Blog ¦ Cutting down

In the past couple of months I have felt like I've been churning out four posts a week of content that didn't include any passion. I felt as though how many times I blogged a week made me either a good blogger or a bad blogger. I've been posting four times a week for a little while now and at first I loved it however since then I've also started up my YouTube channel and got a job. These things along with the massive amount of college work I'm going to get next year I've decided to cut down a little. I'm going to see how three posts a week works for me as I don't want to keep churning out mediocre content which I don't really like. I want to write more detailed posts and reviews that are going to really help people. Once I go back to college in September I may have to re-evaluate again as at the end of the day it's make or break time and if I mess up this year I'm not going to university. I really hope you guys understand and continue to enjoy the (hopefully) improved content that I'm going to be putting out.

Blog ¦ The changing face of Blogging

Recently I've seen a whole tonne of negativity floating around the blogging community on twitter and I just wanted to take a minute out of my usual posts to talk about it. I've had my blog for around three and a half years now and in the past year or so the amount of negativity I see on a daily basis has massively increased. When I first got started blogging wasn't small however it was definitely a hell of a lot smaller than it is now. When I first got involved in the blogging community Zoella had well under a million followers and I'd never seen a youtuber bring out a product with a big mainstream brand (I'm talking Two faced, Tarte, Becca etc here) No one had books and no one had product ranges.

 

Now don't get me wrong I'm not saying these things are bad things at all. The community is changing and bloggers and youtubers are getting the recognition for all the hard work that they put in. But along with the growth of the social media influencers comes the people who hate on others. However recently I've begun to see bloggers turning on other bloggers, follower numbers become irrelevant here as at the end of the day it's just one person picking on another. I'm not saying that everyone has to get along, in a community that is now as big as the blogging community is today there are going to be people who's personalities clash and people that don't like what other people do.

 

I feel like the community has become one big competition it's now all about blog followers and page views and how many PR packages a certain blogger gets sent every week. A community that was once so supportive and so kind has now been tainted by jealousy and bitterness. I mean don't get me wrong there are still thousands of amazing, lovely kind bloggers however I feel like blogging is getting a bad rep for being bitter. I sometimes feel like the rise of blogging has had a negative impact on the community as people now feel more pressure to put out content that they feel will attract new readers rather than putting out content that they really care about.

 

 

Maybe it's just me but I sometimes wish that it would all go back to the way it was before?

 

I'd love to know your thoughts on this subject,

 

Cole xx

Blog ¦ Do I need a product directory?

 

So I have had a product directory on and off for about 2 years so today I though I would write about it for all you lovely bloggers who are thinking about creating one. So first off if you aren't sure what a product directory is, it is a collection of links from all the products that have been reviewed on your blog. I currently have mine backdated to January 2016 as I'm pretty rubbish at keeping it updated.

 

One thing I do find it really useful for is to track what I have reviewed and when I go back when writing a post it makes it very easy to find a review if I want to link it in a post I am writing, in terms of increasing traffic I don't find it has a massive impact however I do find that when I first go onto a blog if I enjoy the posts I always check to see whether they have a product directory.

 

Overall I think if you are able to keep up and remember to update your product directory I think it is a really fab way to both keep track and to help drive a little extra traffic to some old posts. Mine is //here// if you fancy a nosey. I'd love to know if you have one and if you find it to be useful or just a pain!

 



Life ¦ Attempting to get myself organised

 So I am one of those people who really likes to pretend they are organised but in fact in my head I am actually panicking over how unorganised I really am. So today I thought I would talk you through some of the things I've been doing to try and get myself a little more organised.

 

So starting off I purchased a desk planner which I am so in love with and I have found that it's really helped me get a little more organised. As it is on my desk I've been looking at it and writing on it all the time meaning it's urging me on to be more organised. This was only £6 from paper chase which really impressed me. I've also been writing down all of my blog posts on it meaning it's also helped keep track of all that.

 

I also purchased myself a new Filofax planner. In the end I ordered a Filofax clipbook which is an A5 size and the reason I picked it up was I was finding my Filofax mini was super heavy and carrying it around all day was a bit of a pain. So I'm now using my Clipbook as my day to day planner and I've been using my mini Filofax as a blog planner. So I've racking all my stats as well as noting down all other things blog related.

