It’s the last Sunday of the month, which means it’s time for another Q&A. But it also happens to be the last Sunday of 2020, so for this #EniGivenSunday Q&A I decided to answer any questions related to blogging, social media influencing, and content creation. Because it’s the end of the year, it made sense to make this a post about starting a blog in 2021. Long story short, if you’re considering starting a blog or pivoting your social media to create and share content in 2021, I hope you do it!
Starting a Blog in 2021 is probably the easiest part.
If I’m being totally honest, starting a blog in 2021 will probably be the easiest part. Not because it’s a particularly easy year to get into it, in fact it may start to feel like everything is getting saturated (trust me it’s not), but because it’s maintaining a blog is even harder than just hitting that “publish” or “launch” button. I got a number of questions around consistency, and as you can imagine, that’s the biggest part of maintaining any type of platform. If you’re like me and don’t plan on going full time with content creation, balancing multiple priorities is another huge component as well.
Consistency
Tips for staying consistent
I could go on and on about the things that have helped me. First and foremost, the boring but very accurate answer is this: find what works best for you. For me, that looks like sticking to posting every Sunday because that’s how my Instagram posts started (if you were around for the beginning of my Sunday Style IG posts, you’re a real one). But what that means is, I know what to expect of myself, and I would imagine my audience knows what to expect from me, and perhaps they even look forward to it.
Picking a day and sticking with it has helped me plan out my content: I post new looks/shots on Sundays and during the week I usually share makeup/skincare selfies, repurposed lifestyle shots, filler photos (nails or products), video content or reels, and in some cases brand collaborations and sponsored content. This means I’m only doing photoshoots once a month (maybe more in warmer months.) Here are some other tips I’m sharing rapid fire style:
- If you can, collab with other bloggers/creators either to produce content or to take pictures of each other. You’ll have an accountability party in creating content!
- The same way you create a set time in your schedule for work meetings or deliverables, do the same for creating. It might mean less time to socialize or a tighter schedule, but it comes with the territory of consistency!
- Make a content calendar on Trello! Pieces of Onye shared the one I use which you can check out here.
- Write down ideas as soon as they come to you. Don’t wait to sit down and brainstorm because inspiration may come to you wherever and whenever. Keep your phone’s note app handy.
- Keep a bank or a folder of the content you’ve already created that you’re proud of. It’s a great reminder that you already have what it takes to put out something you’re proud of! That’s what matters most.
“Tips for creating a cohesive feed?”
A cohesive feed (for some but not all) is a sign of consistency to your audience. While it’s totally necessary, and it also means different things for different people, your feed can signal to a new viewer that you’re a creator and not an average user. This doesn’t have to mean you have the same editing style on all your pictures (though I will get into that shortly), but it can mean you consistently show your face—like literally—if you’re a beauty blogger, or you consistently have photos of your home or home decor if you’re a home blogger, etc.
Personally, I love the look of a cohesively edited feed. So to do that, I absolutely love Marrica Evan’s Adobe Lightroom presets. I’ve been using her “Brown Sugar” preset for the past couple of years on my photos, and I recently started using her “In Living Color” preset on product images in my feed because it adds a bit of vibrance that I like on products as opposed to my skin. I highly recommend looking into any one of her presets as they are very beginner friendly.
That being said when I started I was using VSCO presets and adjusting them accordingly, so don’t feel like you have to jump into Lightroom immediately!
Balance
A huge part of maintaining a blog or social media presence after starting one, especially if you’re working or in school full time like me, is balance.
“How do you balance studying for law school and still shooting?”
I go into depth on this topic here, but I will say it’s a matter of being clear on priorities. Pre-COVID when the world was open, balancing both law school and blogging meant my social life took a bit of a hit, but that was ok with me because I got great satisfaction out of the work I was putting into the things that made me happy and proud.
“How many shoots do you do in a day during the semester?”
I typically shoot content once a month, usually on a Saturday morning if it’s during the school year, and I shoot 3-4 looks at a time.
Does Starting a Blog in 2021 require picking a niche?
Chances are if you’re starting a blog in 2021, you’ve heard of this word “niche” and maybe you’re in the middle of trying to asses whether you need one.
“When doing lifestyle content creation, do you have to pick a subject area?”/ “Is it important to find a niche or more important to post what we’re passionate about?”
Short answer: yes. I would say 100% yes if you are just starting out, just because a niche is important for building an engaged community or audience. As you grow, which I imagine is the goal, odds are people will love you for you no matter what you share (and that’s how we end up with this whole “Lifestyle” category that a lot of bloggers are in) but it really is important to hone in on an area that your blog posts or feed posts on Instagram are going to be devoted to. I’d say you can use your stories as a place to relax and talk about whatever (in addition to sharing things related to your niche), but try to use permanent posts as places to stay on your niche. Also, if you’re looking to work with brands, a clear niche is going to dramatically help because they would feel more comfortable investing in someone who has created their own brand off of a clear niche that aligns with theirs.
