Seven Tips To Help Fellow Bloggers

Hi guys, 

I thought I would finally give my helpful tips when it comes to blogging. As you may or may not know, I have been blogging for just over two years and I have loved every moment of it. I don’t get sent a lot of products nor do I get asked to do sponsored posts but that’s not what it is all about. Sure, I get sent the odd product to review and I will always give my honest opinion on it as I feel that’s an integral part of being a blogger but this post is just a few bits and pieces to help you on your way. There are also a few f bombs so if you don't like that, I apologise but I am Scottish and it's like second nature to me. Its only to emphasised how I feel.

1. Comment

When you receive a comment on a blog post, answer back! There are so many blogs that I have commented on and no-one has replied back which I find to be a bit rude if truth be told. I always answer people. I set aside a few hours every week and go through them and answer every single one. Even if it's to say thank you. I know, if you have a lot of comments, this may be difficult but if someone asks you a question, its common courtesy to answer them. 

The same can be said for comments on social media. I have come across numerous accounts on Instagram that have questions underneath their pictures, and I’m not talking millions, I’m talking one or two and the person hasn't had the decency to give them a response. Just tell them where the fuck you got your skirt Sonia! Again, I can understand if you have thousands of comments but most of these accounts don’t and they think they are fucking Beyoncé and don’t have to answer. If you want people to like what you are doing and become a fan of your work, treat them right and give them a response to what shade of lipstick you are wearing in that selfie that got eleven likes! I have a lot of comments that say “Great Work, Wow, Fab Picture etc.” I don’t tend to answer these as I never know what to say to them but if someone asks me a question, I will always respond.

2. Get Involved

It is very important to get involved in the blogging community. Everyone I have come across in the big blogosphere have been great. I find everyone helps each other out, they give tips and they generally just make you feel better if you are feeling a little down about blogging or life. There are multiple chat nights on twitter where you can talk to fellow bloggers who share the same interests as you. There are also some very interesting questions that get asked so just get yourself in there and answer as many as you can, like as many responses as you can and get involved! Just go onto the hashtags and find the best ones for you. If you are unsure, send a tweet out and use the hashtags ##bbloggers #bloggers #lbloggers #fbloggers and someone will tell you the days and times these take place. It also allows you to find new blogs that you may never have read before. 

3. Blogger Love

As I said, it is imperative that you get involved in the blogging community. We really are a lovely bunch! One thing I would recommend is to like posts that you have read. Retweet the ones you love and ask questions or give advice wherever you can. Do you know how happy it makes me when someone retweets or likes a post that I have put good time and effort into! Just imagine brightening up someone’s day, because trust me, it will. 

Source

 4. Declining or Accepting Opportunities

Once you start out, you will start receiving emails from all different companies trying to gain exposure through your blog. I have a blogger email post which you can find here which highlights some of these issues. If you choose to do any of these things, that is absolutely fine but you don’t have to. If someone asks you to do a sponsored post or review, you can say no if the product won’t fit with your blog, just be polite when you decline the opportunity as there is nothing worse than a cheeky response when someone wants to work with you. Georgina from She Might Be Loved has a fantastic blog post all about Sponsored Posts so check that out. 

When it comes to reviewing products, companies may send you a certain item from their range and ask for a post on this. That's great if it fits with the theme of your blog. If they ask you to review a product and then tweet out several times, have more than one post and continue promoting the item, then I would suggest asking for payment as this takes time and effort. It doesn’t have to be a ridiculous amount of money, just something to tide you over if you are taking time out of your day. 

Some companies will ask you to promote something or put a post together talking about something they want to highlight. You won’t get anything in return for this unless you ask for payment as they are not promoting a particular product, it may be the fact they want you to come up with a post and link back to them. If they hit you with the whole "We don’t have that in the budget" then you can decline. They often tell you they will link your post on their website and you will gain exposure through them, but sometimes this isn’t enough! If you really want to work with them, then it’s your choice to say yes. I had a company ask me for three posts, several links to all different products and websites but I wasn't getting anything in return, not even a product to test and I’m sure you can agree, one post takes time to prepare never mind three. I politely declined. 

Review whatever products you want as long as it will fit in with your blog. I personally blog about beauty but I like to throw in the odd recipe, book review, restaurant review or lifestyle post as I feel they are relevant to me and hopefully my readers like them.

5. Promote Your Work
Use hashtags on social media. I use #bbloggers #beauty and #bloggers the most as I am a beauty blogger but if you are a fashion blogger you may wish to use #fbloggers. If you are a lifestyle blogger then use #lblogger. I always include some retweet accounts on my tweets such as Daily Blogger UK, Female Blogger RT and Blogger Bees but there are loads out there to choose from.

6. Link Back
If you are rounding up your favourite products, lipsticks for instance but you have a review on some of these products, link back to the original post so people can see why you love it so much and then you only have to give a snippet of why its great in your favourites post. Most people will want to hear the pros and cons of this product before they buy.

7. The last one is a simple one. Take time out if you need it. I know we all want to keep on a schedule but if you are busy with work/school/university or running a house then you may not have time to stick to it. Don’t stress yourself out. If you take a couple of days away from your blog you may come up with several ideas when you are busy with other things, write them down and get to work on them when you can.

I hope you have found this post to be helpful. It isn't a post to help you write posts or how to deal with certain things but its things I think are very important. Let me know if you do any of these things and if not, try and incorporate them into your blogging routine and see how you get on. 

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