11 Tips for Newbie Bloggers

Last Tuesday I published a post about the mistakes I made when I started blogging, so this time I'll share some tips for new bloggers out there. 
1. Choose you blog name carefully and connect all your social media channels and your email address to it. This will make a lot of things easier. You are recognizable through all channels, everyone will find you and it's your brand. Find a blog name, which is connected to you and your blog. Think of the banner as well, it's what people see first.  2. Find a suitable design for your blog, make it easy to handle and connect it to your blog name and the things you blog about.  3. Write like you talk. It's your blog and your style. Blogging is representing your personality, so show it in your writing. People want to see the real YOU.  4. Show your personality. This is obviously connected to point 3. Make it personal and link it to yourself. It's your opinions and likes that matter.  5. Edit your posts. You don't want too many mistakes or typos in your posts, always re-read them, before you press publish.  6. Quality before quantity. It's not about publishing as many posts as possible, readers will stick with you, when they like your style. Focus in the posts you are happy about, work on them and don't just write something that isn't even important to you.  7. Interact with the blogging community. The blogging community is great, I have made a lot friends and they are all so supportive.  8. Write unique content. It will stick out and make people curious.  9. Be active on social media. Share your posts, share your passion, your hobbies and talk to others.  10. Make it a passion. Write about your favourite things and things you are passionate about. You need to enjoy what you do.  11. Reply to comments. It brings you closer to your readers and they really appreciate it. 

Are you even a blogger, if...

All the big bloggers and influencers out there, post their cliché photos all the time. One starts in front of the Peggy Porschen Café, all others follow. Or let’s pose in front of a designer store during Christmas time... And then you see their caption: „Are you even a real blogger, when you haven’t taken a picture at this café?!” Of course, it’s more meant in a sarcastic way, but it actually shows the difference between the full-time bloggers and the others.

I always ask myself, why they all pose in front of the same places. It seems trendy, but why not stand out and do something different?! I suppose that’s how Instagram works... Why do people like this?! The bloggers just show the pretty and nice things and it’s just not authentic. We cannot all travel the world and receive things by certain brands.

I mean let’s look at some of these clichés: Yes, we like rose gold, marble, eat avocado on toast... So let’s take pictures including all the food and flowers.

It doesn’t apply to all bloggers, but I feel like a lot of them are not real and authentic and just post what they know will get likes. How about posting things you actually like?!

So, if I don’t post my avo on toast, I’m not a real blogger?! NOT TRUE! We are all bloggers! Everyone has unique content and should be recognized for it. To all bloggers out there: post what you like and not what everyone else does. If you don’t have a marble background at home, it’s ok. You also don’t need to look for a flowery wall anywhere.

BE YOURSELF! STAY TRUE TO YOURSELF!

Book blogging is different to lifestyle, fashion or beauty blogging

I recently came across a twitter thread with people discussing, whether book bloggers should charge for reviewing a book. It was mainly lifestyle, fashion and beauty bloggers saying that it’s a joke and book bloggers should get paid etc. They also became mean towards a fellow book blogger, saying she charges for sure, but just says she doesn’t, there were all kinds of other comments too.

My comment to that: These people are NOT book bloggers, so they have no idea how this whole thing works. They think they know everything better and only because it works one way in their blogging world, doesn’t mean it’s the same for every type of blogger.

Book bloggers usually receive a book by the publisher or author either in paperback or as an ebook. The book bloggers then read it and write an honest review. So we basically receive the book for free and write down our thoughts. That said, it’s not that we get all the books for free. I still buy a lot of books and review them as well.

We all do it for the love of books and not because of money. I would never come up with the idea of charging for my book reviews. Of course there are people out there, who do that for a living, like journalists for magazines. That’s very different. It would also be great, if we could make money like this, like lifestyle and beauty bloggers, but that’s not the case.

My blog is my hobby. I have a full time job and that's where I get paid. 

Most book bloggers review with honesty and integrity. I never just praise the book, because I like the author and want to stay friends with them. Amazon doesn’t allow paid for reviews and usually authors and publishers want us to post our reviews on Amazon.

Everyone is of course entitled to his/her own opinion, but if you have no idea about something you better be quiet. And it’s important to always respect other opinions and be polite. What I saw on twitter back then really shocked me, especially because it was bloggers I follow.

It’s seems that our way of blogging is a joke to them! They all really have to learn a lot!

