Today we are introducing our first ever guest to our blog! I hope you enjoy Frances' post as much as we did! - If you'd like to guest post on our blog, make sure you click Contact / Apply on the menu after reading this wonderful post!
Being a blogger can be hard, admittedly so, I often find myself stressed and worrying if I’ll be able to get my posts done on time, if my content is good enough and if my readers actually enjoy reading my posts. To try and combat these fears, I like to try and stick to a schedule or routine in order to ensure that my posts and content are as good as possible.
I like to plan out what I will post and when, for this I use a planner. The one I’m currently using is a gorgeous academic diary (2016-17) from the WHSmiths Ebay Outlet. I simply write the title of my post into the planner, which is of course colour coded, and then check it off when it’s all done.
Finding time to write blog posts is one of the hardest things, I find. So writing them on the go is always a good idea - I like to use apps such as Google Keep (a note style app which can sync with your Google account,) or even just the drafts of my emails to write posts on the go. Prime times for these mini writing sessions include; on the bus, walking to work, in the car and even at lunch times.
After I’ve written out the first draft of my post, it’s time to place it into the Blogger post section and edit it. I check for spelling and grammar errors, usually by reading the post aloud, and then I change the formatting of some words and phrases - for example, I make sure to italic all product names, or embolden all of the sub-headings within the post. I do this in order to make it a cleaner read for my readers.
Once all of the basic edits are done, it’s time to link up anything within the post that I can - any products mentioned, other Bloggers or YouTubers, relevant social media accounts or even old blog posts. It’s a good idea to do this to help out your readers when it comes to finding the things you’ve mentioned; especially if they can be hard to come across. If I can’t link up a product, I tend to mention where you can buy it in stores.
Images. Undoubtedly one of the toughest parts of being a blogger, at least for me. As a school student currently taking her GCSEs and someone with a job, it can be hard to find a couple of hours in my day to take blog photos - especially if the lighting isn’t on my side. However, on my days off, or when the lighting is good after work or school, I like to seize the opportunity and take as many photos, for as many posts as possible. Once I’ve taken them, I import the into my computer and save them under a folder entitled with “Raw Pics - *insert date*” this allows me to easily find pictures in their raw form, and not worry about losing them.
To edit my images, I use a combination of tools to achieve the best images I possibly can, my favourites include Fotor, Canva, iPiccy and Lunapic. Once I’ve edited and saved my pictures (into an appropriately titled folder,) I simply import them into blogger and plug them into my posts in the appropriate places.
Finally, I preview my post - if all is well, I schedule it; adding the permalink, so I can schedule tweets and facebook posts, and ensuring the post contains an appropriate description that works well with my knowledge of SEO (Search Engine Optimization - titling and tagging your posts to get more hits on Google.)
Over the next couple of days, I promote my post via social media - on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook. I also use group chats and blogger chats to promote my posts and blog.
I hope you enjoyed this little insight into life as a teen blogger, and how much effort goes into each post. If you want to see the result of this long thought-out process, then head on over to my blog Royally Rouge, and let me know you came from Through Our Eyes!
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