When you’re just starting as a beauty blogger or beauty influencer you’re kind of having to just wing it, right? You have to do rigorous research on your own for everything because other bloggers and influencers won’t let you in on the ” big success secrets” (at least not for free anyway) or even answer simple questions on whether this is wrong or right.  It can be very confusing, very frustrating but most of all a trial and era type of situation.

I haven’t reached my year yet as a beauty blogger but my mind had been changed and then changed back again.  After about six months,  I had become very frustrated with blogging because I had no idea what I was doing, how to drive traffic to the blog site, what content should or should not be put out, what equipment I needed for product reviews or even how to tie all the elements together.  I had a big pause in blogging for months and began to focus on the makeup itself.  Boy did I make an even bigger mistake.

This opened my eyes a lot and fueled a new energy source for me after I came to my senses.  I quickly learned that relying on social media sites alone would NOT get me there! It brought on insecurities about whether I have what it takes to be successful and blew clouds of negativity into my minds eye. I had an onset of blogger blockage caused by myself not staying active.  When I realized what happened, I accepted it and asked myself how could I overcome this?  I figured out that I had to now use social media as a side-walk instead of a freeway.

Here are some things you can do in the beginning stages of becoming a beauty blogger…

• Use free information outlets! – YouTube will be your biggest provider for free public information about blogging period!  There are thousands of beauty influencers and bloggers voluntarily giving out in-depth information on how to get started and how to be successful at it.  All of the advice given will not work for you, however, most will.  Some of the advice is specific to their personal experiences and situations.  Be careful with what you consume, as far as, what may be viewed as Pro’s and Con’s to what you’re trying to accomplish. I say this because certain directions may not have worked for them but it may be the key to what you need to be successful with your targeted crowd.

 

• Spend money on things you need ONLY ! – By this I truly mean focus on investing in your equipment, advertising programs and how to get a quality site up without spending an arm and a leg.  Getting your site up can be a breeze and there are a few host companies that will even let you start for free, like WordPress. The great thing about WordPress is that they have options and provide layouts for plug and play.  You can also save money by taking pictures of the things you want to blog about on your own.  Nevertheless, there are also plenty of stock photo sites that offer low-priced pictures and some even provide free multi use photos.

 

• Pay close attention to your favorite successful sites in the same genre! – If you’re anything like me, you learn by seeing and doing.  I watch my favorite blogs like a hawk.  I pay attention to their angle, how often they blog and how I can gain access to the information that helped them become successful.  There is no harm in taking in information from them but I advise against total mimicry in your output.  Although there will be times when you’ll have no choice but to sound and look alike, at least try to give a different delivery. Do this so that your crowd will have a reason to keep being impressed with your creativity. The key is to keep them engaged and entertained uniquely.

 

• Be consistent in your blogging! – When I stopped for those few months I got a quick lesson on how to lose your buzz!  The worst feeling ever!  No one was engaging in conversation, sharing or even visiting my site.  Nothing is worse than this as a blogger but with some vigorous consistence after returning I began to see a rise in visitors again.  Tell everyone about your site and share your own work to help people become familiar with the name.  Try to remember that consistence should not equate to annoyance.

 

• Find what inspires you to write! – Whether its stalking the beauty isles or staring at other women’s makeup, find what inspires you to spark a conversation.  Give yourself a mind exercise so that you don’t develop writers block.  If it’s a really great topic, write it down so that you don’t forget.  View makeup and skin care sites and read the reviews.  There are conversations there in those comments that always give inspiration to a writing prompt.

 

I know now what it feels like to veer off the path. I wanted to give a little push to any new comer out there in the beauty world that may be struggling.  If you do these key things in the begining you should be able to transition comfortably into your own creative space in beauty blogging.  Try to keep in mind that it is easier to give up than it is to keep going.

C. Daniels