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!)
x x . . e t a k
✔ 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!
x x . . y l r ca
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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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HOW TO START A BLOG IN 2017
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Kate McKibbin
What I would do differently if I started blogging now…
I've been blogging for over 9 years now... that's the longest I have ever stuck at anything (ever). And over those nine years things in blogging have changed a LOT... and how I blog has changed probably even more. I've gotten some things very right, and a tonne more VERY wrong. To be honest I think I've probably wasted at least 50% of that time doing the wrong stuff, and obsessing over
things that just don't matter at all. So while I am really happy with where my blog is at... if I was to start all over again I would definitely do a few (OK many) things totally differently. How to start a blog tip #1 - I would go WAY more niche Seriously, aiming at women 18-45 who like fashion just means you are creating a blog that a lot of people will go "oh, that's nice", and hardly anyone will go "Oh my god... it's like you read my mind... I am going to read you every day and tell all my friends". 4
How to start a blog tip #2 - I would have moved away from advertising sooner. Yes, by focusing on ad sales (and actually pro actively doing them.. a lot!) I was able to leave my job and blog fulltime really quickly (in less than a year). But guess what, this meant my new job was being an ad sales person, and there's no way I gave up my awesome creative dream job to be a damn sales person (no offense, but not my bag at all!) Plus ad sales is hard earned money, and it's about as reliable as Lindsay Lohan on a good day. So I definitely would have made the move to other monetisation options much, much sooner (if I had known... plus as I would have been more niche this would have been much easier too).
How to start a blog tip #3 - I would put more ME in it As my background was in women's magazines, I kind of went with that whole model. You got a little bit of the editor, but the content was not personalised at all. Again I was trying to appeal to everyone... which just doesn't work. People connect with people, not shoe galleries. And they also connect with imperfect people much more than seemingly flawless ones. Thank god! So anyway, moral of this story is... you can start a blog, and get most of it wrong... but as long as you keep at it, you can still make it a massive success (or better yet, you can learn from those of us who have already made the mistakes... and then get to where you want to go much, much quicker!)
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The Pocket Spotlight from Photojojo $30.00, photojojo.com
These are seriously on my wish list. If you’re not keen on dragging around a whole extra camera for instant photos you can get little printers so you can just print your phone photos. Rad. ▶ MINI SELFIE SCOPE from Cotton On $14.99, cottonon.com
Kate is a phone light junkie, for real and she always looks fresh AF on her Facebook lives and in her selfies. Listen to the master. Get a mini light for selfies. It’s like auto airbrushing. ▲
Selfie sticks don’t have to be fugly - how cute is this little turquoise guy? Adorbs. ▲
Leather Camera Bag - Dslr Handmade from MagusLeather, $225.85, etsy.com ▲
If you’re sick of your camera equipment getting all tangled at the bottom of your handbag I have a solution. Get a seperate bag. I’m not just a pretty face right?
Instax Share SP-2 Smartphone Instant Printer from Fujifilm
▲
Why not go old school and get into instant photos? Instax have released this super cute retro look polaroid camera. Want.
$199,00 urbanoutfitters.com
Instax Mini 90 Neo Classic Camera from Fujifilm $200,00 urbanoutfitters.com
e v o l e w CAMERA ACCESSORIES Let’s face it. You kind of have to be a little bit awesome at photography to get anywhere in the blogging world but who cares? With these accessories you’ll WANT to become a hardcore shutterbug. Video Stabilizer from Smoovie $29,00 photojojo.com
BLUE TOOTH REMOTE from Cotton On $9.99, cottonon.com
Foldable Studio from Foldio $75,00 photojojo.com
Who says your camera strap has to be black? Check Modstraps for some gorgeous alternatives to boring black nylon. ▼
▲ Want to up your flat-lay game? This is the perfect beginner entry point.
If shaky stumbley videos make you queasy, you need this little stabiliser. How boss will your videos look using this? ▲
Black & Teal Inkdrop Classic Camera Strap from Mod $35,95 modstraps.com
#blog2profit FREE BLOGGING WORKSHOP
5 simple steps to a profitable & kick-ass blog!
HURRY! closing soon
JOIN TODAY AND GET OUR #BLOGYEAH PLANNER (WORTH $29)
FREE! www.secretbloggersbusiness.com
This is the stuff that works... That I have used to grow two very successful blogs ... and that I know it will work for your blog too!
Making life s o mu ch eas ier . . . RANI Rani has been blogging for just under 2 years in the healthy food space which is easily one of the most saturated markets on the internet. What is Rani’s point of difference? She focuses on easy, mid-week meals. That’s it. Genius. Sometimes simplicity is the answer as Rani has well and truly proven in her first years of blogging.
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You’ve been blogging for a relatively short amount of time- can you tell us why you decided to start blogging and what made you choose to start a food blog? I wanted to write. It was something that I had always loved doing, but stopped when I started my first full time job as a tax lawyer. At first I decided I wanted to write a novel, but when I realised I was never going to be able to do that holding down a day job with a serious reality TV addiction, I opted for a blog. At first I wrote about anything and everything from diet pills to the health benefits of activated charcoal (yep it’s really a thing), but the posts my readers loved most were recipes, so food became my focus.
