Last month I hit 4 years of writing Makeup Savvy which is amazing and also crazy as the time has flown by!
In those 4 years I have learnt so many things that would take as many blog posts I've already wrote, to explain and share with you what it is I've learnt! So instead here are 4 things that definitely took some time to discover.
In those 4 years I have learnt so many things that would take as many blog posts I've already wrote, to explain and share with you what it is I've learnt! So instead here are 4 things that definitely took some time to discover.
1. There is enough space on the internet for everyone
For the past 2 years I've had this feeling from the blogging community (more specifically beauty bloggers) that we believe too many people are starting beauty blogs and the market is a bit saturated with them now. Yes, there are a lot of beauty blogs I will agree with that however there are lots of food blogs, lifestyle blogs, fashion blogs etc etc and there really is enough space for everyone! The internet is a huge place and billions of people enjoy reading blogs so there will always be enough readers for everyone. Also I see a lot of people mentioning that they avoid posting a review of a product that everyone else is reviewing at that moment in time. Something to remember is your review will be read much more over time than that specific day or week, plus not all of your readers will be reading/seeing the other reviews from bloggers or may just be interested in reading your review. So if you want to blog about something just do!
For the past 2 years I've had this feeling from the blogging community (more specifically beauty bloggers) that we believe too many people are starting beauty blogs and the market is a bit saturated with them now. Yes, there are a lot of beauty blogs I will agree with that however there are lots of food blogs, lifestyle blogs, fashion blogs etc etc and there really is enough space for everyone! The internet is a huge place and billions of people enjoy reading blogs so there will always be enough readers for everyone. Also I see a lot of people mentioning that they avoid posting a review of a product that everyone else is reviewing at that moment in time. Something to remember is your review will be read much more over time than that specific day or week, plus not all of your readers will be reading/seeing the other reviews from bloggers or may just be interested in reading your review. So if you want to blog about something just do!
2. If pageviews and readers matter - be valuable
Blogs do take some time to get established however once you have been blogging for a while one of the best ways to be noticed and also gain traffic from Google searches is to write informative blog posts from time to time - something that will be of more value than say a product review. Google loves anything with substance so think about something that you have knowledge on and create a blog post around that... it may be how you overcame a skin condition (what you used, tips & tricks etc), you may be good at digital photography or photo editing (an in depth post for bloggers), love organic/natural beauty products? Maybe write a post on how to integrate organic products into your lifestyle and what ingredients to start avoiding. You get the idea! For me my photography posts and posts on using SLS-free products have been some of my most popular/viewed.
Blogs do take some time to get established however once you have been blogging for a while one of the best ways to be noticed and also gain traffic from Google searches is to write informative blog posts from time to time - something that will be of more value than say a product review. Google loves anything with substance so think about something that you have knowledge on and create a blog post around that... it may be how you overcame a skin condition (what you used, tips & tricks etc), you may be good at digital photography or photo editing (an in depth post for bloggers), love organic/natural beauty products? Maybe write a post on how to integrate organic products into your lifestyle and what ingredients to start avoiding. You get the idea! For me my photography posts and posts on using SLS-free products have been some of my most popular/viewed.
3. Better images do make for a better blog
When it comes to blogs that include photos (pretty much all blogs then) you can instantly make your blog more appealing by making sure you take clear and bright images. You don't need to spend hundreds on a fancy DSLR camera, you just need a good background (totally white, your makeup desk or even a large sample of fancy wallpaper from a DIY store) and enough light. Also a good free photo editing program to sharpen and brighten your images (I love Photoscape). Though really the basis of any good photo is having enough light on your subject. Also being a bit creative with how you place products can go along way!
When it comes to blogs that include photos (pretty much all blogs then) you can instantly make your blog more appealing by making sure you take clear and bright images. You don't need to spend hundreds on a fancy DSLR camera, you just need a good background (totally white, your makeup desk or even a large sample of fancy wallpaper from a DIY store) and enough light. Also a good free photo editing program to sharpen and brighten your images (I love Photoscape). Though really the basis of any good photo is having enough light on your subject. Also being a bit creative with how you place products can go along way!
4. Blogging can be an amazing hobby but a tough job
Quite an honest one here but something I thought was worth sharing. I truly believe blogging is an amazing hobby that can be so giving and rewarding in many ways. From friendships you can form and daily interaction with people all over the world, to a creative outlet that is literally your own space. However if you put a little more time and work into it eventually there is the possibility of PR samples and attending blog events, which are great perks for something you already love to do! But this can lead on to thinking that making money from blogging is just as straight forward. Sadly this isn't the case as blogging full-time generally can't sustain a full income and most bloggers for this reason do outside work separate from their own blog - writing for other blogs, freelance social media, creating an e-book/selling online workshops. This is also why you see a lot of full time bloggers doing Youtube as well. The reason why blogging doesn't earn enough for most is the low-revenue from different platforms such are affaliate programs, Google ad sense and even blog networks (if you are accepted to work with one). Also sponsored content and private ads are never a guarantee. This isn't to say blogging can't be a full-time job but it definitely is tougher than it seems!
Hope this have been a bit of an insightful post for fellow bloggers!
Fee xo.
Quite an honest one here but something I thought was worth sharing. I truly believe blogging is an amazing hobby that can be so giving and rewarding in many ways. From friendships you can form and daily interaction with people all over the world, to a creative outlet that is literally your own space. However if you put a little more time and work into it eventually there is the possibility of PR samples and attending blog events, which are great perks for something you already love to do! But this can lead on to thinking that making money from blogging is just as straight forward. Sadly this isn't the case as blogging full-time generally can't sustain a full income and most bloggers for this reason do outside work separate from their own blog - writing for other blogs, freelance social media, creating an e-book/selling online workshops. This is also why you see a lot of full time bloggers doing Youtube as well. The reason why blogging doesn't earn enough for most is the low-revenue from different platforms such are affaliate programs, Google ad sense and even blog networks (if you are accepted to work with one). Also sponsored content and private ads are never a guarantee. This isn't to say blogging can't be a full-time job but it definitely is tougher than it seems!
Hope this have been a bit of an insightful post for fellow bloggers!
Fee xo.
