Guest Post: Miss Kristen

Happy Friday loves! I hope y'all are having a great week and ready for the weekend. I am 12 kinds of excited for today's guest poster, Kristen from All in My Twenties. Kristen's blog was one of the FIRST blogs I ever started following and is one of my favorite daily reads. Homegirl is hilarious, witty, beautiful, smart, sassy, blunt and a sweetheart all in one. She's big time in blog land so I'm thrilled she was willing to post for me. Check out her Blogging 101 tips, they are pretty much SPOT ON!

Hey there pinksters!

Hope you ladies are having a great Friday!

In case we've never met Im Kristen.

Okay maybe thats not me, but I wish I had her body!

This is the real me!

That sexy man beast is my Boo, Christopher.

I blog over at All In My Twenties.

Usually about our crazy life.

Today Im here to give you the 101 of Blogging!

Recently Ive had a few girls ask how to "grow" their blogs. Im no expert, obviously, but I can tell you what worked for my baby blog back in the day!

These first 4 are the MOST important things to remember:

1. Regardless of what any "big blogger" tells you, growing your blog takes time. Its not very often that you click on a blog that has 1500 followers and see that they have been blogging for 2 months. Just doesnt happen. And Ive found by talking to other blogger that without doubt the first 100 followers are the hardest to get. Strangers typically dont want to publicly follow a blog (they may be reading it but not "follow") that has 10 followers because they dont want to seem creepy. Thats just the truth. So get your friends and family to be your first followers this will help your beginning numbers and others will follow!

2. Be yourself. Your blog must have personality. I cannot tell you how many people have told me "I can hear you talking when I read your blog because you write just like you talk". Throw grammar and correct perfect English and everything else they taught you in HS English out the window. Unless your super ghetto, Ebonics doesnt work well in blogland. People dont want to read a perfectly written book they want to KNOW YOU. This alone will 100% make or break your blog!

With that said, you need to be YOU.

 Its okay to disagree with the norm. Its okay to be brutally honest sometimes. Just use your best judgment and remember that everyone's different. I sometimes stray away from super intense topics that people feel very strongly for or against, because I just rather not deal with the controversy. Ex. This Chick Fil A madness last week! Just be sure to stay true to you. Your readers will lose respect for you and stop following if they realize youre fake. They want to know how you really feel and who your really are. This is the reason people like blogs with diverse posts. No one need to know how perfect your life is and how rich you are. They want to know that you are human and that you have troubles too. So share your life, the good and the bad, with your readers. Just make sure to use good judgment. Not everything should show up on a blog. Ex. Terrible fights with loved ones. Leave that shit at home!

3. Get your blog out there. If no one knows your blog exist, you will NEVER get new readers. You must become active in the blog community to grow your blog.

How?

Glad you asked.

Participate in Link Ups. This is the BEST and quickest way get your blog exposure! Raven and I just started this fit link up last week and I have already found new blogs, some new blogs, that I had never seen before!

Comment on other blogs! Find blogs you like and leave meaningful comments. I say meaningful because no one wants to see "Hi like your blog. Please come follow me!" NO ONE. And I promise you will be shooting yourself in the foot if you start the "Ill follow you if you follow me" game.

JUST DONT DO IT. Comment to develop relationships because relationships are key!

Tweet, Facebook and Instagram your links! The more people who see your blog and have the chance to read it, the more likely you will develop a fan base.

Swap buttons with other ladies who have similar sized blogs. I say similar sized because the chances of you asking a blogger with 3000 followers to put your button on her page when you have 6 isnt very realistic. Find girls who are you like and are starting out to trade with!

4. Post pictures in your post. People are visual. We like to see who you are. If I click on a blog and see nothing but paragraphs I immediately click that red X. Im sorry but I want to see what you look like. I want to see what youre talking about! No, not every single post needs to be loaded with pictures but try to add them when they are relevant! This will help your readers feel like they know you and thats what you and them want!

Those are the big ones!

These are just a few that I feel help!

5. Get rid of the "Word Verification" on your commenting. That shit is annoying and people dont want to have to go through all of that to leave you a comment. It becomes more of a hassle then its worth! So go right now to your settings, click comments and then click NO on word verification! Got it. GOOD.

6. Get a blog design. No one likes ugly and thats the truth. You dont have to go buy one. I have yet to ever purchase a blog design and my little baby is doing A-Okay! You can find free ones on sites like www.cutestblogontheblog.com. I promise this will make you look more official and that will help!

Well there you have it ladies!!

 Blogging 101 at its best!!

Hope these help!!

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Thanks so much Kristen!!! I truly appreciate you guest posting and those tips are amazing!

You are the bomb.com girl :)!