I’ve received lots of requests to ‘pick my brain’ or ‘let’s meet for coffee!’. So I thought I’d put my best blogging tips into one post for you guys!
I’m definitely not the biggest blogger out there. But I’d like to bring a fresh perspective and share some tips (with action items) I haven’t seen anywhere else. I also help brands with their social media, so I get to see a lot of ‘behind the scenes’. These words of wisdom are especially great for bloggers who are just starting out or feel like they’re spinning their wheels.
Also, I’m sharing TWO events coming up where I’ll be elaborating on these points more! All the details on when and how to attend are below. The swag bags are worth it alone. Fingers crossed we can finally meet in person!
IF YOU TAKE ONE THING FROM THIS POST, IT’S THIS…
It’s easy to feel defeated when you see so many bloggers out there with 15k, 20k, 100k+ followers. Well good news! You don’t have to have 10k+ Instagram followers to work with dream brands or make a good amount of money. I’d also like to point out that just because someone has a ton of Instagram followers doesn’t mean they have a loyal following. I always say to my clients… it’s better to have 100 followers who buy your products/services than 100K followers who just ‘like’ your pictures. So realize there’s WAY more to blogging than just Instagram. If you’re just starting out or small, I PROMISE there are TONS of opportunities out there for you.
So with that being said, let’s hop to it!
MY TOP 4 BLOGGING TIPS
MAKE FRIENDS WITH SMALL BLOGGERS TOO // Blogging is A LOT. And the industry changes every day. So it’s almost impossible to keep up without having friends or mentors in the industry. They help cut your learning curve in half and you get advice you’d never have found anywhere else.
But one thing I notice over and over in the blogging world is THIS. Everyone wants to befriend the “bigger bloggers”. Which is fine btw! BUT they’re so focused on trying to ‘get in’ with the top influencers that they miss out on an abundant amount of advice, tips and opportunities with smaller bloggers. Get. This. The BIGGEST opportunities I’ve received are shockingly from influencers much smaller than me!
Here’s why. Smaller bloggers are more eager to swap tips and share new things because they’re trying to grow too. And more than likely, they’re friends with some of those big bloggers you’d like to meet!
Here is quite the ENLIGHTENING READ to further my case.
Here’s a perfect REAL LIFE example of how a smaller blogger helped me. Last year I asked a new influencer if she’d like to join a giveaway campaign I was doing. I had taken a liking to this little lady and knew it would be beneficial to her. Little did I know that she heads up the marketing department for a very well known national brand who was getting ready for a blogger campaign. She ended up suggesting me as an influencer! I got paid quite nicely and judging by the other bloggers on the campaign, I would NEVER have been selected if it wasn’t for her. So my point? Don’t judge a book by it’s cover. Look at everyone as an opportunity. You NEVER know who their sister or BFF is. Don’t miss out on things right in front of your face because you’re chasing after people who everyone else is chasing after. It’s these tiny pieces of advice and connections that add up BIG TIME.
DON’T BE AFRAID TO SCALE BACK SHORT TERM TO GROW BIGGER LONG TERM // It’s so easy to get caught up in the weeds that we forget to do things that really make a difference! One year I cut down on blogging significantly to focus on photography. It was a SLOW year to say the least. I could have kept trucking along as usual but never would have grown. Learning how to shoot manual, understanding what makes a photo appealing and how to edit in Lightroom pushed me to a whole new level of professionalism and opportunities. Within a year, bigger and better brands wanted to work with me and my following had stayed relatively the same! So don’t be afraid to scale back on blogging, Instagram, etc. to learn how to do something that will really move the needle – like SEO, Pinterest or start a killer newsletter.
Know What Makes You Different. And If You Don’t Know. Figure It Out // You guys. We’re competing with people like THIS and THIS out there. So if you are doing the same thing, why would people follow you when they can follow them? I know. It’s depressing. But I hope it lights a fire under your tush and you don’t wait as long as I did to nail this down.
Since I don’t look like a model, have a team of people to help me or millions of dollars to spend on advertising, I knew I needed to have my “own spin” to stand out in such a saturated market.
If you are blogging regularly, working like a dog, but not growing – then this is a sign it’s time to focus on your niche. Even if your content is AMAZING – your message and angle needs to be clear, concise and obvious for people to ‘get it’.
