Some rules are meant to be broken they say, and when it comes to blogging, this saying is so true. When I started blogging three years ago, I read so many blogging tips, and I thought I needed to follow every tip, to make it as a blogger. Well, 3 years after, I am glad to say I stopped following these tips (that were not working for me anyways), and I am still here, and doing quite well.
Here are 5 blogging tips you should ignore:
Be a Niche Blogger
I wrote about niche blogs some months ago, and how the jury is still out on whether to blog within a niche or to have multiple niches. When I started blogging in 2013, I had only one niche in mind – fashion (just look at my blog name), and then I wanted to blog about beauty and general lifestyle topics, and I found that I couldn’t because all these other sites said not to.
Then one day I just decided to blog about whatever I felt like blogging about and I have done so ever since. I enjoy writing about fashion, beauty and lifestyle, and I also enjoy reading non niche blogs, I find the content quite interesting.
Being a non-niche blogger has done more good than harm. I have more followers, some are following for my outfit posts, some for my product reviews, others for my fashion posts or lifestyle posts. Being a non-niche blogger has also opened doors for more sponsored post opportunities as well, because I can work with various brands, and not limited to only fashion brands.
So I will advise you to blog about whatever you like, as long as the niches are related like fashion/beauty, parenting/lifestyle, food/lifestyle, you will be fine.
Fake It Until You Make It
I wrote about fashion and finances some years ago, and it is shocking that I still see bloggers, especially fashion bloggers living a lie, just to belong. They are wearing clothes, shoes and bags that cannot afford, to impress people they don’t know, just to feel among the ‘it’ bloggers. The rule – ‘Faking it until you make it’, will leave you broke. Trust me, I have been there and done that.
You don’t need to have a completely new outfit for every outfit post, you don’t need to publish a new outfit post every other day to succeed as a fashion blogger, please do not feel like you have to feature a shopping haul post just because every other fashion/beauty blogger is doing that, I have never featured a shopping haul post because I don’t see why I have to, I also do not enjoy reading such topics and I am still here.
Be yourself, and own it.
Go Self-Hosted
When I started blogging, I went straight for my own domain because I knew from the start, that I was going to take it seriously. Along the way, I learnt about self-hosted and how important it was to be self-hosted to succeed as a professional blogger. Well, I am not self-hosted, and I have no plans to go self-hosted. I have ads on my blog (WordAds), and I make a decent income from sponsored posts and product reviews so there is another rule I have broken.
For those who still believe sponsored posts are not allowed on WordPress.com, and you can only make money off a self-hosted blog, here is a quote from the policies page:
When a company or individual encourages you to publish content for the purpose of promoting a specific product, service, or idea, we consider this a sponsored post. Whether you are paid to publish this material or not, we allow sponsored posts on WordPress.com as long as they consist of original content created by you.
So there you have it in black and white, another blogging broken rule I have broken.
You don’t have to go self-hosted to succeed as a blogger, as long as you have your own domain, you should be fine.
So there are three blogging rules. You can read more about how to make a success of your blog from my recently launched eBook – How to Cash In as a Blogger, now available on Amazon.
Thanks for reading and downloading, and have a great week.
You literally took the words from my mouth. I’ve learnt to diversify my topics and it’s working very well for me, sometimes I get bored writing about one thing and that leads to frustration. When I started (and even recently), I had people telling me to be self-hosted but WordPress is working just fine for me, so no, thank you.
Happy Valentine’s Day 💝
http://Nappyhaired.com
Oh good. I get bored easily too. I find variety interesting. Go self-hosted only if you want to have more control over technical stuff, like having Google ADsense, Google Analytics, and so on. If you are not bothered with tech stuff, stick to WordPress.com. Happy Valentine’s Day x
Great ideas- especially the don’t fake it until you make it- it can get you into a big mess!
Yes it can..
Hey would be cool if you could check out my fashion/lifestyle newly made blog with new content to come. Follow for follow? XxX
Great advice, faking it could force you into bad decisions!
Yes it will..
Terrific post – especially about not living beyond your means just to create a blog!
Yea many are living above their means. Shocking..
Great post STella!
Thank you x
love this post. thanks for sharing. xx
Thanks for reading x
What a brilliant post. I am a parenting blogger and though I sometimes want to write about other things, I worry I will confuse my readers. Did you find this?
I use to worry about confusing my readers but not anymore. I gradually inroduce new topics, and monitor the response, and take it from there. I usually find a way to make my topics all relate.
This is such a great post, but I am not self hosted at the moment and it is such a pain in the ass because it won’t let me run everything. I have a giveaway on my blog just now and people can’t just click in to take part, they need to jump through hoops to get to the link. SO ANNOYING!
Yea WordPress hosted sites don’t allow you do may technical things. Thanks Jac x
Great ideas. Love this post. You are such a gifted blogger. Love you.
Thanks Osime x
I can imagine it’s hard to be a fashion blogger. I like doing fashion posts on my lifestyle blog, but I don’t do more than 1-2 each month. I assume the pressure adds up when you try to stay within one niche: travel, fashion, beauty because you need new content.
Yea it does, so many spend and spend, and can’t up with the lifestyle. It’s all a front.
I think it is nice to blog about a variety of things, there is some great advice here as well x
Thanks x
My blog niche is being me and I will write about what I want and like, I don’t pretend to be something I am not x
Exactly. My blog niche is me, how cool is that..
My favourite rule to be broken is the fake it till you make it because I am quite open about the fact that I don’t wear new clothes all the time because I don’t have enough money to. So you will see me wearing the same shoes or the same top but I will change it up because fashion is about recycling and not spending until your broke!