What three advantages do you think you have over bloggers who started their blogs ten years ago? Bloggers starting out now are really lucky. There is such a huge community of experienced bloggers who generously share their knowledge and experience with us newbies. This has helped me avoid mistakes and spend my time focussing on the things that work. Social media has also been a huge game changer in the last ten years. It means you can reach thousands of potential readers everyday, without having to rely on search engines or word of mouth recommendations, it’s completely awesome. Plus, blogging is so much simpler these days. We have access to amazing tech tools that mean you can build and manage a website without knowing any
code. Chances are if I started my blog 10 years ago my brain would have exploded, and I would still be rocking in a corner somewhere.
What one advantage do you wish you had that older bloggers have? Starting my blog when there weren’t, a gazillion other super amazing blogs vying for the same traffic and audience.
How do you decide what to publish on your blog/social media platforms? Do you pre-plan or just write whatever pops into your head? I love the idea of being an organisational ninja with a fabulous content calendar, but invariably my yearly planner is still sitting on my desk unopened on 31st December. I do keep a list of random blog post and recipe ideas on my phone, but mainly when I sit down to write I just wing it.
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Finding a specific focus changed everything. It became so much easier to create unique content, engage with my readers and start building an awesome community.9
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Don’t let the fear of making mistakes, or being embarrassed hold you back from doing something that you will truly love.
I am a bit more organised with social media. I have recently started using CoSchedule (which I love) to promote my blog posts, and share stuff to Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest. But I never schedule Instagram. I have developed such a close connection with my followers, that I want to share my day with them as it happens.
What’s been the most effective methods you've used to grow your audience for a new blog? I am so fortunate to be an ambassador for the I Quit Sugar 8 Week program (yep, I quit sugar, but I’m still fun…promise!). I had the opportunity to take over the I Quit Sugar Instagram account with some of the other ambassadors, and recently had a recipe featured on the I Quit Sugar website and social media channels. These features drove a tonne of traffic to my website and have helped me grow my subscribers and social media followers.
The other thing which has really helped is getting to know other food bloggers. I didn’t really set out to do this (cos shy) but over time I have developed some wonderful relationships with bloggers and influencers by engaging with them on Instagram. This has lead to opportunities like guest posts, and recipe features, but also access to resources for food bloggers I never knew existed like, private Facebook Groups, conferences, and recipe sharing websites.
What big changes do you see in the blogging world for 2017? What should we be keeping our eyes on? I think the way blogging success is measured will continue to evolve. The focus seems to be shifting from the number of page views and unique visitors, to the strength of your community and engagement rates – yay for that! 10
I also think we’ll see people putting more of themselves into their blogs. With things like, Instagram Stories, Snapchat and Facebook Live, it’s becoming easier to connect with readers on a more personal level. I think they are going to be huge this year.
You blog in a rather saturated area food blogging - how do you stand out amongst the crowd and gain new followers in a busy market? Once I decided that food was my thing, I started to think about how I could use my own experiences to help my readers. From there deciding on my focus was easy, because the one thing people constantly asked was how I managed to hold down a busy job and still get a healthy meal on the table. So with that, I decided to focus on recipes and tips for preparing quick and healthy weeknight meals. Finding a specific focus changed everything. It became so much easier to create unique content, engage with my readers and start building an awesome community. Plus, writing about something that is real and important to you feels wonderful. I haven’t looked back.
What are the top three apps you use on your phone every day? Instagram, may cause a divorce, and/or long term injury in the form of repetitive Instagram finger. Facebook, I’m officially obsessed with cute dog videos and my local buy, swap and sell page.
WhatsApp, it’s genius! I can talk to my BFF and watch Keeping Up With the Kardashians at the same time.
If you could go back and start your blog again what would you do differently? I would have been more focussed from the beginning, and chosen a different theme. I love the look of my website, but it’s quite difficult to customise. Take the advice I didn’t listen to, and pick something with a page builder. 11
If you could give one piece of advice to someone starting a blog in 2017 what would you say? Don’t wait! Just do it. I spent a long time thinking about it, then a long time talking about it, and then a long time trying to make my website look perfect before launching it. Don’t let the fear of making mistakes, or being embarrassed hold you back from doing something that you will truly love.
