Blogger Tip Thursday {writer's block}

We all experience writer's block at times, and know how difficult it can be to get over that hump, today I am going to share with you some of my tips along with some blog post ideas. My number one go to for ideas, is to look at the blogs that inspire me. Go though all of your favorite bloggers (dig into their archives) and write down any inspiration that comes to you. Pinterest can also be a great source to help spark some ideas inside of you. I keep a open note on my phone with a running list of blog post ideas, because sometimes you just randomly have a great idea, and you don't want to forget it. Lastly I personally find that the right mindset is one of the most important tools to help you get over your "writers block".

Here is a list of 30 blog post ideas to help you get started:

10 wardrobe staples

Bucket list

Currently raving

Date night style guide

Fall style guide

Favorite bloggers

Favorite planners

Gift guides

Girls night

Goals

Guest post

Hair styles

How to start a blog

Instagram latley

Makeup must haves

Must have shoes for every women

Packing for a trip

Product reviews

Save or splurge

Skin care routine

Spring break must haves {all under $100}

Spring style guide

Style guide for him

Summer style guide

Tour of home/apartment

Travel

Weekend/casual war

Whats in my bag

Winter style guide

Workout wear

 

Blogger Tip Thursday {Fonts}

Font is important, it's eye catching, and sets the mood for what you are trying to say. I love playing around with different fonts on my blog, but they can get costly, and being an "amateur" blogger, fonts are not where I choose to invest (I'd rather buy another pair of shoes). I have rounded up several of my favorite FREE fonts to share with my fellow bloggers. The last font "Sverige Script" is the font used for my blog title. Here are the fonts listed in order they appear in the picture starting with the title "blogger fonts", please share with me any of your favorite fonts.

Janda Elegant Handwriting 

 A Day Without Sun

Austie Bost

Skinny Latte

Janda Stylish Script

Caviar Dreams

Jenna Sue

Lemon Yellow Sun

Young & Beautiful

Riesling

Anhrokas

Innuendo 

Sverige Script

Blogger Tip Thursday {Collaboration}

Over the past few weeks I have shared many tips on how to improve your blog and your blog's social media. This week I am going to share some tips about how to move your blog to the next level by collaborating with brands. Working with great brands can easily be the most important and best thing you can ever do for your blog. By collaborating with brands that fit your blog's profile, you are able to share many great products with your readers, and it benefits you and the company. I am going to share 5 tips on how to find a brand, contact them, seal the deal, and have great results.

What brand is right for your blog// You want to spend some serious time researching and thinking about brands that you would like to work with. Start by making a list of a few of your favorite brands, then do some searching on the web for brands you might not have known, but feel they fit well with your blog. Don't just collaborate with any brand that contacts you. It is okay to say no. Just like many things in life, when it comes to blogging, quality is better then quantity, you want to only work with brands that really fit well with your target market. Another great way to find new brands to work with is by looking at some of your favorite blogger's posts and see which brands they have worked with or are wearing.

How to contact them// Most companies have an email listed somewhere on their site to contact them by, some even leave a specific email for collaborating with them. You want to create a template with some basic information on it about you and your blog, this will be the starter for all of your emails. Your template can include an introduction, and your blog statistics, and any other information that you would want to include in any collaboration email. Be sure to include a web link to your blog.

Make an agreement// You want to be happy with your collaboration agreement, and don't sell yourself and your time short. As your blog and viewers grow so can your expectations, don't be afraid to ask for more.

Have a great post// You are like an ad for the company, so you want to put your best post forward. This means you want high quality pictures, and a great review, don't just say you love the product, tell me WHY. Make sure you send a link to the company when your post goes live.

Keep in contact// If you enjoyed working with the company, keep in contact. Building a great relationship with a brand is priceless, every quarter you want to reach out and see if they have any more collaboration opportunities.

Blogger Tip Thursday {Instagram}

 

Social media platforms are one of the biggest, and best ways to market your blog (or anything really). Instagram is easily my favorite social media platform, followed by Pinterest. I still have not gotten the hang of Twitter. I love photography, and making storyboards, which is where I think my love of Instagram comes from. Instagram is a great place for sharing pictures of friends, what you ate for dinner, and pictures of your pet. But when you are trying to brand your Instagram, you can't just post any picture, it needs to fit your theme. I am going to share with you 5 easy steps in improving your Instagram.

Theme// It is very important to decide on a theme for your Instagram feed, some are more narrow then others. I would say my theme is bright, colorful, and girl. I occasionally end up with pictures that I really like but, they just don't fit my theme. The picture is too dark, maybe there is a really ugly shadow, or some other reason that makes the picture not fir the theme. Sometimes in order to have a great consistent theme, you occasionally have to sacrifice a picture or two. Also themes can revolve around your activities; like food, fitness, or travel.

