I Want To Be Inspired

Have you ever sat down and fully thought about your blog? I mean really looked at it. The ins and outs of it, what attracts people to read what you have to say, what are your popular posts—all of that good stuff. 

The same can apply to your life as well. Have you thought about your goals, the places you want to visit, the impact you want to leave on people? The list could go on. 

I think there's something special about the start of a new year that triggers most of us to start evaluating these things. It's that sense of a fresh start, and new beginnings. Regardless of where our short comings previously were, we have a new found hope.

I think at some point or another most of us have felt blogging burnout, life burnout, the need to relax and recharge—whatever you want to label it. It happens, and I think that's reality.

I was recently thinking more about this little space of mine and what it's meant to me over the years. I started looking back at some of my older posts and realized how far I've come, the countless memories that have been documented, along with the extensive hours that have been put into it. It's truly a job in itself. It also got me thinking that some of the content I've shared hasn't really been reinventing the wheel, or groundbreaking, or anything much like that. Sometimes it can feel repetitive, in a way.

When you search on Google or Pinterest it seems like there are countless article about how to grow your blog, expanding your instagram following, thoughts on motherhood, home decor, recipes, travel, and so much more. I had this moment of thinking, why am I even putting in my two cents about any of these topics?  

What I have learned in situations like this where my moments of weakness kick-in, are if you can change your thought process and perspective, you can always find a positive side to things. So that's what I did. Instead of saying, let's pull the plug on all these blogging efforts, I thought about ways that I want to be inspired this year to share more with all of you. 

Even if we feel there are topics or ideas that have been shared before, we all have a unique voice, writing style, purpose, and story to tell. While some of our content might not be ground breaking or produce the next viral post, we have thought and intent behind what we want to publish. I think that's the beautiful part of typing away at our keys and sharing what's on our heart.

In those moments of feeling like we've been there, done that, let's look for inspiration all around us. Even if we aren't sharing a topic that will appeal to the masses, or be wildly popular, we still have the opportunity to reach someone that might need to hear what we're about say. I think so much of that can be applied not only to blogging but everyday lives. Whether your focus is growing your instagram, a podcast, or maybe your relationships with family and friends, we all have something of value we can bring to the table. 

How To Support Bloggers and Influencers-Even if You're Just a Reader

This whole post idea started from a conversation that I was having with a colleague when the topic of what we really enjoy doing came up. To be honest, I don't broadcast all over the place that I have a blog or send out requests to all of my friends to follow along (there's nothing wrong with anyone who does that), but for some reason I've always kept it kind of private. After I disclosed that what I really enjoy doing is taking pictures and blogging, I got this blank stare of a look. They responded by saying, oh, so you just take a bunch of pictures, get free things, and post them for everyone to see. Well, I guess yes, but also a big old no. That's when I realized that a lot of people who aren't familiar with the blogging/influencer world really might not have a clue about what actually goes into it. And that's ok, because you see, I was naive when I first made the decision to start blogging and had a similar mindset.

You learn very quickly that this whole blogging/influencer world can make you feel like a tiny fish in a huge ocean, but once you find your groove and have those supportive people around you, it keeps you coming back for more. The next question that usually follows is, well how many followers do you have? I know that part of blogging is wanting to grow your audience which in turn can lead to bigger opportunities, and none of that is possible without support from readers. 

So why do I bring this up? Well, if you're one of those people that thinks blogging is nothing but taking a few pictures and putting a few paragraphs together or someone on instagram just throwing a picture up there, then I want to let you know there is so much more that goes into it. I don't expect people that aren't bloggers to understand everything that goes on behind the scenes, but I can share a little bit more about it. Many of us are up editing pictures, coming up with marketing material, coordinating with companies for campaign approvals, taking the time to comment back and engage with our followers, taking the time to document and relive special moments with our family, learning about new things in the industry, making sure our SEO is set, and that isn't even the half of it. Most of this is juggled during down time at work or late at night after our kids are fast asleep. I understand this is a task that we decide to take on and no one is making us do this, but downplaying (whether intentional or not) what a lot of us love to do is no way to show support. 

So how can you show support to someone who's a blogger/influencer? Easy, support them. Here are several different ways you can do that. 

Commenting on a blog post/instagram photo. In today's world just hitting like or stopping by someone's blog is much appreciated, but there's a whole other step that makes a huge difference on potential success. A lot of companies, or even measuring your growth potential, is decided on your engagement and not just on likes or views. I know so many people think they need to have a blog to leave a comment on someone's post, but that is not true at all. A lot of us have easy commenting platforms that all you need to do is put your email address in and leave a comment. We love to hear that you took the time to read what we have to say and also to be able to write back and engage with you. 

Supporting sponsored content. I know most people roll their eyes when they see sponsored content (why, I'm not sure I'll ever really know) but instead of doing that, how about we show support to one another. Take a quick moment to comment about the product and your thoughts on it. If there is a coupon code being offered and you're thinking about making a purchase, use it! It's only a win, win for you and the influencer.

Enter giveaways. There's nothing more nerve wracking than having a giveaway that flops. If you comment that you would love the product, then enter! Who doesn't love the chance to win free stuff? And news flash, someone's gotta win. 