QUICKIES My favourite band ever is…. Guns N Roses, yep I’m part food blogger, part bogan. If I could only eat one food for the rest of my life I’d choose… Are carbs a food? No. Okay pasta then…definitely pasta. If I had just $5 left in the world I’d spend it on… Food for my doggie cos fur baby. If I could have dinner with one celebrity it would be…. Michelle Obama. She’s smart, she’s sassy, and she can car pool karoke like a boss. Plus, I want to know the secret to those biceps…how good are they? You would never catch me wearing… Colour. 99% of my wardrobe is black, I take my Melbourne uniform very seriously. ❖
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Don’t wait to start a blog! Just do it. 12
o t g n i o g m I’ g n i h t y r e v e make a r ou nd me beautiful that will be
my life. ELSIE DE WOLF
secretbloggersbusiness.com 13
5 OF THE BEST WAYS TO TAKE A
picture of yourself
Carly Jacobs Blog photography has come a long way over the years but no matter how hardcore the advancements in technology are, there’s never going to be a camera that comes with an Instagram Boyfriend that will precariously balance on a cliff top snapping your photo while you wistfully gaze out at the crashing ocean. Or sit opposite you in a diner as you laugh with gleeful abandon and pretend to eat a donut you’d never actually eat. As disappointing as this is, there are ways around it. Here are our top 5 ways to take a picture of yourself. Use your self timer iPhones have a self timer right at the top of the screen - the little icon that looks like a timer. You can buy inexpensive
little iPhone tripods that fit in your handbag so you can take photos of yourself anywhere - just set it up, set the timer and quickly run back to your marked spot. If you have a smart watch, it can act as a camera remote so you don’t have to run from the phone once you’ve set the timer to get into place. Your first few photos may not look amazing but with practice, they’ll start looking great. I know a fashion blogger who takes her photos on self timer with her phone balanced on a box and her photos look fab. Tip: If you pick a particular spot to take an outfit photo every day you should be able to figure out how far away you need to stand from your camera and what angle to set it at with a little bit of practice. Once you have your formula down, you’re good to go. 14
Get a selfie stick
brought the mirror selfie back.
This is not a joke suggestion. You can take some seriously great photos with selfie sticks - you can even take photos that look like someone else took them. Poor selfie sticks have copped a bit of flack but they’re dead useful and totally portable too. They’re also great for travelling alone if you want to get in the picture but you’re not too keen on leaving your camera out in the open on it’s own for a cheeky person to run past and nab it.
Use a stretchy stocking to tie your phone to a pole
Take a mirror selfie Why not? They were HUGE in the 00s and some fashion bloggers made massive names for themselves posting nothing but mirror selfies. With good light and some practice you could really carve out a niche for yourself in the mirror selfie genre. Get a gorgeous mirror and make sure the background is clean and gorgeous and you have some good lighting - then the world is your mirror selfie oyster. Give it a go and report back to me in six months when you’ve been declared the blogger who
I saw a girl do this in San Francisco and I thought it was the cleverest thing I’d seen since Oreo flavoured Cadbury Creme Eggs. You simply grab a stocking and tie your phone to a pole at the correct height (you might have to adjust it a few times but it just slides up and down the pole anyway so it’s super easy), making sure you don’t cover the camera and bam. Simple and easy street photography. Also, stockings weigh HEAPS less than tripods - the perfect little travel companion. Lean it up against your coffee cup a table
on
I use this style often for Instagram stories. I used the hands free option, prop my phone against my mug and have a little chat to my followers. It’s super easy, I don’t have to over think it by carry around a tripod and I can do it anywhere. No excuses! ❖
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9 THINGS BLOGGERS HAVE NOW THAT I WISH I HAD IN 2007 Carly Jacobs If you’ve been reading #sbbmag for a while you’ll know Kate and I have both been blogging for a very long time - ten years each and counting. I’ve even been blogging on the same blog for ten years. I’m a mono-blogger. My ten year blog birthday (which is in September 2017) has come around very quickly and I’ve been distracted by blogging that whole time. I look around the blogging landscape now and I can’t even recognise it. Mostly I’m jealous of all these wonderful tools new bloggers have at their disposal. Here’s my main hit list.
1. Facebook I definitely had Facebook in 2007 but no one really used it for blog promotion. In fact, I kind of tried to keep my blog a secret because it was really weird back then. I would never have shared a blog post on my Facebook wall. It was kind of like a chat room back then and it would have been awkward as hell to have been like ‘Hey guys - did you see what I wore to work today? Lol.’ Growth would
have been much easier had Facebook pages existed back then and if it had of been more appropriate to share blog posts on regular old Facebook. 2. Supportive blogging mates It wasn’t until about 2010 that I started hanging out with bloggers in real life. Back in 2007 we all kind of kept to ourselves like hairy, grubby cave creatures and we all kind of assumed everyone else was weird. Then companies started holding blogger events and we were forced to speak to each other and it was magical. I’m still very close friends with the first few bloggers I met this way (Kate included!) and it’s totally changed my life. Meeting up with bloggers in real life isn’t even a thing these days - I see you young whippersnappers doing it all the time! 3. Instagram Can’t even. Would have been SO USEFUL. I don’t even want to talk about it.
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4. Any inkling at all that building an email list would be a good idea
mind numbingly dull. I really wish I had The Boss Squad back then.
People were definitely saying it but no one was really explaining why it was a good idea or providing tools or resources for this to work for lifestyle, fashion or health blogs. There are so many female targeted products and education now that I would have killed for ten years ago. The first email marketing training I went to was run by a guy who did email marketing for his twenty-plus printer review websites. Yawn. Everything he was saying was great but it was so boring it went in one ear and out the other. I would have loved a fun, lifestyle focussed conference or course back in the day.
