How to get people to read your blog? Interesting question. Certainly not one I’m a total expert in. There are still times when I ask myself how the heck I encourage more people to read MY blog. Who doesn’t right? Bloggers dream of a large engaged community of people who appreciate the work they’re doing. Fair call, right? There’s a lot of time and effort that goes into producing the content for a blog, it makes sense to want people to care about what you’re doing.
So, what do you do if you’re new or there’s no one reading?
Good news, I have some ideas. And a video {as is becoming my usual}. But outlined below are my top strategies and habits to encourage more people to read your blog AND get them to keep coming back to it. Breaking it down this way reminded me of the bad habits I’ve picked up over the past eight years of blogging. The things I know I should be doing and don’t. And the things I do that I shouldn’t be.
If you’re not into blogging, sorry about this, maybe try this post with a video tour of my house instead? Way more fun. But if you’re into blogging, then, I’m ready when you are, let’s get started. If you’re not watching the video, I’ve also briefly outlined the points below for you to refer to later.
Watch the video: how to get more people to read your blog
Be part of the community
Get out there and participate in the blogging community. Especially on those blogs that share similar readers as yours. It doesn’t have to be another plus size fashion blog. It could be homewares or lifestyle blog. Whatever it is, jump in, participate and become part of the conversation. Just do what you can to avoid the whole, “PLEASE VISIT ME” thing. If your comments and interactions are valuable, people will check you out. If you beg them too, not so much.
Create a Blog Schedule
If you have a plan for how many posts you will do every week, your readers will know when to come back for new posts. Set a schedule. Advertise it on your social media, in your header or sidebar if you want. Whatever it takes, choose those post days and commit. This tip will benefit you, as much as it will your audience. You’ll have something to work towards and a bit of a plan to get you there.
Blog Like YOU
There is SO much content out there in the world. You can Google pretty much anything and find hundreds, if not thousands of articles on that topic. So why should people come to you? The answer is simple; it’s you. YOU are what is going to be unique about your blog, so start practising sharing who you are and your personality with your readers. Show them who you are.
Be Consistent.
When you start blogging {you’ve set that schedule, right?} you should aim to be so consistent it’s boring. Your audience should know when you’ll be posting next and what they should be expecting from you. If you want people to read your blog, then make sure when they try to, there is something there to meet that need. Think of your favourite bloggers (or Instagram-ers, whatever) do they post regularly? Can you count on them?
Create a series
If you want to create a reason for people to read your blog {and continue to come back to keep reading} then think about creating a series. Similar to my Confident You or Fashion Anarchy post series (which later became workbooks). By creating something that people can sign up for or come back for, you encourage people to do just that. What’s something YOU know or would like to share with people?
Let me know if you have any questions or if you have any tips to share with anyone reading this post. Maybe you’re a pro-blogger and you have some info to share, well, you’re welcome to do so. Thanks for checking out the post, keep an eye out this week for an outfit post. Mr Suger has promised me some of his time this week, the wait is over!
Before you go, I’ve put together some AMAZING blog posts from around the interwebs on my ‘Blogging Tips’ Pinterest board. Pin one, pin them all, whatever you have decided to do. There are so many tips for taking the tips I’ve given and put them into practice on your blog through scheduling, planning, and knowing what works on which social media platform.
Kellie Brown of And I Get Dressed is easily one of THE most stylish bloggers in the universe. My universe anyway. And the plus-size fashion universe, definitely. So, don’t miss this episode as we check out Kellie’s blog, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and YouTube for some blogging tips and tricks.
And, there is a lot of fangirling. I’m sorry about that.
I did the best to restrain myself, but I was totally out of control. Kellie is one of my favourite bloggers with content that makes me green with envy. She has this amazing style and has been featured on my all time favourite blog, Manrepeller. That’s when you know you’ve arrived. Le sigh, so cool.
For me, Kellie is a blogger to aspire to because she transcends that ‘box’ plus size bloggers are sometimes placed in. Kellie has worked with many international brands, her style transcends size (which let’s face it, doesn’t happen a lot) and she works it. It’s a business and the professionalism shows in her beautiful images and ‘on-point’ graphic design and branding.
