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Social Media

10 Ways To Get More Views On Instagram

February 18, 2019 • by NikkiSlivarich

text reads 10 ways to get more views on instagram with keyboard and iphone underneathDid you know that you can get way more views on Instagram by applying only a few basic tricks?
 
With the right marketing strategy, you can start growing your personal brand or business on the world’s number three social media platform right now.
 
Use a combination of Instagram hacks that take only seconds of your time and effort plus the exact methods used by pros to grow their followings and increase engagement rates on Instagram.
 
Apply all 10 of these bulletproof strategies to take your reach to the max!
 
Ready to learn how to get more views on Instagram? Let’s beat the algorithm together and get your profile and story views growing!
 
Disclaimer: This post contains some affiliate links and as a member of the Amazon Associates Program, I earn through qualifying purchases. Should you choose to purchase something through these links, I may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you.
 

1. Take Amazing Photos

 
It goes without saying that Instagram is a visual platform!woman standing on step ladder and taking top down photos of a wintery flat lay
 
But a unique and high-quality photo or video will take you a long way.
 
And the harsh reality is that, if your Instagram profile doesn’t stand out from the rest, why would people come to you over anyone else?
 
Creating a cohesive feed (think colours: I personally like to stick to white, grey, black, and pink in mine) that’s been curated from similar excellent-quality content is a sure fire way to start gaining more followers and engagement from the moment you implement this strategy.
 
Four ways you can start shooting better content now are: 
 
(1) Take your photos around the same time every day using lots of natural light
 
Use foam boards like these ones that you can get for next to nothing on Amazon and ensure maximum brightness to your styled photos of flatlays. I’m often snapping shots with my camera in one hand while holding a foam board in the other when it comes to producing sponsored content like the shot below that I did as part of a paid campaign with Gillette.
 
top down image of a gillette razor in packaging against white wrapping paper background plus accessories If shooting in natural light isn’t always an option for you though, invest in an inexpensive set of studio lights like these ones that I have made by Neewer.
 
Since purchasing these, I now shoot content around the clock! Including when my little girl goes to sleep for the night. Whether it’s 12pm or 12am, I can always take excellent photos for my Instagram now.
 
(2) Invest in a great camera
 
While a lot of Instagram users have success with their iPhones, I personally found that shooting with my mirrorless Sony A6500 Camera is the way to go!
 
The images taken with my mirrorless are amazing quality and editing them is such a breeze afterwards.
 
Whether you choose the traditional DSLR or a more compact mirrorless camera, like I did, this a long term investment that’s well worth it just for the memories you’ll have in the future.
 
(3) Edit your photos using a great app
 
I personally use Lightroom CC and do most of my editing on my phone!
 
To see exactly how I get my images bright and clean and my whites looking extra white, check out this step by step tutorial.
 
(4) Check out the article I wrote about this topic
 
I have an entire blog post devoted to how you can shoot amazing photos for your Instagram feed. Have a read and see exactly how I went from average Instagram user to getting paid to post sponsored content!
 
Pro Tip: Check out the following Instagram photography tools that I cannot live without. Shoot great content every time by upgrading your creative kit!

2. Engage with Top Performing Accounts

 
Social media has been dubbed this for a reason!
 
And Instagram is as much of a visual game as it is a social one.
 
Leave thoughtful and provoking comments on highly viewed photos and videos posted by influencers in your niche.
 
Not only will they see your engagement but their followers will too and they will likely be curious about who this person behind the words is.
 
Engage, engage, engage! You’ll see other successful influencers say it again, again, and AGAIN!
 

3. Interact with Recent Posts

 
This is something that really helped me grow on Instagram during my earliest days. It’s part of the method I used to grow my account to 1,000 followers in 28 days!
 
Search hashtags that are relevant to you and your brand and engage with the latest content that appears in your results.
 
Engaging with other lesser known accounts gets them curious about who you are and will have the same impact on their followers. Have you ever browsed through the comments section of an Instagram post? I know I have!
 
If you’ve searched the right hashtags, engaging with the latest posts could also mean that your vision for your brand aligns with these fellow Instagram users.
 
For more on how to formulate an amazing Instagram hashtag strategy, check out this post to start hashtagging like a pro!
 
You’ll also find the best 200 niche specific and effective hashtags to help you start increasing your number of followers, comments, and likes to your Instagram profile.
 
Pro Tip: Remember, different hashtags work for different types of engagement and different audiences! Utilizing a mixture of them all is the best hashtag strategy to grow your audience and reach organically.
 

4. Post to Instagram Stories Frequently

 
top down shot of woman reading a checklist surrounded by paperwork, macbook, and stationary plus a coffeeInstagram Stories were something I neglected when they were first released!
 
But in all honesty, they’re something I can’t live without now.
 
Knowing what to post on Instagram Stories and when to post it is the perfect way to get more views to your Instagram Profile!
 
There are also a few hacks I’ve written about here to gaining more views on your Instagram Stories. Try all six of them and watch your profile views rise.
 
Instagram Stories are a perfect place to post content that doesn’t quite fit into or isn’t high quality enough for your Feed!
 
Also consider styling your stories; use Canva or PhotoShop and create templates based around your business or brand. These make your stories look that much more professional and will keep your audience coming back for more.

5. Always Tag a Location

 
Increasing your potential reach and exposure is a must is you want to get more views on Instagram.
 
And always tagging a location is a super easy way to do so!
 
The strategy I like to use for location tags is to always tag the major city closest to the location I shot my content in. Unless, the exact spot you created your content in is a well-known destination, you are only limiting yourself otherwise.
 
If you shot the photo at home, again, tag the biggest metropolis closest to you!
 
This is such a simple add on but it really is that effective!
 

6. Tag and Mention Brands in Every Post

 
Have a favourite spot where you buy your entire wardrobe or housewares? Tag them in every single post! You only have exposure to gain and there is absolutely no downside.
 
Know of an account that features Instagram users just like you? Tag them!
 
You’ll show up on their feed within their tagged category. A super easy but effective way to get more exposure to your account right now!
 

 
Working with a brand on an upcoming collaboration? Other influencers just like you might be too and they’ll browse through the brands tagged section on their profile for inspiration.
 
I know I’ve done this and often times, have been curious about who put out the amazing content I just saw!
 
Consider your own Instagram browsing habits. Chances are other Instagram users have similar ones.
 

7. Use the Right Hashtags

 
As mentioned before, I’ve written an entire post just on this topic alone!
 
Because there is a right way and a less effective way to use Instagram Hashtags.
 
Building a strong Instagram Hashtag Strategy includes:
 
(1) Using a combination of highly competitive hashtags and lesser known hashtags
 
Think 1,000,000 other posts versus 50,000!

 
You stand more of a chance to be featured in the Most Popular section of a less competitive hashtag as a developing Instagram user but using competitive hashtags will get you more likes!
 
Think about the behaviour I described before: chances are, other users are utilizing the same methods to gain exposure to their accounts. Create your habits with this psychology in mind for optimum results!
 
(2) Posting hashtags in your comments
 
Talk to 5 different Instagram users on this and you’ll get 5 different opinions.
 
Personally, I’ve had a great experience with it and, as I’ve seen other Instagram users do, I now sometimes post two separate comments containing hashtags – keep it at 10 and 10, for instance or, group relevant tags together.
 
This brings me to my next point!
 
(3) Use relevant hashtags
 
Continuing where we left off above:
 
By archiving, for example, a set of 10 motherhood related hashtags, 10 lifestyle related hashtags, and 10 business related hashtags in the notes section of your phone, you can then post two of these “hashtag groups” together based on their relevancy to your latest post.
 
Use more or less, according to what you experience works for you.
 
Normally, I like to stick to around 23 or less. For whatever reason, its just worked.
 
Stay on topic and only use tags that relate to who you are as an Instagram user or what your latest image represents.
 
Pro Tip: Research hashtags to see how they fit with your brand!
 
For example, although I love the term hustle, the content that shows up when you search this tag is a bit mixed for my liking. You’ll find everything from cross-fit athletes to get rich e-book writers. Totally not reflective of my brand!
 
Get to know your hashtags and you’ll see exactly whether or not they’ll fit into your creative plan.

8. Cross-Promote All of Your Content

 
top down image of man and woman having tea and reads books while discussing the tea boxYou know those little buttons you can tap to share your post to your Facebook page or Twitter account? Always choose to do so!
 
This really is as simple as the click of a button but the payout can be massive.
 
And bonus, if you have an Instagram Fan Page AND a Personal Facebook Page, share your Instagram Stories to both!
 
I cannot tell you what an explosion this led to in my Instagram Profile Views!
 
While I never considered my family, friends, and former work colleagues as a potential audience for my Instagram Mommy Blogger account, it turns out that a lot of people were actually curious about what I’m doing now.
 
And, as a result, I gained more followers and more people who view and interact with my content.
 
The moral of the story? Promote everywhere! Because sometimes, you never know just how diverse your audience really is.

9. Collaborate with Others & Get Featured

 
Interested in doing an account take over? Write a professional business proposal to your Favourite Brands or Feature Accounts and get something cooking! As my mom always says, there is a 50% chance they will say, YES!
 
You know how the most successful businesses, brands, and individuals get ahead? They take chances!
 
No one ever grew their vision by doing the exact same thing as someone else. There is only ONE you but over 7.5 billion others on this planet.
 
What makes you YOU-nique? Use these qualities when you write your proposal to wow potential business partners with your incredible authenticity. Because that’s what social media is all about!
 
Whenever I’ve collaborated with a brand or done a paid sponsored post, this is the first thing a partner will always note in their requirements is that you create content in your own unique style. Make it organic and cater to your personal brand because people can see the inauthentic from a mile away.
 
To boost exposure and start getting paid to post or to post in exchange for product, join influencer marketing networks for access to opportunities. If your content is strong enough, your new business partner may also feature you on their page this way and some of these brands have a massive following on Instagram.
 
Talk about double the benefits!

10. Post at the Right Times

 
Have you made the switch to an Instagram Business account yet? Do it!
 
No matter what anyone says about you not being favoured by the algorithm, ignore it. If your content is as unique and incredible as you are, they will come.
 
Plus, switching to a Business Account gives you access to amazing Analytics!
 
You’ll see exactly what time your followers are active on Instagram and on what days of the week. Talk about an advantage!
 
Your followers are the ones who engage with your content and knowing exactly when a large percentage of them are online will give you more access to more eyes and potential customers for your latest post or product launch.
 
Grow your brand or business by making the right moves at the right times!
5 hand drawn black hearts as a banner
Are you ready to make moves and start getting more views to your Instagram Profile?
 
Implement these 10 ideas into your Instagram business marketing plan and share your experience in the comments below!
 
nikki xo written in hot pink cursive font

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Social Media

How To Create Instagram Highlight Covers With Canva On Your Phone

January 24, 2019 • by NikkiSlivarich

I’ve received a quite few DM’s asking me where and how I got the highlight covers for my Instagram Stories recently.

nikkislivarich instagram profile showing highlight covers for stories menu

I actually designed and created them on my own, very simply and for free!

When it comes to branding, even the smallest details count!

 

So, maintaining the same flashy pink colour I use in my Pins and on the blog was a definite must for my Instagram profile as well.

Let’s get started and brand your Instagram profile according to your business image with this super easy tutorial.

First time here? You might love these posts on blogging and social media as well 🙂

  • 6 Super Easy & Effective Ways To Get More Instagram Story Views
  • Why You Need To Use IGTV For Your Blog
  • 11 Instagram Photography Essentials You Can Get On Amazon
  • How To Take Amazing Photos For Instagram
  • How To Edit Photos For Instagram With Lightroom CC From Your Phone
  • 30 Blogging & Social Media Tasks You Can Accomplish In 30 Minutes
  • 5 Ways To Use Hashtags Like A Pro On Instagram
  • How To Create Line Breaks In Your Instagram Captions
  • How To Start A Blog That Makes Money From Day One
  • Top 5 Ways To Monetize Your Blog

Creating Instagram Highlight Covers With Canva

 

pinterest pin reading how to create instagram highlight covers with canva

First things first!

Let’s go to the App Store or Google Play Store and download Canva if you haven’t already downloaded it to your phone.

canva app preview screen on iphone app store

This is an incredibly versatile and powerful little app that I use to design my Pins and Instagram Stories as well! You are definitely going to want to download and keep it somewhere for quick access.

Once you’ve downloaded Canva, Launch the app.

canva launch screen on iphone

When the app opens, you’ll automatically enter the (+) Create a design screen.

Where you see the Category Instagram Post, click on See all just to the right-hand side.

canva create a design screen as displayed on an iphone

Click on the square the reads Blank.

canva instagram post section showing blank square on iphone

Tap on the plus sign in the bottom right-hand corner.

blank work space on canva instagram story creation mode as displayed on an iphone

Tap on Graphics and search or scroll down through the options for most popular design elements. As an example, I’ll search for a camera icon!

search window shows the word camera in the canva app on iphone

search results for camera in canva are displayed at the bottom of the screen

Once you’ve found one you like, centre it and choose from a set of popular colours in the Defaults or set your own by clicking on the rainbow square.

camera icon in black centred in the working space of the instagram story canva design square

If you know your brand colour, type it in here by tapping on the bottom right-hand square above Done.

pink camera shown in the instagram story workspace of the canva app

Enlarge your icon of choice to get a better idea of how you want it too look.

camera icon is now enlarged by about 200% in canva app

If you want to do the reverse, and use a colour for your background instead of for your element, you can do so by tapping directly on the blank space of your working area. Again, choose from a Default colour or select the rainbow square to enter your colour of choice. Be sure to change your icon colour so that it is visible!

pink background with the camera icon now shown in white on canva design app

Keep in mind that Instagram Highlight Covers look best when they are kept simple! You want your highlights to add to your profile rather than taking away from it by clashing or being too distracting.