My favourite YouTubers

The more I got into lifestyle blogging, the more I also started watching YouTube videos. In that way I discovered a lot of great YouTubers, most oft hem are from the UK. There are actually for of them who really inspired me to start my own channel. Let me tell you more about them.

Josie from Fashion Mumblr

I don’t even remember, how I discovered her channel, I must have seen one of her videos on the side. Josie is a british Fashion, Beauty and Lifestyle Blogger and Vlogger, she also blogs about traveling. I loved her videos from the start, she is so great in front of the camera and has such a fresh approach. She vlogs about beauty, fashion and travels. Her daily vlogs fort he Christmas time were fab. I also szarted reading her blog and following her on social media. She definitely became one of my faves now. Here is a link to her channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCCmfa729dnJCi_bK7fSNbpw

Ellie from The Elle Next Door:

I actually found Elle o Twitter and started reading her blog. When I saw that she was going to Edinburgh and then New York, I started watching her videos. Of course I especially enjoyed her New York Vlogs, since I’m going tot he city very soon. I also started watching her other videos and I really like them. She is just so great and adorable. I love the way Elle is in front of the camera and I am always excited when she uploads another video. You can find her channel here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwtkMYlOUpTLFdV4grE0Bcw

Hannah Gale:

I found Hannah through Josie’s channel. Her weekly vlogs are just fab and Hannah is so much fun! I also started reading her blog posts and they are awesome. Hannah is a very talented writer. Her New York and Trek America vlogs are great!!! Here is her channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCIM7wBuqY07tfPo0UsXpFIQ

Corrie from DizzyBrunette3:

Watching Hannah’s Trek America vlogs meant seeing Corrie! I started to look at her channel as well and immediately liked her videos. She also vlogs about fashion, beauty, lifestyle and traveling and has a great misture of videos. I really enjoy watching them, find them here: https://www.youtube.com/user/dizzybrunette3

So these four are a little special to me, that’s why there are more details ;). I’m now watching a lot of videos and found some other great channels. A special mention to the first three, I just love them!!! Freddy is funny and her videos are fab. I love Lisa's travel videos. And Brogan is just so awesome to watch:

-       Freddy My Love: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCFKHiDLbWZQYh9mHJKh55ig
-     Travel Sassy: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCW89JWCuwNVOnfnNrsS_w7w

-       Brogan Tate: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCbk7poTBSh1x6aNg_IjLu9Q

-       In The Frow: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCyxZB7SqkRFqij18X1rDYHQ

-       Hello October: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdEIS0yrfYTjOSCZ_rEdU7g

-       Ms Rosie Bea: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC3B6FyoLMLrUYa6i72ccPvw

-       I Covet Thee: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCS-MXJHHsErj2EcGUVCIo8A

-       Niomi Smart: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UChtada9QdvOZOKgEIT-VL7Q

-       Tess Christine: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCVsTboAhpnuL6j-tDePvNwQ

-       Ingrid Nilsen: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC5zSySQab9SA6Wz569WDgqw

-       Beauty By Alice: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCheaBJOLqM_2DXwojpX447A

-       Vivianna Does MakeUp: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCth3krFQiaXe7vV-i79a9zg

-     Lily Pebbles: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCDO89DCjRd7tt5-yLmRUXKg 

-        Fleur De Force: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC1-szPBG7Oh4icM1FcQakQg

From time to time I also enjoy these:

-       Zoella: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCWRV5AVOlKJR1Flvgt310Cw

-       Tanya Burr: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCrIIH7yHQugaUuoTZDoEUuQ

-       My Pale Skin: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC_0cZVAIcWOWiYxnY32gSgg

-       Thatcher Joe: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCuouUWCLmpG4Dje3Ay0p1oQ

-       Pointless Blog: https://www.youtube.com/user/PointlessBlog

-       Marcus Butler: https://www.youtube.com/user/MarcusButlerTV

-       Jim Chapman: https://www.youtube.com/user/j1mmyb0bba

-    Sprinkle of Glitter: https://www.youtube.com/user/Sprinkleofglitter 
-    Lucy and Lydia: https://www.youtube.com/user/LucyAndLydia/videos

I could probably name more here, but these are really the main ones. Funnily enough I don’t really watch booktubers. I’m mainly a book blogger, so it would make sense. I don’t know why, I just haven’t found someone I really really like I guess. So if you have any suggestions, let me know. The only bookish videos I watch are Laura’s videos: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQdYED49VrGVIBJK_mLtfTQ

That’s it. I hope you liked this post. Let me know about your favourite Youtubers.