content. To keep readers coming back, I found it best to post often.  When I first started blogging, I'd post maybe 2-3 times a week, but realized the more I posted, the more people would come back. This is advice I got from an awesome blogger, who told me to imagine going to my favorite blog and there not being a new post. I'd be let down and possibly not come back for a few days. Now I blog M-F and treat it like my job. {A very fun one, at that!}


4. Clear Photos! There's nothing I love more than clean, large, bright photos {without the use of a flash!! Flash = no!} 


5.  A Genuine and Authentic Author.  This one's important. Be YOU, be open to share your story and be ready for lots of fun blog friends if you're willing to invest some time :)

Other little tips:
- Make sure your email is attached to your profile so you the blogs you comment on can reply to your comment via your email. Great way to connect!
- Reply to as many comments as possible {as your blog grows, this will become more difficult, but is crucial to cultivating community and friendships initially}
- Comment as much as you can on other blogs in order to get your name out there! 
- Realize that real life comes first. Don't obsess over the blog...family and friends, school and work should take priority!
- Be sure you have a substantial following before offering ad space.
- Keep a list of blog post ideas in a notebook or phone.
- In order to cut down on the frantic writing of posts the night before, I try to get 2-3 posts written on the weekend. I also keep a schedule of all my posts on my iCalendar so I know when to plug in sponsor shout outs, She Loves Me guest posts etc...
- Reach out and take advantage of this awesome community of people who share our passions.

So, what do you think? What is your number one blogging tip??
Don't forget to enter the adorable Twenty Three Oh One giveaway...Ends Wednesday!
Happy Monday!
Love,

PS. Welcome to my sponsor Simply Pillow

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