In my personal experience, I’ve found that two to three colours work best and ideally, choosing at least one that is dominant within your Instagram image posts (in my case, white) is most aesthetically pleasing.

Highlight names should also be kept simple. Think, one or two words max!

nikkislivarich instagram profile showing highlight covers for stories menu

And in my personal opinion, text should be avoided in your highlight covers.

Consider the fact that the vast majority of those viewing your profile are probably doing so on a mobile device. So, how legible, if at all, will your highlight cover really be?

To create a new Highlight, click the + Highlight icon just underneath your Instagram bio.

nikkislivarich instagram profile showing highlight addition screen on homepage

Choose an image to add to your new highlight and click next at the top right corner.

nikkislivarich instagram recent stories as shown in highlight addition section

Name your new Highlights section and click Edit Cover when you’ve done so.

nikkislivarich instagram stories highlight section showing selected photo as cover

instagram story highlight showing cropped version of selected photo and image icon

Click on the Mountain Range image icon to the left and choose your newly created Canva image.

editing cover for instagram story highlights option

Move the icon so it’s perfectly centred and you are happy with it! This is exactly how it will appear on your profile.

Click Done when you are satisfied. Now, click Add at the top right corner.

pink camera icon showing in instagram story highlight cover of editing screen

Within seconds, you’ll see your newly created Highlights reel.

nikkislivarich instagram profile showing the highlight addition option for stories

To add additional stories to your Highlights, simply click on the Clock icon at the top left.

nikkislivarich instagram story archive screen displaying most recent posts

You’ll see all of your past Stories displayed in reverse chronological order 🙂

Choose one you like and click Highlight.

Click on your new Highlight or any others you’ve already created to start adding more past Stories you’d like shown on your Instagram profile.

And there you have it! You’re now an expert in Instagram Story Highlights & Highlight Covers 🙂 Nice work!

What type of stories do you highlight on your profile? What are you favourite Instagram stories to share with your audience? I’d love to hear from you in the comments below!

nikki xo blogger signature text for nikkiblogs.com blog post conclusions

 

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Blogging

30 Blogging & Social Media Tasks You Can Accomplish In 30 Minutes

January 22, 2019 • by NikkiSlivarich

Disclaimer: This post contains an affiliate link; should you choose to make a purchase using said link, I will earn a small commission at no additional cost to you.

As someone whose basically created and managed her blog during baby’s nap time, I thought I should put together a list of tasks I’ve been accomplishing during these short bursts of time.

I’ve been incredibly blessed and successful since diving into this blogging and social media thing full-time and want to see you reach your goals too!

So, here’s a list of incredibly productive activities you can do while:

 

  • your baby naps
  • on your lunch break
  • during your commute home from work
  • waiting in a line up or at the doctor’s office!

Growing a home-based business or brand does not happen overnight!

However, it’s also something that doesn’t happen to those who don’t eat, breathe, and dream their aspirations. Personally, I don’t take any days off and would suggest that you don’t either, as crazy as that may sound right now.

Upon reviewing this list of ideas though, I think you’ll see just how easy it is to put an effort into your brand every single day, if just for 30 minutes!

First time here? You may also enjoy:

  • 60 Ideas For Blog Posts Your Audience Will Actually Read
  • How To Get Approved For Google AdSense The First Time You Apply
  • How To Start A Blog That Makes Money From Day One
  • The 5 Golden Rules Of Blogging
  • The 23 Best Places For FREE Bright & Feminine Stock Photos
  • How To Edit Photos For Instagram With Lightroom CC From Your Phone
  • Why You Need IGTV For Your Blog
  • How To Setup A Pinterest Business Account For Your Blog

Alright, let’s get to it!

black and pink font reads blogging and social media tasks you can accomplish in 30 minutes

30 Blogging & Social Media Tasks You Can Accomplish In 30 Minutes

1. Create gorgeous pins with Canva

2. Share a short list post, for example:

  • Favourite hashtags
  • Most viewed social media posts and your creation process
  • Favourite recipes
  • Most popular blog posts on your site
  • Favourite blogging or social media companion apps

3. Plan your Instagram feed for the upcoming week or month with Preview

4. Write captions for your upcoming Instagram or Facebook posts using either Preview or the Notes App on your mobile

5. Pin a combination of your own pins as well as others relevant to your niche

6. Write out a list of blog posts you’d like to publish in the next month or two

7. Browse through your camera roll to gather photos for Instagram or your blog

  • Think Throwback Thursday if you’re struggling to come up with ideas

8. If you use them on your site, browse stock photos and download those relevant to your niche

9. SEO blog or social media images saved on your computer

  • Change the file names to match your niche for maximum discoverability!

10. Organize your “Blog” folder on your computer

  • Categorize by post title, image type, or date according to your preference

11. Create a backup and/or install updates to your blog and plugins

12. Create or edit your Pinterest board descriptions

13. Expand on or edit your Pinterest pins

  • More descriptive pins do better!

14. Run a security scan on your website and remove malware if you’ve been hit by it

15. Pin a few affiliate links directly to Pinterest

  • Always disclose!

16. Pin a few alternate pins or recently added pins to Tailwind!

  • Haven’t joined yet? Click here to try Tailwind FREE for 30 days and explode your blogging game!

17. Tweet/share an Instagram story (or two) about a new post you’ve just written

18. Design an Instagram story template using Canva

19. Create a few Instagram story posts using Canva or with your new template!

20. Edit or update an old blog post

  • Drop a few affiliate links or create internal links where they are lacking

21. Engage with your social media profile of choice and/or respond to comments on your blog posts! For example:

  • Leave well though-out comments on the Instagram posts/tweets of those you follow
  • Search hashtags and comment on the most recent posts with said hashtags
  • Leave feedback on posts of the major players in your field
  • Get ready for a jump in your profile visits 😉

22. Shoot new content for your blog or social media profile

  • Flat lays and OOTD’s (outfit of the days!) are especially easy to do in short time frames
  • Working at home today? Snap a shot of your office or a cozy nook your adore
  • Foodie? Style today’s lunch against a simple white table cloth for maximum visibility
  • Pro Tip: Shoot in natural light as often as possible for the best quality images!

23. Write a list of combined goals for your blog and social media profiles this month

24. Fill said goals into the daily breakdown section of your agenda or planner

  • Be realistic about how much you can accomplish each day!

25. Shop for office stationary or decor to inspire you in your workspace. My go-to places are:

  • Indigo
  • Etsy
  • Anthropologie
  • AliExpress
  • Winners/HomeSense

26. Edit photos for a consistent Instagram feed, Facebook, or other social media profile using Lightroom CC, Snapseed, or VSCO

  • To see exactly how I edit mine, check out How To Edit Photos For Instagram With Lightroom CC From Your Phone where I walked you through every single step of my editing process!
  • When I first started editing photos for my Instagram account, it used to take me about one hour a photo! However, as you get more and more familiar with the look you prefer, it can take as little as 10-15 minutes. A time investment that is well-worth the payout!

27. Create an “inspiration” folder on your mobile or desktop

  • Save photos you love and want to recreate from Instagram or Pinterest
  • Bookmark blog posts and bloggers that you are inspired by

28. Create a list of long-term goals

  • Think one year, two year, and five year plans!
  • Write what it is that you would like to accomplish with your blog or social media profiles
  • Write an action plan for exactly how you will accomplish those goals
  • If you can visualize it, you can achieve it!

29. Educate yourself more on your niche

  • If you blog about blogging, check out new articles on affiliate programs, links, updates to website building platforms, or how to sell products or digital services online
  • Blog about food and recipes? Check out what’s new and trending in health or cookware
  • Beauty blogger? Search for the latest launches and investigate new products
  • Education and staying relevant is a must for running a successful blog!

30. Organize your Pinterest Boards and Add Board Covers
Did you experience an “aha” moment after reading any of the above suggestions? Which ones are you most excited to get started on? What are your current favourite blog or social media tasks to complete during your little ones nap time or your lunch break?

I’d love to hear about how you stay productive in the comments below! 🙂

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Blogging

25 Beautiful & Feminine WordPress Blog Themes

January 19, 2019 • by NikkiSlivarich

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links meaning that should you make a purchase using one of these links, I will earn a small commission at no additional cost to you. I have not recommended any products here due to these small commissions and only display items that I truly enjoy or find beautiful on my site!

One of the most important blogging decisions you will ever be faced with is your choice in theme!

 

Do you want something more minimalist? Feminine? Chic?

Or maybe depending, on your content, a theme that caters better to images than text, or one that is WooCommerce-ready if you’ll be setting up an online shop!

Deciding on your theme could take anywhere from a few hours to days.

 

But of course, this all depends on how specific your tastes are… although there really are countless options out there.

Write down the specifics of what you want your blog to look like and make sure to have a checklist with you when you’re narrowing it down.

The themes below are all meant for WordPress.org and are all available through Creative Market (my go to destination for anything blog or social media related).

If you haven’t already, be sure to setup a self-hosted WordPress site before purchasing them!

 

To create your own WordPress site now, check out this thorough and easy 6 step guide to creating your new blog in under 20 minutes!

Parent vs. Child Theme

 

This is one of the most important things to pay attention to when selecting a WordPress theme!

Any well-developed WordPress theme will include both a Parent Theme (the framework) and a Child Theme (the site design – how your website will actually look!).

However, often times, you will have to purchase the Genesis Framework separately from the Child Theme!

Genesis can be purchased for a one time fee of $59.95 through StudioPress.

 

The Genesis Framework, a Parent Theme, is by far the most loved of all with us WordPress users! It’s well-coded, well-supported, and features excellent built-in SEO!

In the selections below, I have listed which themes do and do not include Genesis in their listed price (as well as noting if a frame was built on another framework, if the designer has disclosed this) 🙂 But please, always double check the listing again during checkout to confirm all information is still up to date!

Pro Tip: For optimum SEO, speed, and security, among other things, it’s ideal to keep your site’s structure separate from its visual components.

Responsive Theme

 

When browsing WordPress themes, you’ll often come across this term!

A Responsive Theme is a WordPress Theme that adjusts its layout for optimum resolution based on the browsing device’s screen size.

 

Responsive themes offer a better user experience in that navigation and readability are thus, “made to order” for the individual viewing your site. This is especially important when you consider the smaller dimensions of a mobile device like a smart phone or tablet!

And bonus: instead of having to create and constantly edit a specific mobile version of your site, this is a one step solution!

 

New here? You may also be interested in:

 

  • 60 Ideas For Blog Posts Your Audience Will Actually Read
  • How To Get Approved For Google AdSense The First Time You Apply
  • How To Start A Blog That Makes Money From Day One
  • Why You Need IGTV For Your Blog
  • How To Setup A Pinterest Business Account For Your Blog
  • The 23 Best Places For FREE Bright & Feminine Stock Photos
  • The 5 Golden Rules Of Blogging
  • How To Edit Photos For Instagram With Lightroom CC From Your Phone

Ready to get started? Let’s find the perfect theme for your blog!

25 Gorgeous Feminine WordPress Themes For Your Blog

 

The themes below range from $20-$65 and feature options for all different types of blogging niches.

 

ISABELLE – $35

 

A responsive, feminine, and minimalist WordPress Genesis Child Theme. Perfect for Lifestyle Bloggers and Home Decor or Design Enthusiasts!

Features

 

  • Responsive layout
  • Custom logo & favicon option
  • Full-width slideshow
  • Featured page CTAs
  • Widgetized sidebar
  • Easy-to-organize category page template
  • Live theme customizer for changing colors, logo, favicon, etc.
  • Multiple page layout options
  • SEO friendly
  • Cross-browser compatible

Includes

 

  • WordPress Theme
  • Installation Instructions
  • Demo content
  • Widget import file

✘ Does NOT include Genesis Framework

 

AVONDALE – $65

 

An absolutely gorgeous and feminine premium WordPress theme. Perfect for Beauty and Fashion bloggers!

Features

 

  • Unique featured images display on your blog posts overview. Show not only ONE, but TWO featured images,
  • Display your Reward Style or Style Collective shop my post widget before the “read-more” button
  • Every elements in this theme can either be disabled or removed. The possibilities to arrange the layout to your own liking is endless.
  • Upload your own logo, or enter a text for the header
  • Customize colors for background, text, links, hover links, top navigation background colors, buttons, etc.
  • Slider on homepage (optional – you can have it disabled)
  • Three layout styles (full width, right sidebar, and left sidebar).
  • Tons of post display styles (full post, excerpt, list, grid).
  • Custom templates (About Me, Blog, Categories, Landing, Under Construction)
  • Widget areas (Primary Sidebar, Homepage Header, Homepage Footer, Blog Page Header, Categories Page, After 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and 5th Post in Homepage, After Each Entry in Single Post, and Footer).
  • Upload your own custom signature, and it will appear after each of your post in single post page and in your About Me page
  • WooCommerce compatible. Open an online store and start making sales right on your own website
  • Mobile responsive, will look good in any device
  • SEO optimized

Includes

 

  • WordPress Theme
  • Installation Instructions
  • Custom Built-In Widgets:
    • About me
    • Social media buttons
    • Recent posts
    • Popular posts
    • Highlighted categories
    • Promo boxes

✓ Includes Genesis Framework

 

ANALOGUE – $69

 

A responsive and minimalist WordPress theme perfect for Influencers, Travel Bloggers, and Interior Designers.

