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EDITOR’S NOTES
Welcome to issue one of the Secret Bloggers’ Business magazine (or #sbbmag to our friends!). As a lot of you know before I earnt my nerd stripes as a blogger, I actually used to try to pretend to be really cool on a daily basis when I worked for a bunch of fashion magazines (I don’t think it worked though!). And the emotional scarring from wearing 6-inch heels all day must have finally faded because for some reason I thought it would be a good idea to start a magazine about Blogging instead. You won’t find any diet tips, crazy fashion trends you can’t afford, or total BS rumours about celebs in here though (sorry if that’s what you were hoping for, I can always make up some shit about Carly if you want though?). Just some great interviews with awesome bloggers, hilarious rants about all things blogging (by Carly, she’s so much funnier and cooler than me… and yes she made me write that), the latest tools, tips and other awesome blogging goodness. We hope you love it.
Kate xx
The idea for this magazine came from the brain of the terribly excellent blogging genius, Kate McKibbin (she’s the hot, smug looking one on the left). One day she shrieked from her desk ‘I’M GOING TO MAKE A MAGAZINE ABOUT BLOGGING!’ and I said ‘YAY!’ and she said ‘AND YOU’RE GOING TO HELP ME WRITE IT!’ and I said ‘Are you freaking kidding me?’ Honestly? I’m so incredibly stoked she asked me to be a part of this mag. I love blogging, I love writing about blogging and I also love telling people what to do. It’s a match made in heaven., I’m telling you. This month’s issue is packed full of awesome tips (not crap ones), interviews with blogging legends and a shite load of inspiration. I do hope you don’t hate it.
Confession: This is the first editor’s letter I’ve ever written. I’m feeling like it might be champagne lunch day. Boom.
Carly xx
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CONTENTS
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GET YOUR SHIT TOGETHER Keep up to date with what’s happening in Feb & Mar with our handy calendar.
CRUSHIN’ We are creepily obsessed with pens and notebooks so we’ve put together a list of our faves.
DREAM CHASER This month’s cover girl is the delicious Chantelle from Fat Mum Slim. She’s a fairy cake of a human and we just love her.
WHAT EVEN IS A BLOGGER? Back in the old days it was pretty easy to tell if a person was a blogger. These days, it’s a totally different story.
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THINGS BLOGGERS SHOULDN’T DO …but we do them anyway.
HAVING HER CAKE AND EATING IT TOO Ever wanted a job where you get to stuff your face with food? Not Quite Nigella actually HAS that job. Awesome.
5 THINGS WE LOVE ABOUT… Rachel Gadiel, the brains behind #dreamcreatedo. We think she rocks.
HOW TO… Make an online magazine… kind of like this one.
WE LOVE… PHOTO EDITING APPS That hot picture on Instagram? We can show you how to DIY it.
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RUDE GIRL
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PUPPY LOVE
It’s totally not cool to play around on your phone during dinner but somehow bloggers seem to be able to get away with it.
We interviewed Serena Faber Nelson who, get this, is a DOG BLOGGER! Jealous much?
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WHAT’S HAPPENING FEBRUARY & MARCH 2016
FEB The Oscars FEB 19 - 23
LONDON FASHION WEEK United Kingdom
MAR 2 - 9 PARIS FASHION WEEK France
MARCH 6 – 8 DESIGN BLOGGERS CONFERENCE Atlanta, Georgia USA
MAR St Patrick’s Day MARCH 19 SIMPLY STYLIST SESSIONS Los Angeles, California USA
FEB 19 - 20
25 MAR Good Friday
BUILD YOUR BLOG CONFERENCE
27 MAR Easter Sunday
Salt Lake City, Utah USA
28 MAR Easter Monday
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Never spend 5 hours binge Facebooking ever again. Keep yourself accountable with this totes minimalistic watch from The Cool Hunter.
'Blog Some Shit' isn't the most comprehensive blogging plan but it's a bloody good place to start. You can grab this awesome notebook from blossomandbronze on Etsy.
No one even uses pencils anymore but who cares? These personalised pencils from Down That Little Lane are too cute not to waste some coins on.
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CHANTELLE ELLEM Chantelle is the blogger behind Fat Mum Slim. She’s also the owner of the Little Moments App, creator of the Photo A Day challenges on Instagram and she was once voted Most Clickable Woman in Australia. She loves cake, taking photos of everything and her two gorgeous girls. She doesn’t like folding laundry. Nope, not one bit.
