Happy Monday, Penny Darlings!
I am here with another exciting post!
Preston is finally coming home tonight and I am very excited because I miss him like crazy! We don’t spend a ton of time apart – so when one of us travels – the other one definitely feels it.
Also, I broke my foot on Saturday. Well, I stress fractured it. But….like, yeah. I now have a boot and a compression sock on it. I literally have a cane to hop around here. So that’s going on.
Let me just start with the boring stuff so we can get to the goods! Ha! Check me out on Instagram here! I also started a Twitter account! Find that here! Follow Preston’s brand new fashion Instagram here! I also have a selling Instagram page where I sell some of my old clothes/styles so that I don’t drown in my own wardrobe. I just listed a few new things – so check that out!
I’m experimenting with new blog posts about blogging. I am trying to create the content that I could NOT find when I was starting out and that I’ve learned or at least figured out a solution for over time. I had posted my tips on making your Instagram Lit and the influencer platforms I use as partial monetization. Are these posts helping? More blogger for blogger posts? Let me know!
Today I wanted to share some do’s and don’ts of starting your blog on the right foot! (Again, or at least what worked for me!)
DO buy your URL
Honestly, this is a big one. I think it looks so much more professional than suchandsuch.blogspot or thisandthat.wordpress. Buying your URL is usually pretty inexpensive, usually accessible through the blog platform, and worth every penny.
Adding your custom name to business cards, e-mail addresses, and helps you look more legit to companies and brands going forward!
DON’T upgrade to the most expensive plan on your blog platform
For the most part, the middle package is the way to go for starting out! I use WordPress and have the annually billed on the ‘premium’ package.
It helped me start out monetizing, grabbed my URL exclusively, helped with my page design and fonts, and has tons of great features. If you are a blogger or trying to write something personal, premium should do it! You don’t need to pay the (almost double on most sites!) for the business plan when you are just starting out!
DO try to make sure your handle is available on every platform, and then register them.
I learned this from my dear friend, Afa, who has experience as a PR Account Manager and has often advised me on my blog! When the name ‘Penny Darling’ was coined, she immediately (and seriously at like 2am) made accounts on Facebook, Twitter, Insta, Tumblr, SnapChat, YouTube, and more!
Honestly, it just makes it easier for your readers to follow you on multiple platforms!
DON’T buy followers.
Legit, real bloggers can tell. And we ARE judging you. Post quality content, be patient, follow these tips, and grow your following organically.
Your amount of followers does NOTHING if your engagement is low. So if you have 278K followers, but most of your pictures have less than 10 likes, it usually isn’t a great sign.
DO utilize hashtags.
They are the EASIEST way to connect with people! It’s helped me find a whole community of people who had similar style, taste, goals, and ideas as me! It’s helped me grow my own personal community!
Click around on some hashtags you see on people who have #goals on their blogs and social media pages! Figure out what they are tagging and then TAG IT! Your audience will grow right away!
DON’T be afraid to ask people you admire!
The first time I got a sponsored post, I had NO idea how to price myself.
Like, you ever sat down and thought, how much am I worth? It’s awful. I suggest not doing it unless you are within arms’ reach of a therapist….but, I asked a fellow blogger that I had seen with sponsored content how much she was charging…and she told me.
So I based my cost of her cost/reader/engagement ratio and just put my stats in the equation!
DO post on a schedule, if possible.
I’ve been following JennaMarbles since 2012 and she has posted a video every single ‘sexual Wednesday’ for the SIX years that I’ve been following her….and she did it for three years before that at least!
It helps your audience to know when they should come back for new content. I always find myself checking podcasts, blogs, YouTube channels who post regularly. (My Favorite Murder is Monday and Thursdays, JennaMarbles and TheGabbieShow are on Wednesdays and Coming Up Roses is a MWF blog!) If you can, try to post on a regular schedule!
DON’T get discouraged
Readership and subscribers and a community are not built in a day. Your first dozen (two dozen, even three dozen) posts are usually going to be under 500 views or so.
But it will continue to grow every week! And every time it does, it feels amazing. I loved seeing my numbers jump from 12 to 28 to 50.
Be proud of all of your accomplishments!
DO invest in yourself
Take online classes, pay a fee to have someone who knows what they are doing set you up (I actually do this!), read blogs for bloggers, take courses, and take the extra steps to make sure you are keeping your mind sharp and continuing to learn!
I took a class and worked with a professional in the beginning and I sucked it up and paid for both because I wanted high quality and something that would have a great return on investment!
If you want to work with me – send me an e-mail at pennydarlingtheblog@gmail.com and I can send you a price chart! And if I can’t help you, I have a great list of recommendations for all kinds of things from graphic designs, website design, and more!
DON’T try to please everyone.
You literally can’t. People are terrible. They comment terrible and stupid stuff and people will make you doubt yourself. And if you use a curse word, someone might say you’re vulgar and if you don’t – people think you’re a prude.
Just be you. It’ll please who it needs to!
DO find your voice and sing out, Louise.
Find your voice. Are you a person that swears a lot? Are you a wholesome pun master? Are you more of an image based blogger and like to keep the actual writing to a minimum? Are you super excited and cutesy or sarcastic and dry?
Find your voice. When I’m struggling to write, being able to just be myself in that way usually helps me push through the block! And be proud of that voice and sing it out loud and proud!
SO HERE’S THE “END OF BLOG” SPIEL!
If you are at all interested in doing a collab or working with me – please feel free to check out my new Contact Me! page!
I definitely want to do more His & Her fashion. Do you guys like seeing Preston more?
Follow me on Instagram: @thepennydarling
If you want to follow my darling, Preston – you can click here!
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Comment for topics you would like to see me cover! Like to help my self esteem! What do you think so far? More fashion? More lifestyle? Do you like the mix?
Thank you for all that you do. You are truly extraordinary.
Love all you wonderful ladies (and gents!) out there!
How Very,
Abby
Penny Darling 
Great tips girlie!
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Great advice! I couldn’t agree more with the buying followers thing! We DO so notice!! It’s bothersome though since some brands won’t work with you unless you have 12,000 followers or 20,000 followers and it’s such a bummer when you know the person who can work with the brand only has that many because they’re fake or paid. UGH! Oh well!
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Hey! I was wondering if you had any tips on naming a blog? I want to start one but I can’t choose a name!
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This was very helpful!!!
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