7. Smart phones
5. Fast photo upload times I used to start the upload of my daily outfit photo before dinner so it would be done by the time I finished eating. And I had to PLUG MY CAMERA INTO MY COMPUTER. Every single time. So if I lost my cord, I was totally screwed. Bless the Cloud. I would have fallen in love with and married the cloud back in 2007. 6. Blogger education Problogger was around back then (thankfully!) but very few others were. There has been a big influx of blogger education programs in the last few years and I’m so jealous I didn’t have those tailored programs back in the day. There are courses for food bloggers, fashion bloggers, health bloggers - back in 2007 we all sat in the same room and got taught very dry information, exclusively from men about how to build blogs around boring topics and make a basic wage doing something
In 2007 I worked in an office but I couldn’t log on to my blog unless it was my lunch break because my boss would look at my computer log. I literally looked at my blog twice a day. Once at lunch time to upload my daily outfit shot and then once when I got home to answer comments. Being able to fix a blog typo on my phone would have been super useful and even just being able to communicate quickly through an audience on a social media platform. Everything was slow and desktop based in 2007. Wordpress had an app but it sucked. Everything is much faster and easier now. 8. Analytics tools We had basic google analytics but now I can literally see people clicking on my website, leaving, buying things, revisiting and sharing. If I had these tools ten years ago I would have known my most popular posts were my life hack posts and I could have changed my niche earlier. 9. The ability to find virtual assistants Actually this one is a little unfair. There were little to no social networks in 2007 and blogging was literally a matter of putting up a blog post and commenting on a few other bloggers websites. I would really have struggled to find something for a VA to do back then. But I’m super grateful for mine now - I wouldn’t be able to keep up without her. ❖
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be yourself n a c u o and y be anything secretbloggersbusiness.com 18
Advice from a
successful blogger ‌on her 1st blog birthday!
Jurga has been blogging for just one year and has already racked up 27,000 unique monthly visitors to her blog Full Suitcase. With a combined focus of useful education and killer photography, Jurga is well on her way to becoming one of the biggest family travel bloggers in the business. 19
You’ve been blogging for a relatively short amount of time- can you tell us why you decided to start blogging and what made you choose to start a travel blog? We travel a lot and I always research every destination in advance making sure that our trip itinerary is perfect for our family (we travel with three young boys). I sometimes spend days looking for information in regards to a specific destination: how long is the hike, can you do it with kids, etc. There is so much travel-related information out there, but there is surprisingly little info for families traveling to destinations that are not immediately on top of every family’s list. There are hundreds of blog posts telling you how to spend a perfect weekend in Disneyland, but it’s practically impossible to find any useful information about traveling with kids to Namibia or hiking in Australia’s Red Centre… That’s how an idea of a family travel blog was born. I wanted to share our travel experiences, practical tips, and help other people get the most out of their trips. What three advantages do you think you have over bloggers who started their blogs ten years ago? It’s surprisingly easy to start a blog these days. There is so much information available. Just google how to start a blog and you can be blogging a couple of hours later. Also, I had no IT knowledge
whatsoever when I started, yet I was able to build my site from scratch using a premium theme. It wasn’t easy and the learning curve was very steep, but I am sure this would have been much more difficult, if not impossible, ten years ago. What one advantage do you wish you had that older bloggers have? Long time bloggers have one main advantage - there were very few of them years ago, so it was much easier to get noticed and to grow fast. Competition is fierce now and only the best and the most persistent thrive. How do you decide what to publish on your blog/social media platforms? Do you pre-plan or just write whatever pops into your head? My blog has been very spontaneous from the very beginning. I never planned to start a blog, I just did. It’s similar with my posts. It’s been a year since I’m blogging and I still don’t have a proper plan or a schedule.
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I honestly think that it would be very beneficial to plan ahead, but I just didn’t get to that phase yet.
Competition is fierce now and only the best and the most persistent thrive. 20
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instagram.com/fullsuitcase
I had several posts that seemed to be doing very well from the beginning. So I wrote more about the topics that were popular. That was the first step and it worked well.
Maybe because we have so much travel experience and I have many more ideas than the time to write about them all. Or maybe it’s because I learn something new every day and sometimes it just doesn’t make sense to follow a plan if a great idea pops into my head.
audience for a new blog?
Many times I published a post without ever planning for it, just because somebody asked for some information or I noticed that people came to my blog looking for a specific keyword and my previous post didn’t really cover that question… I also look at my best performing posts to see what works and what doesn’t.
Second, I spent a lot of time learning how SEO works and started implementing some tips I found here and there. It appears that Google isn’t particularly friendly to new websites and it’s difficult to get any organic traffic in the beginning, but I noticed an increasing traffic from Google even before my blog was 6 months old. Now thousands of people find my blog via Google every month.
As for social media, it pretty much follows my blog. I try to schedule and automate where I can, it does save some time, but it’s still overwhelming. You’ve grown a very healthy readership in a short period of time. What’s been the most effective methods you've used to grow your
The first months were, naturally, slow. I did have several posts, however, that seemed to be doing very well from the beginning. So I wrote more about the topics that were popular. That was the first step and it worked well.