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When you were a kid, could you have predicted that one day you would be a blogger? Not at all. For starters, we only got computers when I was 8 and the internet turned up (as a mainstream thing) when I was 16, so predicting blogging as an actual thing would make me about as smart as the smartest person on earth, surely. But I loved writing, so maybe I could have predicted that I would write things.
The coolest thing that happened as a result of photo a day? I think it would have to be making my App, Little Moments (which is available on iTunes). It feels so grown up to tell people I made an App. How did you ‘get into’ blogging? Do you remember discovering blogging as a ‘thing’?
My friend Zoe Foster was a blogger, and still is, and I just remember loving reading her posts You started the Fat Mum Slim Photo A Day and just wanting to create something similar. It a few years ago and it totally exploded and kind of broke the internet. Who’s the biggest made me realize how much I missed writing. I celebrity that’s participated in photo day and got into blogging because I was a nanny to 4 kids, and I’d just given birth to my first what’s the coolest thing that’s happened as daughter, and I was a bit sleep-deprived and result of photo a day? crazy. I wanted a space for myself, so I carved There have been a few celebrities who have one out online. At first it was a private space, played photo a day, but I think it would have to but when I felt comfortable I opened it up for be Pink. It was a surreal moment to wake up anybody to read. and learn that she was playing along, and then You’re the creator of the very awesome that the photo she shared (one of her in Little Moments app - what advice would you hospital) got picked up by newspapers all over give to someone who’s planning on launching the world. It was pretty cool. an app? Any pitfalls to avoid? You won’t make a lot of money on an app. People think of Mark Zuckerberg when they think of an App development but that’s pretty far from the truth. Little moments was a passion project.
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How do you decide what to publish on your blog? Do you pre-plan in advance?
If I were to buy you a present, what would be the worst thing I could buy you?
Before I had my second child, I was so organised. I had content calendars and plans and goals… and now I’m just winging it. Right now my kids are my priority, particularly because I have a toddler and I know she’ll only be this little for a short time. The blog can wait. My expectations of myself are lower at present, and I’m finding a balance that works for work, and for family… and I think that’s a priority for me right now.
Oh, please don’t buy me clothes. Yes, please don’t. People always think I’m smaller than I am, so I end up with a skin-tight t-shirt that makes me look like a sausage and it’s just not good. But buy me chocolate, that will help the cause!
How do you cope with bad blogging days and how do you stay inspired during times when you really aren’t feeling the love?
‘There’s nothing worse than visiting a blog and feeling like you’re showing up to a conversation you’re welcome being a part of.’
A brand new reader is visiting your blog for I’ve realised over the years that there is no point the first time - where should they start? struggling through the bad blogging days. I have to shake-it up and get back in the zone, or At the present day. I always try and make each a good, creative space. For me that’s reading a post relevant to new readers. There’s nothing worse than turning up to a blog and feel like favourite magazine, going to the beach, you’ve just stepped into a conversation that exercising, playing with my kids, painting, you’re not welcome being part of. I want every taking photos… anything but blogging really. post to be relevant to everyone, and hopefully that comes across.
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Negative comments seem to go hand in hand with blogging success - how do you deal with snark on a regular basis? I’m pretty lucky, I don’t have that many negative comments. But saying that I had a whole lot last week… and boy I don’t cope well. I don’t. I take it personally, and I can’t put it into perspective no matter how hard I try. It blocks my creativity and puts me in a bad mood. I just have to wait for it to pass, and then let it go. I wish I could find a better way to deal with it. If you started blogging today do you think you would be able to grow your blog as prolifically as you’ve grown Fat Mum Slim? Absolutely not. I started at the beginning of the blogging days. I feel for people starting now, it’s hard for their voice to be heard in this massive sea of blogs now. Some people just nail it and make it through, but there are so many that struggle. I still think I’d give it a red hot go, because blogging has never been about reaching the masses for me… just about sharing my stories and creating really cool, engaged communities. You’re a self confessed introvert - how to you cope with all the attention that comes from being a well known blogger? Oh gosh, I don’t cope very well. I just want to talk about everyone else and pretend that I’m not who I am (which is just a human who writes online, by the way). One day I’m going to love it, I’m sure. I’ll get there.
