10 Tips to a Better Blog

1. Follow as many blogs as you can! Reading other blogs is one of the best ways to get ideas and inspirations for your own blog. Whether you love a feature post, find great tutorials to share the results of on your blog, or just an inspiring header, every blog has something useful to teach you. Sharing methods and ideas is exactly what the Internet is for, use it!

2. Diversify - don't just read lolita-specific blogs! Most of you reading this article right now are probably somewhere in the lolita subculture - whether as bloggers or just lovers of the fashion. And there are plenty of lolita blogs to choose from it's that your favorite kind of reading! But don't just read lolita blogs - read anything that sparks you up! Fairytale blogs, mori girl blogs, makeup blogs, or blogs on knitting. Any kind of blog can open you up to something new! Which brings me directly to Point #3 -

3. Think outside your niche! Usually when I say niche, I mean your fashion niche. (By the way, show of hands - who says 'nitch' and who says 'neesh'? I'm a 'neesh' person.) But in this case I'm talking about your blogging niche. One of the biggest moments in my blogging career is when I realized it's not just about lolita blogs - (yeah, that's me dreamin' big), it's also about fashion blogs in general. Lolita blogging is pretty small puddle, but jumping into the huge world of fashion blogs or even just the entire blogosphere is a very big ocean! Just because you're a lolita blog, doesn't mean you need to pigeonhole yourself. Read fashion blogs. Redefine what you want your blog to say or represent, on your own vision, not just in the frame of lolita.


4. Write ahead of time. I know everyone says this, but it's true - writing ahead is a great strategy. Lazy Sunday afternoon equals a great Monday morning blog post - while you're off jetting to school or work, your blog is ticked off the list. I end up writing a lot of my posts late at night or on the weekends, and then setting them a scheduled time to post. This morning my blog updated at 9 am - but hey, I was free to sleep in until 10! Even better, if you suddenly have a gap of time or a burst of inspiration, stockpile them for a rainy day. Why? So you can...

5. Post often. Let's start out by redefining 'often'. The Internet attention span is probably about fifteen seconds. Maybe less. If you want people reading your blog, once a week posting is not gonna cut it! I recommend at least three times a week, two at the absolute minimum. For the super dedicated, every other day without weekend breaks - and for the very inspired and crazy persevering, there is the daily schedule! (On the flip side - if you post more than once a day, it can wind up just looking like noise!) You want to keep your blog fresh and new, and updating is the way to do that. If you're routinely a no-show, people will lose interest and your reader base will suffer.

6. Pick a blog theme or a day theme for easier updating. You've probably seen lots of blogs do this - one example is the new Reader Appreciation Sunday, where every Sunday's post will be spotlighting reader contributions to Lolia Charm. Another blog that does this is Ramble Rori - she has Thrills Thursday, which is an update on goings-on in the lolita world, and Frills Friday, where she spotlights a gorgeous daily_lolita snapshot. Once you have your basic calendar - say, a Tuesday theme and a Saturday theme, you can fill in the gaps with other topics. At least you always know what you'll be writing about for two posts every week! (Tip: make sure it's something you CAN write about every week - like a new product, a links roundup, etc.) Even theming your entire blog can be a great idea - like a brand updates blog, a daily outfit blog, or a blog just about, say, lolita crafting. Make sure it's something your passionate about, or else you might feel boxed in.

7. Make commenting easy. There's nothing worse than commenting and realizing you have to go through rigorous human identification, checking off terms of agreement, or a comment that plain won't post! Nested comments are also a great way to encourage conversation.

8. Get offline! The internet is great for inspiration and finding new ideas, but sometimes inspirations isn't going to find you sitting on your sofa. Sometimes a great article can happen just by getting up, dressed, and out! Especially true if you are writing a lolita blog - don't spend all your time in unicorn printed PJs writing and none dolled up and on the streets! Some of my best articles, like the Dangers of Standing Out, are from interacting with the world. Trust me: turn off the computer - turn your real experiences into good writing.

9. Lose the numbers. Things I rarely check? My analytics account. Obsessing over your views, page hits, or followers isn't worth it. So what if you lost a follower, or you had a slow day. It doesn't determine the overall value of your blog - or your ability as a lolita, or a blogger. Like watching the scale, numbers are only going to bring you down. How you feel about your blog, feel satisfied and if you're achieving your goals or general aim - is more important than how many people are reading.


10. Be a service. What are you writing about? Is it going to help others? I always feel that the mark of a good blog article is its usefulness to its readers - are you teaching something, providing a guide, a tutorial? Or is the reading experience your gift - whether it's entertaining, inspiring, or thought-provoking. For the most part, bloggers don't get paid. We do it for free, because we have a passion and a drive that makes us want to share something with the world. What we write and produce is freely given - a gift. So give back; to your community, your niche, to your readers. That's what really makes a blog successful.

Labels: blogging, guide

posted by Victoria Suzanne @ 3:20 PM