But the biggest boost to my blog came when I started using Pinterest. I never used Pinterest before and had no idea how it worked, so I had to learn a lot. Today Pinterest is my biggest referrer and my only regret is that I didn’t start with it earlier. 21
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There is so much information available, no need to reinvent the wheel and waste your time.
What big changes do you see in the blogging world for 2017? What should we be keeping our eyes on? The biggest challenge I see for bloggers is trying to keep up with all the social media and their constantly changing algorithms and new trends. 2017 (and beyond) will probably see an even bigger increase in video content online. People get inspired by images and video and most people only read a blog post when they are looking for some specific information or when an image catches their attention first. A successful blog should have both: high quality content and inspiring imagery. You blog in a rather saturated area travel blogging - how do you stand out amongst the crowd and gain new followers in a busy market? I always write with my readers in mind. Why do people come to my blog and do they find what they are looking for. Most of my posts are very informative and full of practical information, tips, and destination advice. I focus on quality and people seem to appreciate it. My other strength is photography.
While I’m not a professional photographer, many people tell me that my pictures stand out and inspire them to travel. It definitely helps to get noticed among so many other travel bloggers. What are the top three apps you use on your phone every day? Before I started to blog, I didn’t even own a smartphone and never used any social media. My phone is never far away now. Most of the time you will find me on Instagram, Pinterest or Facebook. And, since I live in Belgium and it rains a lot here, I do have several weather apps which I consult every time we plan a day trip. If you could go back and start your blog again what would you do differently? I would read and follow even more tips from the established bloggers in my niche. There is so much information available, no need to reinvent the wheel and waste your time. I would give much more focus to social media from the very beginning, and not wait 9 months to start, like I did. I would join several Facebook groups for bloggers in my niche as soon as possible. I would ask questions and learn from others. If you could give one piece of advice to someone starting a blog in 2017 what would you say? Don’t start if you are not 100% passionate about what you do. Blogging is hard work! 22
QUICKIES My favourite TV show ever is… Friends. I know it’s old, but it’s still the best. Honestly, I hardly ever watch a TV show now since I have kids, and now that I’m blogging too, there is no time for TV at all. I do make time for a good movie though. If I order dessert I always get… Something I never tried before or a tiramisu. If I had just $5 left in the world I’d spend it on… … a good book If I could dinner with one celebrity it would be…. Jeff Bezos You would never catch me wearing… Mini skirt ❖
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THE BIGGEST
blogging struggles OF 2017 You know what? Sometimes you don’t see obstacle until it’s right in front of you, ready to trip you over. This month I decided to ask around some blogging mates of mine to see what they think the obstacles for new (and existing!) bloggers will be in 2017 so you can avoid them and fly right past them on your glitter unicorn.
don't realise it's as hard (or harder) work as a traditional job and you really have to put a LOT into it before you'll see any kind of return.
Kerrie - So many things - crowded market, keyboard warriors (aka trolls), 'outrage' culture, consistency of blogging. I guess it comes down to why Emily - Sticking to any boundaries you set you blog and what you want to get out of yourself at the start. It's tempting to reveal it as to what the challenge is. more and more of yourself for clicks. But Kelly - I think perhaps growing the more one-off virality isn't worth it. established social networks like Facebook. I started with FB in the early Jennifer - Market saturation! days, and although I have worked hard to Tamsin - I think the biggest challenges grow my page, there is an element of facing people wishing to start blogs now timing/luck too to my growth. Insta is are being heard in an oversaturated newer and I think easier to grow (for market, keeping up with a blog and now). understanding how difficult it is to actually The other challenge I would say is make an income from blogging. I think expectations. I think this can be a there's a misconception that it's an easy stumbling block sometimes. In the olden way to make some cash and people 24
days of blogging (ha!) you didn't have a lot of expectations, just started to write and learned as you went. There seems a lot more emphasis and discourse around branding, design, strategy, money, courses etc from the outset. I don't think these are necessarily bad things at all (so many great resources out there) but it has come to frame the blogging space and I do wonder about the impacts. Marie - It's a very saturated market! Really need a truly unique voice to cut through and develop a following.
about the same topics, it's hard to make your voice heard or stand out. I also think that there's a declining interest in blogs. People would rather get quick, brief content through Instagram or Snapchat. And a flip side point - I think 2017 will see an increase in businesses having to start really thinking about who they work with, and demanding more proof from bloggers as to what we're actually offering them.
Dorothy - Getting heard. There are so many blogs out there these days, I think it's hard to stand out.
In conclusion? It seems like unique voice, getting noticed and keeping up the momentum are the biggest blogging challenges so focus on those this to get ahead this year. ❖
Grant - Market saturation- there's so many bloggers out there blogging
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t a h w g n i Reap she sows Meet Lauren McDuffie Lauren has been blogging for just shy of two years and she’s already gained a loyal readership and over 14,000 followers on her rustic and moody themed instagram account. Honey and Harvest is proof that it’s never too late to find your (blogging) calling.