QUICKIES My favourite breakfast food is... poached eggs on sourdough toast, please.
I’m loving watching... Real Housewives of anywhere. It’s my notso-secret obsession. Actually I should say that I’m loving watching my kids play with educational toys and learning, shouldn’t I? You couldn’t pay me enough money to... eat a hot dog. I nearly vomit thinking of it. Same goes for spam. My perfect evening includes... PJs, kids in bed, my husband and I hanging out. If I won the lottery the first thing I would buy is... a sushi chef. I want to eat sushi every day for lunch and dinner.
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WHAT EVEN IS A BLOGGER? Carly Jacobs
Back in the old days it was pretty easy to tell if a person was a blogger. The way farmers have farms, bloggers had blogs. Easy peasy. These days it’s a totally different story. For instance, what do you call someone who has 50k plus followers on Instagram but a mostly static website where they post very infrequently? You can’t really call them a blogger because they don’t technically have a blog but they’re still sharing their message and brand in the same way bloggers do, the only difference is they’ve changed the platform.
This question plagued me to the point where I took to Facebook to ask the masses what they think. Jess - Facebook and Instagram pages/accounts are complimentary to a blog, but without the actual blog page, it's literally only a social media account. A blog is not a blog without a blog!
Kat - Someone who writes blog posts. I think a social media personality or ‘Insta-celeb' are really those things- just as awesome, but not a blogger. Kirsty - I think if you have a Facebook community where you're providing links, info and discussion you're a "micro blogger”. David - Social media didn't exist when "weblogs" were invented so I'd say it's a clear definition: someone who writes entries on a website (not social site). Robyna - I think a blogger is anyone who creates content and shares that content online, whether it be pictorial or through words. I have no issue with a wide definition. Majority rules, most people agree that only people with actual blogs should be called bloggers but that leaves us with this questions: What do you call people who do stuff on the internet but aren’t necessarily bloggers? 10
Here’s a little glossary of internet-type words that you might find handy. INSTAFAMOUS/INSTACELEB/ INSTAGRAMMER: Anyone who is famous primarily on Instagram and used that platform to build their following. My favourites include ChiliPhilly, Muradosman, Crazy Jewish Mom. MICRO-BLOGGER: The technical definition of a micro-blog is a blog that can be updated via text message or Twitter and is made up of short, micro posts. The definition includes platforms like Tumblr and Twitter. Technically speaking websites like Text From Dog would be considered a microblog as every update is just one image with little to no text.
George Takei is a good example of a social media star - he’s an actor from Star Trek but has re-invented himself as a prolific Facebooker. YOUTUBER/VLOGGER: Someone who uses video as their main social media medium. This category will probably extend to include Facebook video users and Periscopers. Examples of YouTubers are Jenna Marbles and Natalie Tran. PODCASTER: Someone who is known primarily for their podcasts. Sarah Koenig from Serial and Aaron Mahnke from Lore are good examples of podcasters.
So what category do you fin into? What type of online creator are you?
SOCIAL MEDIA STAR: Loose term to describe someone who has reached a decent level of fame using a variety of social media platforms.
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Learn to do the common things uncommonly well George Washington Careur
secretbloggersbusiness.com 12
ARE YOU READY TO BECOME A FULL TIME BLOGGER? Almost 8-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-by-step how I created two multi-6-figure blogs? LET ME INTRODUCE YOU TO THE
LEARN HOW TO TURN YOUR BLOG INTO YOUR BUSINESS I’ve turned my biggest blogging and business lessons into the online 6-week Bloggers MBA eCourse, that I know will help any blogger, old or new, to go pro with their blog, and start turn their hobby into their career.
VISIT secretbloggersbusiness.com TO JOIN NOW!
MOLDIV - Photo Editor, Collage & Beauty Camera
OUR TOP 5
PHOTO EDITING APPS Have you ever gone scrolling through Instagram in a state of despair wondering how the hell other bloggers make their photos look so damn good? It’s all in the editing my dear. FACETUNE itunes.apple.com/au/app/facetune
This one is an oldie but a goodie. We aren’t necessarily advocating photo shopping your own face but a quick swipe with the blurring tool under your eyes and a few spot touch ups can make the world of different to a photo. Warning: Tread lightly with this app - make sure you still have facial features before you hit publish.
