On a quick side note I have heard from quite a few attendees of the Alt Design Summit (a blogging conference that took place a few weeks back) say that they wished they would have heard the speakers and experienced bloggers spill a little more about their "secrets" to successful blogging. I don't know if there is really "secrets" to blogging... I think it is a lot of hard work and a touch of luck/opportunity along the way. But I definitely think that there are tips and tricks that we can share to boost one another and our blogs up.
That is why I am so happy to bring you another set of 5 tips from Linda today... they are GOOD and I think you will enjoy them!
Hello Good Life readers! I'm Linda from Rose à la Mode and a long time Good Life fan. In fact, Jill's the one who inspired me start my own blog! I've been blogging since 2009 and have learned a few tricks. When I saw Jill's original post, I asked her if I could join in on the fun. So, here are my 5 tips to hopefully help you out.
Tip One: Figure Out Why You're Blogging. This was a tough one for me and a question that I'm still searching for the answer—maybe because the answer changes. But everyone has a different reason to blog. My husband has been blogging full time for the past 5 years and his main goal was to start a business because that's what he loves doing. My main goal (though it has evolved and changed) was because I wanted to shop everyday. Ha! The reason this is important is depending on your goal, you need to take different action steps. For my husband, it is his full time job. For me, I just want a creative outlet, so although I have a few tricks up my sleeve to make some money, that's not my main goal—so I use shortcuts which may not make me much money, but are accomplishing my goal of a creative outlet.
Tip Two: Use Shopstyle and/or RewardStyle. If you post anything about clothes, you should get familiar with these affiliate programs. It just makes your life easier when finding products and you can make a little dough on the side with every product you link to. You may have to explore them a little to figure things out, but it'll be worth it in the end. (Sign up for a Shopstyle account here.)
Tip Three: Try To Get Links From Other Blogs. Everything from guest posting, joining in on link parties, and taking ads on other blogs sites will all bring you more traffic. I've utilized all of these methods and they've really been beneficial and my blog is what it is today because of it. Otherwise, how else will you get the word out? I also really recommend the It List because it is seriously a great avenue for gaining friends and new traffic.
Tip Four: If You're Getting Overwhelmed, Take A Break From Looking At Other Blogs In Your Niche. Just quit them. This is not a recommended long term solution for many different reasons. However, I have found that when I get overwhelmed with keeping up with the Joneses, I simply take some time to stop looking at others and focus on what I love and want out of this experience.
Tip Five: Be OK With Not Always Being The Best. I have had a really difficult time wondering why I am not as successful as other people in my niche. So much so, that I took off a good 6 months last year just trying to make sense of things. There's so much pressure to "BE ORIGINAL!" that it makes it almost impossible to do so. And then I realized, I don't have to be the best blogger. I don't have to be the most popular. I know I'm not the prettiest girl in the world, and I live on a budget, so buying everything that is sold in stores is out of the question. And all this is OK with me. In fact, I think being limited makes for a better blog because it increases your creativity. It doesn't mean I have nothing to offer and it doesn't mean I should quit. I have decided that it's better this way, because I get to do my thing and not worry about what anyone else is thinking or saying about me. And for me, that is success.
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Thanks so much for sharing Linda!