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You’ve been blogging for just under 2 years - can you tell us why you decided to start blogging and what made you choose to start a food blog? I initially started Harvest and Honey as a way to house my favorite recipes while also supplementing my freelance writing career. The writing I was doing for my blog was purely passion-based, and it gave me a way to showcase a more creative side of myself, it was less business-like. Also, I was a new mom and I think I was really seeking an outlet – something that was totally unrelated to parenting – to help me unwind and reconnect to some of the things that inspired me, things that I loved. My blog was the one thing I did that was just for me, and that made it really special. What three advantages do you think you have over bloggers who started their blogs ten years ago? Social media. No question. Instagram is where I tend to focus my social media efforts and it has made a dramatic difference in how I’m able to connect to, communicate with and reach other people all over the world. Social media gives people a small taste of what you offer as a blogger and is of immense value in a world that is saturated with sites that are all striving to do something very similar. My Instagram feed is almost like a micro-blog to me – a way to help people get to know me a little bit, and a nice complement to the material that I keep on my actual blog.
Respect. I think the general amount of respect that is paid to bloggers, both from readers and from the greater food industry alike, has grown steadily over the past decade, and probably works as an advantage for today’s bloggers over those who were just starting ten years ago. Community. I have no idea how many food blogs are out there today, but I do know that it is a huge number and that it’s more today than yesterday … but not as many as tomorrow. The food blogging community is so vast and growing all the time, and there is such support and encouragement that goes on between bloggers – I see this every single day. You’d think that there would be a sense of competition in it all, and maybe there is some of that, but my experience has been wholly positive. I’ve made wonderful, genuine friends and support systems from this community of passionate, inspired individuals who all maintain very similar interests to mine. I’d have to think that this is an advantage to today’s bloggers versus those from 10 years ago.
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Social media is, without question, the most efficient and effective way to connect with your audience. 28
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I think the general amount of respect that is paid to bloggers, both from readers and from the greater food industry alike, has grown steadily over the past decade, and probably works as an advantage for today’s bloggers over those who were just starting ten years ago.
What one advantage do you wish you had that older bloggers have? Older bloggers had the advantage of novelty on their sides when they kicked off their sites, something that is impossible to achieve with blogging at this point. The beauty of having started a blog when there weren’t nearly as many is that they were unique – on the cutting edge of a trend – and therefore were better positioned to generate a larger following right out of the gate. I’ve seen this with older blogs. Today’s bloggers, if it’s important to them to do so, have to work really, really hard every day to get their names out there and stand out from the crowd. What’s been the most effective methods you've used to grow your audience for a relatively new blog? Instagram has been, without a doubt,
the most effective method for me in growing my audience. As I mentioned previously, I treat my Instagram feed almost like a micro-blog of sorts, and it has really been helpful in getting my name out there – nothing else really comes close to that. But I also thing that regular, weekly posting is important in growing your numbers as well. I was advised once to treat my blog like an online newspaper or magazine. People won’t keep coming back if the same content is there all the time. It’s important to change it up frequently or you risk losing people’s attention. You want to keep them coming back for more! What big changes do you see in the blogging world for 2017? What should we be keeping our eyes on? I see a lot of collaborative efforts happening in the blogging world, and I 29
think this is something you’ll see even more of in 2017. Bloggers are teaming up in really cool and unique ways – from teaching and experience-based workshops and virtual food “parties” to collaborative blog posts and recipe development, there are a lot of cool trends going on that all seem to revolve around collaborating with others. I think you’ll see more of that in the coming year. You blog in a rather saturated area food blogging - how do you stand out amongst the crowd and gain new followers in a busy market? I made a point to not read other blogs for a while when I was first coming into my own as a food blogger.
Not because I didn’t enjoy them, but I found that it was very easy to be influenced by others, or intimidated or pressured, etc. By taking the time to really figure out what I wanted my blog to be (and how I wanted it to look, sound, etc.), I was able to create an online space that was unique. I think that’s important in today’s saturated food blog world. Being unique and totally true to yourself comes through to readers – people appreciate you for what YOU bring to the table (literally and figuratively) and trying to make your blog look or sound like another one is a good way to just be a mediocre version of someone else. So, for me, I set my blog apart by making it a direct reflection of the things I love most: writing and storytelling, delicious food, and photography that has a moody, romantic, and vintage-inspired aesthetic.
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What are the top three apps you use on your phone every day? Instagram, Spotify, Wordpress. If you could go back and start your blog again what would you do differently? Good question! I’m not sure I would do anything differently, because I’m happy with where my blog is and where it’s heading, and I think it’s all a growth process of learning and evolving. You have to start somewhere! And I’ve genuinely enjoyed the journey every step of the way thus far. If you could give one piece of advice to someone starting a blog in 2017 what would you say? I would tell them to join Instagram! Or maybe more specifically, just find a way to engage with your audience and other members of the blogging community. Social media is, without question, the most efficient and effective way to do that. That’s really important, I think. Also, and this just goes along with my previous responses, really try to figure out what you want your blog to be and just dive into that head first – carve out your own unique corner of the internet and make it shine as brightly as possible.
