TOP 10 ESSENTIAL BLOGGING TIPS FOR BEGINNERS

 

I remember 5 years ago when I had the thought and idea of starting a blog and having no idea where to even begin or what to expect!
It can feel overwhelming and fun all at the same time when creating or starting anything new, and blogging or being an influencer is no different. Today I wanted to share my top 10 essential blogging tips for beginners. For those of you who are stuck deciding whether or not becoming an influencer is something you see yourself doing, check out these tips below. It may just be that push you need to get things started!

I also just want to say THANK YOU to all of you amazing loyal readers and followers. I wouldn’t be here today without all of you and your continuous support. I feel like I can call you all friends, and love waking up each morning to provide new material, content, and even new bring new brands to your attention.

I have been a content creator and influencer for 5 years now and am so glad I made that decision to start Navy Grace when I did. It has been such an amazing opportunity for me to help support my family financially, while staying at home and being a mom, all while doing something I love!

 

DON’T FORGET TO SEE MY LATEST POST FEATURING 15 FAUX LEATHER PIECES FOR THE SEASON

10 ESSENTIAL BLOGGING TIPS FOR BEGINNERS 

 

1. Be Real and most importantly BE YOU!!!
The absolute most important tip I can leave you with today is to be you! Be real and be yourself! I can admit to not truly sticking with my own personal style from day one. I tried to reflect and repeat looks of my favorite bloggers and wore pointed toe heels all the time in blog posts, but that wasn’t me! Not one bit. It took time, but I was finally able to realize that being real and myself was the best thing I could do for me and my brand. Be real and share your dirty house, or dirty mirror, laundry piles etc. You resonate best with your audience by being yourself and acting like a real person, a real person that your followers would actually want to me friends with. On another note, remember the brands that you work with really reflects who you are. That is why I only work with brands that I personally would be a loyal shopper to, or love and use their products already. I typically turn down 80-90% off all partnerships that reach out, because they aren’t a great fit for me. Be loyal to yourself and your brand and most importantly BE YOU!!

 

2. Get familiar with your audience and ask their advice
Find a loyal audience who 100% trusts and loves everything you do. Ask them questions! Ask them what they like seeing or even don’t like seeing. Ask what topics they would love to see you share about? Ask them all the question! After all, they are following you for a reason. I really love asking my audience when I am having a hard time debating on a purchase, whether it be between two sneakers, or lighting sources for my home. People love sharing their thoughts and opinions and they just as much love you listening to them and you using their advice.

 

3. If it doesn’t bring you joy, don’t do it. Or change the way you look at it.
I can openly admit that having a blog can be very stressful and overwhelming at times, but if you wake up and dread having to complete even one small part of what it takes to creates a blog, instagram post, managing big projects, IG stories, or creating content, then you need to change your perspective, hire for help or quit. You will never find joy in something you don’t want to do. I surprised myself with how much I really enjoy being an influencer and wake up excited each day to work and make connections with you all.

 

4. Build an email list
I have listened to several podcasts, and read books and articles or even sat in blogging conferences and this is one of the biggest things they stress. To build and email list. You have ZERO idea what will happen to Instagram next year, next week or even tomorrow. If Instagram decides they want to ban influencers, how will you be able to reach the audience you grew? Ta da.. With an email list! It’s just that simple. I personally use Mailchimp for creating and sending out emails and love how easy it is to use. Think of an email list as delivering valuable content. Share your FAQ’s, exclusive content, and anything to grab your readers attention. Maybe you are moving, or announcing something big! Get the news out that you will be sharing exclusive content to those people who have subscribed and let them know they are the first to know the news!

 

5. Love your existing followers and readers
This one is HUGE!! It is so dang easy to feel down or in a bad mood from an app on your phone – aka Instagram. Maybe even feeling disappointed for not being able to grow your audience or suffering from lower engagement, trust me, we have all been there. I know I have, and more often than I would like to admit. I struggle with this on a monthly and sometimes weekly basis. But what helps me is to remember to love YOU ALL, love my existing followers and readers and to show up for them. They are following you because they love the content you are creating. So keep on sharing, they will love you no matter what. But they will love you even more if you continue to show love back to them. Engage with your audience. Respond to their questions, comments and most importantly their Direct Messages. They are taking the time to talk to you, you need to do your best to show your appreciation for them by talking with them and being their friends.

 

6. Allow A Lot of Time
What a lot of people don’t understand is how much time it takes to be an influencer.  Between writing copy, photoshoots, editing photos, online and in-store shopping, creating online links, coming up with creative content, meetings, managing big projects, keeping up on emails, planning out IG stories, and arranging campaigns… just to name a few. Being an influencer is a full time job! Prepare to allow yourself time to be a creator. I put in anywhere from 30-60 hours a week being an Influencer!

 

7. Use Google Analytics
Once you get your IG handle, domain name, and website squared away it’s time to start using Google Analytics. Check it daily. Check what is performing well, what is performing poorly. Recreate similar content around the topics that are doing well. With Google Analytics you are able to see what people are interested in, what pages are searched the most, and of course several other analytics that are tracked. I will say that understanding the logistics of Google Analytics can feel daunting, it still does for me a lot of the time, but watch YouTube videos or get help from a friend to help you understand it better. It will only help your business in the long run.

 

8. Don’t Quit Your Day Job. Money will come.. but not right away
The hardest part of starting a blog and becoming an influencer is feeling overwhelmed about not getting anything in return for what you are putting in.  I started blogging 5 years ago and didn’t make a dollar the first year. It was in my second year that I started to see a small income, but nothing to quit my day job and relay steadily just on being an influencer. It was into my 3rd year being an influencer where I felt my time was FINALLY paying off. Before you land yourself a great career in any field, you have a lot of upfront expenses. Being an influencer is no different. So stay working at your job until you feel you are ready financially to make that leap! It will feel so rewarding in the end.

 

9. Stay Consistent
This is something that is extremely important, especially if you want to grow your audience. Consistency is KEY! Decide what days you will be publishing on your website, how many times you will post to IG in a week, or even how many times each day. My advice is to show up everyday! Post to your feed, post on your stories, and share on your website. It also helps with the algorithm to, if “help” is even a thing these days 🙂 But, stay consistent and show up for your audience.

 

10. Set Goals and Log Your Progression!
Set both achievable goals and and big goals for the future! Each month sit down and create a list of goals. Goals of brands you want to work with, when you hope to expand your team, social media numbers and followers, website traffic increase, compensation rates, and all the goals! Go back and look at your goals you make regularly. It’s one way to track and log your progress and see how you are improving. You may just surprise yourself how close you are to hitting your monthly or long term goals. One of my favorite things I loved doing when I began blogging was creating a list of “goal brands” I wanted to eventually work with. It has been so fun for me to look back throughout the years and see that I have worked with more than half of them!

Outfit Details: Color Block Cardigan  //  High Rise Buttoned Jeans  //  Gucci Loafers  //  Gucci Handbag  //  Gigipip Monroe Hat  //  Sunglasses

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Outfit Details: Color Block Cardigan  //  High Rise Buttoned Jeans  //  Gucci Loafers  //  Gucci Handbag  //  Gigipip Monroe Hat  //  Sunglasses

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xo, Camilla