Finding your blog's niche: Do you have to?

I honestly think lifestyle bloggers have it so tough (cue world's tiniest violin). We are the bloggers who don't necessarily have a "niche" and don't really fit into one category, so we're all kind of just grouped together. But lifestyle bloggers could not be any more different! Every single lifestyle blog I've encountered is unique and has something special to offer the world, but sometimes it's not really obvious at first glance. That's why if you want to become a "successful" blogger, people advise you to really find your niche and get as specific as possible.

BUT DO I HAVE TO?! I don't want to limit myself! I don't want to put boundaries on my creativity. I started my blog as a way to express myself and I have a million different thoughts and ideas running through my mind every day. There's no way I could stick to one specific thing and not get sick of it.

Then there are those times where I doubt myself and my blog and wonder if maybe I do need to get more specific if I want to take my blog to the next level. I guess it really just depends on each individual and their blog. Your blog, your choice. I'm just here to say- don't feel like you need to have a "niche" in order to be a successful blogger. Anything is possible, and you, my dear, could very well be the exception to this silly "rule."

HOWEVER, before you brush that off your shoulders and go posting whatever pops into that fabulous brain of yours, there are some things you definitely should do as a lifestyle blogger. These will in no way hinder your creativity or spontaneity, but simply act as a way to create some kind of unification on your blog.

• Have a series (or several): This is probably THE most important thing you can do as a lifestyle blogger. Having a series, or several, that will keep readers coming back for more is super helpful if you want to build a following. You may not even have to go ahead and create a new series. Take a look at the posts you already have and see if you can group them together into one particular topic. If you want to spice things up on your blog, brainstorm a new series or two you can start that you think people would really be interested in. There's no need to continuously update your series, but as long as you have posts coming in often you should be good.
• Make list posts often: One of the great things about being a lifestyle blogger is that you can literally post about anything. So when it comes time to writing your list posts, the Internet is your oyster. The reason you should write some posts as lists instead of just writing a normal post is that people are much more attracted to lists. Even better, include a number in your title. Examples: seven ways to blah blah blah, five of my favorite yadadada. People will want to know what you're talking about!
• Always end your post with a question: Obviously this can be done by any blogger, and probably should, but as a lifestyle blogger it's so much more fun. Since your topics are so broad and unique, you get to be creative with the questions you ask your readers. This is an excellent way of engaging your audience and actually opening up some interesting discussion. Your comments won't always be "I love your shirt!" or "This looks delicious!" (Not that there's anything wrong with those sorts of comments!)
• Don't just write about your life: Of course you'll want to post about your life and that sort of thing (and sometimes that's all you can really muster during those dreaded writer block moments) but don't JUST write about your life. If you do that, chances are your blog will resemble more of a diary and that's not everyone's cup of tea. Find ways to write about things that your readers can relate to or topics you know they'll find interesting/useful/etc. You absolutely can write about your life- but make sure you're doing it in a way that is more blog-friendly (make sense? I hope so!)
• Know your target audience: Okay, this tip is borderline scary because it's so close to me saying "find a niche!!!" but I swear I'm not. However, just because your blog doesn't have a niche doesn't mean you won't have a specific audience that reads your blog. For example, I know that people who read my blog are typically twenty-something women. Not super specific, but still. You don't necessarily have to tailor your posts to your target audience, but knowing who is reading your blog and what their general interests are will definitely help you out.

As a lifestyle blogger, do you have a particular niche?

Do you think it's essential for a blog to have a niche in order to be "successful"?

5 Unusual Tips For Bloggers

So I'm deeming these tips unusual not because they're totally weird and you'll read them and end up being like "what is this girl on right now", but simply because they are tips that I haven't seen out there. They're also "unusual" because they aren't tips that many bloggers think to do—not because you're not on top of your blogger game or anything, just because they aren't the most obvious of tips. You may end up thinking these tips are totally normal and pointless, but read them to find out for yourself!