Lots to see here, team!
There are a few issues with sound in this episode. Ugh. But, if you’ve heard the early episodes of my podcast, it was the usual echo of my giant office. If it REALLY bugs you, sorry about that. AND, I’ve picked up a new mic from my camera so it shouldn’t be a problem moving forward. I feel like this whole make a video a week thing has been such a HUGE learning curve. Thanks for hanging in there with me while I learn.
And I Get Dressed was on my list from the start so I was excited to share it so soon after the start. I hope you guys are enjoying this new series. It’s been fun to be able to check out what other plus size bloggers are doing on their blog and social media. I’m obsessed with finding more bloggers to share, so make sure you let me know your favourite.
Welcome back, team. This mid-week bonus video is My Instagram Workflow + Q&A. It’s all about how I edit my Instagram photos, the apps I use to get to Instagram and some of my thoughts on curating a feed. Plus, while this action is happening I’ve answered some of your questions about Instagram. Thanks for joining in the conversation on Instagram and Facebook, much appreciated.
My Instagram Theme, currently. Haha. Loving it.
As a plus size fashion and lifestyle blogger, Instagram is one of those essentials platforms for defining and securing your brand. The best of the best are competing for views on Instagram, and if you want your piece, you need to consider how your feed LOOKS. For me, the Instagram workflow is what sets me up to succeed.
I always say it, and I hate to do so, but on Instagram, it is what is on the outside that counts. It’s a visual platform with a disproportionate emphasis on things being beautiful, interesting or plain old cool. When it comes to plus size fashion and lifestyle blogging, there are ways to grow your platform faster than others. Ways, that doesn’t necessarily fit into the type of stylised theme that I operate. I’ve listed a few of them below.
Tips for growing a plus size fashion and lifestyle Instagram.
Update your outfit photo daily, if it won’t fit in the grid, put it in your story
Post selfies or photos with friends regularly
Update your feed up to 3 times per day
Link you blog posts in Insta Stories to increase engagement scores
Keep your colours consistent even if you can’t have a specific theme
I hope you enjoy the video. If you’re on YouTube I’d love for you to Subscribe to my channel and like this video. I’m new there and that would really help. But mostly, I can’t wait to check out your Instagram accounts. Leave them in the comment and find me on Insta, let’s hang out!
I guess you’re here because you want to blog like Nicolette Mason, right? I hear you. That’s why I’m kicking off my new YouTube series, ‘how to blog like…’ the top five things you can do to blog like Nicolette Mason. She’s pretty darn fabulous!
We are going to dive into her social media channels, I’ll provide the commentary, for ways to improve your blog. Nicolette Mason is a blogger I’ve admired since I first started blogging. Around the time I discovered her, she secured a column in Marie Clarie magazine. I felt like, WOW, that’s so not something I thought a fat girl could do. Let that sink in for a moment; it’s a pretty massive realisation. The possibilities are endless.
From there I, in a fan-girl-esque fashion, have followed her career closely. From her days as a brunette, through her wedding and on to her launch of her clothing line, Premme. And now, she’s being featured (again) on this blog. That’s how you know you’ve made it, right? Forget fashion week. Pffft. Haha.
Let me say one thing; this isn’t about copying Nicolette’s style or branding. If you do that, I’ll put you in the naughty corner. In this video, I talk about what makes her one of the best. It’s about the tips you can focus on to improve your blog. If you have any questions, want me to clarify anything I’ve said, leave it in the comments. To be clear, all the opinions expressed in this video are mine, I didn’t have access to Nicolette to discuss them nor did she approve this video in any way. I’m just a fan, trying to blog better. Disclaimers aside, let’s begin!
Want to see your favourite blogger featured? That’s simple. Tell me who they are in the comments 9here or on YouTube) and I’ll start making a list. Coming up next, we check out the blogging style of Kellie B of And I get dressed. Can’t wait!
Later this year, which is flying by at an unreasonable rate, my blog will turn 8 years old. EIGHT. Eight years of words and pictures, stories and challenges. I’ve seen a lot of bloggers come and go in my time. Loads of changes to the way things are done and even the platforms they’re done on. But this post isn’t about this, not this time, it’s about my why.
