Every now and then, when I mention to someone that I run a blog…I can see the wheels start to turn.
Why would some one choose to essentially give themselves a second job for very little reward at the beginning? How do bloggers make money? How much work goes into putting a post together? Why even do it?
The reason I began blogging is very simple and personal.
In all honesty…. I simply love design. I am interested in peoples stories, and I love to learn about their creative process. I am inspired by beautiful things and I love to share my finds, my ideas, and my inspirations with the people around me.
I started Lilt Blog over 5 years ago. It’s been a labour of love which I have put countless of hours into. Often unpaid. Mostly unpaid.
Blogging can be a tough gig, especially in an over saturated field.
On one hand, the beauty of blogs is that anyone can type away and share their story, their opinion, their take on any given subject. On the other it means that due to the sheer amount of blogs out there, a lot of us get lost in the crowd. Hidden away in the algorithm of the hottest new form of social media.
2018 has been a particularly difficult year for me in terms of blogging. A few personal issues, including health, moving house, family matters and (in a positive light) a promotion at my full time job, meant that I’ve not been able to create as much content as I would’ve liked to for my readers in the first half of this year, and in the blogging world, momentum is everything!
Blogging can also often be pretty lonely work. On this side of the screen, you type away your feelings & thoughts. You give away your time, skills and expertise (again often for free) in the hope that it will connect with your readers. That something that you are promoting, or discussing changes their lives for the better.
In recent conversations with friends, it became obvious to me that a lot of people didn’t really know how to help me succeed in my ambition to make Lilt Blog a profitable endeavour. It’s not necessarily that they didn’t enjoy my content, but instead, that they did not realise how some very simple actions could help me and Lilt Blog grow a lot.
So I have decided to put together a little guide on how to help your blogger friends succeed. I hope you enjoy!
NOVICE
Hit the ‘like’ button – One of the easiest ways to help your blogger friends succeed is to ‘like’ their content. The more ‘likes’ a post gets the more exposure it will get on social media. Hitting ‘like’ takes only one second, but makes a massive difference in getting your friend’s work out there in front of other people who may also enjoy it. Hitting ‘like’ is super easy but extremely supportive, and I promise you that any blogger with integrity, truly notices and appreciates every encouraging ‘like’ they see!
Leave a comment – If you want to take it a step further, leaving a comment on your friend’s post also increases its exposure. Not only are words of encouragement always appreciated, but open discussion creates engagement with other readers. Brands love to work with content creators that have an engaged following, so contributing to conversations is a massive help to your blogging buddies. No one ever wants to be the first to leave a comment or put their hand up… so if you see a lonely post with a picture or story that you love, take a moment to tell the creator so. It will mean the world to them!
INTERMEDIATE
Share content with friends – People seem to find this step a little bit more personal and harder to action than the prior 2. But if you really truly love a post that you have seen or read, why not share it with your friends? On Facebook this might mean sharing a post or picture on your wall. On Instagram you could tag a friend who you think would enjoy the content. Or tweet it out into the world on your Twitter feed. Every single share connects a blogger with a new reader and helps them grow! So in a way you deserve double brownie points for helping the blogger get extra exposure, and your friend learn or see something new that they might enjoy.
Click on affiliate links and advertising – Most blogs will have some sort of advertising on their website. Whether this is in the form of traditional advertising, or through the use of affiliate links. What this means is that if you click through an ad or affiliate link on a blog’s website and purchase an item from the advertiser’s site, the blogger earns a small commission but you don’t pay any extra at all. In all honesty the commission is not usually much (often 3-5%) but every little bit helps to compensate the blogger for their time and work.
EXPERT
Subscribe – One of the greatest ways to help your blogger friends succeed is to subscribe to their services. It may be a weekly or monthly newsletter or an interactive challenge . By subscribing it means you never miss a post, and you can help your blogger friends get more page views on their website, which in turn helps them work with brands.
Give feedback – If you read your friend’s blog, let them know. If you found something useful, definitely let them know! Nothing gives me more pleasure than knowing what my readers enjoy learning about, and also what they may not be so interested in. Giving constructive feedback can only help bloggers create better content that YOU the reader will love!
EXTRA BROWNIE POINTS
Have a leisurely browse through their website – At the end of the day, success can mean so many different things to a blogger. But having people read and engage with my content is how I measure my success. I love seeing popular posts do well. To me that means the post is helpful to my readers in one way or another. I also love if I know that readers are coming back for more and the only way I can know that is if they continue to click through my posts or leave comments on my blog. If you’re ever on your friends blog and love a post, check out some of the other recommended reading posts. Not only will you help them gain more page views but you might just get some more of the content you enjoy so much!
Thank you so much for reading this post! I really hope you enjoyed it!
If you did, don’t forget to like, comment and share with your friends…. because as we learned today…. that’s what it’s all about 😉
And if you have any extra tips on how to help your blogger friends succeed, please do let me know in the comments below.
x Luciana
I loved this post! Little actions have a big impact in numbers. I LOVE your blog and your writing style, I’ll keep supporting you!
Thanks so much Claire! Your support means so much to me 🙂
I feel the same way about The Fashion Advocate!
Great guide — I’ve never actually seen an article on this before! Hope 2018 starts to improve for you x
I’m so glad you liked it! thanks for the comment Kat! hope you’re well 🙂
what a refreshing read Luci! It’s rare to see a blogger write about the sometimes harsh reality of what a lot of readers probably perceive as glamorous and easy job. Your hard work, passion and determination show in every post. Proud of you! 😘
Thank you so much for that lovely comment Yianni! Super kind of you! You’re the most supportive friend EVAH!!! xoxo