Photo Cred: Rob Faulkner

1. Always take pictures. Literally of everything. Any time you go out and see something interesting or amusing to you, even if you're just running an errand. Go ahead and take a bunch of shots of the scenery around you. Snap some photos of your outfits on days you're really digging it to be saved for a rainy day. Just snap, snap, snap. You may not even end up using 99% of these pictures, but as a blogger you ALWAYS need to have pictures ready and available to use for every single one of your posts. This way when you're writing a random post you will most likely have some kind of relevant picture to put in. 
2. Boring posts don't have to be boring. There are days when you write a post and it can be about the most boring topic ever or just some random "daily life" kind of post. I will be frank with you—no one wants to read about that. Well, maybe your stalkers do. The majority of people, however, will not want to read something boring about how your day went or blah blah blah. That doesn't mean you can't write about it, though! Be creative. Get funny with your writing. Throw in some of your personality. Hell, throw in all of your personality. Break out of your shell. Make your writing something that people will actually want to read, regardless of how mundane the topic may be.
3. Keep a "swipe list" on your phone. A swipe list, or file, is basically where you jot down every single blog post idea that ever pops into your head. You just keep on filling that baby up, non-stop, 24/7. This way when you don't really have any ideas or are looking for something to write about you can head on over to your swipe list and just "swipe" one of the ideas out. I have "swipe lists" pretty much everywhere, but I do have two main ones. One I have on my computer and the other is on my phone. The one on my phone is super important because I pretty much always have my phone with me which means anytime I get an idea, I try to make sure to add it to my list. 
4. Don't post every day. You might have actually heard the opposite or something along those lines, but hear me out before you think I'm nuts. When you first start blogging, or maybe just during a period that you have a lot of creativity oozing out of your brain, you might start to go blog-crazy and post every day or almost every day. While that's great and all and will certainly help you gain followers and page views, you may want to take it down a notch. Why? Well, several reasons. First, you'll get burnt out. I know from experience. I blogged like crazy in May and then the next couple of months I just sizzled out. I hated how that looked on my archives list. I wanted to be a consistent blogger and I had totally blown it. Oh well, live and learn right? Secondly, you may have all this awesome content you want to put out and share with the world and you're so excited to get it out there—but hold your horses! Go ahead and write these posts and have them all set to go, but schedule them to be spaced out a bit. Or keep them as drafts. You'll be grateful at one point that you did this when you have massive writer's block (which happens to all bloggers, beware). 
5. Use lists, bold font, italics, sub-headers, etc. in every post. Don't just write a post like you would your own private journal entry. People these days have the attention span of a gold fish and they also seem to think there is not enough time in the day (which may or may not be true...) so they scroll through blog posts like a cheetah. If all they see is blocks of text—peace out. You want to have parts of your post stand out. You don't have to have some kind of list in every post, but definitely try to bold important words or italicize. Sub-headers are also great ways of creating breaks in your text. You can even use pictures. Whatever it is, just make sure that your post is fool-proof for those people who like to just scroll on through. 

Do you have any of your own "unusual" tips to share?

Social media tips for bloggers you may not have tried yet

I've been racking my brain trying to figure out what else I can do to increase my following and get more people checking out my blog, but everywhere I look it's basically the same set of advice. I'm already doing the majority of all that and of course we all know it takes time to develop a loyal and steady following, but I felt like there had to be MORE! If you're a blogger, especially a newbie one like myself (am I still considered a newb?), then you know how difficult blogging can actually be. There's much more than just "writing" and even that is a harrowing task itself. So I set to brainstorming, usually in the middle of the night when I can't sleep, and came up with this list. Some of these may be obvious and you're already doing them, but if you're like me these things didn't even occur to you! I'm hoping this list will help some fellow bloggers out.

• Share your Instagram photos on your Twitter account - I've been having a hard time getting more Instagram followers, which sucks because it's my favorite social media platform. It's not my go-to method for advertising my blog, but it'd still be nice to increase my following. I have a lot more followers on Twitter and the other day I realized "why don't I ever share my Instagram photos on Twitter?!" It's a good way to connect social media accounts (which is always a must for your social media plan) and people will be intrigued to see what the picture you posted is, so they'll get directed to your Instagram. The trick here is to write a good caption to go along with your photo!

• Use hashtags for your pins - I usually only think of using hashtags for Twitter (and sometimes Insta) but with Pinterest's new search method hashtags can really come in handy when trying to get your pins out there! Also, if someone pins your image and leaves your description (which usually tends to happen) the hashtags remain as well so you get even more exposure! As usual when it comes to using hashtags, though, do not go overboard because it's not aesthetically pleasing and people are more likely to avoid your pin like the plague. 

• Interact on everything - You always hear tips from other bloggers that you should leave comments on other blogs and always respond to the comments you get in order to build a solid and loyal fan-base, but there's more to it. You should be interacting with other bloggers as much as possible and there are easy ways to do this (that probably take even less time than leaving comments!) Liking someone's Instagram photo or leaving a comment, favoriting a tweet or replying to one, liking someone's Facebook link, etc. These are things you can easily do while scrolling through your various social media feeds. In the past I'd scroll through and in my mind I'd be like "oh that's a nice picture" or "yeah I totally agree with that tweet!" but I'd keep on scrolling. I think by interacting more on these social media platforms, you're letting other bloggers know you exist!

• Add links to your social media profiles at the end of every blog post (as a signature) - I'll admit this little project is still underway for me, but I definitely plan on creating a signature for all my blog posts in the near future and including links to my social media profiles. Most bloggers already have their links up on their sidebar, but to get even more exposure I absolutely recommend having a signature that includes these links along with every one of your blog posts. Someone may come across one of your posts and really like it, but they won't think of looking at your sidebar to follow you (I feel like this is more of a blogger thing to do) but if they see it literally right there once they are done reading your post, I guarantee they're more likely to follow you. It doesn't even need to be super fancy (in fact, I recommend keeping it as simple as possible). 

