Why I started blogging and tips!

So this post will explain why I started blogging all those many months ago and any tips/advice I would give if you wanted to set up a blog.

 
So here is 'Why I started blogging and tips'...
Originally, this was a interview I did for someone doing a piece about blogging for their uni assignment but I thought I might as well put it on my blog too.

First up, explaining my blog and why I started blogging.

Originally I started blogging because I am studying Journalism at University so set up a blog to get myself out there because it’s hard in the industry.
However, what inspires me to continue to blog is that I hopefully am helping people. It has been over a year since I first posted on my blog and looking back, it has really helped me get a lot of things of my chest, helped me in my identity.
By sharing my experiences, I have let go of feelings I have had for a very long time but also hopefully helping people that might be going through the same things. That is what inspires me now to continue to blog.

What do I love about blogging?

I love the fact that I can post whatever I want because it is my blog. If like something or want to share something with my readers then I can. I also feel like I won’t be judged. Its weird I know, but because I am posting my opinions then some people may agree and may not agree with them but they are my own views and I am entitled to having them.
Who inspires you most in the blogging world? Do you have a favourite blogger? What do you love about them?
I don’t really have a favourite blog, I just like reading through different blogs. From lifestyle, cooking/baking, music, film/tv shows etc, I like reading something new.
It can be a review to beauty/fashion tips to what people have bought and would recommend etc, it is interesting to read their views about it.

What are my top tips for gaining hits on your blog and gaining followers?

So when I first started blogging, I came up with the 3Cs I would follow: Content, Constant and Colour.

For every blog, you have to have content. What you are going to blog about. So if the blog has a theme (baking, music, fashion, beauty etc), then that is what the content is focused on. Even if the blog doesn’t have a specific topic, it still needs good, interesting content. Something new, something different that they haven’t read before.

Constantly update your blog. If you miss a couple of posts then that’s ok but try not to. By constantly posting two days a week or something then it keeps the audience reading your blog. If you don’t then they will most likely forget about the blog, which is bad because you want as many people reading your posts.

Finally, colour. If you want your blog to look professional then that’s fine. However, you don’t want it to look boring and plain and like many other blogs.

People like colour.
Whether it is a photograph or your layout, by having colour then it brings the blog to life so to speak and engages your audience because it is visually pleasing.

Those are the three Cs I use and hopefully they work in gaining me more followers, I have no idea but it makes the blog yours.

Do I read any other blogs? If so, what kind?

I love reading film blogs. I don’t read on specific blog based on this but I love reading peoples views on a film that has recently came out or what they have watched on the TV or what film they have bought recently. It is interesting to find out what other people thought of a film that I have watched or wanting to watch etc.
I also read fashion, beauty and music blogs because again this is something I am interested in so it is good to see what other people think about a latest single/album or the newest makeup product and fashion trend.

Is there anything you find hard about being a blogger?

The only thing I struggle with is publishing my posts when I want to post them. I try to publish twice a week but sometimes I only publish one or none because I am busy or I am at university or something.
Time management is key to having a blog. You really do have to be organised and plan what the posts are going to be about.
One thing I do is write the posts out a week or two ahead of when I am actually going to publish them. It just saves time and me panicking the day before or the day I want to post.

Do I think blogging could be a long-term career option and is it something I would consider?

Blogging has become a huge phenomenon in recent years, especially vlogging (video blogging).  In terms of a long term career, I think if you are determined and motivated to write and update your blog then I think it could actually work.
I mean look at Zoe Sugg aka vlogger Zoella. She has made money and she has a huge following on her blog and has recent bought out a book etc so she is doing really well. She just started out by posting videos on Youtube about beauty and fashion and now she is a huge star with an international fan base so if she can have a career in blogging then I think anyone could.

What is my ultimate goal in blogging? What is my idea of a 'successful' blog?
I don’t really set goals as bad as that sounds but it is to just avoid disappointment really. However, I would like to keep on blogging and to go to events etc that I can blog about and meet other bloggers etc, that would be fun.

In my opinion, a successful blog isn’t about the posts that are published but about the person behind the blog. If they are determined and motivated then that is what makes a successful blog. If they publish things that they wouldn’t normally share then they are 1) releasing any feelings they have, 2) getting their views out there, 3) helping other people from what they have written if they are going through that experience and 4) they are being themselves. In today’s society, I think people believe that they have to fit in with a certain group of something. With a blog they can express their own individual style whether it being lifestyle, fashion and whatnot. I think that is what makes a blog successful, for the person to be themselves.

Finally, if you could solve any common blogging problem, what would it be and why?
I am not going to lie, some posts I have read on different blogs are boring. This necessarily isn’t common but it is a problem because who wants to read a boring, same old blog.
No one does as harsh as this may sound.
I am not saying that mine is the perfect blog but there is either too much or not enough text on the posts and this is the same with photographs. You want to read something visually pleasing as well as interesting. By breaking up the text by using images and having a punchy post title then it gives the reader something else to look at etc so I would solve how to make some blogs more appealing to read.
...
So there you have it, my reason why I started blogging and my tips to get started!
A year on and I am still blogging so that's an achievement.
Until next time
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All photographs are my own!

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