*Affiliate links used. You can see our disclosure policy here. We don’t recommend any products we don’t value!
BLOGGING 101
So you are interested in blogging, huh? That’s GREAT! It’s an amazing adventure filled with tons of great people and hard work!
Oh boy, the things we have learned on this journey. We wish we could just sit down with a cup of coffee (tea) and chat. But since we can’t, here is some info we value~
Right off the bat, know your mission, aka the reason why you do what you do. Also, who is your audience? Without this, information how do you know who you are talking to or who you want to reach?
Now, blogging is A LOT. If someone tells you it’s not, they are either lying or they are paying people to help them. There is a lot to know and do. So let’s dig into this…..
|7 Indicators Your Blog Will Grow Faster|
SOCIAL MEDIA~
PINTEREST – Almost every bloggers #1 referral. If you want to get serious about Pinterest, we recommend using Tailwind. The Plus Plan along with the Smart Loop (unlimited) will set you up so you can really optimize this huge piece of the puzzle.
FACEBOOK – Oh boy! If you have a Facebook page you know that algorithms can be frustrating to say the least. Half of bloggers out there have given up. If you could only take one blogging course, I would say this is the one. REALLY!! In just the free group, our small Fb page grew to over 400 likes in a month and a half….. AND they are REAL LIKES; people that actually are interested in our topic. There is so much sound business advise here and it’s so well done. Highly recommend but it is a time and financial investment into your business!!!
INSTAGRAM – Some bloggers aren’t sold on Instagram, but for us, it was HUGE. It gave us social credibility (street cred). Instagram doesn’t have a link you can put on each post, but you can build a landing page so it will have your more recent posts like we did HERE.
Instagram is a way to build a tribe, build that social presence, and work with brands. When we finally did start making money blogging, almost every dollar, initially, was traced back to Instagram.
If you are interested in learning more about Instagram, Salvagesista, aka Deborah, does consultations. You can fill out the CONTACT US form and make sure to specify you are looking for an Instagram Consultation.
P.S. – Our ebook Instagram for Buisness will be coming out shortly!
PHOTOGRAPHY ~
Is a crucial part of most websites. We have been using cell phone pics for many years, but have started with this real DSLR camera and lighting kit. This is a good place to start.
STOCK PHOTOGRAPHY – Did you know you CAN’T get images by searching google free images? All pictures are copyright protected and you run a GREAT risk using any photo that isn’t yours without permission.
There aren’t a ton of free photos out there but you can find some. Here is a list of The Ultimate Guide to Stock Photo’s from the International Bloggers Association. Make sure you handle photo’s you didn’t take correctly so this doesn’t happen to you. Finally, here is a little YouTube video on how to store those photos.
Now onto turning them into pinable graphics~
PIC MONKEY – Is what we use to make our graphics. We used the free version for about a year, but upgraded to the Royale for all the additional fonts and graphics. Canva is another tool people use.
GENERAL BLOGGING TOOLS~
THE BLOG POST TOOL KIT – Did you know there are nearly 100 steps to creating, promoting and revising effective content? You can click the BUY NOW button to get this tool kit to know you are maximizing each time you post.
TECH ISSUES are about the hardest part of blogging – at least here at Camp Salvage. What the Tech is a GREAT resource from every stage of blogging. Lesley knows her stuff!
Also, can’t recommend IMark Interactive for tech issues you can’t resolve on your own. You can either do a monthly service plan or pay per job. They are quick and super helpful!!!!
MEDIA KIT – Once established, you will need a media kit to share all your stats for potential collaborations.. You can search here for a template and fill in your numbers. EASY!
DESIGN – I use self hosted WordPress, as is pretty common. This is the theme I use, but they also have many designs and can install them for you if you need it.
MY HOSTING COMPANY – There are a lot of referrals for hosting companies (esp a certain one) that bloggers refer but don’t use because it offers a good payout. I just want to let you know this IS ACTUALLY THE HOST I USE and am only referring it because I USE IT. I don’t even know the payout for a referral which is probably not good business but I am only going to refer what I use.
Affiliate programs we are apart of:
RewardStyle – If you have been blogging for awhile and/or think you would qualify, we can send you an invite. Fill out the CONTACT US form and we will refer you.
ShareASale has many merchants you can work with.
MISC
If you want to network with other bloggers, InLinkz is a great way to host a linky party.
_______
Some posts about blogging~
Here is what we use for a blogging planner.
**If you are looking for a complete blog planner put together with everything you need, we recommend this one!
Blogging Rebel – Going against the blogging “rules”.
Finally, don’t compare your journey to someone else. Look for information to grow but comparison is a dangerous road.
**If you feel like you would like individual mentorship, you can send an email to salvagesista@gmail.com where we can discuss options. Please note, although we would love to offer this for free, it is a momentus task to blog and help others through their process. If cost is a factor for you, there is a lot of free information through various Facebook Groups and searching online (You Tube)….that’s what we did (and continue to do).
