Samantha. J

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What you should be doing to your blog behind the scenes

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When I first started my blog, I thought it was as easy as writing a post and pressing publish and don’t get me wrong it definitely can be as easy as that if you want it to be.

If you’re looking to progress and grow your blog more then you should definitely be doing some blog maintenance, it could be something small every day which could take 10 minutes but could end up being super important to help keep your blog up to date. Here are a few things I do behind the scenes to look after my blog and make it the best it can be..

Check your links are still working

When I say links I mean every single link on your site wether that’s a social media one or one’s linked in a blog post. Don’t worry you can check all your broken links on broken link checker. Just enter your URL and it brings them all up, it is a very time consuming job but it’s got to be done.

A broken link is basically a link that no longer directs you to the desired page, If you’ve got a broken link on your site the reader will get a ‘404 not found error’ page come up which means they probably aren’t going to stay on your site for very long which may make your SEO suffer.

Related Post: What is DA & how to improve it.

Check your traffic sources

It’s really important to know where your audience is coming from, that way you know where to promote the most. My biggest traffic source is Twitter and always has been since starting my blog but yours may be instagram, Facebook or Pinterest. Track your traffic sources weekly and see where your posts perform the best then promote, promote, promote.

Refresh your old posts

I started this a while ago but then I got distracted and never finished it but it’s definitely on my to-do list. We always promote our newer posts but sometimes your old but still popular posts may be getting more traffic than you thought. Why not update your photo’s?, your writing style may have changed so update the post to your standard now, change up the layout to a more modern look. Revamping older posts may take some work but it provides you to share that content with newer readers.

Delete old plugins

Unused and old plugins slow down you site if you didn’t know and they also represent a security risk. This isn’t a job I do as regularly as others, it’s more a monthly thing but it’s good to get my site running a little bit better and you can always update your regular plugins as well. WordPress one’s are constantly being updated to include new features. Oh but remember to backup your site regularly too so that you have a spare copy in case of any problems when updating.

Improve user friendliness

Put yourself in the reader’s shoes and make any changed you feel are necessary. I hardly ever click on my blog because most of the time I’m behind the blog, I sometimes forget what my blog actually looks like to everyone else. Check the text and font sizes, are they easy to read?, is your search bar easy to find?, are your images clear?, does your blog look professional?, does your contact page still work?, how easy is your blog to navigate?

I know you may not want to do some of these tasks because trust me I try and avoid mine some days but they are important and after a little blog spring clean you’ll find that your blog may run a little faster and you’ll be much happier knowing they are done for another few weeks/months.

Do you do blog maintenance?

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What you should be doing to your blog behind the scenes - Samantha. J

Apps to make your Instagram stories stand out

Hands up who spends more time watching instagram stories than scrolling their feed? I’m very guilty of this but I love seeing the everyday lives of people I follow. If you want to take your instagram stories to the next level then there are a load of apps to help you with that! You can now get so creative on stories with collages, vintage effects, animations and film effects. There’s just so many ways you can get yours to stand out from the crowd.

Instagram stories are obviously now a massive part of instagram with swipe up links (which should be available to everyone FYI Instagram), and the option to create quick video content means we are able to add so much personality to our profiles.

There’s a massive selection of apps out there right now for stories but I thought I would make it easier for you so I’m sharing some of my favourite apps that I use on a daily basis for my instagram stories.

Unfold

I think this is one of the best apps for Instagram stories out right now on the App Store. It’s one I kept seeing on my feed for a while and decided to download and have been using ever since. This is the app behind the polaroid/film strip effect that so many of us seem to be using.

This is possibly my favourite app I use for my stories. It makes stories so clean and modern looking. It’s even possible to share photo’s and video’s on the same story which I love and is super useful especially if you work with brands as they make your story look so professional.

Instagram stories

Unfold also lets you preview your story with ‘story mode’ giving you a chance to see how your stories will appear on instagram before posting which is another little great feature.