So, why do I still blog after all this time?
You mean other than being a total narcissist who assumes the world revolves around her, right? My OTHER reasons. Haha. Mostly I’m still blogging after eight years because I love to create ‘stuff’. I’m never happier than when I’m writing, taking photos or creating something. Blogging is a perfect fit for that and it allows for a whole range of avenues that I can make a living doing what I love.
Blogging is also something of a structure for me. Now, this won’t be a surprise if you know me IRL but I need structure. I’m much too chaotic of mind (wasn’t that poetic, haha) to exist without a set of deadlines and expectations placed upon me. Blogging has been that for me. When I posted every day, especially during the times I wasn’t working a job outside of my house, it gave me structure. A framework on which I built the rest of my life. And I keep blogging for that. For the consistency of it all.
And last, but certainly never ever least, I blog because of you.
Stop. Laughing. It’s cheesy, for sure, but it’s true. When I started this blog I had no idea what blogs really entailed. I never pictured a community of women who would not only look to me for advice or stories but who I would learn so much from. You have no idea, well, I assume you don’t. The impact on my life of having you here with me has been huge.
Every single time I write a challenge or a series or spill my guts on a post that is bottled up inside, it changed me. I credit this blog and the guiding hand of all of you for showing me the person I want to be. In 2009 when I clicked “publish blog”, I had no idea what I wanted from life. I knew what was expected of me but not how I felt about it. Talking it over with you, well, it laid a foundation for me to stand on. The real Suger stood up and continues to show up day after day.
That is my why.
If you’re looking to start a blog, I say do it. If you want to write your story and share your life, do it. One hundred percent do it. If you want to find a way to something you haven’t really figured out yet, blogging will help. It’s always done that for me. I believe that pretty strongly. Just watch yourself, it’s pretty addictive. But boy-oh-boy, what a ride.
Do you blog? What’s your why? Let’s use this neglected comment section and share some blog love. Links welcome, I’ve cleared the blocks, it’s all systems go.
I had new blog photos, time to edit in Lightroom for the post featuring the Alison Dominy Designs skirt, so I decided as part of my plans for YouTube, I would record myself. I did this using a screen recording feature in Quicktime and my podcasting mic. Over 45 minutes later (probably the longest edits ever!) I had my first video for the channel.
Or so I thought.
As you can see from the how I edit my photos in Lightroom video below, it’s not 45 minutes long. After attempting to edit that 45 minutes down to a reasonable length of time I gave up. I took those photos, reset one of them and walked you through the steps I took I get to where I did with the edits. It was super efficient (maybe too efficient) and is on the Channel now.
Lightroom is one of those programs that can feel impossible when you first start using it. Over the years I’ve bought more presets and brushes than I care to own up to, and now barely use any of them. But they served their purpose and showed me where I wanted to go so I could get there myself. Maybe this little video of mine can help you in the same way.
I can’t wait to hear what you think and if it helps you to edit in Lightroom.
I’m not going to post all of the videos to the blog, so if you want to stay up to date (and not miss a thing) head over to YouTube and subscribe for updates. And I say that because it would be all kinds of annoying if instead of blogging here, I just shared links to YouTube videos and was like, hey watch these! So no one panic. That’s not happening. Not this week, anyway. Haha. Anyway, enjoy. Let me know what you think.
This blog turns eight this year. I know, times flies when you’re having fun. And in those eight years, I’ve seen all kinds of ups and downs and changes in the blog community. In some ways, I feel like I’ve had my personal stamp on some of those changes. I was part of the community, in conversations and we were really setting the rules for how blogging should be defined as a profession. We did all that by coming together as a community.
But times, as they tend to do, change.
In a conversation with some blog friends, most of who don’t blog anymore, we talked about bloggers and the blogging community in Australia. It feels different to us, and maybe that’s just us we are all varying levels of awkward AF. There seems to be a decline in blog events and career or skills development. Facebook groups are more aimed at taking your blog from zero to business at a million clicks per hour. Where are the group lunches, the coffee dates or the low-key catch ups?
Where are the people?
