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Wednesday

5 steps to a better blog for YOU!

Hi, there! I've been thinking lately about loving your own blog.. and there are many ways to achieve this! I personally love being on my own blog (don't be ashamed if you do, too... it's a GREAT THING!) Actually, you may love your blog SO much that you no longer feel the need to read ANY further.. THAT IS GREAT! JUST STOP NOW! For the rest of us who don't quite love our blog to infinity and would like a few suggestions.. here are some pointers on radically self-loving your own blog!.
1. Make your own inspiration. THIS is number one because often I found myself waking up to immediately check other blogs rather than my own! If you do this- what does it SAY about your blog? If you won't visit it, nobody else will, either! Make sure you love spending time on your blog. Ask yourself: what have I DONE that is inspiring to other people today or yesterday? Make something happen. Blog about it. Take pictures. Go on an adventure to find pretty things. Craft something. Don't be a copycat (did I just use that phrase? lol). BE YOUR OWN INSPIRATION.
2. Send out your love. If you don't try to meet people through blogging, then you don't care about this post. If your blog is just for you and you don't care about making life long relationships that will one day turn into reality then you can probably stop reading now. I personally have found that blogging has helped me in SO many ways and among those ways is: new friendships. The point of number two is to get out there, leave comments for others, guest post for your favorite bloggers, aspire to be friends with someone who you look up to! Bloggers with friends in the blogging community usually always have stronger blogs because they feed off each other and help each other! It's also another way I've come to acquire sponsors. :D
3. Keep an organized archive. Once I did this, it was SO much easier to look back at the past in a no hassle, no fuss way! I can't recommend LABELS to you enough.. and, it's fun when you stumble upon a new blog and you see all of their little side buttons with their categories (all you have to do is add 'labels' when you go into the design section of your blog.. then every time you write a new post, the little 'Labels:' section shows up! It's wonderful!)
4. Get a decent camera. I don't have the snazziest camera, and I am saving up for a much nicer one in the near future.. but it does the job decently. It helps to have a jar by your bed that you CAN'T get into where you can deposit money for a new camera. No one will like spending a lot of time on your blog if you don't have pretty photos that YOU took YOURSELF. Otherwise, what's the point? It should be YOUR blog filled with YOUR adventures! (and that's fun!)
5. Make a desktop folder labeled, "inspiration" Ever seen a really inspiring photo on a blog that you wish you'd saved? We all have! This is a way to save it and remember why it inspired you! I've been doing this for a few years now and I couldn't be happier about it. Blogging about it is another story. Usually, I look at the photos to BE inspired, and then I take my own twist from the inspiration and make my own projects! It's getting to point where blogger is NOT tumblr, weheartit, flickr, pininterest, etc, etc, etc. and you probably already have one, two, or all of those sites where you already share your inspirations. Take your own photos and post them! That is really what other people want to see! This being said, most don't mind inspirational posts when they have themes or they're all taken by the same photographer.

good luck loving your blog even more.
love, polly :)

27 comments:

Susanne said...

..and if you follow all of those and these is no feedback, you know that your blog sucks, like my blog does, haha

Eleni said...

I completely agree with you about using your OWN photos and I'm really glad you've said it here. I stopped using images from the web on my blog because I felt guilty about copyright infringement, but I have since realised that I personally find it boring when all people do is post pictures from other sites on their own blogs, sometimes even without a comment. I'd rather leave my blog alone for a week until I have somthing to say for myself, than to religiously post crap filler posts every single day. I like your blog because we get to know you so well!

Bree said...

This was a great post! Thank you for posting it! It made me realize I need to change a few things about my blog,and I need to use my OWN pictures. Maybe every once in a while post inspirational ones.It also told me to go have a life besides the computer one and show people what I do! Haha,ok,please excuse my rambling!
~Bree
breezybugsblog.blogspot.com

Cel said...

