#ReigneBlogs: What You Need To Be a Mummy Blogger

Okay. Not just a mummy blogger but a blogger in general.

I've been getting this question quite a lot lately. Some people think that blogging is just about freebies, events, IG feed and a website. They think it's all about getting #bloggermail or events with celebrities.

Well, I've been blogging for more than a decade now and I'm telling you, it's no joke. There are a lot of days when I would want to just stop blogging. To shut down the blog and just shut up. But this blogging thing is my passion and that's why I have invested a lot on this blog - money, time, effort, and a whole lot more. It's never easy but it's fun.

So yeah. This is me, warning you all blogger-wanna-be that this is a tough job. So toughen up!

I'll list down all the essentials on how to be a blogger. And I hope this would be helpful to all of you who wants to venture into blogging or has started already but feels a little bit lost.

1. A blog. Of course, how can you be a blogger without a blog? Harhar! Seriously, you need a blog but this "blog" should be well-thought off. You have to consider the following:

• Blogging platform. Are you going to use Wordpress.com or Wordpress.org or Blogger or Tumblr or Wix. Each has their pros and cons, really so it's more of deciding which platform to use. I'd probably do another post about it as this is another question I'm always getting.
• Blog Title. Yeah. Seriously. You have to honestly think and think real hard of your blog title. This is going to be your brand so it is very important.
• Domain. You could either buy your own domain or the free ones with .blogspot.com or .wordpress.com, but regardless. Your blog URL should be easy to remember and easy to share. Don't be like me. Everytime I'd share my blog URL, I would always end up spelling it out. Short ones are better But they should also be consistent with your blog title and your brand in general. I just can't change because it's my home already. So I have to live with my hard-to-spell blog domain.
• A list of your categories and blog theme.
• Nice picture for your About Me page.
• Nice write up for your About Me page.
• A well designed blog - SEO optimized, mobile friendly, easy on the eyes. With a cohesive theme and lay out. I'd also probably do a separate post for this 'coz this is another hot topic.

2. Social Media accounts. Your social media accounts must be in line with your blog. All my social media account handles are @reigningstill. All are public. All are curated. You need the basic Facebook Page and Instagram. You could also have a YouTube channel if you want to do vlogs and probably a twitter account. That is also where you connect with your readers.

3. An email account. The email account, again, should be in line with your blog. Easy to remember and easy to type. A contacts page is also helpful as well as a contact form within your blog.

4. A good camera. A blog would be so boring without pictures. So a good camera is a must. It doesn't have to be expensive. I use an Oppo phone and a micro 4/3 camera for this blog. Both take decent pics and video so I'm all good. But I'm planning to upgrade coz I'm trying out the vlogging world. So let's see.

5. A photo editing app that you know how to use. I've seen this common problem with some people. They'd read or ask about the best photo editing app in the world but won't invest time and effort in trying to learn the app. Most of the time, it's not the app dear, it's the user. Before I settle with the apps I use for this blog and my social media, I spent tons of late nights trying to learn the application. Editing and editing and editing! Now everything is a breeze. I was able to create "a look" for my blog photo and my social media. And editing is now a whole lot easier and faster. I use PhotoScape for my blog photos. Sometimes I use Photoshop. Then it's a combination of Snapseed, VSCO, and IG for my social media posts.

6. Lots of time, effort, creativity, and patience. Yes. Blogging takes a lot of time, effort and patience. It's not easy. You have to write your posts, edit photos and videos, post on social media, promote your content, improve your branding, etc. etc.

7. Confidence and a  tough heart. The blogosphere is not for the faint-hearted. Believe me! You'd encounter bashers, critics (yes, bashers are different from critics), haters (this is a whole different breed), etc. You'd get your heart broken a dozen times, or probably a hundred times. You have to talk to people. You have to filter yourself. You have to constantly think if what you are doing is "blog-worthy". Of course you have to take care of your brand so whatever you do reflects on your blog.

8. Be original. In a world full of Beyonce-wanna-be, just be you. I know and understand that sometimes, you feel like following the footsteps of your favorite blogger or your friend or celebrity is the best thing coz you like them very much. But you have to understand that they also filter whatever it is that they share on social media or their blog. Their life is never like that. So, paano na yun bes? And in order for you to be loved by your followers, you have to be unique. I swear, readers now look for uniqueness.

So there you go! I am thinking of turning this into a series. So I could at least pay it forward. Just watch out for future blog posts.

Also, I do offer blog branding services. Yep! Blog design, migration, setup, SEO, blog coaching! Everything you need to know. And everything I know, I'll share with you. Just email me at reigne@celerhinaaubrey.com!

That's it! Till next time! Byeeeeers!

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