Features

 

  • Fully responsive design displays beautifully across desktop, mobile and all devices in between
  • Unique blog design with multiple layout options
  • A featured slider for blog posts as well as a separate home page slider for unique content
  • Infinite scroll integration for blog and archive pages so your readers can keep on reading
  • Back to top button so they can quickly get back to where they started
  • Separate home page builder so you can create a landing page that converts
  • Primary and footer navigation menus, including a sticky nav – use one or both
  • Minimalist sidebar layout with lots of possibilities, plus a full-width layout
  • WooCommerce compatibility with custom styled elements and an added shop header
  • Live theme customizer – see your changes before going live
  • Lots of styling options – colors, Google Fonts, layouts and more
  • Optional logo and header uploader to make your mark
  • Unique sign up and Instagram footer section for that custom look
  • Widgetized footer area with multiple layout options – 1, 2, 3 or 4 columns
  • Mailing list integration for MailChimp, Aweber, Constant Contact etc.
  • Simple installation – get your site setup like our demo in minutes
  • One-click automatic theme updates via the WordPress dashboard

Includes

 

  • WordPress Theme
  • Installation Instructions
  • Demo content
  • Custom Photoshop templates for logo, favicon, back to top button, pin it button, shop section background and footer sign up background
  • Access to help centre

✘ NOT built on and DOES NOT require Genesis framework.

 

FINESSE – $49

 

A very minimal and clean WordPress theme that is perfect for portfolios, creative blogs, and lifestyle bloggers!

Features

 

  • Custom Portfolio Plugin which provides a dedicated portfolio section
  • Two different layout styles – full width and boxed
  • Multiple page layouts
  • Simple customization
  • Unlimited colour schemes
  • Responsive design
  • Custom widgets for an about section, latest posts, Instagram, promo boxes, image banners, & social media

Includes

 

  • WordPress Theme
  • Installation Instructions
  • Demo content

 

GLACÉ – $35

 

A feminine and responsive WordPress Theme catered to food bloggers, chefs, and recipe enthusiasts!

Features

 

  • Things I Love Widget – add up to 3 Affiliate Products
  • Modern Facebook Widget
  • Advanced About Me Widget
  • Recipe Shortcode Feature for posts and pages (Add – Prep & Cook Time, Serves, Yields, Ingredients, Directions)
  • Fully Responsive
  • Full Width Slider
  • Built in “You might also like” Feature
  • Seven Sidebar Widgets (About Me, Facebook Like Box, Instagram Slider, Social Media Buttons, Things I love & Recent Posts)
  • Four Different Post Formats (Standard, Gallery, Video & Audio)
  • Easy Customizable Homepage Layout
  • Unlimited Colours
  • Social Media Buttons (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, YouTube, Tumblr, Bloglovin & Google+)
  • Two Post/Page Layout Options (Full Width & Sidebar)
  • Four Different Homepage Layouts (Full Width without Sidebar, 1 Post Column with Sidebar, 2 Post Columns with Sidebar, 3 Post Columns without Sidebar)
  • Cross-Browser Compatible
  • Search Engine Optimized (by SEO expert)

Includes

 

  • WordPress Theme
  • Installation Instructions
  • ZIP file with the whole template,
  • Logo .psd file
  • Demo content

 

ELLA SOPHIA – $29

 

A modern and feminine WordPress Theme built on the Genesis Framework. Especially perfect for beauty, lifestyle, and mom bloggers!

Features

 

  • Fully Responsive Layout
  • Designed for self-hosted WordPress sites (not compatible with wordpress.com)
  • Beautiful Categories Archive page
  • Round grid style category pages
  • Woocommerce Compatible
  • 3 Column Footer
  • Customizer that lets you change some font colours, otherwise edits need done via CSS
  • Upload your custom header
  • Beautiful Share Icons
  • Set up Instructions
  • SEO optimized.
  • HTML5 Markup.
  • Has an area to add a slider if needed
  • Share buttons
  • Social Media Icons
  • Instagram Slider Set up Instructions
  • Full width option, left or right sidebar option
  • Free fonts Used

Includes

 

  • WordPress Theme
  • Installation Instructions
  • Blog Header Files
  • Plugins Used in the Demo and Set Up instructions

✓ Includes Genesis Framework

 

EMILY BELLE – $19

 

A feminine and minimalist WordPress theme perfect for new bloggers or those with a fashion or mom blog craving simplicity!

Features

 

  • Fully Responsive Design
  • Mailing List Integration
  • Social Media Integration
  • Instagram Gallery Integration
  • Logo Uploader
  • Colour Customizer
  • Recommended Plugins
  • Full Width Layout
  • Sidebar Content Layout
  • Contact Form Integration

Includes

 

  • WordPress Theme
  • Installation Instructions
  • Setup Tutorials
  • Pin it graphic
  • Site Icon
  • Access to a FREE WordPress Support Group

✓ Includes Genesis Framework

 

ALLISON – $49

 

A chic and modern WordPress theme perfect for fashion, beauty, and travel bloggers as well as small business owners! This theme is compatible with both WordPress.org as well as a WordPress.com business account.

Features

 

  • Mobile responsive
  • Retina optimized logo
  • Add you own copyright
  • Upload your own custom background
  • Upload your own custom logo
  • Customizable theme color
  • Primary and secondary navigation menu
  • Customizable drop down menu
  • Multiple blog post page layout – list, full, grid form
  • Built-in share icons
  • Built-in back to top button
  • Built-in related posts section
  • Customizable Instagram landing page
  • Category index page to beautifully showcase your posts
  • Plugin styling for Woocommerce and Genesis eNews
  • Woocommerce ready. Easily setup a shop on your website.
  • Built on Genesis Framework using HTML 5 + CSS3
  • Demo content and widgets import file for setting up the theme real quick

Includes

 

  • WordPress Theme
  • Installation Instructions

✘ Does NOT include Genesis Framework

 

EMMA – $49

 

A fresh and feminine WordPress themes perfect for lifestyle, food, DIY, and home interior blogs!

Features

 

  • Completely Mobile Ready Design.
  • Lots of styling options : custom colors, more than 350 Google Fonts and logo.
  • Live theme customizer – see your changes before going live.
  • Filterable portfolio and gallery to display your work (images, videos,..) in 2, 3 or 4 columns.
  • Ability to display your category posts in grid layout (3, 4 or 6 columns).
  • Blog page with different layouts; 2 o 3 rows, pots scerpt + featured image or full posts.
  • Widget area below post entries for subscription form, call to action, ads,..
  • MailChimp, Awber, ConvertKit,.. form action plugin compatible.
  • Posibility to use the blog format instead of widgetized home page.
  • Shortcodes: Image+Text, Video+Text, button, Pricing table, service boxes, call to actions,..
  • Woocommerce ready (eCommerce).
  • 3 page layouts (FullWidth / content+sidebar / Sidebar+ content ).
  • Lead capture template.
  • Landing page template.
  • Instagram Feed Integration in the Footer.
  • Sticky Navigation on scroll, preloader and “back to top” button.
  • Widget area below post entries for subscription, text, ads,..
  • Retina quality logo.
  • Automatic Updates.
  • HTML5 Markup.

Includes

 

  • WordPress Theme
  • Installation Instructions
  • Easy 1-click demo import.

✘ Does NOT include Genesis Framework

 

BLOGGER – $39

 

A minimalist and simple premium WordPress Theme with full support for WooCommerce. Perfect for interior designers, lifestyle bloggers, and those running a small business!

Features

 

  • Responsive design works on mobile devices.
  • One-click demo install.
  • You can choose a “full details 1-column” or “2-columns grid thumbnail” layout for your Blog and Archive pages.
  • 4 Menus locations: Primary Menu, Social menu in header, Social menu in Footer, WooCommerce menu in Header.
  • Sticky posts support: displays as a slider above other posts.
  • 3 widgets areas: Sidebar, Footer full-width and Footer 1, 2,4, or 4-columns widgets.
  • Copyright imprint with custom HTML support.
  • Instagram Widgets by WPZOOM plugin support.
  • AJAX infinitive loading or standard pagination for Blog posts support.
  • YouTube or local video header support.
  • Full WooCommerce support with custom WooCommerce menu.
  • Custom Header Images for Posts and Pages.
  • Full Width layout template for Posts and pages.
  • Bundled our custom Shortcodes plugin with shortcodes for custom Buttons, Background Highlight, Underline Text, First Big Letter, Masonry Gallery and Image Slider.

Includes

 

  • WordPress Theme
  • Installation Instructions
  • Friendly lifetime support
  • Lifetime Theme updates

 

ALEXANDRA – $19

 

A clean and minimalist theme perfect for photography, food, travel and lifestyle bloggers.

Features

 

  • Theme options (WordPress Customizer) included
  • Responsive and flexible layout matches and works on every desktop and mobile device.
  • 2 Main layouts: Normal layout & First fullwidth, then list posts.
  • Three useful 3 PROMO BOXES
  • Beautiful SLIDER
  • Subscribe via email box.
  • Contact Form.
  • SEO optimized
  • Documentation online.
  • Custom About Me Widget
  • Custom Recent Posts
  • Custom Instagram Widget plugin included
  • Custom Categories with featured images widget.
  • Social Media Icons in Header and Footer
  • Logo file included
  • Standard Posts
  • Video Posts
  • Gallery Posts
  • Music Posts

Includes

 

  • WordPress Theme

 

MAYA – $39

 

A versatile, feminine WordPress theme ideal for a fitness or wellness blog but suitable for virtual assistants, coaches, or consultants!

Features

 

  • Upload your own logo
  • Customize font, background, menu & button colours
  • Newsletter sign-up
  • Custom image backgrounds
  • Integrated blog
  • Mobile Optimized

Includes

 

  • WordPress Theme
  • Installation Instructions

 

BELLA BEAUTY – $44

 

 

A lovely and feminine WordPress Theme perfect for the e-commerce business owner or a beauty, fashion, wellness or lifestyle blogger!

Features

 

  • Responsive design your site will look gorgeous viewed on a desktop, tablet or mobile
  • Email capture to start building an audience immediately
  • Mailing list integration with MailChimp, Convertkit, etc
  • Instagram gallery to showcase your gorgeous feed and grow your audience
  • Optional logo uploader to display your own logo / blog header
  • Live theme customizer see your changes before going live
  • Gorgeous full width slider
  • Stylish call to action image links with buttons
  • Display your blog categories beautifully with a dedicated category page
  • Widgitized blog sidebar display your social channels, email optin, categories, tags, search, etc
  • Contact form integration for your audience to reach out to you
  • Woocommerce compatible sell physical, digital or affiliate products to your audience
  • One-click automatic theme updates via the WordPress dashboard

Includes

 

  • WordPress Theme
  • Installation Instructions
  • Sample photos and demo content
  • Access to help centre
  • Bonus logo template

✘ Does NOT include Genesis Framework

 

MISS BLUSH – $59

 

A light and airy, effortlessly chic WordPress Theme that is perfect for beauty, mom, and fashion bloggers! 

Features

 

  • Genesis child theme
  • Custom header
  • Color customizer
  • Mobile responsive
  • Search icon
  • Share buttons
  • 3 widget areas
  • “In-between” posts widget area (display affiliate links, social media, etc.)
  • Page templates
  • WooCommerce ready
  • Styled widgets & forms 12.Instagram in footer feed
  • 3 layout options

Includes

 

  • WordPress Theme
  • Installation Instructions

✘ Does NOT include Genesis Framework

 

SAVANNAH – $39

 

A modern and feminine theme perfect for photography, beauty, and fashion bloggers!

Features

 

  • Responsive Layout
  • Beautiful Categories Archive page
  • Round grid style category pages
  • Woocommerce Compatible
  • 3 Column Footer
  • Customizer that lets you change some font colors, otherwise edits need done via CSS, theme comes mainly as shown.
  • Upload your custom header
  • Beautiful Share Icons
  • Set up Instructions
  • SEO optimized.
  • HTML5 Markup.
  • Has an area to add a slider if needed
  • Share buttons
  • Social Media Icons
  • Instagram Slider Set up Instructions
  • Full width option, left or right sidebar option
  • Free fonts Used

Includes

 

  • WordPress Theme
  • Installation Instructions
  • Blog Header Files
  • Plugins Used in the Demo and Set Up instructions

✓ Includes Genesis Framework

 

CLEAN & SIMPLE – $24

 

As the name states, a clean and simple WordPress Theme that is perfect for interior design enthusiasts and lifestyle bloggers!

Features

 

  • Fully Responsive
  • Custom header banner/logo
  • Add background color or background image/pattern
  • Two Page layout templates
  • Custom matching share links under each post
  • Comments link under each post
  • Very stylish menu bar and custom Tags
  • Easily add a rounded style Photo to your blog.
  • Dropdown menus
  • Add unlimited footer widgets

Includes

 

  • WordPress Theme
  • Installation Instructions

 

KENDAL – $65

 

A chic and minimalist theme perfect for travel and lifestyle bloggers.

Features

 

  • 4 custom home page layouts
  • 22 individual page/module layout
  • Customised category/archive layouts
  • 3 customised blog layouts
  • Custom footer
  • WooCommerce integration and style shop (4 layouts)
  • Bloom pre-styling
  • Choose from over 600 Google fonts
  • Customise the colors
  • Perfect for beauty, lifestyle or travel bloggers.

Includes

 

  • WordPress Theme
  • Installation Instructions

 

ABSOLUTELY BLOOMING – $40

 

A floral and feminine perfect for mom and beauty bloggers!

Features

 

  • Responsive Theme
  • SEO Optimized
  • Widgetized Homepage
  • Designer Details
  • Blog Template
  • Category / Archive Template
  • Styled to use Woocommerce
  • Full Width Template
  • 5 Widgets Built-in
  • Calligraphy Font

Includes

 

  • WordPress Theme
  • Installation Instructions
  • Theme Support
  • Calligraphy Font

 

MARIGOLD – $39

 

A Modern and feminine theme perfect for mom, wellness, lifestyle, and beauty bloggers!