 

I've also been writing a lot of lists and by a lot I mean at least one a day for my everyday bits and bobs that I need to do as well as extra blog related ones and everything in between. I feel like not only are lists a great way to relax a little bit.

 

So there are a couple of ways I'm attempting to get myself organised. If you guys have any tips I'd love for you to leave them in the comments!

 

Blog ¦ Do I need a Niche?

I feel like the word niche is a term that bloggers throw around a lot. I have read so many posts about how to start a blog and so many of them suggest that you MUST have a niche and I have to say I'm not sure I agree. People say that without a niche you won't gain a loyal group of readers and then in the next breath say that it isn't all about stats.

 

What I don't understand is why some people think that people shouldn't mix topics on their blog, I understand that some readers like beauty and some like lifestyle but surely by writing posts that fit under both those categories you are widening who's reading your posts. Maybe those readers might not follow as you don't post enough lifestyle content for them but in the grand old scheme of things does it really matter. It doesn't matter what you post in my opinion if I like the style of writing, the photos and the personality of the blogger I follow, fair enough I might not read every post that they put up like I do with some of my favourite bloggers however surely my irregular reading is better than me not reading at all.

 

So when starting a blog if you want to start with a niche then that's cool but don't ever let that niche define what you post and force you to churn out content that you hate when there is something that you feel you could write so much more passionately about however you know it doesn't fit you niche.

 

I'd love to know what you guys have to say about having a niche! Let me know in the comments.

Blog ¦ 5 things you actually need to start a blog

So today I thought I'd do a bit of a jokey post and talk about 5 things you actually need to start a blog. If you can think of any more leave them in the comments for me to have a giggle at.

 

 

1. The internet -

 

If you are reading this congratulations you are one step closer to writing a blog.

 

2. Something to get on the internet with -

 

Having the internet is all well and good but you need something to access the internet with is also essential it can be a 10 year old Toshiba or a brand new MacBook as long as it works it's good.

 

3. A blog -

 

When starting a blog having a blog is always useful. I personally use Blogger but I know a lot of bloggers also use Wordpress. Something I see a lot is people saying that you should get your own domain straight away however I would always suggest that you enjoy blogging before starting to invest in your blog.

 

4. Something to write about -

 

This ones pretty self explanatory it doesn't matter what you write about as long as you have something to write about.

 

5. Something to take photos with -

 

Again I'm definitely not suggesting that you need a brand new canon DSLR as long as it is something that takes a fairly good picture I always find it doesn't matter what you use as long as you have good lighting. So if you use a phone camera or something like that I'd suggest you take the pictures in a window so there is plenty of good light.

 

 

 

 



Blog ¦ Do you need a media kit?

 

So recently after seeing a post from the lovely Krystal Marie I decided to send her over a message as I've been thinking about making myself a media kit for ages however me being the technophobe I am I had no idea how to go about it. Krystal is currently offering a free Blog kit template over on her blog //here// she also offers a fully customised two page blog kit like mine for just $20. However if you aren't such a technophobe today I thought I would share with you all the things I think you should be putting in your blog kit!  

 

 

So first off on the first page I'd suggest popping all your social media links and a little bit about your blog including your average pages views and a little bit about your blog. I also included how many times I post a week. On page two I'd suggest speaking about your previous work experience and the opportunities that you are willing to offer on your blog. I'd also suggest making sure there are lots of images from your previous blog posts and a picture of yourself.  Overall however I'd definitely suggest that you keep the information clear but short as you want to keep people interested.

 

So if you'd like to get in touch with Krystal about a media kit you can reach her here on Twitter //here// and Instagram //here//

 

Do you have a media kit? What do you include in yours?



Blogmas ¦ Day 16 - Blogging goals for 2016

As the end of the year looms closer I've been thinking about what I want to happen with my blog. I am hoping that by the end of 2016 that I'm going to be able to write a post and tell you about how I've achieved everyone of them but we will wait and see.

