Thank you to everyone who responded with such positive feedback about my previous post discussing 5 tips for maintaining a successful blog! I was thrilled by the messages from you guys requesting a part 2! I am the first one to admit I’m no expert when it comes to blogging, but I have learned from helpful tips and tricks along the way.

 Tip 1: Create Content Worth Sharing 

I PROMISE if you are *consistently* posting photos that flow well with your overall theme AND engaging with other accounts, you will grow. BUT YOU HAVE TO BE SHARING GREAT CONTENT. I have frequently noticed that the accounts not growing are probably missing one of these critical factors. *I know this is not the case for every single account*  Or they THINK they are producing good content… I believe it always helps to have a second and third opinion. Constructive criticism will only benefit you in the end! Before I post a picture, I ask myself, “Would you follow this account and/or like this photo if it was someone else’s?” If you are unsure, ask a friend. They’re usually willing to tell you the honest truth! (At least mine are! lol)

Tip 2: Be Passionate About Your Blog

I started my blog as a hobby in July 2016 because I wanted to find a way to inspire others through my sense of fashion! I loved styling outfits, and the idea of blogging about them seemed SO cool after following my favorite accounts for years. I realized pretty quickly that if I wasn’t 100% dedicated and passionate about my blog, it would never be successful. You have to love your blog more than the late nights when you just want to go to sleep but there are deadlines to meet and more than the exhausting photoshoots where it took 30 minutes to get 1 decent picture and you still have 4 more outfits to shoot. Your love and passion for blogging must outweigh the negative aspects! Being a fashion blogger is probably the most challenging thing I have ever done, BUT it’s also the most rewarding! At the end of the day, I still absolutely LOVE it and wouldn’t want to do anything else!

Tip 3: Be Willing To Work Hard

This point correlates really well with the one above! Like I said in the previous post, your website is the ultimate labor of love! It is also the ONLY platform you have total control over, so put in twice as much time as you put into your social media accounts. (You own your blog, not Instagram!) Remember there are a million other people doing the same thing as you. Hard work and dedication are the only things that will set you apart from the others! You have to be willing to go the extra mile!

Tip 4: Be Relatable And Approachable 

I think another crucial factor is engaging with your followers and fellow influencers! Always make time to thank someone who commented on your blog post or Instagram photo because they didn’t have to. Same goes for other influencers too!  Return the favor and comment on their photo or blog. (Sure, you can’t comment back to every single person, but make a point to try) It’s beneficial to both parties because it helps build your engagement rate and credibility in the blogger community! As far as being relatable goes, I simply mean be transparent with your followers so you can build a trusting relationship. If your readers think they can’t trust you, they probably aren’t going to continue to follow you and support your blog. (Ex: You should decline a sponsored deal with a brand if you would not normally support/don’t like!)

Tip 5: Utilize Social Media 

Although you should never put all your eggs in one basket, I truly believe Instagram is the top social media platform for bloggers regardless of the negativity surrounding the new algorithm! (Unless you have mastered Pinterest lol) I am exhausted by the constant complaints I see from people about Instagram. Don’t get me wrong, I do think that it is much harder for influencers to grow than ever before, BUT you must strategize how to overcome this obstacle. (Or delete Instagram… YEAH RIGHT… haha) Which is where Tip #1 becomes very helpful! Sidenote: You truly need to have a presence on every social media platform though, even if you only have a few followers! You never know where your audience is coming from! (Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, etc)

I hope this information is understandable and useful to you guys! (I know I tend to ramble and get off topic lol) All these opinions are my own, and I just wanted to share things that have continually helped me grow my blog. If I left something out that you’d like to know, feel free to comment below or message me!

XOXO

Kels