I don’t mean those few friends we all have online. This plea if for the community of colourful, varied, interesting, full of conversation and joy, people. In the olden days, I would put a call put on Facebook or Twitter for people who wanted to catch up and actually get a response. It occurs to me just now that it could just be me… That would be awkward. Are you all out there meeting up without me? If that’s the case, I want back in. Tell me where the next one is and I’m in! I miss the people.
Now, I’m going to do something about it. My friend Gayel is having coffee (tea also available) with real live people and interviewing them for her blog. Vanessa wants to run low-cost workshops in her local community spaces. And me, well I’m going to come up with something. It will probably start with putting together a lunch. Something easy, come as you are, show up and talk blogging with people who get it. I won’t even get anyone to sponsor it. Haha.
Legit old school.
If you’re a blogger who wants to bring the community back, I encourage you to find your thing and do that. And if you’re within driving distance of me, make sure you let me know when your event is going to be. I need to get out more. Let’s get out from behind these keyboards, phones, tablets, desktops (big flash new desktops) and see if we can put some real, unfiltered faces to those social media handles. Let’s get together and talk shop. It’ll be just like old times.
And if you’re not a blogger?
Smaggle wrote a post recently about how to support your favourite bloggers and content creators. It’s for the family and friends, for the acquaintances or low-key fans who just don’t know what they can do to support this crazy thing we do. The rules don’t seem clear, right? This will help. If you’re not a blogger and you’re wondering what the heck you can do to bring ‘the people’ back, this is a good start.
Ironically, I look at this post and I realise some blogging communities made it through. Some have lasted and continue to support each other. Sorry to my team, but maybe I bet on the wrong horse. Bloody lame ducks (I’m looking at you Rah). Haha. It’s time for me to commit some time to rebuild the support network of storytellers, content makers, and creatives. If you want in, I want you here!
I finally got around to finishing Mindy Kaling’s book. I’d opened it and been distracted by other things at least 5 times throughout 2015 and it turns out that a hot summer beach day is just what I needed to knock it over. Front to back. An easy read full of laughs and humour, I’m sorry I didn’t read it sooner. I should have known, who doesn’t love Mindy, right?
But it taught me something.
Yup, this light, easy read taught me everything I needed to know about how I want to blog and express myself in 2016. And it has nothing to do with starting a new career in television and movies. I know, I’m shocked too, flair for drama and all that.
This book, filled with random thoughts, essays and ideas reminded me of my first love. Writing. it reminded me of the notebooks and the pens. The pencils and stationary. Man, I loved to write. I mentioned that last week when I committed to write more. Daily, in fact. But I’d forgotten and reading this book reminded me.
And it didn’t just remind me of that but it reminded me about the endless consumption of books and stories and content that once filled my time. All. My. Time. Just like Mindy, I know the similarities are uncanny. And I mean content content, not the super fun but like candy for the brain Buzzfeed type content. Real, actual books with ideas and everything.
But most of all, it reminded me to write.
To write about people, about things, about ideas and thoughts and not to care if there was for no other real purpose than to write them down. Seriously, there’s a list of possible movie ideas in this book that I could have written myself. I laughed out loud as I read them thinking, yup it turns out that Mindy Kaling is me in an Indian woman’s body. A wildly (and widely, thanks spell check) successful version of me, obviously.
So I left the sandy beaches I was laying on as I read the book and immediately pulled out my laptop. I wanted to write. I felt INSPIRED to write and I didn’t care what about. This isn’t even the first thing I wrote. I wrote about my relationship, about a dress I wore once that wasn’t me and bunch of other stuff.
Heck, I almost made a list of my own movie ideas should the need ever arise for me to share such ideas with someone who wanted to make a movie with me. Which, now I write that, is probably a grossly insulting thing to say. Like hard work be damned, they’ll just come to me because I’m awesome. But yeah. That happened.
It’s how everyone gets a random movie script offer, yeah? Thought so.
Let’s face it, I’m not even that funny.
Has that ever happened to you? The book thing, the inspired thing, not the movie thing? But actually, if the movie thing happened to you, you HAVE to tell us. Haha. Have you ever read a book, devoured it, and found that your spark for something you love is rekindled? I think that’s the power of words, of books and of stories.
