Spring Seminar is coming up shortly (April 16th to be exact!) and I am very much looking forward to sharing my experiences and tips to creating a successful blog in 2016!

I have changed and grown my blog over the last 7 years. It becomes almost part of you as you discover your voice, your audience and the message you want to give. It can also be the one constantly moving element to your website. It keeps things fresh and keeps your brand, business and services in the public eye.

So, to give you a little taster of what I will be sharing here are some of my golden rules if you are blogging or considering starting a blog as a way to build your business and profile in 2016.

Be Original, Be Yourself.

Starting a blog can be a scary thing. It can be easy to try to replicate what someone else has had success with. It won’t work. You have got to find your voice, what makes your blog unique and write about it from the heart. People will read for your thoughts, your words, your ideas. Be true to yourself and the audience you are looking for will follow.

Put Yourself Out There.

Again, it can be scary but what’s all the hard work for if you are not going to share it? Think of your blog like a little fish swimming in the sea. It can and will get lost unless you are sharing all your lovely content and pushing it out on your social media channels, through your newsletter, to your friends and family. Wherever really! You don’t want to bombard people but as soon as you start you want to get into a rhythm of what works for you. Perhaps that is one post a week or one post a fortnight. Think of your audience, your message and how often you feel it is right to share.

Engage With Your Readers.

I have always loved the saying ‘Your vibe attracts your tribe’. Cherish your readers just as they cherish you. Reply to comments and questions no matter what they might be. Try to get your readers involved (this can take time) by asking questions – ‘what do you think of this post?’; ‘Do you like this outfit?’. Having a real interest in your readers will help you to create more of the content ‘they’ want to read. I find it great to try and team up with fashion brands and offer something ‘more’ every so often. Twice a year I run a readers evening where everyone sits around drinking tea and dissecting the new season trends! This shows you care, you are real and it is an invaluable way to get feedback and ideas.

Be Consistent.

This might not be the most fun of all the rules but it is definitely the most important. To get traction for your blog you must post consistently. That does not mean it has to be everyday but if you put out the message you will post every week, you must post every week. Blogs are built on trust, consistency and continual effort to prove yourself to your audience.

See you on April 16th in London for lots more blogging chat!

Julie