Variety// I run into this problem sometimes, I find myself posting pictures that are too similar. We are all on a budget here, I can't afford to buy different flowers every week or have dozens of fashion books, which is FINE. But I try to arrange what I do have differently, and space out the posts, so that they don't look too similar. I find a great way to mix things up is to change your background: buy cute wrapping paper and lay your items on it.

Time// When and how often you post is very important. Sometimes I feel like I have the cutest picture in the world, but if you post it during a slow time, you won't get much interaction. But the "hot times" for when to post, really depend on your unique followers. So this is just something you have to learn with trial and error. You need to post at least one picture a day, two or three is recommended. Don't worry that you are not going to fill up someone's feed with just three pictures a day. Most of your followers follow hundreds of people.  If you post three pictures a day, you are lucky if they see one or two of them.

Planning// I personally spend a lot of time planning my Instagram pictures. Don't get me wrong, at least half are impromptu, "this would make a great Instagram" moments, but let's face it we are busy. On the weekends I will take extra pictures and keep them saved to post throughout the week. I do this for many reasons, on a Saturday afternoon I have plenty of free time, the sun is out, and it is a great time to get some pictures in. I then have plenty of time to edit the pictures and get them ready to be posted.

Editing// This is crucial. Editing helps your feed look consistent. I honestly never, ever, use filters, but I do adjust the individual levels (brightness, highlights, shadows, sharpness, contrast, and so on). I occasionally will edit my Instagram pictures on my computer in Lightroom, but that is a rare occasion. I do most of my editing in Instagram itself.  Their adjustments are easy to use. I have Afterlight on my phone, but honestly prefer to use Instagram. Remember when editing your pictures though your goal is to be as consistent as possible so all of your pictures complement each other.

Blogger Tip Thursday {Pictures}

Pictures are one of, if not the most, important part of a blog post. The first thing your readers see is a picture, and you want it to be one worth seeing. We are visual people. When scrolling though Facebook, or Pinterest, a small 12pt font title doesn't catch our attention, the picture does. Today I am going to share with you a few things I have learned over time about choosing which pictures to post, and which to toss to the side. Quality is better then quantity when it comes to pictures.

Choosing your pictures// First you want to weed out any pictures that are blurry, not focused correctly, or just don't look right. Now that you have chosen a core group of pictures, it is time to get picky. Sort your pictures into "alike" categories: full body shots, bottom half, and top half of your body. You want to have a mixture of all three so that people can see all the details of your outfit. Now that you have them sorted into those groups, you might find that you have a few very similar pictures, but you really need only one of them. Look closely at the details, and choose one of each category to move onto the editing stage. I usually upload anywhere between 40-80 pictures, send 20 into editing and finish up with 8-14.

Editing your pictures// I have both Lightroom and Photoshop, but for most of my photo editing needs I prefer to use Lightroom because it is just so user friendly. I like my pictures to look very light and bright and I achieve this look though editing. Also during the editing stage I do any resizing and cropping of my images, I try to choose mostly tall images because they are more eye catching. Below I have a before and after of a picture I edited on a sunny day, so there were a lot of shadows. 

I usually add more highlight, but I did not in the case of this picture because it took away from the detail in the very light colored sweater. As you can see, I took away some of the shadows and black, and added more white to the image. I personally just like the look of a bright white photo, so this is the look I go for with my blog. If you prefer a different style that is fine, but it is important to try to be consistent throughout your blog.

Resizing// This is the simplest thing to do but makes such a huge difference in the appearance of your blog. You need to resize all of your photos so that they are the same width, that way as you scroll down the page, all of your pictures perfectly line up. I usually adjust my widths to 600.

Adding Text// adding text to your picture can be very eye catching, especially when on Pinterest. You want to choose fonts that go with your topic, and that complement each other. Don't use a western type with a floral dress, or a fancy script when you're talking about what to serve at a football game.

Pinterest// When it comes to Pinterest make sure, MAKE SURE, that your pictures can easily be pinned from your blog at no inconvenience to your readers. The ideal pictures for Pinterest and long, bright, and have text.

Blogger Tip Thursday {pages}

Having attractive and user friendly pages on your blog is essential, your readers can easily find key information about you and your blog. There are a few key pages every blogger should have, but many are specific and change upon your blog topic. Two pages every blog should have: an "About Me" and "Contact Me" page, and then add additional pages that you feel are needed. As a style blogger, I have a style guide, collaboration, and photography page.

First off you want your pages to be easily seen and accessible, most blogs have their pages featured on the top of their home page. I wanted to change things up a little on my design, and have my pages placed on the right sidebar towards the top. Wherever you choose to place your pages, you want to make sure they stand out, but also go well with your design. Place your about me and contact information pages first, because they the two most important pages you will have on your blog.

I like lists, I can process and understand them much better then long wordy paragraphs. I started off writing this post as a bunch of paragraphs, and I even started to get confused, and I was the one writing it. So I decided to compile a list of things you want to check off, while making each page for your blog.

