BLOG TIPS: 3 IMPORTANT CHANGES IN THE BLOG-O-SPHERE Do's & Don'ts

I don’t think it’s a secret. Neither do I think it’s a surprise. But moreover, it doesn’t really seem clear: what is the blog-o-sphere like nowadays. What things have changed? What will come? And how to adjust?

I started blogging a little over 4 years ago, kinda feeling like a blog granny nowadays. But hey, a lot of things have changed since I started! They say change is good. I think I agree. However, it can be scary and I think that it is very important for those who are blogging fulltime to adjust to these changes and make the best of it. That is, if you want to be the best blogger you can be. So let’s dig into it…

1. Social media vs Blog
Since a few years Instagram has be growing and growing. And hell, I love it. It changed a lot for us bloggers, since with Instagram we are super reachable for both our followers as the brands that work with us. Besides, instagram gave us yet another media outlet on which we are able to inspire and explore. And to say the least, Instagram has grown our reach like nothing ever did before!
Do: be active, work with others (bloggers & brands), use instagram
Don’t: think that instagram is everything. SEO & Google are still very important players and brands may still prefer a good blog article over just one picture on instagram

2. Money makers
I started blogging as a hobby and although I had heard stories about some bloggers getting a lot of free stuff (which back then sounded to me like a dream that would never happen to me, I was not chasing that!) I had never expected blogging to become a job. But hey, I am doing it fulltime now. I will always try to remember why I started blogging: because I love making pictures, styling myself and others, writing nice articles, inspire others, capture my life. But… I know that blogging is becoming a booming business and I may some day be happy that I am part of it.
Do: try to understand that blogging is a job. Like I stated in previous posts blogging costs a lot of time and a blogger adds great value to both a brand and their followers by connecting the two. But blogging is a personal thing of which I think that it should not become too commercial or fake.
Don’t: start a blog to make it your job. Only the ones that start a blog because they like doing it will one day finally come to the point at which they can make it their living, cause it takes a lot of perseverance to get there.

3. Video content
So yes, Instagram is interesting, but brands and followers want to see more than just pictures. Hence the popularity of snapchat and lately insta story. How nice is it that we live in a world in which we can share our current doings with everyone around us? People from all over the world can feel as if they are with us at this very moment. But also youtube is an important player as it gives us the opportunity to show our personality and tell a little more about a product as to how something works, how we do things etc.
Do: think of ways to add video content to your portfolio if you haven’t done so already.
Don’t: underestimate the fast improvements of technology and the soon coming (or already here, stay focused!) options of live streaming via apps and social media.

Hope you guys learned something here. I must say I keep learning daily as so many things are changing. I will admit that this post was written kinda fast, so it could be that some words aren’t chosen as carefully as I normally would. But I’m just writing down the truth from my point of view and isn’t that what a good blogger should do? Haha. Stay tuned for more and let me know if you need tips on any other subject!