Features

 

  • Responsive Layout
  • Beautiful Categories Archive page
  • Grid style category pages
  • Featured Post Area
  • Woocommerce Compatible
  • 3 Column Footer
  • Customizer that lets you change some font colors, otherwise edits need done via CSS, theme comes mainly as shown.
  • Upload your custom header
  • Beautiful Share Icons
  • Set up Instructions
  • SEO optimized.
  • HTML5 Markup.
  • Has an area to add a slider if needed
  • Share buttons
  • Social Media Icons
  • Instagram Slider Set up Instructions
  • Full width option, left or right sidebar option
  • Free fonts Used

Includes

 

  • WordPress Theme
  • Installation Instructions
  • Blog Header Files
  • Plugins Used in the Demo and Set Up instructions

✓ Includes Genesis Framework

 

MORNING VIBES – $49

 

A stylish, magazine style WordPress theme perfect for lifestyle and travel bloggers!

Features

 

  • Customized read more option
  • A built-in editable navigation bar (you will be able to add any pages/categories you need)
  • Uniquely re-designed sidebar widgets
  • Custom search bar feature
  • Matching share links at the footer of each post
  • Customized older/newer footer links
  • Theme installation step-by-step manual.
  • Responsive looks great on all devices!
  • Featured Content Area
  • Affiliate Shopping Area
  • Woo-commerce friendly
  • multi-layout options. Choose between list style layout/ full post layout

Includes

 

  • WordPress Theme
  • Installation Instructions
  • Zipped theme package
  • Social media widget set
  • Free installation services (if required)

 

MINIMALIST – $45

 

A minimal but chic theme perfect for interior design and lifestyle bloggers!

Features

 

  • Genesis child theme
  • Custom header
  • Color customizer
  • Mobile responsive
  • Search icon
  • Share buttons
  • 3 widget areas
  • “In-between” posts widget area (display affiliate links, social media, etc.)
  • Page templates
  • WooCommerce ready
  • Styled widgets & forms 12.Instagram in footer feed
  • 3 layout options

Includes

 

  • WordPress Theme
  • Installation Instructions

 

TRAVEL JOURNAL – $100

 

As the name states, a chic and modern theme that was built for travel bloggers!

 

Features

 

  • Integrated social media banners
  • Beautiful background
  • Responsive theme
  • SEO optimized
  • Widgetized Homepage
  • Theme Support
  • Designer Details
  • Blog Template
  • Category / Archive Template
  • Full Width Template
  • 2 Widgets Built-in
  • Integrated icons
  • Styled Store with Woocommerce

Includes

 

  • WordPress Theme
  • Installation Instructions
  • Calligraphy Font

 

JULIA – $59

 

A beautiful pastel and feminine theme that is perfect for fitness, wellness, photography, and lifestyle blogs.

Features

 

  • Front Page page with flexible widgetized areas.
  • 4 Parallax Image backgrounds to upload.
  • Lots of styling options : custom colors, more than 300 Google Fonts and header logo.
  • Flotating left hand Sticky widget for adding Newsletter.
  • Live theme customizer – see your changes before going live.
  • Filterable portfolio and gallery lightbox to display your work (images, videos,..) in 2, 3 or 4 columns.
  • Ability to display your category posts in grid layout (3, 4 or 6 columns).
  • Blog page with multiple layout options; 2 o 3 rows, pots scerpt + featured image or full posts.
  • Widget area below post entries for subscription, text, ads,..
  • MailChimp, Awber, ConvertKit,.. newsletter plugin compatible.
  • Posibility to use the blog format instead of widgetized home page.
  • Feature goodies: Pricing table, Call to Action Boxes, Services boxes, Listings, Testimonials,…
  • Woocommerce compatible, build your own shop.
  • 3 page layouts ( full-Width / content + sidebar / sidebar + content ).
  • 4 Footers.
  • Sticky Navigation on scroll, preloader and “back to top” button.
  • Widget area below post entries for subscription, text, ads,..
  • Retina quality logo.
  • Automatic updates.
  • HTML5 Markup.
  • Completely Mobile Ready Design.

Includes

 

  • WordPress Theme
  • Installation Instructions
  • One Click Demo Import content
  • FREE featured post images, logo header and “Pin it button”

 

COASTAL 2.0 – $59

 

A modern and minimalist WordPress theme perfect for creative professionals, photography, wellness, or lifestyle bloggers.

Features

 

  • Fully responsive design displays beautifully across desktop, mobile and all devices in between
  • Built on the WordPress Genesis Framework (not included with purchase)
  • Full-width scrolling home page – easily add and remove sections as you like
  • Dynamic masonry grid layout for portfolio projects, plus optional category sorting
  • Primary and secondary navigation menus, including a sticky nav – use one or both
  • WooCommerce compatibility with custom styled elements and an added shop header
  • Live theme customizer – see your changes before going live
  • Lots of styling options – colors, Google Fonts, background imagery and more
  • Optional logo uploader to make your mark
  • Minimal and clean full-width blog design, plus an optional sidebar blog layout
  • Widgetized footer area with multiple layout options – 1, 2, 3 or 4 columns
  • Full-width Instagram footer widget to show off your great photos
  • Mailing list integration for MailChimp, Aweber, Constant Contact etc.
  • One-click automatic theme updates via the WordPress dashboard

Includes

 

  • WordPress Theme
  • Installation Instructions
  • Sample photos and demo content
  • Access to our help centre

✘ Does NOT include Genesis Framework

 

GRAZIE – $59

 

A modern, feminine, modern and beautiful theme ideal for lifestyle bloggers & small shops!

Features

 

  • Easily change fonts to fit your brand identity through the live customizer
  • Easily change colors to fit your brand identity through the live customizer
  • Widgetized homepage
  • Option to setup Homepage by using Front Page widgets or Visual Editor
  • Gutenberg ready
  • WordPress 5.0.1 compatible
  • 14 widget areas (12 of them shown on Front page)
  • Woocommerce ready to start selling your products
  • Portfolio filterable to showcase your projects
  • Woocommerce Cart on Menu that displays on hover
  • Wishlist
  • Custom Search Widget built exclusively for Menu
  • 6 Flexible widget areas
  • more than 15 shortcodes to fully customise your site
  • Instagram Feed with comments and likes on hover
  • Fixed Menu & Sidebar on scroll + BACK TO TOP button
  • 5 Page Templates: Blog, Archive, Full width, Custom, Landing
  • Fade in effect, content appears when scrolling
  • more than 300 icons
  • Custom Latest projects widget to display portfolio projects on front page
  • Cookie Bar
  • Newsletter Subscription Box compatible with Mailchimp, Mailrelay, Convertkit…
  • SEO optimized
  • Easily customize site credits through Live Customizer
  • 100% Responsive
  • Translation Ready – Available on english and spanish by default (you can translate it on another language editing .pot file )
  • WPML plugin compatibility
  • WP GDPR Compliance plugin compatibility
  • GDPR Ready

Includes

 

  • WordPress Theme
  • Installation Instructions
  • Access to support centre
  • Demo widgets + content files

✓ Includes Genesis Framework

 

MEGA FEMININE WORDPRESS THEME BUNDLE – $59

 

Have more than one blog? Or can’t decide on which theme you want to use? Save over $230 and buy 10 themes (including a few of the ones mentioned above!) for only $59!

  • Chloe Addison WordPress Theme
  • Anna Louise WordPress Theme
  • Magnolia WordPress Theme
  • Savannah WordPress Theme
  • Marigold WordPress Theme
  • Ella Sofia WordPress Theme
  • Designer WordPress Theme
  • Olivia Caroline WordPress Theme
  • Hello Peach WordPress Theme
  • Wanderlust WordPress Theme

 

Did you find exactly what you were looking for all along? 🙂 Have you narrowed it down to how you want your blog to look? I’d love to hear from you in the comments below!

 

Leave a Comment

Blogging

Top 5 Ways To Monetize Your Blog

January 16, 2019 • by NikkiSlivarich

Are you ready to turn your blog into a business?

Today, we’re going to do an overview of the Top 5 Ways To Monetize Your Blog! And at the same time, we’ll provide a further break down of each monetization strategy to explore which ones will work for you and your blog.

If you haven’t already signed up for a Self-Hosted WordPress site, this is the first step! Click here for an easy and comprehensive 6 step guide to setting up one before you go any further!

Ok, ready? Let’s do this!

Top 5 Strategies For Monetizing Your Blog

 

black and pinks text reads top five ways to monetize your blog and earn consistent income

1. Affiliate Marketing

 

If you’re a brand new blogger, you may have heard this term just a couple of times so far. Or maybe you’re still not exactly sure what it really means.

Affiliate Marketing is a type of sales where individuals (or in our case, bloggers!) promote another company’s products or services in exchange for a commission when a signup is achieved or sale is made.

imac computer on desk surrounded by rose gold stationary, a plant, and a tea cup

Affiliate Sales are most effectively made after building a loyal following and trust from your readers. And in order to maintain that trust, you must always, always disclose that you are a member of an (or the) affiliate program(s) you are promoting in each post where you include such links to your audience.

Ideally, placing a disclaimer before your post your first affiliate link (where your reader will potentially click to make the purchase) is the way to go!

I’ve ranted about this before but I’ll do it again.

 

I have read many blog posts for recommendations on products all the way through and am blown away when I find a disclaimer at the bottom of the article!

After reading said article and finding this, I always reflect on the information I’ve learned with a grain of salt. Why wouldn’t the author disclose this information right away?

However…

When a disclaimer is at the top of the post or just before the first affiliate link is introduced, it comes across as more genuine!

 

pink notebook, gold paper clips, candle, gold pen, and white flowers in top left corner

My ideology is that if there are other consumers like myself out there, placing your disclaimer in an obvious location near the start of your article, is an essential practice!

When promoting affiliate links, be sure to avoid approaching them as if you are a salesperson but rather, try explaining or raving about the product as you would with a friend over coffee! You’ll build much more trust with your audience and your opinion on the product you are working with will feel that much more genuine.

Also…

Only promote products and services that you love and use! And only promote products catered to your audience!

 

For example, my blog is a lifestyle blog that focuses mostly on blogging, social media, motherhood, and a bit of home decor (since we’re in the midst of completely renovating our house). It would make no sense for me to promote fitness equipment of protein shakes to my audience!

Stay true to yourself and true to your niche for the best results with Affiliate Marketing!

2. Sponsored Posts/Brand Partnerships

 

Those coming from the Instagram and Social Media world know this game very well! This is actually where I got my start too. See How To Take Amazing Photos For Instagram and How To Maintain A Bright & White Instagram Feed to get on your way to sponsored posts.

And don’t forget to check out How To Edit Photos For Instagram With Lightroom CC From Your Phone Or Mobile Device to make the jump from average Instagram user to pro!

gold feather, candle, and paperclips, a tea cup, and floral accessories styled at top of image

Sponsored blog posts work the same as they do on social media.

 

Signup through a marketing or influencer agency, or collaborate with a brand or company in exchange for free product(s) and, if you generate enough traffic to your site, compensation for your efforts.

While the Instagram posts I’ve done in the past have paid between $40 to $250 a post (for a following of about 15,000), blogging is another story.

In my experience…

The majority of high-quality sponsored content blogging starts at about the $250 mark.

 

styled photo of cup of black coffee, open notebook, gold pen, candle, stationary, and pink flowers

However, depending on your traffic, you may for a starting rate of around $450 for your work.

Keep in mind as well, that if you discover sponsorship opportunities through a network (I will post a link here for the ones I love using most once I’ve finished writing this article), there may be a standard flat rate for either the social media or blog post the brand is requesting.

To give you an idea…

I earned approximately $1,000 in December 2018 from Instagram sponsored posts alone!

 

Personally, I love to style and create beautiful images for brands I enjoy in my everyday life or am interested in however, if creating sponsored content is not something you’re interested in, that’s ok! Please also keep in mind that you can say no if a company you are not familiar with or are not interested in pitches an offer to you.

There is nothing wrong with respectfully declining!

 

top-down photo of blue notebook and coffee cup, keyboard, and stationary

Generating extra income for yourself or your family is a wonderful thing but maintaining your brand and authenticity is an essential part of any long-term business plan.

For example…

I was once offered a sponsorship opportunity for a colour-changing shower head light!

 

While earning additional income is nice, this is just not my scene and my followers would have been surprised to see this item on my blog and Instagram feed.

Put yourself in the business’ shoes too; do you really want someone who is not enthusiastic about your product to promote you? I’d rather search for someone else who is passionate about funky and unique items for DIY-ing your home!

3. Advertisements

 

There’s a lot of debate on this subject!

And while I don’t want to get too much into it, I can truthfully say that I’ve made a reasonable amount in my experience so far.

It’s true what they say…

You need a decent amount of traffic to generate a reasonable amount with advertising on your blog.

 

white desk sign that reads girl boss in black font

But I feel that if you work hard at promoting your blog and content everyday (not just on Pinterest, Facebook, or Instagram, but to real people in your community and daily life as well), the results will reflect your efforts!

Seriously, I was asked for my business card several times while at a dealership buying a vehicle the other day 🙂

 

People always find it interesting to learn what I do for work and I’m sure those in your community would as well! Be friendly, professional, and sell yourself as a person while you sell your business!

So, if you’re interested in applying for Google AdSense, check out How To Get Approved For Google AdSense The First Time You Apply and start earning with your blog from day one.

But please, if you are going to include advertising on your site…

Never EVER participate in Facebook click-through threads or tell others to click on your ads!

 

This is a dishonest practice that will ruin your reputation and get you banned from participating in such programs in the future.

4. Offer A Service

 

This is a really fun one and the sky’s the limit!

Some services you may have seen promoted during your time on Pinterest or while looking for “Work At Home Jobs” and/or for “Stay At Home Moms” include:

  • Freelance Writing
  • Editing/Proofreading
  • Translation
  • Photography/Videography
  • Brand Development
  • Coaching/Mentoring/Consulting
  • Virtual Assistance
  • Web Design/Development
  • Blog and/or Social Media Management (Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook Page, Twitter, etc.!)
  • Graphic/Pinterest Pin Design

Advertise your service on your blog in a category called “services” in your main menu.