Yea so true Ana x
I think the only rule to not break is the law. Other than that – blogging is about having your own space to write about whatever you wish! There are no formulas for success. Just be happy with what you create. x
True that x
Great article!
When I started blogging 3 years ago, every single tip I read was saying that you need to choose one niche, 2 the most (only if they are related). And from the very beginning I thought that I’m not doing it. It’s my blog and my own platform, so I write about what I want – a bit of everything fashion, beauty, travel, lifestyle related. This is how we all are formed – with have complex personality and interests, right?
I so don’t like shopping haul posts or videos. When I go shopping, why anyone need to know what I bought. At least not before I style up whatever I got into an outfit and beauty look.
And your third mention rule – I’m self hosted. Because I’m a graphic designer and already had my super-dupa huge hosting space and it was easy to do it. What is more important is to own your domain name, rather than where you host your blog.
Exactly my thoughts Lubka. I don’t believe in sticking to 1 niche, I get bored quickly, and I rather my readers see how I have styled my new additions, or I can write about wanting them (wishlist). A vanity domain is all that is required in my opinion, especially as most bloggers have no clue on how to deal with the many hosting problems. Lucky you, you know your way around it all x
This is amazing, thank you! You hit the nail on the head. I read so many things when I first started and was panicking like hell thinking I’d never be able to do/remember it all. Lovely to know that you can keep going without following the rules x
Yeap you can Jenna x
fantastic post x and rules are meant to be broken for sure
Yes they are x
I hadn’t heard the ‘fake it until you make it’ rule but I imagine that would be a bit more difficult to do in the world of parent blogging. Doesn’t seem like good advice at all though – faking it always gets old!
It is more with fashion bloggers, as per outfit posts and all.
I definitely agree! I hated being tied down to one niche x
Yea me too. I have a lot to say x
Great post! There’s so much advice for new bloggers it’s confusing to know what to do or what not to do. It’s nice to hear someone telling people to break the rules and do what they want x
Thanks Helen. These rules are not as important as many say they are.
I agree with these, I couldn’t stick to a niche so when I bought my domain as soon as I started this is why I stuck with just my name so I could go for any niche x
Yea and it works for you. That is all that matters really x
Great post! There’s so much advice for new bloggers its hard to know what to do for the best. It’s so nice to hear someone say break the rules and do what you want.
Helen Clark x
Thanks for reading Helen. Just do you x
I remember reading about similar rules when I started blogging. At the beginning, I was trying to define myself as a parenting or food blogger, but ended up doing a bit of both!
http://lilinhaangel.com/
And your blog is perfect with both, love it x
Fantastic tips! I wholly agree with you on number one. I keep worrying about needing to be more ‘niche’ but I like writing about lots of different things so… no!
Thanks Laura. I like reading your blog x
Great tips, I went self hosted to begin with and happy with that, but always been worried about niches as I fit a few. Decided I don’t care now and will blog about whatever I feel like. 🙂 x
You should bother with niches much as long as you are happy with your blog x
It takes too much energy to try to be something other than what your are. If you just be you, you’ll be happier and your readers will connect you more.
Yea so true x
I have often been told to stick to a niche with my blog. I mainly blog about reviews, kids play ideas, but I also include loads of other things from crafts, recipes, beauty. I just write about what interests me.
Exactly what I do too.
You are so right about not spending money to buy new out fits you can accessorise, adapt and mix and match to get different looks. I love all your tips.
Thanks Nayna. Glad you do x
This was a great post, I try not to fake it either. Thanks for the tips
Thanks for reading x
This was great and interesting read! I have come across those blogs where they seem fake! many of them! Only thing is they will never last!
Yea I know. So many of them.
I enjoyed reading this post a lot…lots of good points…I totally agree with not bleeding your bank dry in the name of fashon…when I want to be totally intimidated ( : I look at some personal style blogs on bloglovn’, I mea some of them look like models all decked out in designer, make up and I’m like Woah….to be fair maybe some of them are getting freebies from Press but I can see lots of young impressionable new bloggers feeling the need to break the bank to keep up with those blogs…. ( :
Yea because they want to feel like they are among the ‘it’ bloggers. When I started blogging, I actually read many articles advising new bloggers to fake it till they make it..Lol.
So true. Blogging is a fun yet complicated world. But as long as you’re enjoying, keep it up! 🙂
Yea I will. Thanks Jessica x
Great advice, Stella. Blogging should be fun as well, not just a bunch of rules to follow. And congrats on the book!
Yea exactly. Thanks Cara x
Another fabulous post! I agree, I write about whatever I want to and don’t just stick to parenting. Whilst Lily is the main focus of the blog, I am still my own person and have other things to write about! X
Thanks. Glad you like it x
This is very true. I think when it comes to having a niche-there’s nothing wrong with that IF it works for you. Similarly, there’s nothing wrong with not having a niche. You’ve hit the nail on the head with this post.
Exactly my point. Thanks Laura x
I so agree about niche. I have so much to say about so many different things and lots of people still read my blog X
Miss Kitty Kaos – Adventures Of A Riot Grrrl
Yea me too x
I think ‘Fake it til you make it’ is useful when you’re talking about confidence, if I act like I’m a confident person when I go into a room, I find that I actually start to feel more confident. But I’m still surprised that people fake their lifestyle or purchases just for a blog post. That’s just asking for trouble!
Yea that is true but the fake life with unaffordable purchases and all is a no-no.
Really helpful! Just started my first blog yesterday!! So really great to have some advice! https://pinksundaysblog.wordpress.com 🙂 x
Ah nice. Glad you found this post helpful.