1. Starting Youtube

So the first one is something that the people in my life really want me to give a go and that is youtube. I'm hoping to invest in a decent camera in early 2016 and have my youtube channel up and running by the summer. It's a massive thing and I'm not sure whether I will hate it but I've decided it's about time I gave it a go.

2. Improve my photography

 Leading on from that one I'm also hoping to improve my photography. I know a fancy camera isn't everything but my little Nikon digital camera is coming to the end of it's life and I'm really struggling to get any decent quality pictures recently.

3. To hit 2000 followers

 

I'm currently about 60 followers away from 1500 so I feel like I may be over estimating my ability a little but I mean go big or go home.

4. To go to more Blogger meet ups

 

I've only ever actually been to two blogger meet ups in my whole 3 years of blogging so I'm hoping that I manage to get to more in 2016. So if any of you are thinking of a Manchester based meet up in the new year let me know!

5. Use Pinterest more

 

I need to use Pinterest more. I've heard so many people talk about how it's helped their blog grow so much so my goal is to try and pin photos from at least two posts a week.

 

 

I'd love to know what your blogging goals are for next year!

 



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Blogmas ¦ Day 15 - A little chat about free stuff.

 

I don't know about other bloggers but I feel like this question is bouncing round the internet far to much recently. There are so many people that when I tell them about my blog they ask if I get sent any free stuff. I get that to some people it's interesting but when they ask "If I start a blog will I get free stuff" a little bit of my soul dies (This is possibly a little dramatic) I understand that getting free stuff is good and it's definitely one of the perks of being a blogger. But we must also remember how much hard work we put into our content and we spend a hell of a lot of time and money on making sure our blog is the best it can be.

 

I was writing my blog for over a year before a PR contacted me and told me that they wanted to work with me, my hard work paid off and it was something that I was incredibly proud of. However if that is your only motivation for writing a blog then it shows. It does come across in your writing that all you want is free stuff. Don't measure your blogs worth through PR samples.

 

I'd love to know what some other bloggers think about PR!

 

Blogmas ¦ Day 11 - 10 Festive blogpost ideas

 

So we are well into the festive season so today I though I'd share with you some festive post ideas. I absolutely love blogs around Christmas time as everyone seems so festive and cheery so I decided I'd write this post for anyone who is struggling for festive post ideas.

 

 

1. A Festive DIY - Now I'm not the most creative person in the world so DIY'S kind of scare me but you could do something like a little cake mix in a jar or you could make a candle holder. If your struggling for DIY ideas I'd highly suggest hitting up Pinterest.

 

2. A Christmas tree tour - I actually did this last year for blogmas and it was such a lovely post to write. I also think it was something that readers really enjoyed reading.

 

3. Christmas day routine - If your anything like me your Christmas day routine is pretty much set in stone so I love to read other peoples routines to see how they differ from mine!

 

4. Festive Makeup look - This is something I do every year as I love having the opportunity to slap lots and lots of glitter and sparkle on my face. I always think festive posts should be fun and if you are anything like me you'll love slapping a tonne of makeup on your face!

 

5. Festive baking/food - Along with makeup food is my other passion and I adore reading other peoples foodie blog posts and writing my own. Whether it's a festive cookie recipe or how to get your turkey perfect I'm all over it.

 

6. What I got for Christmas - As I am ridiculously nosey I love to read this kinds of posts. In all honesty at first I was a little wary about writing them however I can honestly say I've never had one negative oh you just want to show off or you are so spoilt. So if you are being put off by that don't let it bother you!

 

7. Christmas party outfit - This is one for you more fashion based bloggers. I love to read a good outfit post as they are one of those posts that are super easy to digest. I feel like so many people like myself struggle for outfit inspiration so festive outfit posts are something I love.

 

8. Gift guide - I feel like this one is pretty self explanatory. In the past I've done them as collages as lets face it some of the gifts we want to buy are just way out of the budget however I also do love a good actual physical the person owns the gifts post! I just all depends on your budget.

 

9. Christmas wish list - I love a good wishlist, I like to write the if money was no exception wishlists and talking about them with other bloggers. I think it's also a lovely thing to tell your family about as your wishlist is there with links to all the products and everything.

 

10. Festive photos - This could be anything from a trip to the Christmas markets to pictures from a festive party. I know photography posts aren't everyone's cup of tea but I absolutely love reading them.

