Blogging is a time-consuming, super creative, sometimes stressful, FUN hobby, and I love it! I’ve been blogging for the past two years and even though I’m always changing, I’ve slowly gotten into a routine. Some of my favorite posts to read from other bloggers are posts about blogging, so today I’m sharing one! I’m going to share my blogging routine – how I take my photos in batches, when I write my blog posts, and more. This is a longer post, so grab yourself an iced coffee and settle in!
inspiration + planning
One of the reasons I love blogging is because I love planning! I take my photos in batches (more on that later) so a few days before I plan each outfit. I share a mix of lifestyle and fashion content on this blog, so I plan my photos to match that.
Coming up with new ideas is one of my favorite parts of blogging. Some of my favorite posts to share are outfit posts where I style one piece different ways. In general, I only share outfits that I would actually wear in real life. I get inspiration from other bloggers, my friends, and even outfits I see on strangers.
photos
I take my photos in big batches for the most part, which has been helpful for a few reasons. I love that if I take a bunch of photos at once, I don’t have to worry about anything but writing and posting for about a month. Also, I worry a bit too much about my Instagram feed. (I know, I know! So unimportant, and I’m working on letting go of that worry!) By taking all of my pictures in a similar location, I know they flow well together.
For my photos, I wake up early on Saturday morning – the things we do for love, right?! – and drive up to the Summit shopping center with my mom. We shoot anywhere from four to SEVEN outfits in one morning. Mixed in with those pictures are detail shots (I’m a big fan of showing off my jewelry!) and even pictures of flowers. I love to use these detail shots as the featured images for my lifestyle posts. Example: you may recognize this outfit from another post!
writing + posting
Most people who blog (myself included) love writing. Writing my posts is one of the things I look forward to most but also what I struggle with. I’m constantly trying to find my own voice – one that isn’t too formal but isn’t just imitating blogs I love. I think the best way to do this is to just write. Right now, I’m majoring in Professional and Public Writing at Auburn (#WarEagle), I’m involved in my school’s literary magazine, I take creative writing classes, and I even wrote a novel this year. Obviously, none of these really influence my blog, but the more I’m writing, the more I’m learning!
I generally post twice a week (Tuesdays and Thursdays) and because I work 8 AM – 4 PM, I like to write on the weekends. I love going to Starbucks on a Saturday or Sunday for a few hours (any excuse for an iced vanilla coffee, right?!) and at least start my posts. Then, if I need to, I can edit them the night before they’re published.
my tips
Obviously, I’m no expert. I’m not going to sell you an Instagram e-course that will double your following (because I don’t know how to do that!) These are just my tips that have made my life easier.
- Get into the blogging mindset every time you go to write a post or plan your ideas. It could be going to a coffee shop or library, or even just certain music that relaxes and inspires you (I’m a big fan of The Search for Everything by John Mayer and anything Ingrid Michaelson)
- After you take pictures, whether you batch them or take them one outfit at a time, plan out a posting schedule. You can use an app for this, or you can go the old-fashioned way and simply have a folder on your phone. I put in all my photos and rearrange them to make sure they flow. I can easily add in random snapshots to the folder to see if they fit well.
- Set a reminder on your phone for when you want to post pictures. My optimal posting time is around 7:40 PM, so I have a reminder at 7:35. Seeing the notification alerts me to write the caption and edit the picture.
- Save your hashtags in a Notes folder so you can copy the hashtags quickly and add them to the first comment immediately.
- Allow yourself to change. As you change, your blog is naturally going to change, and that’s okay. As long as you’re blogging for the right reasons for you, the change will just help you love blogging even more.
love what you do
Above all, my biggest tip is to not force yourself to blog if you’re not in the mood. I didn’t post twice last week because it was my birthday and I wanted to celebrate! Sometimes I don’t post on Instagram because I’m so busy having fun that I don’t think about it. I’m not blogging for a job (I make no money – I just do this because I love it), so the minute I feel myself getting bored, I step back.
Well, I hope you enjoyed this post! I’ve wanted to share something like this for a while, so I hope it was helpful or at least gave you a sneak peek into how I blog.
Now that I’m done sharing my blogging routine and tips, let me know yours!
xoxo, Cecilia