 

white mac keyboard, open notebook with a pen placed in the centre

Or signup through a network that connects brands and/or individuals!

I’ll post a link here describing each of these jobs and resources on where to land them once I’ve finished writing this article as well 🙂

5. Sell A Digital Product

 

Of all of the methods I’ve discussed, this has been my absolute favourite way to monetize my blog and social media!

After several years and semesters of studies in Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, I really began to miss being creative.

That’s actually the entire reason I started my blog and Instagram account 🙂

 

open white notepad and pen styled against a white background

I wanted to use my blog as an outlet for my thoughts and as a place to showcase my creative work in photography, writing, etc.

It was amazing!

 

And the even more beautiful part? I can sell my work digitally with various types of licenses to anyone around the world!

I will launch my first stock photo collections and eBook in June this year, so make sure to signup for my newsletter and be one of the first to know when it drops and receive a special 60% off insider discount!

Including the ones I just mentioned, some wonderful ideas for digital products are:

  • Courses
  • eBooks
  • Virtual Workshops
  • Audio/Music
  • Stock Photos
  • Video
  • Logo Designs
  • Infographic Designs
  • Pinterest Pin Templates
  • Fonts
  • Printables
  • Website Themes
  • Instagram Story Templates
  • Instagram Story Highlight Covers
  • Lightroom CC Filters

Pro Tip: If you’re an avid social media user like I am, make sure to only use your templates once you’ve launched them! This will maintain your brand image and create confidence in your audience. The key to any good promotion is of course, to promote, promote, promote! Plus be sure to always include a link to your blog in your Instagram stories!

rose gold sparkles and various pastel stationary styled around an open white space

How do I make money without a social media following like yours?

 

This is something I get asked a lot!

But keep in mind, we all had to start somewhere and believe it or not, not all of the same people who follow my Instagram page follow my blog.

While my Instagram profile is more catered to motherhood, daily life, and beautiful home decor, my blog focuses on becoming a girl and/or mom boss.

Now clearly, ladies or gents looking to work from home are not always the same people browsing for lovely home decor inspiration!

Please also consider that…

Building a social media following is actually very easy to do if you participate in the right promotions.

 

rose gold stationary, iphone, and silver macbook laptop styled at the left and right sides of the image

To see what I mean, check out How To Get Hundreds Of Instagram Followers Right Now to see two incredibly effective ways to grow your following ASAP and one very yucky way some Instagram influencers and brands try to trick the system (spoiler alert: it’s buying fake followers)!

Ok, so you can make money without a social media following?

 

Yaasss! That’s exactly what I’m saying!

Believe it or not, a social media following is a nice bonus but it’s a totally different entity.

reads monetize your blog and actually make money - tip, tricks, and strategies for real bloggers

So, let’s start making some money in 10 easy steps… ready?

Yes, tell me your ways!

 

  1. Create a cohesive brand and make sure you adhere to it cross-platform
  2. Have a clear niche and/or target audience from the start
  3. Learn from the big players in your field, making notes on the things they do exceptionally
  4. Become an expert in your niche and assert yourself as such wherever you promote your blog
  5. Create an opt-in for your email subscribers (for instance, when you signup for my newsletter you’ll receive 10 unreleased FREE stock photos beginning March 1st and 2 FREE stock photos every month after that! ;])
  6. Generate traffic to your blog using Pinterest, Tailwind, Instagram, and/or other social media or methods you rock at!
  7. Be consistent – maintain your subscribers and visitors by writing a new post once a week (ideally on the same day of the week), sending out a monthly newsletter, and/or posting on social media
  8. Promote products and new launches wherever you promote your blog!
  9. Create sponsored posts/sell your services and/or digital products
  10. Ask for feedback – your audience will love the fact that you are checking in to see how they are enjoying their purchases 🙂

pink tulips, black clutch, white iphone, black sunglasses, espresso cup of black coffee, and mac keyboard

Have you already monetized your blog? What were your favourite methods for doing so? What are your favourite affiliate networks? Let me know in the comments below!

 

New here? Thanks so much for stopping by! If you found this post helpful, you might also enjoy:

  • 5 Ways To Use Hashtags Like A Pro On Instagram (Plus 200 Hashtags For Bloggers!)
  • How To Edit Photos For Instagram With Lightroom CC From Your Phone
  • Why Your Need A Pinterest Business Account For Your Blog
  • How To Start A Blog That Makes Money From Day One
  • 60 Awesome Ideas For Blog Posts Your Audience Will Actually Read
  • 11 Instagram Photography Essentials You Can Get On Amazon
  • Why You Need To Use Instagram TV For Your Blog
  • 23 Best Place For FREE Bright & Feminine Stock Photos (find the images featured here!)
  • The 5 Golden Rules Of Blogging

 

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5 Ways To Use Hashtags Like A Pro On Instagram

January 5, 2019 • by NikkiSlivarich

Today is a good day for a discussion on hashtags!
 
Did you know that you are allowed to use up to 30 hashtags per post on Instagram? But should you?
 
Is it better to place your hashtags in your caption or in your post’s comments?
 
We’re going to discuss both of these things and more! I’ll even share my favourite hashtags for Instagram with you 🙂
 

 
Implementing a new hashtag strategy can help you achieve a larger following now!
 
Targeting the audience you are looking for by tagging your content with the right hashtags is the first step in growing your brand. You’ll get more engagement: more comments, more likes, more impressions, and more sales, if you are a business!
 
First time stopping by? Thanks for visiting 🙂 You might find these articles interesting too!

  • 30 Blogging & Social Media Tasks You Can Accomplish In 30 Minutes
  • How To Create Instagram Highlight Covers With Canva On Your Phone
  • How To Edit Photos For Instagram With Lightroom CC From Your Phone
  • Why You Need IGTV For Your Blog
  • How To Start A Blog That Makes Money From Day One
  • How To Take Amazing Photos For Instagram
  • 6 Super Easy & Effective Ways To Get More Instagram Story Views
  • 3 Things You Can Do To Get More Instagram Followers RIght Now
  • How To Maintain A White & Bright Instagram Feed
  • How To Create Line Breaks In Your Instagram Captions

 
So, let’s get to it and break down 5 Ways To Use Hashtags Like A Pro On Instagram.
 

 

1. Research Relevant Hashtags In Your Niche

 
Search Relevant Hashtags by using Instagram’s Search feature.
 

 
Tap the Magnifying Glass at the bottom left of the screen in the Instagram app. Then, in the next page, tap the search bar at the top of your screen. Select Tags from the available options to begin your search.
 

 
For this example, I’m going to search “mamalife“.
 
The results below include the hashtag I searched for as well as some related results.
 

 
Click the hashtag itself to go to another screen where you’ll see Top and Recent Posts (we’ll talk about this later on) that it has been tagged in.
 
To see more related hashtags, click Follow and browse the Related hashtags that appear just below! In this case, there are 10 related hashtags that were suggested.
 

Using hashtags related to your target audience means more potential impressions!

 

 
When searching for hashtags on Instagram, you’ll see that the hashtag page is divided into two sections: Top Posts and Recent Posts.
 

Top Posts

 
This section displays the most popular recent posts that have used the hashtag you searched.
 
Instagram posts that are shown at the top here generally stay there for quite a bit longer than they do in Recent Posts, where the images are constantly changing depending on how popular that hashtag is to use (If you swipe down to refresh on a hashtag like #momlife, for example, you can rest assured that another Instagram User will tag their post with the same hashtag usually within the minute (this is one of my favourite hashtags and I’ve seen it first hand).
 
The higher up and more left your post is, the longer it’ll likely last in the Top Posts section and thus, the more impressions you’ll get on your image or video.
 
To make it into top posts, you need to receive a fair bit of engagement, ideally, within the first hour after posting!
 

Recent Posts

 
Instagram posts that have been submitted to the social media platform most recently appear higher on the list here and are always displayed in this order.
 
While this is a fantastic means of engaging with accounts (as discussed above), being at the top here is not going to help you grow your following by any means.
 

Pro Tip: Interact with Recent Posts.

 
One of my strategies for increasing my engagement is interacting with recent posts of a hashtag related to my niche (maybe even one I just used in my own post). If using this strategy, try to like and comment only on posts that have been uploaded within the last 5-10 minutes!
 

The more recent the post, the more likely that user is still online using the Instagram app.

 
Use this same strategy to like and comment on the big players of the Instagram Influencer world and see how many people interact with your posts as a result!
 
If you haven’t tried it yet, you might also want to see Why You Need IGTV For Your Blog and start engaging with IGTV content to gain potential impressions.
 
Instagram Stories are the same! It’s all about using hashtags and interacting! Try out these 6 Super Easy & Effective Ways To Get More Instagram Story Views to have your content seen by more potential followers as well. Hint: We’ll discuss a neat hashtag trick for stories here as well!
 

 

2. Narrow It Down To The Best Hashtags For Your Profile

 
Using the most popular generic hashtags on Instagram, like #happy or #instagood , isn’t going to get your any further on your Instagram influencer journey! While you may see your likes ocassionally inflated, Instagram is about overall engagement rates, which means you need to get users to interact with you; gone are the days of brands working with individuals that get a lot of likes!
 

 
With the introduction of bots and apps for getting fake likes and followers, brands, and the marketing agencies who represent them, learned about the sneaky practices some influencers were engaging in and started to seek out more from potential representatives. After all, what good is social media marketing if there is no social aspect involved?
 
Going back to those two very popular hashtags, consider the fact that #happy and #instagood have 489 million and 909 million Instagram posts, respectively (at the time of writing this), already associated with them. It’s going to be incredibly difficult to make it into the Top Posts section when you are competing with that many other images and videos!
 

So, narrow it down to a few beloved hashtags.

 
Niche and number of existing tags must be taken into serious consideration.
 

 
By using hashtags specific to your niche, you are inviting people who are interested in this field to come check out your feed. Generic hashtags however, are commonly used by self-promotional Instagram users and are also a favourite among spammy bots. And, I don’t know about you, but I’m disappointed when I see a comment containing three fire emojis or “check out my latest EP” is left in response to my latest post!
 
A good starting range for your hashtag use size is normally between 100k to 500k, or even 1 million, depending on your current following. But feel free to use a few with less or more associated posts. Mix it up, and see what works for you!
 

Pro Tip: Checkout the top influencers in your niche and see what hashtags they use.

 
Take a look at their captions first and then their comments. A lot of Instagram influencers, myself included, place additional hashtags in the comments since too many within your caption can look spammy!
 

To start working with brands and receive free product in exchange for social media posts and reviews, check out How I’ve Received Over $3,000 Worth Of Product With My Social Media Accounts.
 

3. Use Your Hashtags Effectively

 
Consider the purpose of a hashtag; they act as a means of classifying images within a search engine.

Tag posts as effectively and authentically as you can!

 

 
If you’re looking for contouring and highlighting tips, for instance, you might search: #makeuptutorial
 
At the time of writing this post, this hashtag has been used on over 14.9 million Instagram posts!
 
Hashtags are an essential part of exposure: use the ones that fit your brand and niche to allow potential followers and customers to find you!
 
Consider the fact that Instagram users can also follow hashtags. This means you could show up on someone’s feed by using the right ones in your post and of course, you want to make a good first impression, so always post high quality content!
 
Check out How To Take Amazing Instagram Photos to learn how I grew my own following with just some basic upgrades to my equipment, a few app downloads, and other changes to my profile. To see how I keep my feed looking gorgeous and clean, check out How To Maintain A White & Bright Instagram Feed.
 

How Many Hashtags Should I Use?

 
In my personal experience, I’ve found that I have the best engagements rates when using 21-23 hashtags per post!
 
Not sure why this is but that’s what I’ve come to see!
 
Another blogger once suggested to me that using between 20-25 hashtags rather than the full 30 that is permitted is ideal in order to avoid being flagged as a spammer on Instagram; I’ve heard similar advice in regards to the number of accounts you are following.
 
Word on the street is that if you’re following more than 1,000 accounts, you’ll also be flagged as spam and will not make the Suggestions For You feature. Not sure how much truth there is to this but I thought it might be worth mentioning!
 
I used the maximum 30 hashtags for the longest time but when I had a bit of a slump near the end of last year, I experimented with different techniques to see that this one worked best for me.
 
Realistically, using all 30 hashtags should theoretically be the most effective way to get your content seen by the masses. You’ll have more opportunities to show up in Top Posts and Hashtags people are following.
 
Experiment with the number and type of hashtags you use and see what works best for you!
 

Pro Tip 1: Tag Brands and Feature Accounts & Their Hashtags In Every Post

 
This changed my Instagram game dramatically! I’ve received more than a dozen features I’ve started doing this. I even had a few of those brands follow me as a result.
 
Tagging brands and using their hashtags not only gets you a chance at a feature, it also gives you the chance for their followers to see you in that  brand’s recent tags!
 
Check out @theglitterguide and tag #flashesofdelight for any pretty, feminine photos. Tag @wakupandmakeup and use the hashtag #wakeupandmakeup in your next makeup shot!
 
Check out this list for 11 Instagram Photography Essentials You Can Get On Amazon and take better trendier photos!

Pro Tip 2: Post The Majority Of Your Hashtags In The Comments

 
There are instances when you’ll be collaborating with a brand and they want their hashtags in the caption. However, you can still post the remaining dozen or so in your comments section.
 
Try doing this with your personal posts too! I like to use a maximum of one to three hashtags in my post and save the rest for the comments.
 
I do this by writing my caption, going to my notes app, copying my desired hashtag set, and then posting them in the comments immediately after I’ve posted my image.
 
