5 Tips I’ve learnt in the first 6 months as a blogger and bookstagramer.
I started my blog back in December and I'm writing this post in July. Over these past months I have come across some tips and learnt a lot. In today’s post I will be sharing with you 5 tips I have come across. So let’s get straight into this!
Consistency is key
This may be one of the most important tips out there.
Let’s say when you start your blog you are posting every Monday and Friday at 11 am exactly, but then after two months you start slacking off your posts. Any readers who’s attention you have caught those past few months will be diverted towards someone who is constantly consistent with their posts.
Your readers had probably taken out a set part of their routine to read your posts and they would also have a set time of the day they knew you would be online or reachable.
If you stop posting consistently and start being more free. Let’s say, now you post any day and time of the week, without informing your readers they will probably forget to check in for new posts. Which would result in loss of engagement.
Coming back to “consistency is key”.When starting share your post at various times and days. Over the course of let's say your first 5 posts, study your analytics and see which posts are performing better. Gradually you will find a set day and time at which your post is attracting the most traffic. Share this with your readers/audience.
Another word for this would be a “posting schedule”. Sharing a posting schedule with your audience will inform them of when to expect posts. Also remember to inform them anytime you won’t be sharing a post, as to not keep them waiting.
2) Interaction and engagement.
Interaction and engagement with your followers is what will get you wherever it is you wish to be. So much of our time we get so focused on the number of followers we have acquired that we forget to interact and actually build connections with them. Now I’m not saying that you have to interact and stay in touch with every single person following you all the time but doing small things such as thanking someone for a follow or welcoming someone to your page is what will build connections.
Engaging with your followers helps you to build connections with them. I mean, what’s the point of having 5000 followers but not having connections with any of them.
Having 5000 followers who just follow for follow backs or follow only to forget about your page, is worse than having 0 followers. Having 10 followers who actually visit your page and follow up on your posts is better than having 5000 non responsive followers.
3) Trying out different methods and styles
When first starting out with your blog make sure you have a niche in mind, an idea of what you want to do or what you would like your blog to look like. Done? Ok now let’s do some research.
Everyone will have their own style. There’s many classified ones out there already, such as boho, cottage core, dark/light academia, grunge, etc. However it is not necessary that you pick from one of these styles. It is entirely possible to mix and match styles.
Some ways to find what works best for you is to head over to Pinterest and search with certain keywords respective to you. You are most likely to find a few if not many pins that you like. There may be certain elements that you like such as plants and a more simple vibe than a more scattered one.
Another way to find inspiration is by going on bookstagram and having a look at other’s profiles. You’re most likely to see how they have managed to keep a consistent vibe and aesthetic throughout their feed, all while keeping it true to themselves.
For Example :
@thelindsayeliz
.
@lit.byjules
@softie.for.books
@Skyeslibrary
4) Content planning
When I first started with my blog I didn't have any idea of what I was doing. I would just post on Wednesdays. It was just a post on the blog and then a story on my snapchat (which was only visible to family & friends). I wasn’t planning ahead and had no clear idea of what to do, when to do it and how to it.
In feburary I started my bookstagram and at first I would only post the graphics from my stories on there. I wasn’t doing bookstagram pictures or random updates. Just straight to it.
As time went by I came onto the idea of introducing new stuff to my blog. I made a posting schedule and shared it with my followers. However almost everyday day before a post went up I would be scrambling for ideas.
I had heard a lot about content plans and I made my first content plan in June.
Now what is content planning and how do you do it ?
Content planning is planning posts for a certain amount of time beforehand, a week let’s say.
It’s not like you have to take a week worth of pictures and write a week worth of blogposts. Basically you just plan out what all you will be doing.
For example :
Over here you have a clear view of your whole week. If your just write stuff like blogpost or bookstagram picture, there’s no point. A content plan makes sure you know exactly what you’re posting. Like on Thursday you are posting a subject specific reel and when you look at this plan you know what that subject is.
To make a content plan you need to brainstorm and do research. Once you have a bunch of ideas you need to sort them out (like I have done above) and then you will have yourself a content plan.
In short, content planning is a simple and helpful way to keep yourself consistent, satisfied and on your toes with all your content!
5) Have fun with what you post and be YOU!
Doing and being you, is what will attract people to your page. If you try to copy someone else’s feed or content just because it’s attracting people to their page and working for them, doesn’t mean it's going to work for you. You have to be original and be true to yourself. The more you do that the more unique your content will be and it will also attract the right audience to your page. Which is very important, especially in terms of engagement (point 2)
That’s it folks!
If you have any questions feel free to email me - Thereadingcornerstone@gmail.com
@wondrouslybooked