 

So that's it I'd love for you to share your festive post ideas in the comments.

 

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Blog ¦ Must read blogs

I read a lot of blogs, a lot of really amazing blogs but today I thought I'd share with you the blogs that I could happily sit and read all day. I'd love for you to share your favourite bloggers and your own blogs in the comments and hopefully I will discover some new blogs to add to my reading list!



Jasmine talks beauty

Stunning photography and amazing content Jasmine has the whole package. Her recommendations are always spot on and I pretty much want to try everything she ever talks about. Her blog is mainly beauty however she does sprinkle in the odd lifestyle type of post.

The Sunday girl

Adrienne's blog is the one I go to if I'm thinking about purchasing a product. Her reviews are super thorough and her swatches are fantastic for online shopping. I also love her series where her little sister takes over her blog and writes about teen beauty as I find it super relatable. Her blog is pretty much completely beauty. I also love looking at her blog for new and upcoming releases.

The love cats inc

Helen's blog is the perfect mix of fashion, beauty and lifestyle. Her photo's are beautiful, her outfits are amazing and her beauty posts are nice and in depth without being to long. Oh and did I mention she is definitely the queen of giveaways.

What molly loves

I love how when I pop over to Molly's blog I don't know what I'm going to see as it could be anything from  a beauty post to a food post and I love that. Once again I love her photography (Do you see a theme) I also love the fact that her posts aren't to word heavy. She's also just started youtube so I highly suggest you also check out her youtube!

Miss Budget beauty

Khila's blog is mostly beauty however she throws in a few lifestyle and fashion posts in every now and then. Her reviews are super detailed and I find them super helpful when looking into buying a product. I also really love both her budget youtube channel and her less budget channel. Also side note she has the most amazing taste in shoes #justsaying  

Dinosaur dances

Lucy has to be one of my all time favourite bloggers not just because of her fabulous content but just because she is so lovely. I love chatting to her on twitter as she's just such a friendly person. Once again her blog is a mix of a little bit of everything. I especially love her style posts as she wears the most beautiful outfits.

So that's it for my favourite blogs I hope you enjoyed this post and I hope that you enjoy having a look at the blogs I've talked about today.



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Blog ¦ Bloglovin #2

Hello lovely people, 

It's once again that time when I share with you some of my favourite blog posts from the past couple of weeks. This time I feel like there is a good mix of different posts. As you may notice the lovely Elsie has ended up on my list twice this month as i've been loving her blog in the past couple of weeks. I seriously urge you to head over and have a little nosey. Also a massive shoutout to the lovely frances who runs my current favourite foodie blog The spoon and whisk, if you are a lover of food you seriously need to check out her blog her recipes are drool worthy and her photography is gorgeous! 

Elise Dopson - 20 Awesome blog post ideas for all bloggers 

Chocolate covered Katie - Chocolate chip cream cheese cookies

East Eclectic - Bra or no bra? Deal or no deal? 

Thunder love - Beauty lessons I learned the hard way 

London beauty queen - Bloggers & the ASA 
Microscope beauty - How to create new content without new products
Aztec mess- Books, blogs & magazines 
Lauryn's notebook - Why you should shoot film 
Fizzy peaches - 5 tips to avoid blogger stress
Media marmalade - Tips & advice for upgrading your blog 
The spoon and whisk - Top with cinnamon's cappuccino cake  
Elsie Dopson - Zero effort nude lips

Blog ¦ Bloglovin #1

So I've decided I'd like to share the love a bit more on my blog so today I decided I would start a new little series where I'm going to share my favourite posts if the month before with you! I hope you enjoy these kinds of posts and more importantly find some fabulous blogs to read! 

