I started my blog almost 3 years ago, I had NO idea what I was doing and I didn’t have a single reader. I had this dream to have a beauty blog, I was ONLY going to blog about makeup and beauty tips…but, after I hit my first major rut and getting overwhelmed with so many new makeup products, I slowly stopped posting. I needed that break to think about where I wanted my blog to go, and after much thought and a light-bulb going off in my head, I realized that I didn’t have to blog just about makeup, I could do whatever I wanted to do!
So I buckled down, set some goals and that day, I decided that 2016 was going to be the year that Beauty With Lily became something more! So here I am today sharing with you what I did to get that motivation to grow my blog!
- Write Down Your Goals
- Get started by writing what you want to get done in 1 month, 3 months, 1 year, etc. I am a very visual person, so I have to be able to see and write things down…and I also get so much satisfaction from checking off a goal after I’ve accomplished it. I suggest putting these goals in a place where you will see them daily, I like to keep mine in my blogging notebook, it’s something I reach for every single day.
- Research
- No, not boring research! I mean go out and see what is trending, see what other bloggers are doing, but don’t copy them…get inspiration from them, see what’s popular on YouTube, Pinterest or BuzzFeed. Another thing to do is finding out who your audience will be, what kind of topics will they want read up on — you want to keep them interested and coming back for more — ask for feedback and communicate with your readers. Laslty, always brainstorm on new ideas and branch off of them — don’t stop at just one thing.
- Reach Out
- Talk to other bloggers, find a community and communicate with them, ask for help if needed, chances are they will be more than happy to help. It’s essential to build online relationships, after all they read your blog too. An added bonus to this, blog friends can also help motivate you when you’re in a rut! And if you can, join a community that will help grow your blog as well.
- Get on Pinterest
- If I’m ever feeling uninspired or lacking motivation, I hit up Pinterest! I usually end up coming across a quote that motivates me, or a picture that inspires my next topic.
- Rebrand
- One game changer for me was investing in my blog — look out for an entire blog post on investing in your blog very soon. I was extremely hesitant and didn’t want to “throw away” my money…but in all reality, putting a little money into a new template and editing software actually motivated me to put in the work that my blog needed to grow. Keep in mind that you don’t have to spend tons of money on this, my template was only $20!
- Get Things Organized
- Start by organizing your work space, I am the type of person who works better in a clutter-free environment. If there’s too much clutter, I can’t focus on the task I’m working on. If possible, set up a work space that you can dedicate to blogging work, remember, you don’t have to go out and spend money on this. Another thing to organize is your blog, I organized my pages, my about me and side bar. It’s easier to navigate and everything is clear to read.
- Work Harder Smarter
- You see, I love my blog and enjoy it so much…but it’s not my bread and butter, so I needed to come up with a plan to work smarter, not harder. I set a schedule of days that I plan on working strictly on blog/YouTube related things. For instance, if I know my family and I are going to spend a weekend away, I will dedicate a day to film 2 videos, take my weekly Instagram and blog pictures, type my posts, edit and I will even schedule Twitter and Facebook posts for the week. I typically do this all in one day, that way I have the rest of the week to focus on other things. It’s all about time management and planning your work ahead of time.
- Reward Yourself
- Once you have marked off a goal, reward yourself! Do something you don’t normally do, buy yourself something new, take a day off. For example, one of my goals is to reach 1,000 subscribers on YouTube by the end of this year, once that happens, I plan on rewarding myself by upgrading my camera!
Lastly, be realistic…the chances of going viral overnight are pretty slim. Besides, I would much rather have 20 loyal and supportive followers, that always read my content and leave genuine comments, than have 2,000 who come every once in awhile and leave a “great post” comment. It will take time, but don’t get discouraged and always keep a positive mindset!
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