Upping My Blogger Game | Guest Post
So I started The Tailored Gent just over a month ago and I had no idea what to expect or just how supportive the blogging community could be. I originally started blogging purely as a hobby that took up just a couple of hours a week, and a way of sharing content with my friends. It was certainly never my aim to be the next Jim Chapman or Alfie Deyes but I enjoyed reading their blog posts and watching each and every upload to their respective YouTube channels.
It was clear to me that blogging is not about quitting your full time job so that you can spend every waking hour coming up with content that will get the most page views or make money, but simply creating content that you enjoy and writing about & topics that you're passionate about. It's easy to see within five minutes of landing on someone's blog whether they really have a passion for this stuff or whether they just want to make a quick buck (or million!).
I’m really happy with the fact that the blog has now got a decent amount of content and has surpassed 60 followers on Bloglovin, which may seem like nothing compared to a lot of bloggers out there who seem to be celebrating reaching tens of thousands of followers, but if anything it's just such a great feeling to know that just a few people are actually reading (and enjoying) your content. There's nothing worse than refreshing those Blogger stats each morning so find that still no-one has read that wish list post that took you what seemed like an entire Sunday afternoon to put together!
Anyway, onwards to the point of this post! I wanted to set a few goals for my blog and for myself to try and make the most of this new found passion of mine..
1. Create a dedicated workspace
It's all too easy to sit in bed or on the sofa and try to create content whilst continuously being distracted by the TV, so I've moved my main blogging setup into my office to try and concentrate!
2. Start planning content
This is actually quite a tricky topic. Depending on the type of content that you're blogging about sometimes it can be best to just write as soon as you’re overcome with inspiration for a post. However, when dealing with seasonal wish lists and lifestyle posts I think it's a great idea to plan in a schedule for your content. I tend to just keep a load of draft posts going in my Blogger account then just work on them and most them when I get time - this can be any time of day or night! Therefore, I'm going to try and schedule at least two weeks worth of content and then follow the content plan below:
Monday - Weekly Wish list
Wednesday - The Reading List
Friday - The Playlist
Sunday - Product haul or lifestyle/travel post depending on what I'm up to.
I'm so glad that I came across Bloglovin when I was first starting to get inspiration for blog posts and layout ideas! It's an invaluable tool both for getting a consistent stream of page views via the huge network of bloggers and content creators, but also an amazing way to meet fellow bloggers with similar interests. I think a goal of 100 followers in certainly achievable by the end of September!
4. Get social
I'm a big big fan of social media but was initially quite nervous about using it to promote my blog because I didn't want to just spam all my friends and family with constant new blog post tweets from The Tailored Gent. I've since realized that platforms such as Twitter and Pinterest are incredible ways to share content and gain additional followers. It has also put me in touch with several brands and bloggers, which have provided some exciting opportunities for the rest of this year and beyond.
5. Stop comparing myself with "successful" bloggers
Last but certainly not least, it's so easy to look at all of your favourite bloggers and try to emulate what they do. Don't! Make your blog be the best it can be by simply being yourself and creating content that you love. I want to focus on quality as well as quantity so the focus should never be writing as much as I can without making sure I’m 100% happy with the post first.
What goals do you have for your blog?
Matt
THE TAILORED GENT