Unfold is free to download and a lot of the templates are free to use but they have introduced Unfold+ which you have to pay for to get some of the templates but honestly the free version is amazing and you totally don’t need to pay anything to get your stories to look good with the unfold templates.

Made

Made is very similar to Unfold with so many templates featured which are very minimal and although I do like Made I don’t think it’s as good as Unfold. I have only recently downloaded this but it’s not as user friendly and the choice of templates aren’t as good, they are very similar to each other and you haven’t got an option for stickers unlike Unfold which has.

I do however think if you want more control over the template then it’s a good app as they have a few film templates which are nice and definitely one to think about downloading if you want a fresh look to your instagram stories.

Mojo

Adding animation to your Instagram stories is a great way to create eye-catching content and the Mojo app has everything you need to create stunning video’s. It’s super easy to use just like Made and Unfold with templates but they are totally customisable making it so easy to crop, add titles change speeds, colours etc.

Again there’s only a certain amount of templates you can use for free but you can use them for either video’s or still photo’s. It’s really good if you wanted to showcase some text content but want to really make it stand out in your feed! You can download Mojo for free on the App Store.

HUJU Cam

Do you want retro feel photo’s from the year 1998? If you’re looking for that disposable film camera vibe on your photo’s then this is the app that you need in your life. Once I downloaded this one I have non-stop been using it on my stories and everyday life. I am such a fan of film camera’s and the old school look on photo’s, it’s something I have always loved.

HUJU Cam is free to download but I find the only problem is you have to open the app and take a photo rather than upload one from your camera roll then filter it, I mean it’s not a problem, it just tests your photography skills. You can add light leaks to the photo or disable if that’s not your thing but I honestly love this app and if you want that vintage kind of vibe on your photo’s then this is the app to get.

Nichi

Nichi is a very recent discovery but is my current obsession right now. You can create the most beautiful designs with the most customisable templates, there’s just so much you can do and it has the most feminine stickers which I really do love.

I don’t know wether I’m just behind with downloading this app or what but they really do have the loveliest designs and you have so much creative control. They have a free layout design which means you are able to move and zoom the photos, stickers, text etc. to wherever you want. The app is so much more than a college board and is free to download.

Instagram stories

Camcorder

Now.. Camcorder is an app which I searched for the longest time. I wanted an app that made videos look like the old home movies that your grandad took when you were younger. I came across camcorder one day while just scrolling through the App Store like you do and just dowloaded as it was the only free app I could find that did the old video style without the price tag.

So, if you want that old style home video look then this is the app to get. It’s a bit disappointing you can only use it in landscape mode and you can’t change the time and date on the video but other than that it’s a really great little app to capture memories on. When I normally post videos from here on my stories I use one of the Unfold templates as it gives a really nice feel and look to it.

Have you found a new app for your Instagram stories recently?

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Instagram stories

Five simple tips to improve your blog photography

Blog Photography

I’ve been thinking about writing a post about photography for a good while and after having this little blog for just over 3 years I thought now would be the right time although I didn’t really take my blog photography that seriously until about a year ago when I started to fall in love with it.

One of the biggest struggles when I first stared my blog was the photography aspect, most of my first shots were taken on my iPhone, not in focus one bit and it was very obvious I had no clue what I was doing but fast forward to now my photos are crisp, clear and just what I was hoping for.

I realised just a few months into blogging that the quality of the photos can literally make or break your post so that’s when I started to learn more about photography from other bloggers and it was a lot of trial and error let me tell you, thousands and thousands of photos and a couple of years later my photo’s have improved SO much so I thought I would share my tips and what I’ve learnt if you are in the same boat I was a couple of years ago.

Choosing your Equipment

When I started out I didn’t have the money to buy a big expensive camera and I’m sure most other bloggers didn’t either but personally I don’t think you should have to fork out loads of money on photography equipment to be a blogger. One of the main things for me that draws me into a blog is the photography, it needs to be eye catching and clear. My first photo’s were from using my iPhone because I didn’t want to invest in a big camera right away but after about a year when I knew I wanted to carry on blogging for the foreseeable so I invested in the Cannon EOS M10 with a 15-45mm lens (which I still use to this day) and it’s honestly the perfect first blogging camera as it wasn’t too expensive, heavy or too complicated but you can honestly get some amazing camera’s now without breaking the bank.