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SNAPSEED itunes.apple.com/au/app/snapseed
It takes a little bit of practice getting used to the way this app works but once you’ve nailed it you can edit your photos super quickly and easily on your phone and have them ready for Instagram in a few minutes
CYMERA itunes.apple.com/au/app/cymera-collage-filters
This one is particularly awesome for shots of human faces. You can lighten up a dark picture really quickly and realistically - it’s also free!
LITTLE MOMENTS itunes.apple.com/au/app/little-moments-by-fat-mum-slim
Little Moments is a gorgeous photo editing app that helps you adds words, doodles and filters to your photos. Little Moments has a gorgeous user interface with pre-designed fonts that you just drag and fiddle around with until it looks the way you want. Brilliant for those of us who aren’t very good at design.
MOLDIV itunes.apple.com/au/app/moldiv-photo-editor-collage
This is a seriously underrated app. It’s does collages and editing in a really simple and easy to understand format. It’s like having magazine making software right on your phone. Happy photo editing! If you use any of these apps today make sure you tag #sbbmag so we can see you fancy new skills.
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9 SOCIAL FAUX PAS ONLY BLOGGERS CAN GET AWAY WITH Carly Jacobs Being a blogger is really weird and most regular folk don’t really understand us. Things like panicking because the sun is going down (loss of natural light) or frantically trying to get an Instagram post up at ‘peak’ time are the kinds of behaviours that have non-bloggers quietly backing away from us at parties. Being a blogger certainly has it’s perks though and after a solid 8 years in the biz, I’ve figured out that bloggers get away with far more socially unacceptable behaviour than we should. Here are 9 social faux pars that seemingly only bloggers can get away with.
1) TOUCHING OTHER PEOPLE’S FOOD. We’re all taught from childhood that it’s rude to touch other people’s food but have you ever had lunch with a blogger? It’s not uncommon for a blogger to re-arrange the garnish on your plate or even instruct you to ‘make your hand look less like a foot’ so they can get the perfect shot for Instagram.
2) USING THEIR PHONE AT THE DINNER TABLE. If your Average Joe is sitting at a restaurant table, it would be considered anti-social if he spent all night scrolling through Facebook or sending messages on Tinder but for some reason it’s totally okay for a blogger to test out ten different photo filters while they distractedly try to make you believe they’re listening to you. Don’t try to fight it. Just let it happen.
3) MAKING EVERYONE POSE FOR THE SAME PHOTO TEN TIMES IN A ROW. Grandparents perfected the two-shot method before iPhones were even a twinkle in Steve Jobs’ eye. They knew they had 2 shots to get what they wanted before the family started getting too bored. Bloggers don’t give a crap. They’ll make you sit there while they set up makeshift lighting solutions and make you reshoot and re-shoot until they get the perfect 16 Vogue worthy picture.
4) PHOTOSHOPPING OTHER PEOPLE OUT OF PHOTOS.
10 nasty comments before their morning coffee without even causing a stir. Boom.
If a regular person photoshopped you out of a picture, you might be a bit miffed but for some reason it’s totally fine when bloggers do it because your face might not be ‘on brand’ enough for their Instagram feed. Totally fair enough. #sorrynotsorry
7) CONSTANT SELF PROMOTION.
5) UPDATING THEIR FACEBOOK STATUS WHEN THEY HAVEN’T REPLIED TO A MESSAGE YOU SENT THEM 2 DAYS AGO. It’s totes fine for a blogger to be late replying to your text because they’ve probably been busy blogging. #busy #blogboss #bloglife
6) DELETING NEGATIVE COMMENTS. Internet shenanigans are being treated more seriously these days with Facebook unfriending being included in workplace bullying reports. This is why low-level Facebook users should be careful who they unfriend. However a blogger with 50k followers on Facebook can delete
Every time a blogger farts, it goes on Facebook and no one is brave enough to complain. Let’s all keep it that way shall we?
8) OVER-SHARING. If one of your mates shared on Facebook that they did a poo that looked exactly like the poo emoji, you might think it was a touch OTT but if a blogger shared it as a snappy little meme? Hilarious!
9) GETTING CHANGED FOUR TIMES IN ONE DAY. If a regular person got changed four times in one day, it would be super annoying. If a blogger does it, it’s a ‘necessary costume change.’
