A lot of people ask me (especially non-bloggers, who don’t get blogging) what keeps people coming back to my blog. It’s a hard one to explain about your own blog, but I honestly think it’s because I try to be open and write heartfelt posts people can relate to. I try my best and be true to myself in all of my posts. This however, hasn’t always been easy – it has taken a while find my voice and to get my confidence levels up enough to write a few of my posts, there certainly have been times I have pushed myself out of my comfort zone. Thankfully, they’ve always paid off with such amazing, positive comments and filled me with encouragement.
With that in mind, I have put together my top tips for finding your own voice for your blog and being free to let your personality shine through:
Be yourself
First and foremost, sounds an obvious one, but always be yourself! I try and write like I’m chatting to someone, or sending an email to a friend. When I’m writing I don’t overthink how to say what I’m thinking, I just sit at my computer and write. I edit it a little bit afterwards but most of the time my writing is exactly how I would speak out loud. My blog reflects every aspect of my personality and if you met me in person, I like to think you would see that.
Write about things you are passionate about
I only ever write about products I would actually use and topics I believe in. It’s so tempting to accept every PR sample or sponsored post on offer (who doesn’t love getting things for free, be honest?) however it’s important to stay true to yourself or else your reviews will lose credibility and a true voice. A lot of blog guides state your blog must have a niche, but I don’t agree. For me, my blog is my own personal space on the Internet to write about what I am passionate about. Of course, if beauty is your thing then it’s ok to write just about beauty, but don’t feel confined to rules about staying within your niche. Do whatever you enjoy and feel passionate about!
Don’t compare yourself to others
Comparing to others is the worst possible thing to do when you are trying to develop your own personal style and voice. Of course reading other blogs for inspiration is a good thing, but getting hung up on comparing yourself to others is toxic and will only bring you down. Yes, that blogger might take amazing pictures or have 3000 followers, but what makes your blog amazing is you. People keep returning to your blog as they are interested in you and what you are about, you stand out from the crowd in your own way. Imagine how boring it would be if we were all the same?
Copy Cats
Unfortunately there are so many ‘carbon copy’ bloggers out there, don’t fall into that trap. If there is a new ‘blogger hype’ product, find a different or unique way to photograph it and make your review stand out with an honest opinion. When PR’s are looking for bloggers to work with, they’ll be looking for someone that connects and relates to their readers and doesn’t just write the facts about a product. Make yourself stand out with an interesting opinion worth reading.
People are interested in other people
People are so nosey! Share as much as you feel comfortable of your personality as readers love hearing about bloggers stories, lifestyle and ways. Some of the most popular posts out there are topics such as ‘Whats in my handbag?’ or ‘inside my filofax’ – most of us have a voyeuristic streak and love a good nosey into other peoples handbags and personal lives, before blogging this isn’t something we would have normally shared. If you don’t fancy sharing too much information like this, just injecting your personality into your words is enough to keep things intriguing.
Don’t freak out about stats
This is also a really toxic thing to do. Yes we all love to have lots of followers and pageviews, but in my opinion it’s more important to have a select group of regular readers, who will comment, interact and maybe even become great friends than to have thousands of anonymous clicks. Don’t freak out about your stats, just be yourself and your blog following will grow itself naturally.
You can read the rest of my blogging tips series here.
Have a great weekend everyone!