I mean once, I attempted to be a better person because I read What Katie Did.
Lately I’ve been dropping into the archives of this blog, visiting the posts from years ago like old friends. Into posts before anyone was really reading, into posts where it felt like everyone was reading. It was like getting acquainted with myself after a break. It’s powerful how a blog, a journal of me, can do that. And I feel like I’m stronger because of that.
I’ve always been a journal-er. Notepads and diaries filled with thoughts and ideas, poems and stories. It came from a love of reading, I think, I wanted craft words on a page like the authors of the books I devoured. I wanted to teach lessons as I learnt them like the wordsmiths I admired. When I had access to my first computer, I password protected my story telling efforts they were so important to me.
When it all comes down to it, it’s why I started blogging. I love to write. I like to make stuff. Which is probably how I ended up a little obsessed with scrap booking for a while there. Sometimes when I find the words to perfectly describe a situation, or write a piece for a client, I just sit back and smile that this is the life I’ve built for myself.
Do you have moments like that? Moments that you’re grateful for what you do, who you’re doing it with or where you’re doing it? When they land in your lap like this ball of sunshine and you just feel like you’ve made it in life? I hope so. I hope those moments come to you often and you find joy in your life. Every day.
And that’s my new plan, to write and enjoy it, every single day. Either here, on Leave Home Blog or on the hundred and one projects that are going on behind the scenes. I didn’t make any resolutions this year, I wanted to be more Zen about such things. But this feels like something that will make me happy. So I’m going to do it. Because bloggers have to blog. It’s what we do.
So I’ve been to #PBevent before. You knew that, of course. It’s a fine alumni club it is the ProBlogger Training Event graduates. Some of us go year in and year out. We soak up the good times with friends and the occasional expert speaker and return to our dark corners to continue to, alone, write our blogs for the people of the interwebs.
For me, each year requires a wrap up of sorts. A way for me to put into words what I’ve taken away from the weekend before the pages of notes flies out of my brain, lost forever. Some of them are serious reflections on this thing we do. Others are somewhat instructional (if you count telling people what to wear as instructional). And where are these magical, mystical posts of ProBlogger style awesomeness?
They are right here, of course.
ProBlogger Training Event posts I prepared earlier!
Enjoy the post folks and if you’re heading to the event (or happen to be stalking the Royal Pines later next week), I’ll see you there. Can’t wait. I’ve already pretty much, almost packed. Woo.
Ahhh comment wars. You big bad horrible things. Not a day goes by where I don’t cautiously open a comment section only to have my fears realised. Hateful, hurtful and plain old bigoted comments fill the stream. Not on my blog, thank goodness, you people rock. But on places like Facebook, YouTube and Instagram.
For example, once I was clicking around videos on the subject of Feminism on YouTube when I found a video that although tagged with feminism but was about feminism as the enemy of men’s rights. I watched for a while and found some understanding in some of what was being said. Maybe empathy is more of the word. Anyway. I went to the comment field to out myself as a feminist and contribute my two-cents only to find a for lack of a better term, shit fight in there.
And I backed away slowly.
Which is actually to say I clicked out quickly, red ‘x’ come at me.
I don’t know about you, but I see those comment wars, and I click away. Even if I was there to comment in the first place, to share my opinion. It’s not worth the drama. But is it? Are there some reasonable people that we could ‘reach’ by leaving a comment that says, this isn’t ok. Or are we just assuming that our way, is the right way?
Who knows, right?
This is my problem.
I want to stand up for what is, in my opinion, the right way to behave online, the right way to treat people. I want to minimise the drama in my life and find it painful to wade into an argument for the sake of it. I want to have interesting conversations with respectful adults. I want people to be kind to each other. To disagree with respect and for the name calling and mud-slinging to stop.
But how do I action all that if I am unwilling to step into these comment wars type conversations. If we all walk away and leave the banter, the noise of aggressive and consequences-less voices, what happens then? Nothing changes in the end. No one things further than their opinion, and no one sees things from someone else’s point of view. By not participating, am I contributing in my way. Is this one occasion where my voice may be used to make a different?