I struggled with this FOREVER. I felt like I wasn’t different AT ALL or really that special from other bloggers. But I got tired of putting SO much work into blogging and spinning my wheels. And I found out, EVERYONE has something different to offer. You’ve just got to spend the time figuring it out.
So here’s how I did it. One of the BEST things I ever did is talk with a marketing expert. To get a completely unbiased and truthful perspective, it’s important to work with someone who isn’t your friend or family member. It was fascinating to learn that my blog wasn’t conveying anything I thought it was. And actually, she told me she had no idea what my blog was about because it was all over the place. Haha! She really helped me narrow down my niche and communicate it on my About Page, Instagram profile and more. And guess what? I’ve never had MORE relevant brands reach out to me than ever before! It’s something so little and small but it’s a HUGE GAME CHANGER GUYS.
Re-Share, Re-Share and Re-Share Your Evergreen Content // I’ve tripled my commissions on RewardStyle (an affiliate program) by simply repurposing evergreen content on Facebook. I share the same blog posts over and over, mixed in with the new stuff too! Before I’d just share new posts (which was maybe 3-5 times a week). Now I’m posting on Facebook multiple times a day. Which is full of interesting and helpful content to my followers. We put HOURS into one blog post, it should be shared multiple times – not just once!
Not to mention, people MISS posts allllll the time too. Which is why you should re-share. Also, did you know people have to see something SEVEN times before they buy something? It’s true! I use a third party scheduler to tee up my evergreen content in advance. This way I don’t even have to think about it. It took about TWO months to actually see results, but the change is unreal given the little effort it takes to implement.
I have so much more advice to share but but I’m saving the BEST for the two events I’m speaking at next week and in August! They’re in the suburbs too. So if you don’t live in the city, this is especially AWESOME! Here’s the scoop…
2 Chicago Suburb Events You Must Go To!
July 25th
Power of She @ Brewpoint
Price: FREE
August 19th
Boss Babes & Bubbly @ Levato Salon
What: This event is held by Levato Salon in Hinsdale – which is where I get my hair colored! It actually feels like a Chicago salon in the suburbs, which is basically impossible to find. Ashley, the owner, is very innovative and forward thinking and she’s hosting a awesome learning panel for women!
The main focus is trying new beauty products and hair styling, but also learn how to grow your Instagram and social media! There are four of us bloggers speaking on the panel and three of them have a HUGE Instagram following. I’m talking 50 – 100k. I just broke 10k a few months ago, so to say I’m honored to be included in this fab group of ladies is an understatement! Here’s the scoop on each speaker…
The Speakers
- Jennifer Worman of @redsolesandredwine: I’ve know Jen for awhile and she is a BOSS. She’s not only one of the OG Chicago bloggers but she also owns a darling online jewelry and clothing boutique that has blown up. Despite her HUGE following, she is so down to earth, genuine and has a wardrobe you’d kill for!
- Amanda Ivanelli of @aivanelli: I actually just started following Amanda and I’m obsessed with her life. You will be too once you check her out. She lives in Hinsdale/Chicago, has the best style and always jet setting around. Make sure you check out her Justin Beiber Instagram story. Oh, and she’s pregnant with her fourth baby! She makes being a wife and mom look SO easy and fabulous.
- Lauren Sebastian of @bigblondehair: Okay you guys are going to DIE. Especially if you are my Bravo soul mate. Lauren hunts down every cute outfit on all of our favorite reality TV shows and shares exactly where to get them! I’m talking Southern Charm, The Bachelor & Bachelorette, alllllllll the Real Housewives and more. It’s the best outfit inspiration and resource EVER….
- And ME!!!
How To Attend:
You can purchase tickets here!
If you’re an influencer, keep reading! Before the main event, there will be a VIP hour for other social media Influencers from 2-3pm with product sampling, mimosas, and photos by a professional photographer. If you are an influencer and want to attend this, email me at nicole@cedarandrush.com and I will get you on the list!
All right. That was A LOT I know! I hope it made up for my radio silence the rest of the week.
P.S. Tomorrow I’m sharing THE BEST Nordstrom Anniversary Sale Finds Under $99! And most of them are under $60.
Photography by Paige Babilla