If you’d like, you can also break up those comments into two sets! For example, instead of posting all 20 hashtags into one comment, post 10 into two comments. I noticed one of the accounts I follow with 390k followers does this and have implemented this strategy since November. So far, I like the results! It’s improved my engagement rate slightly.
 

 

4. Keep A Few Sets Of Hashtags In The Notes Section Of Your Phone

 

 
Yes, I said sets!
 
I have four sets on my phone just for the #momblogger niche I fit into.
 
By keeping a few sets on hand, you’ll be able to copy and paste from your notes app right into the caption or comments section of your Instagram post. And by having a variety, you’ll be able to mix it up!
 
Using the same hashtags will result in getting seen by the same audience whereas alternating hashtags gives you a greater chance of more impressions and thus, more potential new followers.
 
For example, consider making a couple of sets for:
 
  • Blogging
  • Motherhood
  • Beauty
  • Travel

Then, whenever you’ve got some new content to post, search your notes app for the right category and choose a set to promote your latest post.

Pro Tip: Organize your hashtag sets by placing the more generic ones at the start

 
In the case that you need to drop a few hashtags that don’t suit your upcoming post, it’s easiest to replace unsuitable hashtags if they’re all grouped together!
 
For instance, let’s say that you’re using the tags #joyfulmamas , #momblogger , #motherhoodthroughinstagram , and #letthembelittle as part of one of your Motherhood sets. However, your kids are not in the photo. It’ll then be easier to find and remove #letthembelittle if it’s at the end of your set instead of in the middle!
 
We’ve all been there and posted a completely irrelevant hashtag for a certain post. But if you can make your life just a tad bit easier by organizing your tags, you’ll save time while hashtagging like a boss!
 

 

5. Favourite Hashtags To Use Organized By Niche

 
Below is a list of a few hashtags I like to use categorized by according to the niche they belong in. I even threw in a few just for my Vancouver moms 😉
 
My most used sets are definitely Motherhood and Blogging! If you’re ready to make the jump from Instagram Influencer to blogger, check out How I Started A Blog That Money From Day One and see the steps I took to build a brand and create my site! It’s a lot easier than you might think and this guide will take you through each of the 6 simple steps.
 
Happy tagging!
 

Blogging

 

#blogger #bloggerlife #ontheblog #mommybloggers #momblog #momblogger #theblogissue #blogginggals #bloggergirl #beautyblog #bloggingtips #savvyblogging #bbloggers #fbloggers #lbloggers #bloggersgetsocial #flashesofdelight #lifestyleblog #diyblog #bloggerlife #bloggerstyle #bloggerlife #bloglovin #fashionblog #calledtobecreative #thatsdarling

 

Beauty

 

#beautyguru #beautyblog #instabeauty #bbloggers #bbloggersau #iheartmakeup #wakeupandmakeup #pursuepretty #makeupblogger #beautyblogger #beautycare #makeuplove #makeupbyme #makeupaddict #beautyjunkie #makeupcollection #makeuptalk #makeuplook #makeuplover #makeupdolls #makeuphaul #hairinspiration #hairgoals #makeupflatlay #slaytheflatlay #flatlayaddict #flashesofdelight #nailstagram

 

Camera Moms

 

#momswithcameras #cameramama #heaventhroughmylens #lifeunplugged #lifeandlens #our_everyday_moments #childofig #documentyourdays #thesincereststoryteller #theheartcaptured #honestlyparents #pixel_kids #shared_joy #motherhoodiscolorful #themommydiary #momazine #illuminatedchildhood

 

Creatives & Entrepreneurs

 

#bossbabe #myownboss #beingboss #goalgetter #calledtobecreative #caffeineandconquer #creativepreneur #creativeatheart #createtocultivate #creativelifehappylife #createyourlife #creativityfound #momboss #girlboss #girlbosslife #bosslady #instagramforbusiness #ladypreneur #liveauthentic #hustle101 #womeninbiz #theimperfectboss #mycreativebiz #communityovercompetition #makersgonnamake #makersmovement #savvybusinessowner #womenwhohustle #womenwithambition #theeverydaygirl #dreamersanddoers #womenwholead

 

Fashion

 

#outfitoftheday #lookbook #styleoftheday #styleblogger #theeverydayproject #chictopia #styleblogger #fashionblogger #fashionbloggers #fashionblog #fbloggers #styleblog #stylecollective #stylegram #stylediaries #outfitideas #outfitinspiration #whatiwore #whatiworetoday #fashiondiaries #aboutalook #flashesofdelight #streetstyle #ootdmagazine

 

General Lifestyle

 

#curatedlife #theeverygirl #thatsdarling #thedarlingmovement #thehappynow #livecolorfully #livethelittlethings #holdyourmoments #documentyourdays #pursurepretty #darlingdaily #morningslikethese #petitejoys

 

Interiors

 

#homedecor #interiordecor #homestyle #homebeautiful #interiordesign #homeinspo #myhome #homewares #homeinspiration #interiorandhome #interiorstyling #interiors #homedesign #interiordecoration #flashesofdelight #passion4interior #charminghomes

 

Motherhood

 

#mamalife #mom_hub #mommylife #mommyblogger #mommybloggers #motherhoodjourney #beyond_motherhood #legitmomstyle #momswithcameras #joyfulmamas #motherhoodunplugged #motherhoodrising #mommyproblems #motherhoodthroughinstagram #ourtinymoments #uniteinmotherhood #momitforward #candidchildhood #childhoodunplugged #letthembelittle #mommystatus

 

Travel

 

#passionpassport #travelblogger #travelbloggerlife #travelgirlsclub #travelwithme #traveldiaries #letsgosomewhere #visualcrush #finditliveit #sheisnotlost #girlslovetravel #letsgosomewhere #traveldeeper #posttheordinary #chasinglight #takemethere #travelandlife #visualgang #mytinyatlas #girlsborntotravel #sidewalkerdaily #beautifuldestinations #justgoshoot #exploremore #lifewelltravelled #momentslikethese #wearethetravelgirls

 

Vancouver Moms

 

#yvrmom #vancouvermom #vancouverblogger #vancouverfashion #vancitybuzz #vancouver_ig #raincouver #enjoyvancouver #vancouverisawesome #westcoastmama #veryvancouver #ourbc #beyond_motherhood #motherhoodjourney #mommystatus #canadianmom #canadianmoms

 

Vancouver

 

#vancity #veryvancouver #dailyhivevan #vancitybuzz #vancitywild #vanmagram #vancouver_ig #raincouver #vancouverblogger #vancouverfashion #enjoyvancouver #vancouverlife #vancouverisawesome  #veryvancouver #ourbc

 
 
Will you change your hashtag strategy after reading these Tips For Using Hashtags like a pro? How many hashtags do you normally use and where do you put them? What are your favourite hashtags to use? Would love to hear from you in the comments below!
 
If you’re looking to grow your Instagram following, check out 3 Things You Can Do To Get More Instagram Followers Right Now for a couple of top secret influencer growth strategies.
 

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Social Media

How To Edit Photos For Instagram With Lightroom CC From Your Phone

January 4, 2019 • by NikkiSlivarich

This one has been a long time coming and is a topic I get DM-ed on Instagram for and emailed about frequently!

While I do most of my writing on my Macbook, I actually do the majority of my photo editing with my iPhone.

I started my photo editing and Instagram journey using Snapseed and VSCO but later on discovered the incredible powers Adobe Lightroom CC harnesses for editing my photos in a professional and timely manner! With plans to expand into stock photography this year, and as a busy mom of a toddler, I definitely need all of the time saving tools I can get these days!

Please note that some of the links below are affiliate links and as a member of the Adobe Affiliate program, I earn a small commission on eligible purchases. This article was written long before I became a member of this program and my recommendation is based on my experience with Adobe’s product lineup not potential commissions.

Adobe Lightroom CC does offer a free version but the real magic comes when you signup for the Creative Cloud Photography Subscription Plan, that includes access to both mobile and desktop photography apps (a must for professional photographers and those looking to run a digital photography business), and starts at $9.99 USD a month.

The free version of Adobe Lightroom CC includes:

 

  • Access to all Capture, Organization, and Sharing features
  • Access to some editing features including the basics like Light, Color, Effects, Detail, and Presets

The subscription version of the Creative Cloud Photography plan however, will give you:

 

  • The ability to edit RAW files
  • Access to the Selective edits tool (in Lightroom CC)
  • The ability to sync photos you’ve upload to Lightroom to all of your Creative Cloud Photography devices
  • Access to Photoshop CC
  • Access to photos you’ve upload in Lightroom in other Adobe mobile apps including: Adobe Spark Page, Adobe Spark Video, Photoshop Mix, and Photoshop Fix
  • A customized photo website powered by Adobe Portfolio

 

If you are looking to start out with a budget friendly photo editing app though, Snapseed, developed by Google, is a fantastic free option and includes:

 

  • 29 Tools, including: White Balance, Brush, HDR, Perspective, Crop, Rotate, Selective, Healing, Vignette
  • 11 Filters, including 4 black and white options
  • The ability to open files in both RAW and JPG file formats
  • Access to the Insights feature that includes tips and tricks for using the Snapseed app

To really bring a next level professional appearance to your photos though, I would highly recommended complementing Snapseed with VSCO; like Lightroom CC, VSCO has both a free version and a membership option that runs at a reasonable cost of $19.99 US a year.

The free version of VSCO offers:

 

  • Use of 10 VSCO presets
  • Basic editing tools including Contrast, Saturation, and Grain
  • Use of the Discover feature
  • The ability to share photos for a chance at being featured by VSCO

The VSCO Mobile Membership includes all of the free versions features plus:

 

  • Use of ALL 170+ VSCO preset
  • Use of Film X (for recreating vintage film looks by Fuji, Kodak, and others)
  • Advanced editing tools including Video Editing, HSL, and Borders

I’ll post a link here for a tutorial on using Snapseed and VSCO to edit your photos once I’ve finished writing that article!

But in the meantime, if you’ve made up your mind and you’re ready to start your journey using Lightroom CC on your mobile to edit your photos for Instagram, Pinterest, or Facebook, I’ll show you how to get started right now 🙂

Note: I am by no means a professional photographer or editor. I use Lightroom CC and the Creative Cloud Photography suite to edit my photos for my blog and social media including Instagram, Pinterest, and my Facebook page.

I absolutely adore this technology and the world of digital media as a whole and have written this basic guide after a few requests from my followers to do so. This step by step walkthrough is intended as a beginners guide for social media lovers and influencers.


 
First time dropping? Thanks so much for visiting 🙂 You may also enjoy:

  • 60 Ideas For Blog Posts Your Audience Will Actually Read
  • How To Get Approved For Google AdSense The First Time You Apply
  • How To Start A Blog That Makes Money From Day One
  • The 5 Golden Rules Of Blogging
  • The 23 Best Places For FREE Bright & Feminine Stock Photos
  • Why You Need IGTV For Your Blog
  • How To Setup A Pinterest Business Account For Your Blog

 

Download Adobe Lightroom CC in the App Store or Google Play Store

 

If you haven’t done so already, download the Creative Cloud plan above first to get all-inclusive access to Lightroom’s full array of editing options, and then search Adobe Lightroom CC on your mobile device’s App Store and download it here as well. On my iPhone, the app runs at a size of 148.8 MB and was downloaded in less than a minute. If you have subscribed to the Creative Cloud Photography plan and are downloading all components to both your mobile device and desktop now though, expect to wait up to an hour to get your desktop programs going (totally worth the wait).

Open Lightroom CC

 

Once your download has completed, open Lightroom CC from either the App Store or your main navigation menu.

 

Choose A Photo To Start Editing

 

Click on the photograph button with the plus sign at the bottom right of your screen to open a new photo now. Choose From Camera Roll, From All Photos, or From Files.

Note: by default, Lightroom CC will open to the All Photos folder but for this portion of the tutorial, I have used a folder designated Instagram to better illustrate my walkthrough.

I have chosen the From Camera Roll option, which shows me an overview of every photo I have available on my phone.

I’ll show you how I like to edit with Lightroom CC using the photo below as an example.

Here’s a comparison of what it looked like before and after editing (don’t mind the missing PopSocket, haha)!

For my Instagram Feed, I’m all about true, brilliant whites (See How To Maintain a White & Bright Instagram Feed for more on how I do this), so I tend to crank the Saturation right down and remove a lot of Shadows!

Even though the gloomy, blue, overcast Vancouver sky is natural here (brutal for taking photos), once the image is cropped, your focus goes to M and I and the background remains just that as an afterthought. Depending on the vibe you are going for with your Instagram page, you can choose to do this or not.

Personally, if this window was any larger, I would have probably chosen to just dim the blue a bit and left it looking more natural. On another note, Gosh, I can’t wait to renovate the front entrance, haha!

Start Editing Your Photo

 

Choose from an Auto adjustment or other tools to make adjustments including:

  • Light: Exposure, Contrast, Highlights, Shadows, Whites, and Blacks
  • Color: White Balance, Temp, Tint, Vibrance, and Saturation
  • Effects: Clarity, Dehaze, Vignette, Midpoint, Feather, Roundness, Highlights, Grain, Size, and Roughness
  • Detail: Sharpening, Radius, Detail, Masking, Noise Reduction Contrast, Color Noise Reduction, Smoothness
  • Optics: Remove Chromatic Aberration, Enable Lens Corrections
  • Geometry: Distortion, Vertical, Horizontal, Rotate, Aspect, Scale, X Offset, Y Offset
  • Presets: Choose from filters created by Adobe including Color, Creative, B&W, Curve, Grain, Sharpening, Vignetting or User Presets that you can either create on your own or download through Etsy or Creative Market

The Lightroom CC Auto adjustment feature will do the work for you and is a fantastic option if you’re unsure as to how to start editing your shot; it’s also a great way to see how the controls work and what tools make what sort of adjustments for those who are brand new to photo editing.

