Two years ago I revealed some blogging truths in something called 10 Real-Talk Blog Tips. There’s a lot we don’t talk about when it comes to the business of blogging because we want to make things look easy… you know, like all of us bloggers wake up with perfect cat-eye makeup and Bundt cakes that slide effortlessly out of the pan every single time. Truth is, it’s messy and haphazard. Some of us have editorial calendars and secret staff photographers. Others of us just fly by the seat of our pants and super stress out when tax time comes around. It’s a mixed bag.
If you’re a new blogger, aspiring blogger, or frustrated blogger, allow me to offer you a different perspective: it’s not all cat-eye, DIY, and stacked cookies (although sometimes it is, and that’s cool too).
(Another) 10 Real-Talk Blog Tips
One: It’s easy, ooooh so easy, to feel like you can’t keep up with the blogging world. Some bloggers offer up new content every few days. Some bloggers post every single day. Some bloggers have three kids, are learning a new language, and post multiple times a day. It’s easy to feel like the Internet is screaming ahead of you. I understand. It’s overwhelming. My advice: go at your own pace! You’re the boss of you. Set a loose posting schedule that works for you, and try hard to reach those goals. Push yourself, but be kind to yourself. Both feel really good.
Two: A new trend in food photography involves downloading loads of super cute fonts and creating awesome text treatments over pretty pictures of stacked pancakes and glazed doughnuts. It’s totally a thing. It’s totally pretty. Here’s the deal: it’s ok if you don’t put text on your pictures.
Someone had to say it.
Just because it’s a trend doesn’t mean it’s right for your blog. Every time I consider a trend, I think back to the time I got a short bobbed haircut because it was all the rage in junior high. The result? Frizzy triangle hair. Trends can be a trap. And yes… I am FOREVER talking about my various hair traumas.
Three: There are all sorts of ways to rank and rate blogs. Ignore Ignore Ignore! Sites like Alexa will rank your blog in terms of traffic, link backs, and God knows what else. Don’t pay any mind to Internet rankings. Do what you do, and keep doing it better and better. Be your own barometer.
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