Image source - Google 

Averie Cooks - 15 Healthy smoothie recipes 

Pearls and Poodles - Hourglass ambient lighting blush palette

The Lovecats Inc - 10 Blogging myths 

Viva Adonis - Three Nude Lip combos 

Beauty.Life.Michelle - How to get shit done. Fast 

Apple Toothpaste - My favourite photos of 2014 

Callie Rose - Favourite Red lips 

Tales of a Pale Face - Ten tips to help you survive a spending ban 

Madelaine Louise - Transitioning florals 

Media Marmalade - Grey 

Student Stylexo - 2015 Scrapbook Project Life 

Couture girl - Branding your blog: Five tips 

Antonia Hetherington - Blend active Mini review and favourite recipes 

Simple pleasures - My Top 5 Blushes review and swatches 

Bambling of Naffy - Top 5 under £5 

A Little Change

So firstly apologies for failing epically at my own blogmas challenge. I have mock exams as soon as I get back in january and I didn't take into account how much time that revision would take up. Despite failing to get to the end, blogmas has made me realise that I am beginning to churn out content just to fill slots. So I have decided to cut down to three posts a week rather than four. I'm hoping in the new year that my posts are going to be written better, more informative and they are overall going to be nicer to read. I'm now going to drop Monday's post and post on a Wednesday, Friday and Sunday at 12 pm. As for my This week posts if I have a busy week I will put one up but I'm not going to force content out of revision and binge watching sky go! 

I hope you all had a brilliant Christmas! 

Big blogger, little blogger, cardboard box

Recently there has been a lot of talk in the blogosphere about "Big bloggers" Can I just ask the question here, what is a big blogger. Is it the amount of followers they have, or the number of pageviews they get on a daily basis. Or is it the amount of events they go to and how many PR samples they get sent. We can all get a little down about it sometimes it's only human. 

Let's face it at the end of the day we are all in the same boat whether you have 5 followers or 50,000 we are all swimming in a rising sea of thousands and thousands of bloggers. Would we not all be best just helping each other out. So a little word to "Little bloggers" perhaps you will be were the "Big bloggers" are one day and perhaps you won't but as long as you enjoy what you're doing never give up!  I'd really like to know your opinions on this! Let me know in the comments or tweet me @Coleoftheball

Blogging 101 - Things I wish I knew back then.

Next month I will have been blogging for two years which is completely crazy. Today I though I would write a post for all you lovely people that are thinking of/have just started to blog. I really hope you enjoy this post and if you have been blogging a while let me know what you wish you knew when you started. 

1. Appreciate comments. 

That person that comments on everyone of your posts comment on their posts too! Also don't ignore questions from a readers perspective it's one of the most infuriating things ever! 

2. Blue Tac will be your best friend.  

Ever wondered how bloggers always manage to get products to stay still no matter what surface they are on. We owe it all to blue tac! 

3. Blogging is hard work. 

You have to make time to photograph and to write it's not easy but it's super rewarding. 

4. You won't get thousand's of followers over night. 

This leads on nicely from my last point, you have to put the work in to the rewards end off. Bloggers work super hard to build up followers. 

5. You don't need to own every MAC lipstick made. Ever! 

This is one especially for beauty bloggers, Mac lipsticks are such a highly raved about product and I must admit I was embarrassed at first to admit I owned none. I mean come on past self they're just lipsticks. I'm perfectly happy with my little collection of four now.

6. You CAN blog on a budget.  

Just because you can't afford high end products DOES NOT mean you can't blog. Can't get the latest release that's fine as long as you are passionate out what your writing about you will be fine. 

7. It's ok to have no ideas. 

Bloggers block is something most bloggers will experience at least once, and the worst thing you can do is let it get you down as it just makes it worse. Take a break and soon enough your creative juices will begin to flow. 

8. Carry a notebook. 

Again leading on from my last point (Hey I'm getting good at this!) If you have an idea write it down and save those ideas up for when you have a little block, it really helps. 

9. You don't need an expensive DSLR. 

Just because your camera isn't the newest or the most expensive does not mean your photos will be bad quality. Every photo on this blog is taken using my point and shoot Nikon S2600 it's nothing fancy and doesn't have twelve million buttons but it gets the job done so what more would I want. 

10. Don't let your personality get lost.

And for my final point (I sounded a little like a magician there haha) Don't let your personality be drowned out by the pressure to produce perfect content I love nothing more than reading a post with some little thoughts in brackets like in this post (Shameless self promotion on my own blog Oh dear) produce amazing content but don't forget to be you at the same time! 

If you enjoyed this post let me know I might do a second one if you did!