I personally wouldn’t use my iPhone XS Max when taking blog photo’s at this point even though it has a great camera just because I think my camera has the edge with the crispiness and quality. Blogging really did give me the push I needed with my photography and I’m now looking into purchasing a film and DSLR camera. You might get discouraged at the start with only having a phone but it’s very possible to take beautiful photo’s without a professional camera. Make the most of the equipment you already have and then when you think you are ready to take the next step investing in a good camera is the best thing you can do.

Natural light is always the best light

Lighting is probably the most important factor in photography of any kind but especially product photography in blogging. I just think it’s super important when photographing beauty products in particular as if you are recommending them to your readers then it’s important to show them in their true form.

I personally like to take photo’s when it’s cloudy outside but still bright as then you don’t get the shadows from the sun. When the darker nights come in you can always use artificial lighting like a soft box but personally I don’t like them, I find them too harsh so I try and utilise and make the most of the better days and they and take photo’s in bulk, It’s obviously easier in the summer with the longer days but winter can be hard as the night’s draw in that’s when you maybe don’t have a choice with the artificial lighting but natural light is always 1000 times better and if you can always try and take photo’s by a window where the natural light is the best.

Practice. Practice. Practice.

I was always comparing myself to the bloggers who had been blogging for years who had amazing photo’s and I didn’t think I’d ever get to their standard & I think a lot of people do this but don’t worry photography will get better with practice. I would every so often just get my camera out and play around with different angles, lighting, products and props and even though sometimes my photos didn’t come out like I wanted them to I was giving it a go and knew every time I would find my own style.

I am always improving, even now I still experiment and get my camera out to see what I can come up with. If you look down my instagram or blog you will see just how much I have improved and my photography is no where near on the level it is now and that all comes with practice. Just take a couple of hours out your day, get your camera out and see what happens!

Blog Photography

Take shots from different angles

When I’m taking photo’s, I usually have in mind the type of photo’s I want to take wether that’s for my instagram or any of my upcoming blog posts but sometimes even though you have something in mind it sometimes doesn’t go to plan. Angles can make or break a photo and I normally come away from a shoot with hundreds of photo’s from lots of different angles then pick about 5 from the selection.

I try to take photo’s from every possible distance and angle, close and medium shots, far shots and from all the different sides of the product or subject. There’s always a photo from above to get that perfect flatlay and sometimes an angle you wouldn’t have thought would work looks amazing and it’s the best one.

Find your own editing style

Editing is one thing I have struggled with over the past couple of years and I constantly downloaded editing apps recommended by other bloggers to see what would work and didn’t. I think finally honing down my editing process has been almost as important as the actual photo taking process. I have pretty much nailed my editing process now even though it’s very simple, it works for me but no doubt I will get bored soon and change it soon.

When I first started getting into all the editing process I definitely followed the crowd and when into the bright and light photo’s and found it so hard to keep that aesthetic, it just wasn’t working for me, I think it’s so easy to over expose your photo’s which isn’t a good look. Once you have your process down, you can basically do the same thing for every photo and it soon becomes second nature. My editing process now only take me 5 minuites and it’s super easy.

I really hope this helps anyone starting out as a beginner to just generally struggling with their blog photography. What’s the best tip you have regarding photography?

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Blog Photography

What is DA & how to improve it

Domain authority can be hard to understand and if you’ve only just started out as a blogger it can be super overwhelming. I know I had NO clue what it stood for when I first started out. It was actually about 6 months after my first blog post until I even knew what it was and then I started to see other bloggers tweeting about their DA and I thought I’d try to understand myself.

