This is an interesting subject and really got me thinking. I hadn't thought about it much, until Heather suggested a post for Bloggers Who Bless.

I started blogging to share my thoughts, fashion ramblings and have a concrete outlet for my passion. There aren’t that many people around me who understand, or share my fashion ‘obsession’ for lack of a better word. Hence the birth of http://www.rubescloset.com my formal platform to express my thoughts and share them with like minded people.

As with everything I do, I just jumped right in and started, whether I had the knowledge or not. I was extremely green, having only read blogs; and lacking any IT knowledge- so the layout was my biggest challenge. Regardless, I started tentatively and took it one post at a time. It was such a refreshing break from writing financial proposals!

As time passed I gained some confidence and felt less intimidated by other really awesome blogs, and met various people along the way. Some amazing readers, fellow bloggers and just downright nice guys and gals. There is a ‘dark’ side to the blogging community as well - the subtle nastiness, haughtiness - the list can go on and on. I choose to focus on the positive.

So here’s what I’ve learnt:

The blogging world is filled with different kinds of people and its naive to expect it not to be, real life is peppered with good and bad people.

How you choose to deal with that will determine how you value your blog and your person by extension.

There will always be individuals who want ‘fame and fortune’ and will just want to be ‘seen’ and be fake like that. Sigh. Again, it’s no different to real life.

And just like in real life, there are those people who are in it for more personal reasons, to meet new people, to communicate with others and broaden their world.

It’s important to not compare yourself with other bloggers, each blog has its own special feel and personality- and that’s necessary in a world where everyone wants to be someone else. So celebrate your individuality and your blog because its a reflection of you.

Be true to yourself and remember your reasons for blogging and goals when you started out blogging, it may change as you progress, but that’s good too.

It’s rare to find people who are willing to help just for the sake of helping you. When you do, embrace it.

The readers will come, and there will be critics and fans- it’s all just part of the journey.

And just like the ‘outside’ world there are a bunch of gorgeous people you meet, connect with and forge new friendships. Treasure those.

Bottom line: there will be haters, there will be carers. Most importantly have faith in yourself and confidence in what you do. Your blogging journey is meant to be fun after all.

Above all, enjoy the experiences; life is too short to waste time on the niggly bits.

Ciao for now,

RuBe

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I never ever dreamed that I would become a blogger, I am after all almost 40yrs and well we had those really old typewriters in my day ...You know, the ones where you has to slam your fingers down and risk personal injury , yep those ones. The electric typewriter only arrived on the scene as I was about to hit Grade 10 (Standard 8 in my day,) and well computers only made an entrance in my last year of schooling.

I studied to be a Beauty Therapist which required no computer skills whatsoever and so my learning curve with technology only really started in about 1996.

I have since then mastered many a program by forcing myself to work through it , when I get stuck I 'Google' it. I have refused to stay in the archaic and outdated times that many use as an excuse. How? Well by stretching my boundaries and forcing myself to learn and grow.

Here are the 5 most important lessons blogging has taught me...

#1 CREATING A BLOG
You need to plan and have purpose when doing this, but firstly you need to choose a platform from which to work. The two most common FREE options are WordPress and Blogger.
- Research and check out blogs on these platforms
- Most blogs can be deleted so I would even say venture as far as trying them out and see which of the platforms you prefer to work with
- Remember as you grow you will change and so will your blog.

#2 PLANNING
You need to plan the following...
- What is my genre ie. Beauty, Fashion, Lifestyle and/or food. You can have more than one focus.
- Who is my audience?
- What am I going to blog about? How personal am I going to get?
- How often am I going to blog?

Here are some free planning calendar templates

#3 IMAGES
Some of my first images on my blog make me cringe , but we all have to start somewhere right? WRONG! If you do one thing for yourself checkout PicMonkey.

It is an image editing App that allows you to do limited corrections and enhancements. You can add labels and fun fonts too.
GREAT IMAGES ARE IMPORTANT.

http://www.picmonkey.com/

#4 TWITTER
Open a Twitter account and build a network , find people, brands that share your passion and build a presence out of relationship. Tweet your latest posts and don't forget to comment back. I personally have found Twitter to be invaluable tool in building friendships , in sharing and just to sometimes plain 'putting it out there'.

#5 BRAND YOUR BLOG
If you don't have the resources to have a Blog developed for you it is not the end of the world. Do try and use the same pictures/images across all your Social Media and on your Blog. This helps people to identify you and know that they are following the right person.
- Always add a picture(image) and/or logo to your blog and Social Media.
Here are some helpful guidelines on sizes
- Always add a means of contact , such as email.
- Link all your Social Media, this enables you to do automatic updates (it makes life a lot easier).

There is actually so much to share, I could go on for days.... however the above are the most important initial steps. Majority of the above was found by floundering in an arena where I had no one to bounce ideas off and/or even share my frustrations.

I do hope these proved to be helpful and would love to hear your comments.

x x x H
Femme Lifestyle

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Image Source

A while ago I was asked for some blogging tips and I sent an email back to the inquirer – an aspiring blogger – bullet-pointing the do’s and don’ts of blogging. In the spirit of Bloggers Who Bless, I thought I’d start blessing my fellow bloggers with some tips that I’ve picked up on my 10 month journey called “bloggerhood”. 

The Do’s	The Don’ts
Join Twitter! It’s such a great marketing tool. It also helps you to connect with likeminded people.	Don’t blog for fame and fortune – many blogs start for this reason, but fail abysmally.
Support your fellow bloggers – comment on their posts. People love comments – knowing that other people read your blog is the best feeling.	Don’t blog to hurt. If you don’t like a product you’ve tried, don’t blast it with horrible criticism. Rather state the facts and your feelings (sensored of course) and let the reader decide for themselves.
Blog about things that you feel passionate about……. But…….                                               à	Don’t limit yourself to one subject. We’re not one dimensional beings so treat your blog the same.
Refer to other blog posts in your posts. Remember that what you sow, you shall reap. So always be kind.	Don’t ignore the importance of GRAMMAR!
Always re-read your posts and make sure that you’ve added your “and’s”, “but’s” and “if’s”.	Don’t forget to credit photos that you’re using from other blogs.
Give stuff for free. Are you a graphic designer? Design some cutesie gift tag templates and put it on your blog to be downloaded for free. Good at something? Do a tutorial on it.	Don’t forget to use those nifty widgets. They are almost like accessories and they tell a lot about the blogger.
Try to be as positive as possible when writing. My manager at work always smiles when she’s typing out emails. I asked her why, and she said, “If you smile, your words are soft”. She’s one of the best people I know and I always try to follow her advice. Trust me…. This works.	Don’t become one of those “what can I get out of this” bloggers. You’re blogging for the love of it, remember! If you MUST ask, “what can I get out of this”, know that if you’re an honest, helpful and friendly person, you’ll get loads of friends!

Most bloggers have niches. Some don’t like to be boxed. There is no right or wrong here. Your blog is your blog. The point is…. ALWAYS be true to yourself.

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