Blogging 101: From Woah to Wow...

Now I am certainly no expert on giving anybody blogging advice; however, I have learnt a have tips and tricks along the way that have definitely improved my blog. ATF used to be a bright pink, celeb-style based blog that I loved but was very undeveloped and unsophisticated. I blogged once a week, if that even, and I was genuinely sick of the layout and content. In 2011, this blog saw to some changes and became cleaner, brighter and more professional. The content and style was much more me and I found myself being motivated and excited to blog. That's the whole point of blogging, isn't it? Having a little space on this thing we call the internet and sharing to others what we love. There are times however, where you'll find yourself perhaps too busy, not motivated or enthusiastic about blogging and basically a bit down in the dumps. So, here are a few blogging tips I've learned along the way that might just turn that frown upside down...

1. You are more than just your traffic I don't blog just to see numbers stacking up; I blog because I love it, I enjoy sharing ideas to others and writing about fashion and beauty. Don't get disheartened if for a while, it may only be you reading your blog. It took this blog about 2 years for a good daily reading. It all takes time, effort and most of all, enjoyment. 
2. Spruce up your site Thinking about the user experience when browsing your site and building a website that works for you and your content is a really good way to start taking things a little more seriously. At first I just used one of the basic blogger templates but after a while I was itching for something new, so I started to customize my blog to make it my own (this can be done while still using one of the templates). Personally, I like reading blogs with a clean, white background and kept very minimalistic. Giving your website some attention and building something that works for you is a great step to take.
3. Use social media as an extension of your brand Social media is such a powerful platform to grow your blog and develop your brand. Keep things consistent across all platforms with your visuals and your tone, and curate accounts that share your personal brand and who you are in a really authentic way. It's taken me a while to really find my feet in social media - I've found focusing on just one or two platforms is the best way to go for me, instead of just spreading myself too thin across many. Pinterest is one that is so powerful, but often forgotten.
4. Plan ahead A little structure can help with the creative process, and makes time management a whole lot easier.
5. Slumps happen, it's okay It's normal to not feel completely in love with your blog and blogging all of the time. I had one major slump earlier in the year and it was actually a good thing as it helped me fall back in love with my blog again and really discover what I want this space to be.
6. It’s okay not to be good at everything Here's the thing, it's really okay if you're not fantastic at everything you do. I write, it's who I am and it's what feeds me as a person, so I'm a-okay with not being the best photographer in the world. For a long time with my blog I felt like I had to take dreamy photographs, but really I'm finding that I'd rather play to my strengths than obsess over my weaknesses.
7. Don’t try and emulate what has already come It exists because they created it - feel inspired by them, but don’t try and imitate their work. Create something that hopefully will inspire others too.
8. Know your audience - interact with your readers, get to know them and build a relationship so when you write you can keep them in mind. Engagement is key for a happy blogging life in general.
9. Be yourself - don't be afraid to do something a little differently, just because things have been done a certain way so far it doesn't mean you can't do your own thing and not follow the crowd. Embrace your individuality as it's key to an authentic and original creative voice. 
10. Create content you're excited about One of the biggest things I've learnt is that if I'm not excited about the content I'm setting live, chances are you guys won't be either. This isn't a very review heavy blog, as they aren't something I massively enjoy working on so I try and keep things as interesting and conceptual as possible content wise. The last thing you want is to be working on content that you think you should be writing instead of creating something you actually want to be working on - the latter tends to be executed best.

Hope you all enjoyed reading something a little different over on here today! P.S: I'm still taking all of this my advice in myself - I should really practice what I preach!