Blogging Tips: Why You Should Stop Giving A Sh*t (And Start Succeeding)

Want me to let you in on a little secret? Okay. Well, once I stopped giving a sh*t about things, I started succeeding. In every aspect of life. But we’ll focus on blogging.

Honestly, I’ve always been the person that cared just a little too much. I’ve always been very sensitive (thanks, Mom). And it was always a vicious cycle. Whether it was my blog, my personal life, or my job, I can say this has happened in every aspect of my life.

For this post’s sake, we’ll focus on blogging tips and the blog (but you can really apply this to any part of life).

Over the last two years, the blogging industry has dramatically changed. There are more full time bloggers, more $$$ spent by brands, and more social media changes (ahem, Instagram) than ever. When I first began noticing these things, I let them bother me because I didn’t feel like I was at a level where I mattered.

Why am I not a full time blogger?

Why did she get that brand partnership?

How come she grew on Instagram and I haven’t?

Yes. These are all legitimate questions I’ve asked myself in the past. And in turn, I’d get down on myself. Pretty soon I got sick of myself complaining over things that were out of my control. OUT OF MY CONTROL. So I simply just stopped giving a sh*t (pardon my French) about things I can’t control. Those three questions I used to get upset about? Well let’s talk about them.

Why am I not a full time blogger?

UM HELLO…BECAUSE YOU LOVE YOUR JOB?!?! I seriously told myself this more than I could count.

When you have a job that you love, it’s pretty hard to just give that up. Many people who do this full time were really unhappy at their previous jobs, so they stopped caring about those jobs and focused on one thing: their blogs. For me, my focus has to be split between being a merchandiser and being a blogger. As much time and effort I put into my blog and social media, there just aren’t enough hours in the day to get everything done. Sure, I’d like to pitch myself more, attend more events, and network more…but I can’t. I wrote a bit more about managing both of these jobs, and at the end of the day, I love them both so much. So even though I may not be able to do as much as someone that does this full-time, I’m really happy with what I can do with the time I have.

Why did she get that brand partnership?

The envious attitude needed to leave my mind REAL QUICK. Ain’t nobody got time for that! With the growing influencer community (and brands realizing that), naturally there are more partnerships. Brands have dedicated budgets for influencers, and are constantly looking to partner with us. I took a step back and made myself think about all of the amazing partnerships I’ve had since I started my blog. To each is own. And hey, if I saw a brand worked with an influencer, I more than likely reached out on my own. That’s the beauty of it — this is something I’m in control of. Taking the time to pitch to brands you genuinely love and want to work with is one of the best parts about blogging…and even better when they agree to a collaboration!

It’s one of the best feelings ever when you land a collaboration with a brand. In 2018, I’m looking forward to putting every bit of energy into my brand collaborations, as it truly is the best part about this business!

How come she grew on Instagram and I haven’t?

I know how much we all hate the Instagram algorithm. But guess what? It’s not going anywhere. Why? Because we’re complaining about the algorithm so much, yet we’re all still using the app. But this is a wholeeeee other topic for an entire post. So stay tuned…

Anyway…people grow on Instagram for many reasons. Maybe they’re much more active on the site than me. Maybe a brand or big account tagged them in something. Or maybe their content is just better. Regardless, who cares?! I know many people think numbers are everything, but that’s not all that matters to brands. I know for a fact that I make more income than one blogger with almost 8x the following on Instagram. The influencer world is a strange place. There is no benchmark for collaborations, no written rules, nothing. So really, anything goes. And you need to own that. So whether you have 5,000 followers or 500,000 followers, there’s a space in this industry for everyone.

I’ve really stopped caring about Instagram. Yes, I still take the time to edit my photos, link my outfits, and schedule content through the LIKEtoKNOW.it about or Planoly apps. But I haven’t really cared much about how my photos or IG stories do. Instead, I try to enjoy my time on Instagram. I make sure to respond to the comments left on my pictures, and make sure I’m engaging with other creatives on my feed. And honestly, this approach has been working. I’ve been following more accounts instead of worrying about my ratio, taking the time to comment meaningful things on other blogger’s photos, and just creating relationships and connections with people from all over the world!

So let’s leave this type of negativity in the past and be positive AF in 2018. Time to kick some ass.

THE LOOK | cardigan, denim, booties,  celine sunglasses (similar under $100), chanel bag

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photos by allie provost