Sharing content. If you have a favorite blogger or come across something that you really love, show support and share that link or pin it to Pinterest. I was so appreciative when I found out that several friends took the time to share my post about how momming caught up with me to their facebook groups or blogs, and now it's one of my most read pieces.

Purchasing products through their affiliate links. When I have a blogger friend that links something I love and I know I want to purchase it, I make a point to go back and shop through their affiliate link. It costs me nothing on my end other than remembering to go back and click on it, and by doing so, I feel better knowing I might have just helped them earn a few extra dollars. 

Follow social media accounts. Aside from someone investing time and effort into their blog, a lot of us also put time into our social media accounts. I for one focus on a certain one more than others (cough, cough, I'm looking at you instagram). But if you don't have the time to always visit their blog (because sometimes life can just be so busy), then leaving a comment on their social media is just as appreciated. And in case we aren't already friends, you can find my instagram @beautifully_candid, my Facebook, Pinterest and my Twitter.

To everyone who takes time out of your day to visit this little space of mine, I cannot thank you enough! This whole experience has been more than I could have ever thought of and it doesn't come without your support. In a world where it is so easy to focus on the negative or only being concerned about ourselves, I would encourage all of us to be an example of kindness and support to one another.

5 Ways To Spring Clean Your Blog

I thought about doing a post that included all of the fun things we're looking forward to doing this spring, and then I figured I will probably be sharing our adventures in individual posts instead. Then I thought about writing a post on how I can spring clean my life in general, and then I realized I already wrote a post on 5 ways to spring clean more than just your home. 

Digging into my archives got me thinking about this little space of mine and how it has really transformed in the past three years. It's actually completely different from when I first started and turned into more than I ever thought it would. I've learned so much over the past few years and still have an incredible ways to go. The blogging world is always changing and what worked three years ago might not be the it thing now. 

That's not to say we all have to jump on the same band wagon. I still appreciate blogs that are true to themselves and have an authentic feel. I wanted to share a few changes that have recently helped me and allowed me to feel a little more confident in my blogging journey.

1. BLOG DESIGN: When you're first starting out as a blogger and not really sure with how this whole blogging world works, the last thing I wanted to do was pay someone over $100 for a blog design and didn't even have readers to connect with yet. That was probably the wrong approach because the standard blog designs are so so and don't really have a...hmm what's the word I'm looking for? Professional feel, maybe.

If you aren't into spending a lot of money to specifically have someone design a layout for you, there are tons of options on Etsy that are really affordable and easy to install yourself. I always hated how my home page looked disorganized and I knew I wanted a change. I've seen such an increase in visitors and I can't help but think that has something to do with it.

2. DECLUTTER YOUR SIDEBAR: Confusing sidebars that are busy and have irrelevant information can be distracting and might even cause people to jump off your page. Decide how you want your site to appear and figure out the most important information you want to relay. When I first started blogging paying other bloggers to sponsor your site or swapping buttons on each others sidebars was a huge thing. Now, not so much. If you have a bunch of blogging networks or membership badges it might be better to design a featured page to free up some space.

3. CLEAR FOLLOW BUTTONS: This is very important for capturing an audience and giving them an option of where they can follow you. My main go to for bloggers are through Bloglovin or Instagram. If you don't have options for where I can follow you it makes it harder for me to find you again and visit your space. I have mine located on several areas of my page because having the opportunity to connect with you is one of my favorite parts of blogging.

4. QUALITY IMAGES: I'm sure we've probably all heard this before and I'm not telling you to run out and go buy an expensive DSLR, but we all enjoy pretty pictures that just add to our posts...so I'll just let that sit right there. I purchased a very standard DSLR camera and have several lenses that I work with. I've learned a lot by trial and error and I'm still learning all the time. I still don't always get a lot of the shots I have in my mind...why do things always go so much better in my mind?!

I'm also not saying that once you get a DSLR your pictures will magically become amazing. If you really think about it, your camera only does about 10% of the work and it's the person behind the camera that makes up the other 90%. You still have to know what you're doing with your camera in order to get some great shots. There are a lot of cell phones that take amazing pictures now but I am so used to having my camera that I don't think I will ever give it up. It's also about knowing the appropriate times of when and where to use your pictures. For example, majority of my posts I try to provide high quality images, especially if I'm working on a sponsored post or collaborations, but if it's one of my Friday favorites posts that's a little more relaxed—I'll throw in some pics from my phone.

5. REPURPOSE OLD CONTENT: A lot of us have great content that we've shared but maybe our following wasn't as big or for some reason that post just didn't take off, or maybe it was a great post that became very popular for you—share it again. Do a roundup of some of your favorite posts or find a post that's similar to one you are working on (hint hint, see what I did at the beginning of my post).

It's also a great time to update some of those images that might not have great quality but you still have great content. Let's just face facts, having pinnable images helps in your blog growth. This is also a great time to update and make sure your SEO (search engine optimization) is being utilized properly.

Is there anything you would change about your blog or plan on doing any spring cleaning?