• Don't disappear - I am a wee bit guilty of this one. While of course quality reigns over quantity, sometimes you hit a lag and aren't really posting on your blog or social media accounts. This is when it's crucial that you still give your followers something. Use programs like Buffer or Hootsuite to plan your tweets and Facebook posts ahead of time! Things you should be sharing: old blog posts, links to sites you find interesting, pictures that are sure to get some form of interaction, etc. Don't let your followers forget about you.

Do you have any other "uncommon" social media tips to share?

Blogging Tools: Free Check List!

One of my tips for building your blog is going "social media crazy." This requires that you share each post you publish on as many social media platforms as possible. Sometimes it's hard work! It's especially hard to keep track of what accounts you have shared your post on. That's why I came up with this really simple "Social Media Check List" that helps you get a bit more organized and on track with your blog sharing. Of course, you don't have to share on every single one of these. I recommend that you share your post on a minimum of three social media accounts. You'll find that depending on what the topic is, some platforms are better than others. Using keywords will also be tremendous help, because this leads people who are interested in your topic to your blog.

Click here to view the check list and download it!

For ultimate use, print out just one copy and have it laminated somewhere like Staples. That way you can keep using the same one over and over again, just use dry erase marker!

Happy Blogging!

So you wanna be a blogger? Top Five tips for newbie bloggers!

Okay, so maybe I'm still considered a "newbie" blogger, but I've been around long enough to know that certain things are essential if you want your blog to succeed (and grow!) Within my 3 months of starting this blog, I have learned so much. These are my top 5 tips for anyone who is new to blogging, considering starting their own blog, or have been around for awhile but want to see their blog grow.

1. Join blogger networks. This is a big one. The biggest, in fact. Joining a blogger network opens so many doors. You have a community of fellow bloggers right at your fingertips. You get advice from them, you get to make blog friends, you get the support you need. Many networks also offer opportunities for their members—such as paid sponsorships or free stuff! It also provides you with the motivation you need to keep up your blog. There are so many perks that come with joining a network. You just have to find the right one for you. I'm a part of a few (Her Campus Blogger Network, 20 Something Bloggers, Northeast Bloggers Network) and my HCBN girls especially have been a tremendous stepping stone in my blogging journey. If you're not ready to join a network, there are also tons of Facebook groups for bloggers that offer that similar sense of community and advice.
2. Social media like crazy. What do I mean by this? Go crazy with all of your social media accounts. If you don't already have them, create them. All of them. I'm talking Instagram, Twitter, a Facebook page for your blog, Pinterest, Bloglovin, StumbleUpon, etc. Share a link to your newest post every single time. This is how to start getting an audience and also how to keep people up to date with your new posts. We live in the age of social media. It is the perfect way to reach out to people and get their attention. Find a way to use every single one of these platforms to your advantage. Of course, don't go overboard or else people will be turned off by your spazziness!
3. Create engaging content. People say "quality over quantity" for a reason. While yes, you want to make sure that you're posting regularly so you don't lose the fans you do get, you also want to make sure that you're writing quality content. Take time and put effort into your posts because people notice that. The most successful bloggers out there are the ones who aren't writing "soooo today I did this and that... and blah blah blah." Sure, sometimes we do that and people actually enjoy creeping into the daily life of a stranger, but don't make that what your blog is all about. Try to stick to a theme for your blog, too. That way you are essentially creating a brand for yourself. You want your blog to have a main focus, even if you stray away from it every once in awhile.
4. Keep a schedule. Get organized. Blogging is hard. People think it's a piece of cake, but believe me, it's not. There's a lot that readers don't see behind the scenes. A lot of planning goes into each post (for the most part.) Most bloggers have other things going on in their life, so they have to be organized and not lose track. Keeping a schedule is a great way to make sure that you're posting regularly and you know what you will be writing about in the future. It also helps to keep ideas jotted down somewhere as they come to you, so you always have something to write about. 
5. Include pictures in your posts. People like to be visually stimulated. Would you be more willing to read a post that has "picture breaks" in between paragraphs or one that just runs on and on? Adding pictures to your posts (that are related to your content) will make people more willing to actually read it all the way through. We live in a society that is constantly on the go, go, go, so you need to make sure that people will be captivated by your posts—and including pictures is one way to do that. It also gives your blog a more "professional" feel to it if you're including nice pictures. If you are seriously into blogging, consider purchasing a DSLR camera (you know, the fancy ones.) 

BONUS TIP! 

Once your blog is established and has more than just a few posts (and a decent amount of followers) try participating in giveaways and link ups in order to get your blog more exposed and grow your fan base. This is another reason joining a blogger network can really help you out!

I hope these tips help any fellow bloggers out there. Remember: Rome wasn't built in a day. It takes time and dedication to create the blog you truly want. Regardless of the hard work that comes with blogging, it should also be something you do for fun, because you have a passion for it, because you enjoy it. If it ever becomes a chore or begins stressing you out—just take a step back for awhile. 

Are there any tips you have for fellow bloggers?