Above is a comparison of the adjustments Lightroom automatically made for this photo versus the original. Not much of a difference here!

Understanding Photoshop CC’s Editing Tools

 

Here’s a basic breakdown of how some of the most commonly used Lightroom CC tools work:

Light

 

Exposure: Adjusts how light or dark you’d like your image to appear

Contrast: Adjusts for differences in the mid-tones of your image

Highlights: Recovers details in overexposed highlight areas

Shadows: Recovers details in underexposed shadow areas

Whites: Adjust white points in your image

Blacks: Adjust black points in your image

Color

 

Temp: Adjusts colour temperature of your image

Tint: Adjusts for green or magenta colour in your image

Vibrance: Adjusts the intensity muted colours without affecting already-saturated colours

Saturation: Adjust your image’s vividness

Effects

 

Clarity: Adjusts your image’s depth – how textures appear

Dehaze: Adjusts your image’s existing haze

Vignette: Reduces your image’s brightness and saturation at its edges

Detail

 

Sharpening: adjusts the contrast between different pixel tones

Presets

 

A lot of Instagram users are big fans of these but I’ve found that creating my own and continuing to make adjustments was the best solution for getting my Instagram feed to look the way I want.

It’s very tricky to find a nice preset that both makes your whites whiter without making skin tones orange beyond repair, for my style of photography.

I used to use a combination of A6 and/or S2 on VSCO but this was only after having finished my edit on Snapseed.

If you are a fan and enjoy using them, the more power to you! Presets can save you hours of time with your photo editing.

Editing For Bright, White, InstaGoodness

 

Make Light Adjustments

 

This is the natural first step for photo editing!

Normally, the most dramatic difference of all will be a result of your Exposure adjustment.

In overcast Vancouver, where I’m from, lighting is a constant battle! And while I use artificial lighting to brighten my atmosphere (Check out How To Take Amazing Photos For Instagram to see how I upped my photography game with a few equipment upgrades, downloads, and accessory purchases – plus how it catapulted me from Average Instagram User to Influencer), often times, I still need to make some serious adjustments the the exposure.

Now, we’re getting somewhere! It’s incredible how just adjusting the exposure makes it look like a different photo sometimes.

 

Next, we can adjust the Contrast, Shadows, and Highlights (I decided to adjusted Shadows before Highlights due to the excessive over my face in the original photo but you can edit in whatever order you find it easiest to work in).
 

Make Colour Adjustments

 

Side note: I’m sure you’ve already noticed by now, but I use the word Colour in both alternative spellings throughout this article!

While Lightroom uses the US spelling for Color in its menu, I’m from Canada and normally spell it with the additional U! So, when I’m referring to the menu, I’ll use the US spelling but refer to the concept of colour as I would normally write it.

Tap Color (did you love that side note like I did? Haha!) to start editing the Temperature, Tint, Vibrance, and Saturation of your image.

To get the background looking super white and bright, we’ll do some Selective Editing later on! We’ll also do some selective editing on the two of us girls to get our skin tones looking nice and natural.

Make Selective Edits

 

The Selective feature is hands down my absolute favourite tool when it comes to photo editing! It gives you complete control over every little detail of your image. To start the tool up, click on the Selective Tool in the main menu. Then press the Plus Sign to see your options. Choose the Brush Tool and paint over the area you’d like to edit.

In my case, I like to use the Selective Brush tool to paint over the Focus (whether it be an item or a person) and Background components of my photo to make them separate entities. Now, instead of tuning the image as whole, you can adjust each piece separately to keep skin tones and other essential items looking more natural!

Notice I’ve broken down my Selective Edits into three components here: The backdrop, the window, and the girls!

While tuning the entire image is always the way I start my photo editing process, sometimes people and objects can get far too washed out if you don’t separate them.

This is especially important if you’re working with brands to promote products they have sent you! You certainly don’t want to change the appearance of the time so much that it is unrecognizable when the brand sees your promo shot or your audience receives the product when they purchase it based on your recommendation!

Think clothing, makeup, home decor, and other items where true colour is crucial!

 

I would have never been able to achieve such a bright white background in the above image without the Selective Brush tool! The diamonds shown in the images above represent each Selective Edit I made to that image (the blue diamonds represent the “active” red painted sections that accompany that particular edit while the grey diamonds show additional selective edits). Notice that the window I was talking about earlier also has its own selective edit; I used the Selective Brush to do this in case I changed my mind about whether or not to make it look more natural.

In this instance, I found that the blue background behind my head was distracting and takes away from the overall look of the photo in my Instagram feed. But, it’s nice to have options 🙂

I start my selective editing by adjusting the Color feature on my Background components.

 

Yep, I took the saturation right down for a nice and true clean white! Not a drop of that yucky yellow tinge or evidence of those retro-coloured windows left. Phew! Then, I’ll adjust the Light Tool settings a bit, if need be. And as you can see, they were super minimal for this one!

If need be, I’ll add more Selective Edits to the background, which you can see I did in the images below. The yucky green and blue in our 1970’s style windows just wouldn’t go away without a bit more desaturating and brightening!

Then, after I’m happy with the way the background looks, I’ll move onto editing the Focus Point of the photo. In this case, my little girl and I!

Note: Be sure to hit the Check Mark button button at the bottom right-hand corner of your screen to save your work every time you make a Selective Edit!

Clicking the x will discard any changes!

 

After I’ve finished making Light adjustments, I move onto the Color Tool and desaturate our skin tones slightly to get rid of that orange tinge. I love Ambiance in my photos, but sometimes when you get close to your end product, I’ll notice I got a bit carried away!

Now, is that blue discolouration on the edge of Marina’s skirt driving you crazy like its driving me crazy? Let’s get rid of it!

We’ll create another Selective Edit by clicking on the Selective Tool and then tapping on the Plus sign at the top of the left hand side of our screen. Then, we’ll choose the Brush Tool from the available options in the blue menu at the top of the screen.

If you’d like to, you can adjust the Size, Feather, and Flow using the respective three circles at the lefthand mid-section of your screen, just above the Trash Can.

To remove any Selective Edits you are unhappy with, simply tap the Trash Can after selecting the corresponding diamond you’d like to delete. If you’d like to go back a step, tap the Back Arrow at the top right-hand side of your screen.

Use your finger to paint over the section you’d like to change.

Adjust your Exposure by going to the Light Tool.

Then adjust the colour by going to the Color Tool. In this case, it was a bit more complicated than just moving up or down the Saturation!

Once you play with photo editing enough, you’ll find that cranking the Saturation up or down on your whites either leads you to more blue (caused by desaturating) or yellow tones (caused by saturating). Since we’re trying to counter a blue undertone, we thus want to counter it with the polar opposite by choosing yellow tone from our Color Bar. Then, we’ll adjust the Saturation a touch to get the right shade.

Ah, thank Goodness! That’s so much better, isn’t it?

Once you’re happy with the image, click the Square with the Arrow coming out of it at the top right-hand corner of your screen next to the Back Arrow we talked about earlier.

Choose from the options listed above and either Share, Save to Camera Roll, Save to Files, Open In, Edit In, or Export Original. If choosing Save to Camera, maintain the best resolution by selecting Maximum available from the Image Size options listed above.

And there you have it, we’ve just finished editing our first photo for Instagram using Lightroom CC!

Have any questions about the tools available in Lightroom CC? How was your first experience using this photo editing app? Have you opted for the Creative Cloud Photography plan? I’d love to hear from you in the comments below!

If you’re looking to make the jump from influencer to blogger by starting a money-making blog of your own, check out How I Started A Blog That Made Money From Day One! And when you’re ready, see my list of 60 Awesome Ideas For Blog Posts Your Followers Will Actually Read to start writing the content your readers are really interested in!

Thanks so much for reading and happy editing on your Instagram photos!

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Blogging

How To Get Approved For Google AdSense The First Time You Apply

January 3, 2019 • by NikkiSlivarich

Disclaimer: Please note that some of the links below are affiliate links and as a member of affiliate programs, I earn a small commission from qualifying purchases. Please understand that I have experience with these products and am not recommending them based on the small commission I would make should you choose to purchase something using one of these links. Please do not spend any money on a product unless you truly feel that you need it or that it will help you in achieving your goals. 
 

Taking the first steps to monetizing your new blog?

 
Then Google AdSense might be on your radar!

But are you ready to apply for AdSense right now? Or might your blog need a little bit of tweeking first?

No need to fear! Although, Google’s AdSense program is quite strict, meeting it’s qualifications is very doable.
 

 

New bloggers often ask the same basic questions:

 
How do I apply for Google AdSense?
 
Does my blog qualify for Google AdSense?
 
What are the requirements for applying to Google AdSense?
 
What do I do if my application for Google AdSense was rejected?
 
Why was my application for Google AdSense rejected?
 
We’ll go over all of these questions and more in this post! So, let’s get your blog ready to go by getting it Google AdSense ready!
 

How To Get Approved For Google AdSense The First Time You Apply

 

 

Common Reasons To Get Rejected For Google AdSense

 

1. Insufficient/No Content

 
This is probably the most common reason for rejection by Google AdSense!

Many new bloggers are often stunned to find that they’ve been rejected by an affiliate program or an ad network after launch.

But when you’ve only got a handful of articles, it can be tough for the specialists at Google or elsewhere to review your content.

Articles should be well written using proper grammar. Your posts should also be unique and provide value to your readers. Whether your are educating them or showing them something, keep your content fresh and use your own voice!

 

2. No About, Contact, Or Privacy Policy Pages

 
These three pages are a necessity before applying to Google AdSense!

Your About, Contact, and Privacy Pages are a professional reflection of you and the brand you are building with your blog.

Describe who you are along with what your brand stands for in your about page. If possible, use a contact form on your contact page to allow visitors of your site to easily write you with any rave reviews or concerns.

As for your privacy policy, place it in an obvious place on your blog, and keep in mind that this is a necessary legal agreement between you and your readers. It should disclose:
 
If you collect any and what type of personal information you obtain from them
 
How you obtain, use, and store your visitors’ personal information
 
The reason you are requesting this personal information
 
If you allow any other third parties to collect such information as well
 
How you will update visitors if and when your privacy policy changes
 
If you would like to use a Privacy Policy generator to create this page for you, try iubenda. You can generate a basic privacy policy for FREE but including disclaimers for specific affiliate and ad networks will come at an additional fee.
 

 

3. Blog Design Or Layout

 
Some website layouts and pages are just not AdSense friendly!

Be sure to go through your site and add enough text to or simply remove any gallery style pages.

Your pages must have enough written content to be eligible for advertising on them!

When you are choosing a theme for your blog, make sure your opt for a professional theme that is AdSense friendly; think about where you’d like to see ads when you are a browsing themes.

Google is strict and like any professional company, wants the user experience to be positive when their product is involved. Messy sites that lack cohesion are a no-no.

Organize your blog posts using categories. Make sure to have a landing page and easy navigation for your users. Brand your site and brand using specific colours and fonts. And, always, be professional!

 

4. Your Site Does Not Comply With Google AdSense Policies

 
All sites that apply for Google AdSense must be compliant with their AdSense Program policies. This includes:

Being over 18 years old

Providing original content

Driving organic traffic

Not displaying prohibited content

Displaying ads in a supported language

 

 

How To Get Approved For Google AdSense

 

1. Write Enough Quality Content

 
Upon discussing this with other bloggers and in my own experience, the perfect number of articles to apply for Google AdSense in 20.

Be sure to edit your blog posts for proper grammar usage as well and make sure that your articles:

  • are original
  • provide a unique and informative visitor experience
  • are formatted properly (use headings, bullet points, etc.)
  • are long enough (generally, around 600+ words is a good guideline)

 

2. Create Your About Page

 
This is something I always thought of as more of a “fun” page until I realized how crucial it is for building your brand!

When I’ve visited new blogs myself, it’s actually always one of the first pages I check out to! As human beings, we’re naturally social and are naturally looking to learn more about other people we respect and admire.

Make your about me page great by trying the following suggestions:

  • Write in first person
  • Write two or three sentences about yourself
  • Include a high-quality photo that is cohesive with your brand
  • Use your blogging “voice”
  • Open with your readers’ interests
  • Write about your blog
  • Include a “call to action” and invite readers to subscribe

 

 

3. Create Your Contact Page

 
Your contact page should be in an evident spot on your landing page and available through navigation from any page of your blog, including blog posts.

I personally love contact forms for their high visibility and ease of use!

The best contact forms:

  • are easily reached and navigable
  • are straightforward
  • include options to leave an email and phone number
  • include a short form
  • link to social media accounts (including Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook, and Twitter)
  • redirect to a thank you page or message!

 

4. Create And Place Your Privacy Policy In An Obvious Location

 
As already mentioned, iubenda is a great free privacy policy generator! If you are interested in viewing more options though, check out this detailed article by Digital.com for a roundup of the Best Privacy Policy Generators!

Once you have generated, consulted a legal expert, and/or written your own privacy policy, be sure to then place it in an obvious location on your blog!

I personally decided to place mine in one of my navigation menus at the top of my site. Like affiliate disclosures, this information is extremely important and should be made available to your audience at the start of their visit.

Your users should not have to going looking for disclaimers! 

 
I personally always find myself peeved when, after reading a review or recommendation for a product, I find a disclaimer at the bottom of the article. In the instance that users do not finish reading the post in its entirety, they could easily miss this information, which I feel is a dishonest practice by the writer or affiliate.

Your audience will trust you more if you are always upfront with them about who is sponsoring your content! This is an essential practice in both social media and blogging and is the reason I: (1) always open my social media posts with #Ad or #Sponsored when I am being paid to promote or have been gifted a product and (2) open all affiliate blog posts with a disclosure.