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Puppy Love SERENA FABER NELSON
We discovered Serena a few years ago and we are hooked on her gorgeous doggy blog. Serena is an advocate for animal welfare and responsible pet ownership and she also has some seriously adorable and tasty treat recipes for all kinds of fur babies on her blog. Serena started Pretty Fluffy in 2010 as a place where dedicated dog owners can find stylish products, modern advice, and inspiration for spoiling the shit out their gorgeous pets. 18
When you were a kid, could you have predicted that one day you would be a blogger? Considering my computer knowledge at the time consisted of playing Super Mario Bros 3, probably not! (I was pretty awesome at Nintendo though...) That said, my love for animals and specifically dogs was always a big part of my life. I feel pretty lucky the world we live in today allows me to run Pretty Fluffy as my day job. What’s the weirdest thing that’s happened to you as a result of blogging? I wouldn't say weird exactly, but I often receive emails or comments from young girls or women who have been inspired by Pretty Fluffy to create their own blogs or to work with animals. I am extremely passionate about empowering young women and making the world a better place for them, so every time this happens I am incredibly touched that I'm making even the smallest of differences to their lives.
How did you ‘get into’ blogging? Do you remember discovering blogging as a ‘thing’? I had actually never heard of blogging until 2009 when I was planning my wedding and discovered the amazing wedding blog, Style Me Pretty. Within one visit I was hooked and trawled through every post on the blog up until that point. It introduced me to the world of blogging and I fell instantly in love with it. From there I discovered so many beautiful and unique blogs that by the time my honeymoon was over I knew I wanted to start one of my own. At the time I was working as a TV Producer and blogging gave me an opportunity to create my own brand and content I've always wanted to. If you weren’t a blogger, what do you think you would be doing? I've always worked in the media, so I think I will always gravitate to jobs that tell a story or share inspirational content; however there is a big part of me that wants to retire to a rural property and start my own rescue property for animals in need.
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Can you tell us one thing about blogging that there is always new content I am proud of. That you wish you had known from the way there's always a good mix and match of beginning? different columns and features and we don't overload our readers with too much of one One of the biggest learning curves I found is to thing. understand that blogging is a constantly evolving medium. In my five short years of I always ask myself three questions before I hit blogging I've seen everything change multiple publish on a post: "Is this inspirational? Is this times over - from the style of content put out helpful? Does it bring joy?" If I answer no to there, to site designs, to new social media apps, these I try to go back and rework the post until to types of monetisation...it's a constantly it does. changing industry. There's no 'end point' where How do you cope with bad blogging days and you can say 'I've made it'. Rather each and every day you need to learn new skills, adapt to how do you stay inspired during times when you really aren’t feeling the love? new ways of sharing content and consistently build on your brand. These are really hard times. Blogging can, and often does, take you away from other things you love - such as time with friends and family, There’s no ‘end point’ and even sleep! So when you feel like you're where you can say ‘I’ve putting all this effort in and people react negatively (or worse, don't even care!) it can made it.’ take it's toll. It's something I do struggle with, but I always try to remind myself that criticism How do you decide what to publish on your is either a) constructive and something you can learn from OR b) just negative internet chatter blog? Do you pre-plan in advance? that often says more about the person writing it I'm a definite planner! I try to work to a loose than you. schedule at least a month in advance so 20
I think you also need to always be aware of the reasons why you blog. Whether it's a business, a personal project or something else, if you're clear about this intention, other people's praise or criticism really shouldn't matter too much. As the old show business saying goes, "Never believe your best review and never believe your worst.” A brand new reader is visiting your blog for the first time - where should they start? Our about page has everything you need to know about Pretty Fluffy and also, a selection of our most popular and all time favourite posts to get started with. Any words of wisdom to give for someone who wants to start a blog of their own? Set your intention from the start. If you want it to be a business, do it! If you want it to be a personal online journal, great! If you want it to be a hobby that brings you joy, that's wonderful too. Just know the WHY behind creating your blog, as this will give you a foundation to revisit for years to come. If you are clear about why you blog, all the ups, downs and hard work will be worth it. Do you think you’ll still be blogging in ten years time? I definitely think I'll be continuing to create content in 10 years time, but whether that's through blogging will only come through time. Blogging is constantly evolving so I can't even imagine in what form it will exist in ten years, but I definitely hope to be sharing stories and inspirational content for many years to come!
QUICKIES My favourite breakfast food is... poached egg & avo on toast.
