Happy Friday!
Throughout my years of blogging, I've been asked numerous times: how did you gain all of those followers?
I always get DM's and emails from people asking me for blogging advice so today I'll be sharing some of my tips for anyone who is looking to start a blog, anyone who needs help growing their existing blog, tips for content creators, including social media tips on how to increase your following and engage with your followers.
A lot of people want all of these followers right away, they want to see results ASAP, but they don't want to put in the work and go through the process which is the hard work it takes to build up your following and even get to that next level.
You can't skip the process!
You can try and take the easy way out: buy followers. But, trust me, you're only hurting yourself in the long run. You want loyal followers, engagement, and you don't want Instagram or any other social media platform shutting your page down due to buying fake followers.
My top key advice for bloggers and content creators:
▪ Understand your audience. Know who you're writing to, why are you writing, and what service are you providing them.
▪ You have to be consistent. Posting everyday is the key to gaining an active following, especially now more than before thanks to Instagram's algorithm.
▪ Engagement. Not only do you have to consistently post, but you should "like" and comment on other posts and link up with other bloggers/writers. Get involved! Social media works two ways: post for your followers but also respond and engage with others.
▪ Start building an email list ASAP!
▪ You really have to love what you do, be passionate and believe in what you're writing/publishing.
| ▪ | Understand your audience. Know who you're writing to, why are you writing, and what service are you providing them. |
| ▪ | You have to be consistent. Posting everyday is the key to gaining an active following, especially now more than before thanks to Instagram's algorithm. |
| ▪ | Engagement. Not only do you have to consistently post, but you should "like" and comment on other posts and link up with other bloggers/writers. Get involved! Social media works two ways: post for your followers but also respond and engage with others. |
| ▪ | Start building an email list ASAP! |
| ▪ | You really have to love what you do, be passionate and believe in what you're writing/publishing. |
Can blogging be tiring sometimes? Yes. Are there times when I've felt like quitting? Oh, hell yes. But, do you know what keeps me going ... my love for writing and just knowing that I have amazing loyal followers and people out there who are rooting for me. You really have to love blogging and come into this with the mindset that you're not going to make any money. If you start off thinking you're automatically going to be rich, then you'll be disappointed and won't be motivated to write and blog.
And, don't be discouraged. It took me three years until I actually started making some kind of money from my blog. But, I didn't start blogging for money. Blogging is one of my hobbies, my passion first, and then it turned into a small business.
Never Give Up
What makes certain bloggers pop more than others is how much time and effort they're willing to put into their craft, their personality and what makes them different from others, and the toughness it takes to keep pushing through, taking in criticism, posting consistently, even when you don't feel like it and when you feel like no one is reading your work, and the quality of that work.
I was listening to The Little Miss Entertainment podcast earlier this week, one of my favorite podcasts which always inspires me, and she interviewed xoNecole contributing writer, blogger & podcast host Aley Arion. Aley said a couple of things that hit home for me and one of them being: don't give up! She said, you never know who is watching your hustle, and the moment you give up may be the moment when some amazing opportunity may come along. You just never know! But, if you give up, you will never know.
I actually almost quit blogging in 2013. This was before I got on Instagram. I had those feelings where I felt like no one was reading my posts and I actually got a little discouraged. I was close to shutting my blog down, but instead I took some months off and during my break, I found inspiration and remembered why I started. I LOVE this blogging shit! Lol. So, I got back in the game and I'm so glad I did. Then, I expanded and put my blog on Instagram in 2014 and that opened up new opportunities, a bunch of new followers/fans of my blog, and also more money.
Would you like more details on how to grow your blog and social media following? I have these answers plus more laid out on my Boss Blog Tips blog!
Read my blog post: How I Reached More Than 100k Instagram Followers + 7 Actionable Tips To Help Grow Your Page
This blog post includes:
▪ Establishing Yourself On Instagram
▪ Posting Everyday
▪ Building Relationships With Other Bloggers
▪ Promoting Others
▪ Building Relationships With Your IG Followers
▪ Using #Hashtags
▪ Promoting Yourself
▪ Getting Shoutouts
▪ And More!
| ▪ | Establishing Yourself On Instagram |
| ▪ | Building Relationships With Other Bloggers |
| ▪ | Building Relationships With Your IG Followers |
Also, read: 11 Things I Wish I Knew Before I Started Blogging
