Be A Blogger.

Have you always thought about blogging but don't know where to start? Maybe you don't think you're popular or interesting enough? Maybe blogging has never even entered your head but you thought you'd have a quick read anyway. All is perfectly ok and I hope by the end of this post I can change your view on blogging and how to overcome the challenges faced.

Despite not being a professional blogger, a long time blogger or even a popular blogger I thought Id share my thoughts and ideas on country blogging based around my own experiences and your questions. If someone would of asked me just over 6 month ago if id be writing this now or even have my own blog it would of most definitely of been a big no!

Can I blog?

I truly believe that anybody can blog. If you have a passion in what you are going to write about and the motivation to engage and be active then yes you can.

I am rubbish at writing , does this matter?

Although helpful, it isn't the be all and end all. I never thought Id be capable of blogging , I struggle with spelling and grammar so where possible I try to get blogs proof read. I probably just meet the adequate mark but it seems to be getting me by ok.

I would love to start blogging but I don't know how?

Starting a blog is relatively easy, managing and keeping up with the blog is a little bit more challenging.

Before setting up a blog you need to ask your self these questions.

Am I interested and do I enjoy what I am going to write about?

Blogging for me is a personal thing not a business thing so my blogs are about what I enjoy and love. It makes blog writing much easier. I am never stuck for topics because I am interested in what I have chosen and want to share this with my readers. I even include personal blogs which although normally advised 'write for the readers not for you' they have been some of my most successful blogs.

Do I have the time and motivation?

Depending on the content, writing and publishing a blog can be quite a quick process however the key to blog exposure is social media. Keeping an active social media following can be challenging and takes a lot of effort. I use instagram as I can easily share photos of new posts and lots of other content. I try to upload as regularly as I can without being overwhelming. Remember your feed will be the first thing your readers see before following the link to your blog. Make sure your feed is of similar topic to your blog and is of high quality. Poor quality, blurry photos would give me an image or a poor quality blog. This may also effect business exposure too!

Am I blogging for me or is it because it seems to be the new in thing?

I may be going too much into this but if you do not have the care in what you do you will not be giving 100%. With the growing competition , you need to be on your game. Blogging because you think you can get lots of free things is not a good enough excuse for starting a blog. I sometimes feel the reason for people's blogs can sometimes become this too! Don't fall into that trap!

(Want to know the technical bits like setting up your blogging platform? Keep reading for a handy guide)

How did you start blogging?

For the past two years I have been a 'Tottie clothing' equestrian blogger and enjoyed it so much I took the plunge to have a little more freedom in my writing and set up 'the girl in green' along side. Being a country loving Yorkshire girl with a gamekeeper boyfriend and a career involving a green uniform and bright yellow bus with blue lights. I had my topic right there and i guess its just grown from then on.

How did you put your self out there against already established bloggers?

I just went for it! I didn't think of it as a competition to be the best. I just wanted to share my passion for the country life and if people liked what I wrote than that was bonus (quite a useful one). There's always going to be a more experienced, more popular blogs out there especially as a newbie in the blogging community. I just shared photos on instagram, engaged with as many people as I could, ran a super giveaway competition with some very supportive businesses and gradually you gain more readers and more activity on your social media. Blogging gives you some great friends!

There are a lot of bloggers out there, how do you separate your self and be unique?

Trying to be unique in a sea full of similar themed blogs is always going to be a challenge. I feel the pressure of not having a 'business' goal for my blog allows for a personal touch to make my blog what is is and allows me to keep content to what I want to share with you instead of what I have to share with you. Sometimes blogs can be an overload of brands, biased reviews and the reason the blog started gets lost.

As much as we love to read about what's 'hot' this season, the chances are someone else has done that too so it's key to add personal features such as including my own outfit inspirations and 'country collections' which show a variety of well known and smaller brands to try and create a balance.

Id like to think I was quite creative too, given the right opportunity. I love photography so all photos used are my own. This definitely add's to being unique although time consuming. I enjoy website design so although currently a little wooly I hope my blog is a little more 'out there' than just some writing on a website. My theme was made from a blank page , originally my photography website but homemade by me all the same I guess!

How to go about working with other companies and Instagram?

Being fairly new to the collaboration side of blogging (exciting news to be released soon) I thought it would be better suited to have someone else answer this question and who better than the very lovely and successful @jonathonleebrookes_esq (www.jlbintheglen.com) .

"At first its hard starting out, because you have to find something that you can offer the business in return. Whether it be a blog, lifestyle or social media- no company will work with you if they can't get something for it. It helps to test the water a little bit first and approach a few brands and discuss a possible working relationship.

One thing to remember though it that fundamentally you have to remain original and true to what you want. Too many brands and companies want you as an extension to their company, whilst this can be appealing you end up loosing your unique spin.

Once you have one or two brands in your portfolio then it kind of just snowballs from their, the more interactions you get from followers the more other brands see potential. Another thing to remember is that if you ever get to the point where you're working with a number of brands make sure you don't allow for conflict of interest, this makes for a difficult relationship. Make sure you have a clear idea of what brand serves what purpose and stick to it!- its all fun and games, stay true to you and everything will be fine! "JLB

Any points to get people to 'like' and follow you?

Social following is the make or break of your blog. My number one tip is be nice and engage ! There's so much negativity and rivalry with some bloggers , its about time people supported each other and came together. That said the support I have received from followers , other bloggers and business is overwhelming and i'm truly grateful!

As stated before keep your social media active with posts needing responses, and post good quality , relevant photos regularly. Engaging with readers is key. Make the effort to draw people in and keep them there.

Still want to 'be a blogger'?

Heres a few quick tips to getting the technical side of things sorted.

Platform:

Choosing the correct blogging platform is a very personal choice there's lots of fuss over wordpress but personally I prefer WIX. I've found it easy to navigate and easy to have freedom and create an effective blogging platform with special features. I use the free option however own domains etc are available at extra costs.

Name:

Again very personal, but handy if it includes what the blog will be about in some way. I chose 'the girl in green' as I am always either in green wellies and coats or my green paramedic uniform so it fitted to me and my blog topics.

Content:

Choose a theme or topic such as country lifestyle or equestrian etc. Add extra's such as outfit inspirations, gift guides, look books etc. It doesn't just have to be blog posts. Try to experiment and be an individual! Another good point is make sure photos are high quality , don't ruin a good read with blurry photos.

Schedule:

Plan your blogs! I cant stress this enough! Being organised is essential, life does get in the way which is understandable but try to create a schedule which works for you. I have 'spare' blogs that can be posted as a substitute for a blog which hasn't been written yet but is due etc. I also involve monthly features such as 'brand of the month' and 'straight from the horses mouth'.

Feedback:

Listen and learn. Ask for it where you can and welcome constructive criticism. This is what will make your blog grow and eventually bloom! Keep an eye on your reader number's on types of blogs , see what works well , how could you improve blog exposure etc.

Ok so this blog is a very long one , thank you to whoever got far enough to see this. I hope it covered what you want to know in enough but not too much detail and I wish you very happy blogging!

Feel free to message me any queries and make sure you share your blogs with me!

Thanks again, speak soon,

Meg xx