Editor’s Notes
Kate McKibbin
Carly Jacobs
The two questions I get asked the most are; “Is it still possible to start and make a blog successful these days (and if so how the heck do you do it!?)”, and “What would you do differently if you started a blog today?”
So this issue is all about that dreaded topic - can you really start a popular blog these days? Like from scratch? My official answer is yes but it comes with a few caveats.
And those two questions actually answer each other (aren’t they clever?). Because yes, you totally can start a really successful blog here in 2017. Hell, if you do it right you can even grow it much faster than if you started it way back in 2007 (which is when I first started blogging). But yes, you have to do a few things very differently. Now most people reading this don’t know that Secret Bloggers’ Business IS my second blog, and when I started it (just over 2 years ago) I did ask myself those exact questions, and I did do a lot of things very differently. Which was awesome because it meant that I was able to grow this second blog so much faster, and for it to be so much more profitable than my first one too (my second blog out earned my first in its first 12 months!). And what are those magical different things? Well that is exactly what this issue is all about (you’ll just have to keep reading and see!)
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✔ You need to be super niche. ✔ You need to work really, really hard. ✔ You need to offer something no one else is
offering. I also think one of the most important things you can do is be bothered. Be bothered doing that extra bit of research to back up that blog post. Be bothered properly setting up your lighting and camera to take shit hot photos for Instagram. Be bothered spending most of your weekend learning how to create an automated email sequence. Blogging has never been easy and that’s truer than ever but you can still get there - you just have to be so good they can’t ignore you. Pardon the bright eyed and dreamy pep talk - I’m two thirds of the way three alcohol free months and I’m feeling super energetic and positive. Damn it. I really like wine. See you next issue!
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contents
19 FULL SUITCASE
3 GET YOUR SHIT TOGETHER
Think you can’t start a popular travel blog in 2017? Jurga tells you how.
A few things to think about this March/April…
4 BLOG SNIPPET How to start a blog in 2017 by Kate McKibbin.
WE LOVE
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Camera accessories. To get your photography on top notch level for 2017
YOU TOTALLY GOT THIS… is the name of one my favourite newbie blogs and Rani tells you how she got to the top of my list.
33 OH ME OH MY!
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We do love Charlie Burrowes and her gorgeous Photography/ artist/cool girl brand
27 REAPING WHAT YOU SOW
14 WAH! I DON’T HAVE AN INSTAGRAM BOYFRIEND.
Lauren from Harvest and Honey tells us how she stands out from the crowd in the crazy food blogging niche.
Calm down petal, you don’t need one. Here are 5 ways to take photos of yourself.
32 WHAT THE HELL IS OOMFCHAT?
16 GREEN EYED MONSTER
5 social media platforms you didn’t know existed.
I tell you all the things I wish I had when I started blogging ten years ago.
36 PUT A RING ON IT
24 VOXPOP What is a struggle that’s unique to bloggers in 2017? We hit Facebook to find out.
How to get better engagement on your blog. (geddit?)
38 HOW TO START A BLOG This article sounds handy doesn’t it? 2
WHAT’S HAPPENING? MARCH 1 ASH WEDNESDAY
march + april
MARCH 6 LABOUR DAY MARCH 13
APRIL 14 GOOD FRIDAY APRIL 15 HOLY SATURDAY
CANBERRA DAY ADELAIDE CUP DAY TASMANIA 8 HOUR DAY VICTORIA LABOUR DAY MARCH 17 ST PATRICK'S DAY MARCH 21 HARMONY DAY
NORTHERN HEMISPHERE SPRING 💐 SOUTHERN HEMISPHERE AUTUMN 🍂
APRIL 16 EASTER SUNDAY APRIL 17 EASTER MONDAY APRIL 25 ANZAC DAY
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