Advice: If You Are New to Blogging
Hello ladies (and gents if you're reading this!). Happy Wednesday! I hope everyone is having a wonderful week so far. This weather we are having in Florida is SO weird. It was almost snowing a week ago and yesterday was 70 something degrees. *Insert eye roll emoji here*Random note: I just started listening to podcasts since I have such a long commute to/from work. The radio bores me and I hate trying to change playlists on Spotify because I never know exactly WHAT I want to listen too. So now I am trying out podcasts and so far, I love them. I have been listening to The Skinny Confidential by Lauryn Everts. Lauryn & her husband, Michael, talk about EVERYTHING. Literally everything. From break-ups to boob jobs to how to become a successful influencer. There really is no topic they won't discuss and I love it. The purpose of telling you all of this is because I was inspired by some of their episodes and how they grew their following and what they tell people now who are trying to become influencers/bloggers. I am not a professional, I am still learning daily! I have big goals I am setting for myself, but one thing is true, I definitely know more than when I started.I receive SOO many messages/emails asking if I have any advice on starting a blog and I'm sure a lot more of you have the same question. So I figured I'd write a blog post about it. Below are some of the things I have learned along the way and that will help you starting out:
- First and foremost, be original. My style is VERY feminine, classy.. sometimes with a touch of boho. I dress like a lot of other bloggers and I know that, BUT I try to be original in the way I style the products. It's inevitable that you will be the only person promoting a product, you just have to find a creative way to stand out!
- STAY CONSISTENT. Probably the MOST important factor of blogging. I have trouble with this ALL the time. There are some days that I just do not want to be on social media and engaging with other people. I just want to put my phone on silent and ignore the world.... it happens to all of us!
- Be Personal. I believe these top three points are the most efficient. My readers LOVE when I get personal with them. They don't want to just see the picture perfect life on Instagram. They want to see that you look a mess when you just wake up or you have blemishes on your skin as well. Be real. They want to connect on a personal level.
- Keep up with the trends. This is especially important when you are a fashion blogger.
- Test out different social platforms. It is important to test the waters on every social platform, but it is not necessary to be active on all of them. I recorded 2 vlogs a while ago, and quickly realized YouTube and creating content by video was NOT my thing. Another example is Pinterest. A lot of people promote their Pinterest page to their readers, but I just do not have time to perfect it so I do not promote it. It is completely fine to only have a few social platforms and make sure those are up to your standard. For me, Instagram + Stories comes first, then my blog. I'll tweet a few times here and there, but like I said I do not promote it. I never use Snapchat, I am so bad about that! So just know it is important to test everything out but you do not have to be consistently active on all of them, pick a few and perfect that! Whoa. That was long! haha
- Snapchat vs. Instagram Story. Pick one!
- Don't start out expecting to make money! This one is SO major. I see a lot of people wanting to start a blog because they want the "free" stuff. That is not how it works. As influencers, we do receive a lot of product that we test out and promote (if we love it!), but I did not receive my first paid collaboration or commission for probably a year or so. I remember the first company that ever reached out to me and thinking back on it, it makes me tear up thinking about how far I've come. I'm still no where I want to be, but I have big goals!
- You do not have to say YES to every brand that reaches out to you. I've done this so many times especially when I first started blogging and working with brands. One day I realized, I'm probably confusing the hell out of my readers as to what I am actually wanting For the Love of Coffey to portray. Also, I do not need 45 watches and 7 monogram necklaces. LOL. Another big thing I want to relay is if you receive a product and it does not fit right or does not look good on you whatsoever... email the company and let them know! Don't promote something you do not believe in. One more thing and I'm done, I am so picky when it comes to skincare people. I finally found a regimen that I LOVE and works well with my skin so unless it is major companies like Tula or FAB, I normally turn them down.
- Do not buy followers!
Okay, so I am fresh out of points to give to you. I hope this post wasn't a bore, but I'm telling you these podcasts are inspiring me. I have so many other ideas floating in my head that I am just waiting to post as well. If you are a blogger and need inspo, go on your iPhone, click on your podcast button and SEARCH influencer. :) You're welcome.If you have ANY questions, please email or IG DM me. I always reply and I love helping any way I can. :)