5 Mistakes (and Counting) I'm Making with My Blog
These past few months of not only starting BWRY, being consistent with content has been a complete labor of love. I see most of my life as opportunities for blog posts, anything I'm going through can always be turned into some form of content that can help someone else. I'm most confident in the work I publish, don't ever question my authenticity or my pen. Currently, I'm striving to get better with all the organizational aspects of being the Lead Editor and Stylist for BWRY, I always have to make time to work on something for BWRY or maintaining the website. I'm off to a great start, but leveling up in the work I put in now will help me to track my growth over the years and reach an audience beyond my wildest dreams. The following are 5 mistakes and habits that I'm currently making ( and breaking) to advance towards success in the future:
Not Scheduling Posts in Advance
Procrastination has always been my Achilles' heel with things I do and don't want to do. Specifically, with blogging my best ideas haven't' come to fruition because I don't feel like taking pictures or smiling most of the time. I laugh, ALOT, but plastering a smile when I'm not in the mood or looking cute when I don't feel great is really tiring. Thinking that I'll find the energy or become randomly happy is what leads certain content being put off until I can give them the proper energy. This is great until Tuesday or Thursday ultimately comes around and I have to post something. I refuse to stray from the days I've set aside for posts, so I'll write something quick and relevant that will engage some readers but I can feel the difference in the work I put in. I am committed to creating a content calendar so that I have all my ideas fleshed out without driving myself crazy.
Not Enough Behind the Scenes Sneak Peeks
I love my readers so much, especially the consistent ones :) Part of the reason I feel that my engagement on social media doesn't translate to my blog is that I don't build up enough anticipation! Right now I am committed to posting every Tuesday and Thursday by 11am-ish, but I don't have enough credibility yet for readers to wait and be watching out for my post. I always suggest signing up for email notifications, but I plan to start posting on my off days as well. On Youtube, I have my notifications set for when my favs like Jackie Aina or Arnell & Alissa Ashley take a shit. I can't wait until other people can say that about me when I eventually become a respected voice in style and fashion.
Editing Copy Last Minute
This is definitely one of the reoccurring effects of my procrastination. I will always have three versions of any post on BWRY. The first draft is something of rambling of an overarching idea that's enhanced by free form writing. The second edit pieces everything together in a way that makes sense for a conversation with my readers and storytelling, light editing happens in this stage. My last edit makes everything as concise as possible and I edit with a fine-tooth comb. Over time, adding the effective keywords and hashtags to my blog and social media posts are likely to help me boost my credibility with various search engines.
Relearning the rules to SEO very time I Post
Taking a digital marketing class in college was the first time I was introduced to SEO, search engine optimization which increases the quality and quantity for a website's audience on search engines. As I'm still working on building my audience using certain keywords and hashtags to cast my net in a broader sea is vital for me. I'm going to start dedicating days to honing this behind the scenes aspect of my craft because great content is only as great as the people who get to read it.
More variety of Engagement
People reaching out to share how much they love my blog and expressing an interest in writing for it has truly kept me motivated. I'm consistent with posting on my personal and professional social media accounts, but I'm interested in other long forms of engagement as well. In the new year, I'm going to start holding different contests and challenges that introduce blog readers to other aspects of BWRY too. People love free stuff, so creating ebooks of my previous content or giving away one of the three consultations offered on my site will deepen my interactions with readers. Hosting challenges and contests will not only strengthen my engagement but adequately show my appreciation.
In short, I'm a work in progress :) Comment below on what would be the focus of your blog if you started one? Like and share with someone who isn't their mistakes.