I’m loving watching... The Bachelor, I know it's bad but I can't look away! You couldn’t pay me enough money to... wear fur. My perfect evening includes... A great movie, snuggly PJs and a chocolate sundae. If I won the lottery the first thing I would buy is... A farm for rescue dogs.
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You mustn t be afraid to dream a little bigger, darling. Inception
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15 STUPID THINGS EVERY BLOGGER DOES BUT SHOULDN’T Carly Jacobs I don’t like to get too negative because it’s just much nicer to be positive but sometimes we need to be super honest as bloggers and send ourselves to the naughty corner if we’ve been doing things we shouldn’t. Here’s a Do Not Do list to keep you on track with your blogging. I’m guilty of at least ten of these…
DON’T… 1) IGNORE YOUR READERS.
Yes? Do you remember how you caught the virus? Probably not. Its better to concentrate on useful content than viral content because viral content is weird and usually has a cat or a puppy as the main point of interest. Focus on quality, always.
3) IMITATE ANOTHER BLOGGER’S STYLE.
I used to write while watching episodes of Sex And The City but I had to stop because every If you try to have a conversation with someone sentence ended with a Carrie-ism and all my in real life and they don’t say anything back, questions suddenly became rhetorical. Just take what do you do? You walk away from them and a step back from your blog every now and then probably file them in the Weirdo Box of your and make sure you’re speaking in your voice brain. This is pretty much what your blog and not someone else’s. readers think if you don’t reply to them. You might not have time to answer ALL the 4) TAKE AN EXTENDED BREAK questions on a blog post, but at least answer a WITHOUT TELLING ANYONE. good handful of them, and do it regularly. Most of us will at some stage, throw our hands 2) TRY TO WRITE VIRAL CONTENT up and leave our blog in silence for a few ON PURPOSE. days/weeks/months. This is fine - if you need a break, take it, just make sure you let your It just doesn’t work because there is no formula readers know. A simple post that explains for ‘viral’. It just happens. Do you remember where you’re going and when you’ll be back is the last time you caught a virus? all you need. 23
and them know you need a break and you won’t Someone will say something nasty you’ll get traffic from the post, giving you a nice little be a around for a while. alert to the horribleness. Clicking on a hate link 5) STOP READING OTHER BLOGS. is the equivalent of someone shouting insults at you from far away but instead of ignoring them, You can’t really expect other people to read you hand them a microphone. Don’t do it. No your blog if you don’t read blogs. It’s like a good will ever come from you knowing dietician telling their clients to eat salad while someone hates you. Shake it off and go be munching down on a Mars Bar. Stay involved awesome instead. in the community and it will support you right back. 8) VAGUE BLOG WITH NO CLIMAX.
6) BE SNEAKY ABOUT GIFTED ITEMS AND SPONSORED CONTENT. If you got paid to mention a product, label your post as ‘sponsored.’ If you got given an item just pop a note in your blog saying you got gifted the item. Hardly anyone will care if you do this but lots of people will care if you don’t.
7) CLICK ON A LINK YOU’VE BEEN GETTING TRAFFIC FROM THAT SAYS WWW.WORSTBLOGSINTHEWORL D/YOURBLOGNAME
The type of sentence that goes like this‘I’m working on something SUPER exciting but it’s totally hush hush right now - but stay tuned!’ and is then followed up by crickets. If you promise a thing, deliver it otherwise people will stop caring what you say.
9) SKIP PROOF READING AND SPELL CHECKING. Running a spelling and grammar check on your blog before you hit publish, takes only a few minutes and makes the world of difference between your blog looking professional and looking like a milk-drunk toddler wrote it.
It will happen to most bloggers at some point.
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10) FEEL GUILTY ABOUT MONETISING.
about publishing a post and you could spend that time writing an even better post. Just hit publish. Do it!
Really stop doing this. Readers love to tell their favourite bloggers they’ve ‘sold out’ by getting 13) CHECK YOUR STATS EVERY on their high horse about sponsored content. As FIVE SECONDS. long as you love the partnership and it fits well with your blog, those are the only two reasons I always recommend being stats aware, not stats obsessed. Successful bloggers don’t spend 90% you need. of their blogging time watching Google Analytics real time. They spend their time 11) OBSESS OVER NEGATIVE creating awesome content instead. COMMENTS AND IGNORE THE
LOVELY ONES. Over the course of a day, most bloggers will receive dozens of messages and you know the one that always sticks? Not the supportive one about what an amazing writer you are. Not the lovely one about how much a reader loves visiting your blog. It will always be that one dickhead who says they don’t like the colour of your couch or your hair is weird. My advice? Don’t invite cranky parrots over to your house they’re only going to knock everything over and shit on the carpet. Delete and block… and give the majority of your time to the readers who love you.