So What’s Helped Me Maintain My Blog?
There were a bunch of questions that we generally asking about my own experiences blogging so I put them in this category and answered them below.
Tips for shooting yourself and presets
I’ve shared a blog post on how I shoot my own content (which I do more so in the summer) and how awkward that can be at times that you can check out here! As for presets see above in my consistency section.
“How to take self-portraits. Tips for marketing yourself.”
For at home self portraits, a tripod, good lighting (either artificial or natural) and a bluetooth remote are key. As for techniques there are different kinds. Some people shoot video of them doing and holding different poses and then screenshot. I like to just take the picture with a timer and remote. As for marketing yourself, your content will be your biggest advocate, but always have a media kit ready to go and don’t be afraid to pitch!
“Best times to post? I feel like my insights aren’t helping”
Ok so this one is tricky because it really depends on your audience. But what I will say is the best time to post is a time you’re available to engage with your audience. I used to be so devoted to posting at a time during the morning, at any and all costs. So much so that when I had class I would post during class, then put my phone on silent until I was free to check and reply to comments. This is essentially a post and ghost and not good because you want to engage with your audience before and after you post. As for your insights, keep in mind that the graph IG shows you is based on Pacific time zone! So adjust to your time zone accordingly. Finally, if nothing is helpful, then I’d say just experiment with different times.
“Great apps for animation?”
Inshot is my favorite app for editing videos!
“How do you store and organize your digital files? My Macbook always says it’s full but I delete!”
An external hard drive is key for me. I can’t even begin to think through the things I’d have to delete. I use this external hard drive.
“How to stay consistent, how to edit all your pics the same, how to bring traffic to your blog”
The first two questions I answered above but as for bringing traffic to your blog, SEO is key! People on Instagram are a small, very small, portion of my blog’s readers because it’s very difficult to get people to leave the app. Build your blog by focusing on SEO and building an email list.
“What’s a good ball part to be in for engagement percentage that brands would be interested in?”
It really depends on your following, but I know 10% is a number I hear thrown around a lot as a very good engagement rate. The larger your following becomes, the smaller that rate gets, but somewhere in that vicinity as a nano influencer is great.
“Do full-body photos do better for you than selfies? How do you balance out your feed?”
Great question. Initially selfies did better for me, but as time went on my full body pictures “do better” (get more engagement). I think people are drawn to nice photos that include nice scenery or backgrounds or a bomb outfit and that might explain it. I balance out my feed by switching up the type of photo in these categories: selfies, full body, half body/sitting image, product/decor shots, shots with other people (rare these days because of COVID). Then I use an app (Planoly) to see how photos will look and make sure the same type of photo doesn’t happen back to back or on top of each other.
“How do you think people find your account?”
Initially I knew people were finding it through my content being reposting on larger accounts. That’s why it’s good to tag a host of pages with larger followings that are in your niche. I imagine some people find me through my blog or even my YouTube. These days though, I can tell that people are finding my account through reels and I plan on utilizing it consistently.
Bottom Line Advice for Starting a Blog in 2021
“Business advice for an aspiring content creator?”
I’m still working on growing in the area of treating my blog like a business. It really and truly started off as fun and I don’t think I had intentions of making money when I started. That being said, the biggest advice I can give for an aspiring content creator is to invest in yourself. Whether that’s in time, money spent on new equipment or home decor to create a nice set. If content creation is a second income for you, and if it’s more disposable income, I’d consider really thinking about the ways you can utilize money you’re pulling in from it to elevate your content. Yes, everyone has to start from somewhere, but the goal should also be to progress.
“Advice for starting out”/ “If you have no established yourself as a content creator in 2020, where do you start?”
Advice for starting out would be to embrace the process and not try to rush it. It can be very easy to want to jump from 0 to 100 just because you see a ton of people at 100. But one of my favorite things to see and reflect on is the growth that I’ve made over the years. And if I started with the best camera or equipment, I wouldn’t have progressed in the way that I did because there would be less room to do that.
I know this sounds pretty obvious but start with creating content. In other words just start. Start on your stories by showing up every day. It’s the lowest stakes but gives a pretty big return. But really and truly you start with where you want to start and what you want to start with. Do research and then put out the content you want to put out.
“Do you think your investment on creating a blog paid off? AKA was it worth it?”
Yes! I not only love to do it because I love to write, but I really appreciate the fact that people read, which means it’s helping someone in that it’s answering a question or providing inspiration. My goal in 2021 is to make more money from my blog so it’s also been paying off in that way too.
I hope this Q&A was helpful to anyone considering starting a blog in 2021! Remember: you have everything you need for where you are right now.
“Do not despise these small beginnings, for the Lord rejoices to see the work begin, to see the plumb line in Zerubbabel’s hand.” Zechariah 4:10