QUICKIES My favourite movie ever is… Almost Famous. If I go to a restaurant I’ll usually order… Seafood (sushi and sea bass are my favorites) If I had just $5 left in the world I’d spend it on… French fries. Why not? It’s my favorite guilty pleasure. If I could interview one major blogger it would be…. Aran Goyoaga My favourite song to dance to at weddings is… Hmmm … not sure. I don’t think I have a favorite wedding dance song. This means I need to go to more weddings, ❖
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5 WEIRD SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORMS YOU DIDN’T KNOW EXISTED Carly Jacobs Everyone has heard of the usual social media suspects - Instagram, Facebook, Twitter. But deep in the land of the interwebs lurks thousands of social media networks that will never see the light of popular culture day. And why would they? They’re niche and underground. They know what they’re doing. They don’t need your approval. Here are a few social media platforms you may not have heard of before. 1. Ravelry - I only just discovered this place myself a few years ago but it’s like Pinterest for knitters and crocheters. Ravelry gives yarn crafters a place to keep track of their yarn, tools, projects, pattern information, and to connect with others for ideas and inspiration. It currently has 4 million users. 4 MILLION! Doesn’t that just blow your mind? 2. Dribble - Dribble is like a show and tell site for designers. It’s pretty well respected in design circles and can lead to your work being discovered by gallery owners, potential buyers and big brands who want to collaborate. It’s very simple and is based on an upvoting system. Whoever has the most upvotes, sits at the top. It’s a must for designers wanting to attract the right kind of audience.
3. Listgeeks - It’s exactly what it sounds like. A bunch of people sharing lists of important things. There really is a place for everyone on the internet isn’t there? *hurries off to join Listgeeks* 4. Kik - This one is very similar to WhatsApp but it’s virtually non-existent in Australia. I only know about it because I watch Catfish and it seems to be a good place to pretend to be someone else so you can date someone online and hide your true identity. I don’t recommend you do that but if you were going to do that, Kik seems to be the best place to try it. 5. Oomf-Chat - This one is really similar to Snapchat but it’s used exclusively by the new class at Degrassi High to sell nude boob photos to raise money for cheerleading uniforms and to raise a public profile as the cutest couple in the school. It’s not available to the general public because it technically doesn’t exist and the word Oomf-Chat is simply used to represent Snapchat so the writers of the show don’t get sued/give away potential advertising dollars. Hastygram and Facerange also fall into this category. ❖ 32
meohmygirl.com
5 things
we love
about
Me Oh My Girl It’s pretty hard to stand out in the blogosphere these days. You really have to be on it, all the time. The problem of oversaturation is very real it takes a lot to get the average content consumer to check out your stuff. That’s why when I stumble upon a gem, I get really excited. This month I’m loving Me Oh My Girl. Charli Burrowes is a visual artist, creative director + photographer based in Brisbane, Australia. She does photography and visual storytelling for brands, creates and sells art and appears to spend most of her time in an oversized white shirt being a genius creative nymph. Why do I love her?
1) She offers a kick ass service You know those super beautiful branding shots that show up on billboards and in magazines? Yep. She shoots and styles those kinds of things. She is also an artist and sells her art work at galleries and on her website. It’s the perfect combo beautiful, compelling content with a subtle little buy in there. 2) Her branding is superb From her outfits, to her flay lays, to her campaigns, to her social media accounts, you know exactly what Me Oh My is about. It’s all about the creation of beauty and that message oozes out of every page of her gorgeous blog and every post on Instagram.
3) Instagram chops? Boss level. Follow her on @meohmygirl. It’s image after image of beautiful travel shots, flatlays and sneaky little peaks into her life as a photographer and artist. There’s something very nostalgic and film noir about her work. Check it out it’s like watching a black and white film in colour. 4) Her flat lays are delicious - and she sells them! One of things I love about talented people like Charlie is that she knows what her talent is and knows what it’s worth. Her product shots and flatlays are next level and she knows how valuable that is to brands. She has a sizeable Instragram following and could very well sell feature spots on there for a couple of hundred dollars each but she knows her work is worth much more than that - so she sells her photography and styling skills direct to the brand.
instagram.com/meohmygirl
It’s all about the creation of beauty 5) She tells a very beautiful story through her work I never feel like anything is fake at Me Oh My. She’s so honest about her journey as a freelancer, how hard it is, how rewarding it is. There’s a rawness to her storytelling that not many other travel and photography content creators have. She’s the perfect mix of aspirational and relatable. ❖
g n i h t y r e v e you want is on the other side of fear. JACK CANFIELD
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7 WAYS TO GET BETTER
blog
engagement IN 2017 Engagement is the one thing bloggers can’t fake. Well that’s not true - you can always hire a VA to go through and comment on your blog but that kind of defeats the purpose doesn’t it? You can buy clicks, you can buy followers but true engagement has to be earned the hard way. Damn it. Thankfully, true engagement is one of the most valuable things you can work on for your blog. Here’s how to be awesome at it.