12) OVER THINK IT. Nothing you do will ever be perfect so just hit publish. You can waste a lot of time worrying
14) COMPARE YOUR BLOG TO THE BIGGEST AND MOST FAMOUS BLOGGER YOU KNOW. This is a huge mistake. Every blogger has to start somewhere so don’t compare your beginning to someone else’s middle. Or even your middle to someone else's middle. Everyone is on their own journey and you’ll never progress along your road if you keep stopping to check out what other people are doing on their road. 15) PUBLISH FILLER CONTENT. It’s better not to publish anything than to post utter crap. 25
Having Her Cake & Eating It Too LORRAINE ELLIOTT Lorraine began her blog Not Quite Nigella in September of 2007 after her family and friends pretty much forced her into it. Since 2000 she has grown her blog into a full time gig, travelling and eating her way around the world and she’s even written a book. And yes, Lorraine has met Nigella Lawson and Nigella thinks her blog name is awesome. 26
When you were a kid, could you have predicted that one day you would be a blogger?
Can you tell us one thing about blogging that you wish you had known from the beginning?
Haha when I was a kid the term blogger wasn't invented or the internet wasn't even a thing. So probably not! I wanted to be a make up artist
That it was possible to make it a job. A renowned industry expert took a look at my blog and said that people would never be able to make a living from blogging. Or maybe that was just me he was referring to.
What’s the weirdest thing that’s happened to you as a result of blogging? Weird and magical things happen on an almost daily basis. I did get a book deal from my blog which was unexpected and wonderful! How did you ‘get into’ blogging? Do you remember discovering blogging as a ‘thing’? I remember reading my first blog. To me it was just another way of accessing information and I liked reading them so I started one of my own, not with the idea that it would become a job. It was like a daily diary of food eaten and made. If you weren’t a blogger, what do you think you would be doing? I sometimes wonder if I would still be in advertising working as a media strategist. I'd like to think that I would have left to pursue something more fulfilling. Fly away that other Lorraine, fly away!
How do you decide what to publish on your blog? Do you pre-plan in advance? I pre-plan about a week in advance unless I am going away. I always want to have variety and I also check the weather and current events because that can make a difference with how readers respond to a post. How do you cope with bad blogging days and how do you stay inspired during times when you really aren’t feeling the love?
I've got a really strange, stubborn side to me. When the going gets tough, I dig my heels in and work harder. It's probably the Taurean in me. There are days though when I really want to say have a weekend afternoon off. If I need to, I will but because it's just me, it can be difficult. I give myself time in lieu if I need to. Mondays are usually lighter days because the weekend is so busy. I'm a really tough boss though quite honestly. 27
A brand new reader is visiting your blog for the first time - where should they start? Wherever they see a recipe or a review or travel story that catches their eye - hopefully they don't have to look too far. Any words of wisdom to give for someone who wants to start a blog of their own? You really need to be determined and patient. Don't seek fast gains and just enjoy blogging for the pleasure of communicating.
Do you think you’ll still be blogging in ten years time? If the internet will still have me!
Don’t seek fast gains and just enjoy blogging for the pleasure of communicating.
QUICKIES My favourite breakfast food is... jaffles or savoury pastry. I’m loving watching... television. I'm obsessed. In particular Orange Is The New Black, The Killing, Law & Order SVU, Breaking Bad, Better Call Saul and Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt. You couldn’t pay me enough money to... give up my favourite foods. My perfect evening includes... lots of good food, cocktails, cake and good friends. If I won the lottery the first thing I would buy is... a raccoon. 28
I love the smell of fresh ideas in the morning. secretbloggersbusiness.com 29
dreamcreatedo.com
5 THINGS WE LOVE ABOUT…
DREAM CREATE DO Each issue of SBB magazine we’re going to profile a blogger we love, who does good stuff. on the internets. This issue we’re looking at Rachel Gadiel from Dream Create Do. Here’s why we think she’s ace… WHEN YOU CLICK ON HER SITE YOU KNOW EXACTLY WHAT IT’S ABOUT
HER BRANDING IS SUPER CONSISTENT
It’s pretty annoying when you click on a website and you have no idea what it’s about or why you should read it. When you click on Dream Create Do (dreamcreatedo.com ) there’s no doubt as to why you’re there. It’s about crushing your goals and designing a life that’s perfect for you. Bam.
