Tag Archives: Blogging Inspiraton

Blogging Predictions for the Next 10 Years

May 31, 2017 By in Blogging Tips Tags: , , , , , , , , 42 Comments

I wrote about the future of blogging earlier this year, and it was well received. I wrote about how much I think the blogging industry would be further diversified, and thrive with increased interdependence and social media. And I decided to write more on how I see the blogging industry in the next 10 years.

 

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I see blogging looking very different in a few years time. Here are the 5 ways I think the blogging industry would change in 10 years time –

Less Blogs

There are a lot of blogs around nowadays, many quality blogs and not so quality blogs. In 10 years time, I think many bloggers would abandon their blogs and ultimately shut them down. I see the blogosphere not being as saturated as it is now, because I think many would give up on their blogs because they were set up for the wrong reasons.

A Better WordPress

I see WordPress still being the king of blogosphere. I see it being better. I see self hosting being as easy as clicking an icon. But I do see the service being more expensive in order to accommodate all these perks.

More Lifestyle Blogs

I see more blogs rebranding and being more flexible by covering more niches. I think people relate with lifestyle bloggers more because they find that they have a lot in common with them, and they are usually more interesting to read and write. So I see more lifestyle blogs popping up.

Clear Regulations 

I see clear regulations in place for the blogging industry. Right now, it is so confusing what you must do, can do and can’t do. But I see the regulations being laid out properly in a few years.

More Social Media Platforms

Blogging and social media are like Bonnie & Clyde, they need each other. I see new platforms coming up in the future. And I see the end of some of the current platforms we have at the moment.

 

I have written this post as part of Innovation Company’s study on what bloggers see as the future of blogging – http://innovationcompany.co.uk

How do you see the blogging industry in 10 years? Please share your thoughts in the comments section below.

Thanks for stopping by.

 

*Collaborative post.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Inspiration or Outright Copying?

August 14, 2016 By in Blogging Tips Tags: , , , , , , , , , , 88 Comments

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Lets talk getting inspiration or outright copying in the blogosphere.There’s a very thing line between inspiration and outright copy. It’s a good thing to be inspired by other bloggers. You only have a problem when you are ‘too inspired’. Whether it is photography, design or writing, copying continues to be a serious problem in the blogging industry and I wonder why. Imagine spending hours thinking, researching and crafting your masterpiece, only for someone to copy almost everything you’ve done. It makes me angry and upset just thinking about it.
We should all strive to produce unique quality content every time. And we should take pride in our work. The uniqueness we posses is what makes us stand out as individuals, as bloggers. No two human beings can create the same content. You would have to have lived my life, and I would have had to live yours!

Being original is so very important, but it is ok to be inspired. We all get inspiration from somewhere, I know I get inspiration from some of my favourite blogs. Inspiration gives birth to something new, while copying is a reproduction of the original. Have you come across a blog whose content sparks an idea? The blog post becomes a starting point, a foundation upon which you build something that reflects who you are and your style or brand. What is produced is a completely different variation from the blog that sparked the idea. Copying does not do that. It clones the original. It makes no addition, no change in perspective absolutely nothing. The copied content is just a mirror of the original.
An inspired piece is backed up with hard work, while a copied piece requires little or no effort. When a blog inspires you to create something, you’re always motivated to do your own research to make your piece unique. To make your work stand out, you put in time and effort to make your article reflect your views. The other blog inspired you to do your discovery and make your own post. A copied article is hardly backed by any effort. It is written down almost verbatim. The only time spent was to recreate the original blog post, which can be very annoying for the copied blogger.
A blog post is inspired if it reflects you but it’s copied if it reflects the originator of the post. It is as simple as that. When you write a blog post that was inspired by someone else, your blog post will always reflect your personality, your thoughts and your feelings. Someone else might have inspired your article but there’s hardly any trace of that person’s thoughts, personality or style. The post truly reflects who you are. It’s easy to tell if a blog post is copied. A copied blog post reflects only the original owner’s thoughts and personality. Although you reproduced it, there is no trace of anything that reflects you in the article.
There are obvious differences between inspiration and copying. No matter how cautious you try to be, it’s always good to play safe. Don’t copy. Be original. But seek inspiration and give credit where due. It’s only fair to acknowledge the originator even if you didn’t copy.

 

What are your thoughts on inspiration or outright copying? Sound off in the comment section please.

 

Blogging Inspiration – Being a Girl Boss

May 10, 2016 By in Blogging Tips Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , 58 Comments

Being a full-time blogger means I can work from home, look after my little ones, build my online portfolio, and make some money while doing it. Me taking the leap of faith, and going pro, has been the best decision I have ever made for my career, and I am extremely happy, doing what I do. However, some days are harder than others, and I find that I struggle to get anything done on those days. Days like when I find it extremely hard to get the words down, days when I struggle with photographing and editing pictures to be used, days when samples do not turn up as promised or scheduled, or days when my overdue invoices are not paid.

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As you can imagine, being a solopreneur is hard. There is no one to share the workload with, celebrate success or to blame when a collaboration goes wrong. Everything rests solely on my shoulders, and sometimes it could be overwhelming. The beauty about being a pro blogger, with my experience so far, is that for every bad day, there are 10 good days coming up. Good days like when my DA jumps from 31 – 34 (this happened yesterday), when a brand refuses to pay for a review post but then contacts me, and decides to pay the amount I requested for after a month of no communication (this happened so weeks ago), or when I receive samples I wasn’t expecting, and they turn out to be great (this happens all the time).

I love blogging, I love being a girl boss, and I won’t change any of it for the world. However on bad days, I like to step away from my blog for a bit and refuel. Here are 5 ways I go about doing that –

 

Read

I love reading and writing. I can do both for hours, but If I was asked to pick one over the other, I would pick reading. You cannot be a great writer, if you are not a great reader, and I need to be able to write, but you can be a great reader, without being a great writer, if that makes any sense. I am currently reading the book – #Girl Boss by Sophia Amoruso, and I am loving it. I also love discovering and reading other blogs, I like to read about what my favourite bloggers are up to.

 

Sleep

Quality sleep usually puts me in a great mood. Regardless of how the previous day went, once I have a good night sleep, I wake up feeling good, and ready to smash the day!

 

Inspirational Quotes

Inspirational quotes always get me fired up, so I dig them out on bad days. Here are a few that rock my boat:

 

“Don’t focus on having a great blog. Focus on producing a blog that’s great for your readers.” – Brain Clark.

“Blogging is a conversation, not a code.” – Mike Butcher.

“Making money from blogging requires you to do only two things: drive a lot traffic, then maximize the income from that traffic.” – John Chow.

“The currency of blogging is authenticity and trust.” – Jason Calacanis.

“A well-maintained blog establishes your authority in a niche by showcasing your knowledge and dedication to the topic” – Penelope Trunk.

 

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Go Though My Blog Archives

On bad days, I like to go through my blog archives and believe my own hype. This renews my confidence and refuels my motivation/passion for what I do best. Going through my blog archives takes me down memory lane, and I love reminiscing to see how far I have come.

Go Shopping

When all of the above fails, I go shopping, lol.

 

Do you blog full-time or part-time? How do you refuel your motivation for your passion?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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