Fast forward and now I’m always checking my score to see whether it’s gone up or down, I’m obsessed. No really. Now, I find it really important to understand what it’s about and how I can improve it so that I can work with more brands etc. A couple of people have requested I do this post and I’m not saying I know everything about DA but over time I have learnt a few things so I’ll just share with you what I’ve learnt and hopefully it’ll be useful!

DA
First of all.. What is DA?

DA stands for Domain Authority (DA) and is one of the key factors which determines how your site performs in search engines (e.g – Google). It’s scored between 1 and 100, and every site starts at 1 when it is created. As your DA increases, so does the ranking in the search engines which means there is a better chance of your site being seen, it’s more likely to be on the front page on google and if your anything like me I hardly ever click onto the 2nd page of google so it’s got a better chance of being clicked on which means more views for your blog!

How can I find out my DA score?

Well, I’m glad you asked. To check your domain authority all you have to do is go onto Moz and input your URL and click search BUT keep in mind that you can only check your score if you have your own domain, so if your domain ends with wordpress.com or blogger.com unfortunately you won’t be able to. I’m not too sure when Moz updates  the system, I’m pretty sure it’s every month or so, I may be wrong but that’s what I’ve always thought and when I’ve been to check mine it’s always been updated. If anyone actually knows, could you please let me know?!

Tips to improve your DA

Read & comment on other blogs – Not only can this be great for your DA but it allows you to get inspired by other bloggers and their content! Leaving a simple comment on someone post can really make their day, trust me. Oh but please don’t just leave a 3 word comment and your link as your comment will go through as spam.

I bet your thinking but how can leaving a comment help my DA? Well simply leave a link to your blog at the end of your comment and you’re showing Google that you’re active, so by leaving your website below your comment you are linking back to your site through their website, therefore showing you are a trustworthy site.

Get rid of broken links – Broken links are the bain of a bloggers life. They are the worst but regularly removing broken links from your site is important and something you should definitely be doing.

When Moz do their monthly scan, they will check links on your site and if a lot of these links are dead or no longer working then this is can be marked as spam and doesn’t look good. It can be a very time-consuming and boring job getting rid of broken links but if you’re on WordPress there’s a plug-in for them so just search broken link checker. If your on blogger or a different site then you can find out how may broken links you have HERE.

DA

Internal linking – Linking to your own content is just as important as linking to external sites and whenever you create a post always try to include links back to old posts. I always try to include at least one link to my own content in each blog post but make sure that the link you are including is relevant to the content of your post.

You can always go back through older posts as well linking them to your newer content! Google likes to show people sites that they think will be full of information and internal linking is one way of proving it.

Search Engine Optimisation – SEO for short is a major factor in improving your DA. There’s a lot of information I could tell you about SEO and I could really do another post on it but basically SEO is how your blog post is read by the likes of Google.

This is something I had NO clue on either when I started but on WordPress you can download a plugin called Yoast which is amazing and it literally tells you everything you need to do to improve your SEO rating for each post and page on your site. Honestly if you haven’t downloaded it, do it now you won’t regret it.

Make your site mobile friendly – Anyone else ever click on a link on your mobile and it takes you to a blog that isn’t mobile friendly so you just click straight back off because you just can’t be bothered to zoom in? Well, if your site isn’t mobile friendly a lot of people aren’t going to stay on for very long unfortunately.

Google like to see sites that are mobile friendly and they will rank them over non-mobile friendly sites. Oh and as people are addicted to their phones these days (guilty 🙋🏼‍♀️) that’s another reason to make sure your site is mobile friendly.

DA

Make your posts longer – Apparently, Google takes longer posts more serious as it believes it’s crammed with lots of useful information, so therefore it’s likely that this could improve your DA score. I have been trying to make sure that I’m writing 500 words or longer for my posts which I hope is making a positive difference. Obviously sometimes short posts are inevitable but try to make even your short post as long as possible.

Be patient – Building up a good DA score takes time, the age of your blog will play a factor in how high your DA will be. Improving your blog DA isn’t something you can do overnight and as long as you follow all the points above then your domain authority will gradually grow over time, don’t worry.

Do you have any tips on improving your DA? Share them below!

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