 

 

5. Upgrade Your Blog Layout And Page

 
Image gallery style websites are fairly popular in the world of lifestyle influencers and bloggers!

If you are looking to create additional income using Google AdSense though, you need to choose a layout that is compatible with the block and banner style ads you’ve seen before on other websites.

There should also be a sufficient amount of text displayed on every page of your website! Pages must also be easily navigable and well-organized.

Check out Creative Market for beautiful WordPress, HTML, and other Themes! It’s where I found mine 😉

 

6. Display Less Or Remove Other Ads

 
Are you already displaying ads from another ad network? How many ads are displayed per page on your blog? Maybe we need to cut back a notch!

Removing ads from other networks may help your get accepted into the Google AdSense program.

While it’s completely understandable that bloggers want to get paid for their time and efforts (writing content, designing and uploading themes, downloading plugins, administrative tasks, etc… and the list goes on, right?!), as mentioned earlier, the user experience should always come first.

Your site needs focus on what it is you are creating content for not ad space!

 
While everyone wants to monetize their site eventually, and it is possible to make money from day one, (if I’m being completely honest, the reason I switched to self-hosting too – have you made the switch yet? If not, check out The Ultimate Guide To Starting A Money-Making Blog to get yours up and running), content production and originality always needs to come first!

Review your blog and do a review of how you’re using your ad space and make the necessary changes before applying to Google AdSense.
 

 

7. Use A “.com” Domain

 
Registering for a “.com” domain is always a good idea if you want to make it in the world of blogging!

Give your website a professional and credible start with just this simple addition.

As mentioned again and again, Google seeks professionalism in all of its AdSense Program applicants. And a “.com” domain shows that you take your blog and business seriously.

Like I mentioned in The 5 Golden Rules of Blogging, there are certain investments in time and assets that you should make in your blog if you are looking to make it a full-time career! Your “.com” domain name should definitely be on this list!

 

8. Verify Your Name And Email Somewhere Within Your Blog

 
Try and include this information on your About and Contact pages if not at the end of each blog post!

Verifying that you are who you say you are when applying to Google AdSense is another essential step in your monetization journey!

As I’m sure you are also familiar with in the comments section of your blog posts (I know I certainly am), spammy bots are everywhere! Verify that you are who you say you are by including these two essential details in relevant sections of your site before you are asked to speed up the application process.
 

 

Summary

 
To get approved for Google AdSense, you should have:

  • Written and published enough high-quality content before applying
  • Created an About page
  • Setup a Contact page
  • Created and display a Privacy Policy in an obvious location of your blog
  • Use an AdSense friendly theme
  • Remove other ads or limit the number of other advertisements you show on your site
  • Use a “.com” domain name
  • Verify your name and email by having listed it somewhere on your blog

 
Which of the above tips was most beneficial to you? Did you get you’re congratulations letter from Google recently? Were you accepted on your first application? Would love to hear about your experience with Google AdSense in the comments below!
 
To explode your blog traffic, check out 60 Awesome Ideas For Blog Posts Your Audience Will Actually Read!

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Social Media

How To Setup A Pinterest Business Account

December 31, 2018 • by NikkiSlivarich

It’s time to start thinking about Pinterest as a less of an ideas tool and more of a search engine!

When I first signed up for Pinterest, it was because I was looking for ideas and DIY decor for my wedding. Little did I know how powerful this incredible social media platform would be for my blogging business!

Only after a few dozen searches for “How to Start a Mommy Blog” and an “Aha” moment did I realize that, oh my Goodness! I should be promoting my blog on Pinterest as well!

While I began my social media career on Instagram and became an Instagram influencer almost by accident (Check out How To Take Amazing Photos For Instagram and see the steps I took to become an Instagram Influencer in less than a year. Then, have a look at 11 Instagram Photography Essentials You Can Get On Amazon when you’re ready to start shooting fabulous new content to improve your feed for the fabulous new year head), Pinterest completely changed my blogging game!

I get more page views and subscribers from Pinterest than any other social media platform! This includes Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter combined!

I’m also gaining about 61 new followers a week since I’ve started focusing on this social media platform more than all of the rest! This is without following new accounts (I’ve actually started removing people I was following to focus on those related to my niche and only the ones I am truly interested in), having joined just one Pinterest Group Board, and without participating in Facebook groups for engagement!

I’ve been using a combination of Manual Pinning and Tailwind as my strategy going forward into the New Year and so far, it’s really paid off!

If you haven’t started your blog or a website for your business yet, check out my step by step guide on How I Started A Money Making Blog From Day One to get yours up and running in less than 20 minutes! And when you’re ready to write your first blog post (or several!), head over to 60 Awesome Ideas For Blog Post Your Audience Will Actually Read to explode your blog traffic!

Why Switch to a Pinterest Business Profile?

 

The most valuable reason of all to switch to a Pinterest Business account is for access to Pinterest Analytics! Just like Instagram does for your posts, you can see exactly how each individual pin is performing! This gives you incredible knowledge on whether or not you should then update your pin or create a more interesting one to bring in more traffic to that particular post. Here’s an example of a pin I created yesterday night!

If you are interested in promoting your content through paid advertising, this is also possible with a Pinterest Business account and the cost can be manageable, depending on your budget!

To start promoting one of your pins, go to your Profile and then click Boards. Highlight the pin you’d like to Promote and then click the corresponding red button in the top right hand corner of that pin.

Once there, you’ll see the Create a traffic campaign screen like the one shown below. Enter your Daily budget and select your desired Campaign duration.

Now, click on the blank field under Target audience to fill in desired search terms relevant to the pin you will promote. I chose Blogging for Beginners for this one as it’s the top result related to my niche when you search the word “Blogging” in Pinterest. Always, ALWAYS search keywords in Pinterest to see what’s trending and optimize your visibility!

If you use more highly searched terms, in this instance, simply the word “Blog“, you’ll have to pay an additional cost per click! Vary your keywords, keep them related to your niche, and try to keep the cost low per click to obtain the best value for your traffic campaign.

I’ve personally found that the more generic the keyword, the more impressions. But clicks are an entirely different story! And what’s the point of advertising if you’re not driving traffic to your blog or sales to your business? A pretty picture that gets saved is just that!

Now let’s get to it and setup that Business Profile so we can start driving traffic to your site!

How To Setup A Business Profile on Pinterest

 

There are two different means of creating a business profile on Pinterest. You can either (1) Create a new business profile or (2) Convert a personal profile to a business profile.

 

(1) Create a New Pinterest Business Profile

 

1. If you are logged into your personal profile, click logout first in order to create your new account.

2. From this new screen, move your cursor to the top right hand corner and click Sign Up or visit pinterest.com/business/create/

3. Choose Create a business account.

4. Enter your Email Address

5. Enter a Password

6. Click Create account

 

6. Select your Language and Country and then hit Next

7. Enter Your Business Name into the Give your business profile a name field

8. Choose the Type of Business you manage by clicking on the corresponding title from the Tell us about your business field

9. Enter your Website Address into the Add your website

10. Claim your Instagram, Etsy Store, or YouTube Channel by connecting them to your new Pinterest business account

11. Decide on if you will run ads for your new Pinterest business account.

If you chose yes, you’ll see the screen below next. If you don’t know you’re monthly budget yet, save this for another time or click the Not sure option to leave your contact information and have someone from Pinterest get back to you to discuss your options!

Simply enter your callback details in the fields below if you’d like someone from Pinterest to contact you and discuss your advertising options.

12. Choose at least 1 topic related to your business from the available categories below. You can unfollow this topic later on, if you like.

13. Welcome to your new Pinterest business account 🙂

Add a profile picture and you’re all done!

That’s it! Enjoy your new business profile!

 

(2) Convert a Personal Pinterest Profile to a Business Profile

 

1. If you are not already logged in, log in to your personal Pinterest account now.

2. Click on the three dots settings button on the top right hand side of your screen or visit pinterest.com/business/convert/

3. Click Upgrade Now

4. Confirm this is the correct Email Address you want to use to signup for your business account and hit Continue

5. Fill in your Business Name and choose a Category that best describes your business.

6. Enter your Website and click Next

7. If they were not already connected to you Personal Account, Claim your business’ social media accounts now.

8. Choose whether or not you would be interested in running a traffic campaign or decide later.

If you clicked yes, you’ll see the screen below next. If you don’t know you’re monthly budget yet, save this for another time or click the Not sure option to leave your contact information and have someone from Pinterest get back to you to discuss your options!

Simply enter the details below to arrange a callback.

Congratulations! You’ve now setup your Pinterest Business Profile and are ready to go 🙂

 

Have you setup your Pinterest Business Profile yet? What do you think of Pinterest Analytics? Have you run a Traffic Campaign? Would love to hear about your experience in the comments below!

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Blogging

60 Awesome Ideas For Blog Posts Your Audience Will Actually Read

December 27, 2018 • by NikkiSlivarich

This post contains affiliate links, meaning that if you make a purchase using one of these links, I will earn a small commission at no additional cost to you. 

Chances are that you’ve faced this situation at least once.

 

Writer’s block can be brutal! Whether you’re just feeling uninspired or don’t know how to start your next blog post, browsing ideas is one of the most natural ways to get the creative juices flowing.

But not all ideas are created equally!

 

Rather than writing Top 10 Gift Ideas lists or other generic and subjective posts (um, yep, I’m guilty of this one too!), let’s talk about what the people really want to read!

If you haven’t started your blogging journey yet, check out this post on How To Start a Money Making Blog to get going NOW! You’ll be glad you did!

First time visiting? Thanks so much for stopping by 🙂 You might also enjoy these posts:

  • 30 Blogging & Social Media Tasks You Can Accomplish In 30 Minutes
  • 25 Beautiful & Feminine WordPress Themes For Your Blog
  • How To Edit Photos For Instagram With Lightroom CC From Your Phone
  • Top 5 Ways To Monetize Your Blog And Make A Consistent Income
  • How To Get Approved For Google AdSense The First Time You Apply
  • How To Start A Blog That Makes Money From Day One
  • 11 Instagram Photography Essentials You Can Get On Amazon
  • 5 Ways To Use Hashtags Like A Pro On Instagram
  • The 5 Golden Rules Of Blogging
  • The 23 Best Places For Free Bright & Feminine Stock Photos

 

60 Awesome Ideas For Blog Posts Your Audience Will Actually Read

 

1. How To Start A Blog

2. Ways To Promote Blog Traffic

3. How To Use Pinterest Like A Pro

4. Why You Need Tailwind To Promote Your Blog

5. How To Use Instagram For Your Blog Or Business

6. Best Accompanying Apps For Instagram

7. Favourite Blogs Or Websites To Inspire You

8. How To Use Facebook For Your Blog Or Business

9. Why You Started Blogging

10. How You Made Your First X Dollars Blogging

 

11. Best Inspirational Podcasts For Boss Babes

12. How To Edit Photos For Your Blog/Social Media

13. Where To Find Great Stock Photos For Your Blog

14. How To Use Affiliate Marketing

15. Why You Need And How To Use Google Analytics

16. How To Use Twitter For Your Blog Or Business

17. Social Media Hacks

18. Lessons You Learned During Your First Month/Year Blogging

19. Favourite Plugins For WordPress

20. Website Builder Comparison

21. WordPress.com Vs. WordPress.org

22. Share An Infographic

23. Create A Printable

24. Website Hosting Comparison

25. Common Pinterest Mistakes

26. What Is SEO And How to Do It Correctly

27. Things You Wish You Knew When You First Started Blogging

28. Your Daily Routine For Optimal Productivity

29. Organizational Accessories You Can’t Live Without

30. Reasons Why You Love Blogging

 

31. Share Your Most Popular Posts

32. Blogging Tools You Can’t Live Without

33. Beautiful Themes You Can Download For Your Blog

34. How To Use Instagram Stories For Your Blog Or Business

35. Why You Need Instagram TV For Your Blog or Business

36. Favourite E-Books That Have Helped You In Your Blogging Journey

37. A List Of Profitable Niches For Bloggers Who Are Just Starting Out

38. Share How You Organize Your Agenda

39. Your Golden Rules of Blogging

40. How You Manage Your Home And Personal Life Between Blogging

41. A Tour of Your Work Space

42. How You Organize Your Desktop

43. Share Information About The Camera And Lenses You Use For Photography

44. Do a Comparison Between Two Products Relevant to Your Niche

45. Share Your Monthly Income Report

46. Create A List Of Blog Post Ideas 😉

47. How You Went from X to XA Monthly Viewers On Pinterest

48. A Tutorial On Creating Board Covers For Pinterest

49. How To Create Story Covers For Instagram Stories

50. Tips For Starting A Youtube Channel

 

51. How You Create And/Or Shoot Content For Your Blog Or Instagram Page

52. Tips For Saving Money On Social Media Or Blogging Resources

53. How To Join Pinterest Group Boards & The Best Ones To Join

54. Your Favourite Resources For Getting Paid Sponsorships For Your Blog or Social Media Account

55. How To Work With Brands As A Blogger Or Social Media Influencer

56. Things All Brands Should Know About Working With Bloggers Or Social Media Influencers!

57. Best Tips For Being Successful As A Blogger

58. Side Hustles And Money Making Tips That Actually Work

59. Reasons For Or Against Using Paid Marketing Campaigns To Promote Your Blog

60. Share The Affiliate Networks You Are A Part Of And How To Get Started Using Them

 

Have an idea for a blog post? What has been your most shared article? Let me know in the comments below!

Want to really explode your blog traffic? Signup for Tailwind using this link and experience how I went from 5 to 44,000 monthly viewers on Pinterest in one month!

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About Nikki

Made in Canada with Croatian parts. I’m a mom, wife, and blogger from Vancouver, BC that loves to help girl bosses achieve their work at home dreams. Through blog and social media profile monetization, you can start making money doing what you already love too. I can’t wait to show you how!

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