Hi everyone,
Before I begin I would just like to make this clear - I am not claiming any particular expertise nor do I feel my blogging is successful in any way, shape or form. But I've spoken to a number of friends in the last few weeks who have expressed the wish to start a blog, but cannot quite bring themselves to start; some because they don't know how, others because they are worried and can't quite take that leap into the massive world of blogs. So this week, on the fourth anniversary of my blog, I couldn't help but recall what a daunting but rewarding feeling it was when I first hit the publish button while sat at my kitchen table after an afternoon of baking with my cousin and sisters. (
You can find my first post here if you're curious...) I'm not even joking, I was super nervous (and to some extent I still am, every time I post I am conscious of that sense of anxiety) but it felt really good to sit back and contemplate something I had created myself after months and months of reading other blogs and wishing I could join in.
I've always been a part of the online world though so the jump into blogging was not as enormous as it could have been. I've had a Tumblr almost since it began and Facebook since I left school; before that it was pouring my guts out on Livejournal, writing stories on Quizilla, cultivating my own little resources site for forum signatures and icons... I even dabbled in the BBC Sport forums for a while (yeah, that was a mistake I will not make again). I am always scrolling through Twitter and Instagram. I love social media and the endless possibilities that can be found there, so I am forever urging my friends to get started and get out there! If you have ever thought of starting your own blog but shied away from it because you're nervous, or you don't know what to write, this post is for you.
Getting started
I used to be a passive reader back when I first stumbled across the beauty blogging world - my method basically consisted of Google and bookmark. It was only when I discovered Google Reader that I was forced to create an account in order to follow the blogs I adored, and from that moment on the idea of my own blog became a possibility for me because I already had the profile set up and ready to go. So my advice would be to establish your own profile somewhere, be it Blogger, Wordpress or even Twitter or Instagram if you haven't begun already. Once it's out there you'll find it easier to get your own blog up and running. I've only ever used Blogger so that's what I would recommend as I find the templates and general set up pretty easy to follow, although I hear Wordpress allows for more creativity and freedom. Do your research and pick whatever suits you!
What's in a name?
Oh, blog names. I actually don't know where polkadani came from. I wanted a one-word, easy to remember blog title and this is what I managed to come up with. I don't love it as it obviously doesn't mean anything, nor does it adequately express the content of my blog, but it has stuck and so I will continue with it unless I can come up with anything better (unlikely). I would love something really snappy or cool but as I'm neither of those things perhaps it is for the best! Anyway, I don't think it's terribly important what you decide to name your blog - it's not permanent and half the time when I read blogs I don't ponder the name at all - as long as you enjoy putting together your content it will show and people will come back to read more! That said, my personal preference is for short names and the more puns the better (but that could just be me as I do appreciate a good pun...). I also really like blogs named after their owners, so I might rename mine once I get married as it's going to be so alliterative (I also appreciate alliteration, what can I say).
Prettify your page
Again I can only comment on Blogger here but I find the premade templates get old pretty quickly. I used to dabble in funky backgrounds and crowded headers but as I've (ahem) matured, I find myself leaning towards clean and simple. I tend to make headers myself in Photoshop using free fonts, but there are no real rules here - just choose a colour palette you like and go from there. Again Google comes in super handy for looking up stock images, finding HTML button tutorials, or you could even get a freelance designer to help you create something totally unique and suited to you. Just don't steal another blogger's code - not cool, never cool.
What to write about?
Write the blog you want to read.
Write about things you love.
I think this works across the board - food, make up, clothes, nail varnish, travel, books, films, celebs, Pokemon, Warhammer - if you are truly enamoured with a topic it will show in your writing! I love so many things so if something inspires me I'll pop it on the blog. Initially I started just writing about beauty but eventually gave way to the pressures of my ever-growing wardrobe; now if I have gone somewhere nice or photographed something pretty I will try to blog about it. The most important thing is not to put pressure on yourself - I do beat myself up sometimes over my sporadic posting but I would rather only blog when I really feel like it instead of forcing myself to churn out content I don't care about. I have weeks where I'm not inspired at all, so I go back to reading my favourite blogs until inspiration kicks in again. So far it has always come back after a few weeks!
Photos & editing
I think there's a lot of pressure on bloggers these days to deliver editorial-style images, each glossier than the last, and admittedly I have tried to improve my photography in recent years as well, but not just for the blog - I genuinely love taking pictures and nothing makes me happier than taking pictures that people actually like of themselves (the cherry on top is when they use it as a profile picture because then I know they're happy with it, haha!). Also Jon takes most of my blog photos and he is not your typical blogger-photographer-boyfriend in the slightest (although he does a terrific job in my opinion). I still love reading blogs now as much as I did four years ago when photos were small and grainy - as long as they display the product/outfit/food then it's all good as far as I am concerned! If you are worried about your photos then there are a ton of editing apps and programs out there you can use. Personally I use an ancient version of Photoshop to brighten my images if needed, but there are some brilliant apps out there such as Afterlight or Snapseed that work a treat on iPhone pics too, and of course there's Instagram as well!
Why should you blog?
I do believe people should only blog if they're really enjoying it - this is only because when I look back over past posts I can definitely tell when I've not been feeling it and just thrown a post together because I felt pressure to publish something. But in spite of that I still love looking back over my blog as it has cobbled together a history of the past four years - through good times and bad. I also like to think some of my posts have been helpful to others and that above all is what I personally strive for. Nothing quite inspires me like other blogs and the effort bloggers put into them - I wouldn't dream of going shopping for products now without consulting a few blog reviews and in turn reading blogs has helped me construct a massive wishlist - but I also take a lot of inspiration from the way people style themselves, the way they write, live, eat, drink. I find it so easy to feel as though you connect to a person through following their blog and I hope my readers feel they can connect to me too!
I could ramble on about this topic for ages but there are others who have done so more eloquently than I have, so if you're still on the fence why don't you have a peruse of the links below and see what you think? I would heartily recommend blogging to everyone as it really is fun and so fulfilling, I love watching my little space on the internet grow each year and I'm genuinely proud of it!
Further reading
The Londoner - Lifestyle blogging 101
Zoe London - You don't need money to start a blog
Temporary Secretary - Photography Tips for Beauty Bloggers
Rachel Phipps - Dear Rachel...
Gh0stparties - Blogging tips and advice
I hope you enjoyed this post and please let me know if there's anything you would to see on the blog in future, I am open to all suggestions!
Love Dani
xoxo