on other blogs in your niche in a heartfelt, genuine way and make it a regular part of your week like Facebooking. It’s literally starting a conversation in a very unsaturated place. Be present in the community
Join Facebook groups for bloggers in your niche, participate in group activities and make friends with other bloggers in your niche. Celebrate your fellow bloggers successes and help them out whenever you can. Blogging feels isolated and competitive but it honestly Comment on other blogs doesn’t have to be. Be the charming I cannot stress this one enough. Bloggers group wrangler of your niche - it will do LOVE comments on their blogs. Ten years wonderful things for your engagement. ago it was the only way to communicate with a blogger but now there are so many different avenues, even the most popular Be personable bloggers only get a handful of comments. Believe me, if you want to get Focus on what your tone is like when you engagement, comment write and make sure it’s super 36
personable. It might feel strange calling someone ‘lovely’ or ‘amazing’ in the written word but you need to pad out everything you say and make it sound gushier than you normally would. Like this: Thanks.. Thanks! x Can you see the difference? Always be personable, always be overly nice and never, ever speak poorly of another blogger behind their back. People will talk about how lovely you are and it will lead to people checking out your blog.
Grow your email list Offer a shit hot email opt in. Something that is super useful and will change your reader’s lives. Also write your emails like you’re writing for one person - it gives that feeling that you’re just talking to them. It goes without saying that if someone replies to your newsletter you MUST reply back. It’s hard enough getting into people’s inboxes these days and if someone actually opens your marketing email and then replies they’re as good as yours. Nurture these people. They’re your true fans.
People will talk about how lovely you are and it will lead to people checking out your blog.
Only post awesome stuff You’re only as good as your last post. Always think quality over quantity and only post something if it’s actually amazing. No one wants to read ten average blog posts. They want to read one amazing one. Repeat this to yourself every time you’re tempted to just whack something up on your blog. Resist the temptation and actually write something amazing.
Be unique Make sure you have a point of difference. Don’t make yourself a small fish in a big pond. Pick your niche and then niche down further. Fashion blog? How about a work fashion blog? Or a fashion blog for lawyers? What about a capsule wardrobe blog for lawyers? The more niche you get, the easier it will be to harness that juicy group of super engaged readers.
Ask for and respond to engagement Ask questions. Ask a question at the end of every single blog post. Getting a hair cut? Ask what your readers think on your blog. Considering getting pet? Ask for advice on your blog. People love talking about themselves and once you’ve broken the comment barrier once, it will be easier and easier for them keep commenting and engaging with your awesome content. ❖
how to... START A BLOG
It actually is really rather simple to start a blog. Most blogging platforms are designed to be easy to use so it’s much simpler to start a blog than it was a few years ago. I’m the least techy person in the world (seriously, ask Kate. She’ll tell you.) and even I can install a plug in on Wordpress. My advice to you is to stay calm, read the instructions, Google anything you don’t understand and give it a red hot go. Here are a few good places to start.
1) Pick your niche Advice? Go very, very niche. Health, travel and fashion are popular niches but they’re just not niche enough anymore. Have a think about what your point of difference can be. You need to be a niche within that niche. Here are a few niche ideas for the health category, just to show what I mean:
Health ‣ 5 Cups A Day - a recipe blog helping people eat 5 cups of veggies every day ‣ Beautiful Mornings - a blog about morning routines and rituals to start your day ‣ What’s New? - a blog dedicated to trying every new fitness program on the market.
It’s going to be pretty difficult to start a blog and rank highly for the search term ‘health blog’ so aim to rank highly for something like ‘morning routine’ or ‘how to eat more vegetables.’
2) Pick your name and check it’s availability Go to Namechk and type in your selected name to see if the domain is available and if the corresponding social media handles are available. This is mandatory. You need to have
the correct name across all social media channels, otherwise it will be very difficult for people to find you.
e v o l we
Tip: You might have to compromise on your ideal name to get them consistent. It’s worth it to change your ideal name so it’s the same everywhere.
3) Pick your design Buy your domain from one of the following places - GoDaddy, CrazyDomains or Bluehost. Join Wordpress and buy a theme. You can get great themes from Themeforest and Bluechic. Etsy also have some great ones.
Watch out …YOU’RE A BLOGGER NOW!
4) Get your name across all social media sites Immediately go through and sign up for all your corresponding social media handles, even if you don’t think you’ll use them. Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Snapchat, Twitter. If you can get a handle for it, do it and do it now. Also keep an eye out for new platforms and nab your name asap. 5) Start writing away! Just start. Your first blog post is scary so I suggest giving yourself a good hour to sit down and construct your first post. Perhaps write about why you’re starting this blog and what you hope to achieve. Then share it to Facebook and tag a few of your mates to read it and ask what they think. ❖
are you ready to become a full-time blogger? More than 9 years ago I started my first blog, Drop Dead Gorgeous Daily from scratch. I was exactly where you are right now. 12-months later I was able to quit my job and blog full time. Today I have two 6-figure blogs, 4 staff, and I have earned over $1million from blogging.
Want to know exactly how I did it? Exactly step-bystep how I created two multi-6-figure blogs?
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