No matter where you follow Rachel on the web, her branding and look is really consistent. There’s clean, uncluttered designs, beautiful stationary, bright flat lays and beautiful inspiration quotes. You won’t find a picture of sloppy hamburger on Rachel’s Instagram account.
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THERE’S TEMPTING LITTLE MORSELS RIGHT ON THE FRONT PAGE Rachel doesn’t make you work to find her best content - it’s all right there on the front page where you can have a cruise and pick out the stuff you want to read. Favourites of ours include 6 simple steps to crush every goal you set in 2016 and 7 simple ways to embrace minimalism and de-clutter your life in 2016. SHE SHARES PICTURES OF HERSELF There’s a fine line to tread when it comes to sharing photos of yourself on your blog and Rachel has nailed it. She has a few beautiful, professional photos of herself dotted around the blog so you know who is ‘speaking’ to you. It’s adds a more personal element to her teachings.
HER BLOG NAME IS ALSO HER HASHTAG Her blog header is also a hashtag which is so genius we wish we thought of it ourselves. That way if any of her readers upload a photo as result of something she’s taught them they know to hashtag it #dreamcreatedo. Brilliant.
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MAKE AN ONLINE MAGAZINE (…LIKE THIS ONE)
Just because the print magazine industry is slowly (or quickly!) going bust, that doesn’t mean the magazine style content formula isn’t a valuable tool for blogging. It’s unlikely you’re going to make your fortune from an online magazine but they can still be fantastic drivers for community growth and promotion of paid products. It’s also super simple to do - just think of it as a whole lot of blog posts published at the same time. You can even re-purpose existing blog content in your magazine. Let’s do this!
STEP ONE Figure out your publishing schedule and content plan. Do you want to release a new magazine every second month ,or once a month? Do you have the time and resources? Make sure you plan ahead. Batching is also a good way to get things done - it’s much quicker to put together and design five online magazine covers in one go than it is to do them individually. Planning ahead also means you won’t miss major events and holidays in your magazine.
STEP TWO Use Photoshop or PowerPoint to put it all together. Pro tip: If you’re not great at design, pay someone else to do it for you. Graphic design students will sometimes offer discount rates and that way you can get it done quickly without causing yourself any grief. Also look at fivrr.com to get a template. We’ve also got a few bits 32 and pieces in the SBB shop!
STEP THREE Get someone to proof read it. Technically you can still edit an online magazine but Issu (the platform we use and we’re about to tell you all about it!) uploads the magazine as a PDF, so if there are any mistakes you’ll need to re-upload the fixed version. It’s much easier to just get it right the first time. You can definitely proof read it yourself, you just have to give yourself at least 24 hours between when you wrote it to when you check it. It’s almost impossible to proof read something you’ve just written.
STEP FOUR Pop it up on Issuu. It’s a free (to start with) platform for publishing online magazines. Make sure your magazine is all ready to go, proof read and looking spiffy, then join Issuu and upload your magazine as a PDF. Easy.
STEP FIVE Spread the word about your magazine - tell your blog readers, your Facebook followers, your Instagram followers -everyone! This is the perfect way to increase you email subscribers too - make sure everyone who wants the magazine has to sign up for it. Pro Tip - Buy the URL for your magazine title and redirect it to your sign up page. That way people can find it (and sign up for it!) by Googling it. If you make an online magazine we’d love to see it! Just pop a screenshot up of it on Instagram with hashtag #SBBmag so we can find you!
SBB Blog Planner 2016 Make 2016 the #bestyearever for your Blog with help from our gorgeous 2016 #blogyeah Blog planner. Our exclusive and gorgeously designed Blog Planner includes over 200 pages of checklists, planners, calendars and extra bonus printables you need to get your blog on track.
Split into two sections to help you both plan out your best ever blogging year, and then to stay on track day by day as well. GET ORGANISED AND GET YOUR NOW AT secretbloggersbusiness.selz.com