Morning Lovelies!
Thanks for tuning in! Today I’m going to talk about my journey’s new milestone, being a full-time blogger, in Switzerland (after having being an IT manager for 14 years of my professional life).
Blogger Life v2.0
There are times when people don’t take you, your passions, or even your new career seriously. Especially blogging.
Remember the Pammi aunty reference from the post yesterday. Well that does happen. No kidding.
What It Takes To Be a Blogger: All That Glitters is Not Gold
Just like any other job, the struggles of a blogger are real. Sipping cosmopolitans at fashion weeks, it takes time (read years) to get there.
Story ideas, story boards, brand collaborations, writer blocks, interviews, shoots & more – there is never any dearth of work.
A blogger to my mind is everything – he/she is a writer, a photographer, an editor, a conceptualiser, a marketeer, a project manager, a sales leader – the list goes on.
And while being motivated is good, it’s not good enough. In order to be successful one needs a lot of perseverance and sincerity.
Being a Blogger: How It All Started
It started with a couple of content posts per month to something I think and work on all day. I was/am still overwhelmed with the amount of social media networks, the promotional activities, the tons of emails and lastly the rejections/sheer ignorance that I receive regularly.
What is it that I write about?
Soaking into a new geography, doesn’t make it easier even with an already established brand. While brand collaborations have begun in the small city of Basel, I also handle the travel section of our blog. Being based in Europe, helps.
The good part? I love it. Your love multiplies, you love the pressure and you love the deadlines. You love it, not because of the glam factor but because of your passion.
Finding time to blog
Getting exhausted and having no time on your hand is a given especially since bloggers work out of home. Organising time between motherhood, daily chores around the house, school life, gym time, personal time does take a toll on me every single day. I use organisers, timetables and priority lists (weekly, daily and monthly) to make sure I do justice.
To all the people who think staying home is easy, one word. Actually two words.
Here’s what I’d have to say to anyone whose starting a similar journey
Here are my 5 top tips to any blogger:
- Good content is key – There is no substitute to good content. Good content to me is the final product. It’s not just the words but the entire package along with it: the pictures, the keywords, the tags, featured images and the readability.
- You can’t not promote – So you have a good post with great hashtags ready, but it isn’t complete. It isn’t complete till you promote it on various social media channels, maybe even run a paid promotion or boost your post.
- Social media madness – Your best friends are no longer people, it is these places, these worlds – Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest etc. Of course these four are ranked higher than the others and all of them bring in different audiences to your website.
- Measure – A daily report card that is available on the dashboard. Statistics – by age, gender, device and geographic locations.
- Death by Hashtag – The more you put, the more traffic you get. So choose wisely.
Of course I am new, still learning, taking baby steps every single day and finding motivation within this gratifying journey. I mostly work out of my beautiful cozy duplex apartment in Basel. I am fortunate to have these corners – where I read, write and draw inspiration. Inspiration is usually doubled up with ice drinks, hot chai tea or light coffees.
Do you work solo? Have you had a similar experience? I’d love to hear from you.
My next post is going to be around my health and wellness journey. The things I discuss over there – changes in the food habit, exercise and lifestyle changes.
All pictures by my dear friend and ace photographer – Zarina Yaya.
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