So what say you? Can a conversation and sensible discussion occur online and do we need to step in to protect it from the trolls and the ugliness? Let me know your thoughts. There’s a perfectly good comment box ready and waiting for you below.
How to balance your blog and your day job is a question I get asked a lot at the moment. I work full-time and blog on two sites while attempting to still be an in real life human sometimes. It’s busy. Like maybe sometimes I could sleep for a week kind of busy. So I’m here to help out.
Most, if not all, bloggers dream of the elusive full-time blogger job title. They want it for themselves and the free time that comes with it to write, develop your blog and just be more available to it. It’s a lovely dream, one I hope you achieve, but what the heck do you do until then? I’ve got your back, let’s get started.
How to balance your blog and your day job.
Will that even work?
Over the years, I’ve found a way to balance the two. It’s been a stumbling, bumbling comedy of errors. I’ve been reprimanded for too much Facebook in work hours. Then on the flip side I’ve had bosses ask if I wanted to blog about a situation at work, implying that a back-link wouldn’t hurt. So with all that experience under my probably high-waisted belt, there’s a few tips I want to share to help you out. Take what will work for you and leave the rest. My hope is that you’ll find your way, and you job AND you blog will
It’s about communicating
Everyone at my current job knows that I blog and will often call out to say they just read something or do I have a post about such and such. It’s something that I have learnt to be really upfront about. I need time to check in on my accounts during the day. I take my lunch and other breaks to do this. I need to be able to attend the occasional event during the week. I communicate all this upfront and find it smooth sailing because of it.
In a previous job, I was asked about my regular posting schedule on social media during work hours. I hadn’t been upfront and the bosses had noticed a full day’s worth of activity on my page and were a little annoyed it was on their time. We had a meeting and I explained the process of scheduling a lot of updates and how checking in for a few minutes here or there is all it takes to keep things ticking over. Everyone was happy. It was a conversation I should have gone to them about in the first place, not the other way around. It was a lesson learned.
It’s about being respectful
If I am working for someone, they have purchased my time. It doesn’t belong to me any more, they own it. So if I have to take time within my work day to handle something for the blogs (much the way you need to handle other personal business), I make up that time. Always. I need to feel that I have done my time one hundred percent to feel good about myself. And let’s face it, a clear conscience is something we all want at the end of the day.
Schedule like your sanity depends on it because it does!
It actually very much does depend on it. To balance your day job with your blog and do well at both, you need to be super organised and ready for all the things. Sigh. I remember being that blogger. Having two blogs put a dent in my productivity for a while but I am clambering back.
Schedule posts in advance. Schedule tweets and social media posts. Schedule your free time and make it laptop and device free. Schedule time to write, to take photos, to create awesome post images for Pinterest… All that. Independent Fashion Bloggers has a great post that will give you all the insider tips on apps and scheduling. Check it out even if you think you know all the things, I always find something new at IFB, and not just as a fashion blogger.
Then you have to do it.
No matter how good your plan is, the structure around it or your intentions if you don’t execute, you’re done for. Continuing to grow a blog (or, cough, blogs) while working full-time will require you to treat your blogs like a second job. A third too if you’re in the fashion blogger game because you need to be a part-time photographer and editor too.
Plan the work, work the plan. That’s going to be your new motto. In fact, I saw some amazing resources for bloggers at ByRegina.com that are aimed at editorial planning not only your blog posts but your entire social media calendar for the month. Let that sink in a minute… Imagine being THAT organised. You can be. Start there. The By Regina “get serious about social media” post is here and you’re going to love it!
And my thing has always been, if you don’t love it, don’t do it.
That’s not to say you will always love it. But the truth is you’re going to need something more than the dreams of blogging grandeur to keep you going. Especially when you arrive home from a crapola day at work late, hanging for a wine but have a week’s worth of emails to answer. Or posts to schedule. Or comments to reply to. The only thing that will get you over to your workspace then in a love of your blog. Full stop.
To read more about my blog journey and all that, journey gag, head over to Amanda’s blog, Kaleidoscope for the full interview. And if you’re a woman who blogs, then you are going to want to hang around there. It’s gorgeous and always has new posts filled with hard-fought blog and design knowledge.
Do you blog while working full-time? What’s your number one tip?