About Me Page
1. Have a great picture of yourself (large and centered), if you want to get really fancy you can write your name or about me over the photo. This picture is very important, because for most blogs (style being an exception) this is one of the only times your readers will get to put a face with your name.
2. Include general information about yourself // where you're from, married, what you do for a living, kids, and so on....
3. You want to state why you are a credible source for your blog topic // I am a fashion consumer behavior major writing a style blog // Some people leave this part out of their about me page, and it is very crucial for your readers to be able to believe what you are telling them.
4. If you wish you can include a question and answer area.
5. Any other random information you want your readers to know about you.

Contact Me Page
1. Your blog email, not you person one // I also recommend making sure your email is text and not a picture so it is easy for someone to copy and paste. 
2. Links to all of your social media pages here, you want to include links to your social media account anywhere and everywhere you can.
3. If you are good at coding, you can embed a contact me by email option into your page. Then all your readers have to do is enter in their information and message, all on the page.
4. If you get a lot of emails with small questions, you can easily create an ask me area, and then include the questions and answers in your about me section.

Those are the two most important pages to have on your blog, the others are up to you. My three additional pages consist of a style guide, collaboration, and photography page.

Style Guide Page // I add a new style guide for each season. Each season has its own large pictures featuring items that I deem my essentials, underneath I go though item by item, telling why I think each is a seasons essential. I do not currently have, but plan on adding, go to outfit to the style guide. Explain which core pieces you need to create a weekend, nighttime, or work appropriate outfit.

Collaboration // I have listed the names of all the companies I have worked and collaborated with. I have all of their names linked to their website, along with any special discount codes offered for my readers.

Photography // This is the perfect place, for you to give some much needed credit, to those who take your amazing blog pictures. Include links and information about their photography company if they have one.You can also include information about what type of camera you use, and photo editing software.

Add any pages to your blog that you think your readers would enjoy. Another great page would be for any series you have on your blog, I will probably add a Tip's page when I am done with this series.

Blogger Tip Thursday {planning}

I am very excited to be starting a blogger tip series, I hope you all enjoy it, and find it helpful. I have been blogging for about a year and a half now, and have learned a lot though the mistakes I have made. I hope to pass this knowledge down to you though my new series Blogger Tip Thursdays. My first tip is to plan, plan, plan! I did not fully understand the importance of planning posts when I first started blogging. This led to a lot of mistakes and late night work. There is more to plan then just the physical post. I am going to walk you through how I plan for my blog posts along with sharing my blog planner for 2015.

Here’s a bit more into my planning and thought process behind every post that goes up on my blog.

1. The majority of the posts here on Stylish Sassy and Classy have to do with fashion and style. When putting together a post I first plan what I am going to wear. I always like to try on my entire outfit ahead of time, that way I know I like the way it all looks together, and that everything is clean.

2. Now that the outfit has been decided upon, it’s time to take some pictures! When it comes to planning, this part is definitely one of the hardest. Planning pictures is hard for many reasons: You must choose where to take them, make sure the weather cooperates, and make sure your photographer is free. I have had to wait over a week to take pictures before, but don't get impatient it will happen. Follow my next tip (#3) when nothing seems to be going your way!

3. IMPROVISE. Things do not always go as planed. When you just can't get those pictures taken,  think about a post you can write where you use some of your old photos, or make a fun collage.

4.Now that you have your pictures taken, it is time to edit edit edit. I edit most of my pictures in Adobe Lightroom, I find it does everything I need for my pictures and is very user friendly.

5.Write your post. I tend to write my actual post after I have edited my pictures because sometimes how my pictures turn out, or when I see my new favorite picture, it can change what I want to write. I am about the worlds worst speller... it's pretty bad, so use auto correct, sometimes I even have friends read over my posts before they go live. You do want to edit you posts and make sure there are no embarrassing mistakes, but it is a blog so you don't need to be a grammar Nazi.

6.You have your pictures and your post, now it is time for the finishing touches. I try to link all parts of my outfit so they can easily be shopped. This is also when I label my post, and choose the name, if I haven't done so already. Now it is time to POST, but we are not done yet, posting is not the end.

7. Make sure you share your post on all of your social media account, and if it is a large or important post share it a few times. It is very important that you check the comments on your post and try to reply to most if not all of them, your readers take the time to read and comment on your post the least you can do is reply to them.

8. Track your growth. It is important to track your blogs growth, this way you can see how your readers respond to each post. Also sometimes we feel like our blog is at a stand still, and not growing. When you monitor your blogs weekly/monthly growth you can see that you really are heading in the right direction.

I have created a FREE blog planner for 2015 so staying organized and planning will be a breeze. I hope the planner helps you and your blog grow in 2015!
 

**This is just the first of many Blogger Tip Thursday posts, please comment bellow with any subjects or advice you would love for me to cover!!**