Do you use Pinterest? It's actually one of the ways I go about #5 in a more tech-savy manner. I have pin boards for clothes and makeup etc. I know I'm not the only one!

X said...

I'm a newbie blogger so some great tips here for me..thanks for posting :)

www.theheadlessmannequin.blogspot.com

Jesse and Laur said...

this was perfect. your blog is lovely.

gee said...

great post Polly!!!! <33

Anonymous said...

I so agree with using the own photos thing, it is what makes a blog interesting. I just wish my camera was better, but I am saving up for it, slowly but safely! Thanks for all this tips anyway, the inspirational file was probably the best in my opinion. :)

Midwest Muse said...

This is a perfect post! Thanks so much for doing it!

Lyndall said...

I love this post! All very good advice!

Elyse (Give Me Bows) said...

What a lovely post Polly. I particularly love tips 1 and 2, I think it's really important not to get overwhelmed by all the fantastic bloggers out there and forget that you are unique and writing things your way is the best thing you can do :) I also love all the lovely friendships the blogosphere has brought so far! x

Two Happy Hearts said...

wonderful post! so many good tips. and i love the opportunity to make friends all over the world through blogging. it's one of my all-time favorite things about the blog world :D

Trina M Curran said...

love this post! I am finally getting there...loving my blog...loving my shop, and it's all coming together beautifully. That feels so good. :)

MySpecialAgent said...

This is awesome. Thanks, Polly.

Gracey said...

This is so inspirational Polly! You're living what you wrote on this post :)

yaddaah! --> bookmarking this post as a saved read ;)

xox

Hila said...

I get asked about blogging tips all the time, and I think the best answer I could offer is to be authentic and blog about what you love. That seems to work for me :) Great post!

Laura Shane said...

I've read SO MANY tips to blogging, and it's always that some are wonderful and some are 'eh'. This was written so well that it caught my pure attention. I especially like the last tip.

And you're right. If you can't go to your own blog for inspiration, then you're probably not doing it right. That was my favorite tip of all.

Gosh, you're just so genuine!

Anonymous said...

Wow thanks for this post, I really needed it! I guess for a while I've wanted to improve my blogging style & focus & wanted to make it something I'm really proud of but you've really hit the nail on the head as to the direction I need to be heading. Thanks, you've given me allot to think about.
Cheers, Katie
http://sweetrustic.blogspot.com

Katherine - The Beauty of Life said...

Great tips, Polly! I felt the same about number 5 and got a Pinterest account! Saves on hard drive space, for sure!!

Some Korean Website Highjacker said...

awe Polly, this post makes my heart swirl with blog loves!!! just saw the link up on Lyndall's space and was excited to read your thoughts about it. nicely written lades, such swell points. the community aspect in the blogosphere is my favorite thing for sure, meeting rad ladies like you has been sheer joy!

i LOVE your blog!!! xoox ♥

amberlee said...

Great tips! Just what i needed to read, i have been in a little blog slump :(
You have a very sweet blog x

Unknown said...

oh gosh your blog is a complete dream!! I am sure you have magic running through your veins

A Girl Named Leney said...

Love this! Featured a link of it on my blog, hope you don't mind:)

http://agirlnamedleney.blogspot.com/

jensnowbird said...

Marvelous post! I am somewhat new to the blogger world so it's difficult for me to find subscribers. I'm not sure what to do! Should I just post for myself and not worry about what other people do? I would love to make friends!

Mary Stackhouse said...

Excellent advice again : ) Saving this article. Thanks for sharing, Polly!

x, M

LaylonBeauty.blogspot.com

Mary Stackhouse said...

Excellent advice again : ) Saving this article. Thanks for sharing, Polly!

x, M

LaylonBeauty.blogspot.com

Unknown said...

I just came across your blog and love it. I literally just started a blog last night and I must say, it's a bit intimidating! I struggle with trying to keep it all straight between FB, Twitter and Pinterest! This is great advice - Thank you for inspiring me!