Saturday 19 September 2015

5 THINGS I WOULD HAVE TOLD
MY YOUNGER BLOGGER SELF




VINTAGE JACKET / AC FOR AG JEANS JEANS / REISS BOX BAG / VINTAGE SHOES

Time for reflection! Nominated to do this story on the blog by my friend and my most recent travel partner Noor, I felt intrigued by what I would actually have advised myself, starting out blogging. Bear in mind, when I started blogging, there was a completely different mindset surrounding it. Today it can with luck and hard work become a career. When I started back in 2009, it was purely for the fun of it and the excitement of sharing with the blogging community, that would then grow into a fully functioning influencing industry. Little did 16-year old me know, that 6 years on this love for sharing would become my job and I'd be doing my blog full-time. I have grown both personally and technically, so I do hope my experiences will be able to support those of you with blogs!

1. DO WHAT YOU LOVE
This will go as number one, and I cannot emphasise this enough. Your blog is your authenticity, and it's so easy looking at other peoples work, thinking you need to change your style / persona drastically to be followed or liked by the industry. Be you! If you are true to your style and am genuinely excited by the content you're creating, you are way more likely to spark that excitement in others.It sounds cliché, but it's the only thing you shouldn't compromise, and blogging isn't a competition. There's enough space on the World Wide Web for all of our unique individual selves.

2. READ THE CAMERA MANUAL
Onto the technical side - I tell this one to everyone who asks. Reading the entire camera manual one Sunday back in '10 when I got my DSLR was the best investment I have done for the blog. It will teach you all you need to know, and your knowledge will elevate your content allowing you to be more creative.

3. THINK OUT OF THE BOX
It may feel safe to create content that just ticks the boxes, but say you love the editorials Grace Coddington creates in Vogue or the way i-D does their portraits and hand-written interviews to go with it. You can do anything you like! Do some research and pinpoint exactly what it is you like. The more you understand what excites you, the easier it gets to communicate content that is unique and different.

4. EXPERIMENT WITH LENSES
Oh, when I found out.. This is an investment, so don't rush into it, but take some time to figure out exactly what you want. There's so much to this, so figure out which type of photography you will be doing (if any at all) and get a lens that works for you. I personally love prime lenses and wide-angles. The wide angles are great for city shooting!

5. BE HUMBLE
It's so easy to think that the number that goes before the K on your Instagram followers is your value. Wether you have 20 followers or 200K, remember that it's not just a number. You are communicating to actual individuals - people who subscribe to your content and regardless of the number, each one who joins is an amazing and valuable thing in itself. Be humble and have fun!

I HOPE YOU ENJOYED THIS LITTLE ARTICLE, AND THAT IT WAS USEFUL TO YOU IN SOME WAY. I WISH EVERYONE THE BEST IN THIS BLOGGING AGE!
X
SARAH MIKAELA
instagram facebook twitter

34 comments:

  1. Amazing post
    Xoxo
    http://fashionbackyard.blogspot.co.uk

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  2. Thank you for the post!
    It was useful for me

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  3. Great tips! I have started taking blogging seriously and finding your "thing" or "style" is one of the most difficult things when starting out! I love my DSLR and am saving up for lenses, because man, the nice ones really break the bank!

    Lena Parker-Duncan - Graphic Designer and Photographer | Bloglovin' | Instagram

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  4. Love this post Sarah :) Fab tips and beautiful photos too - I couldn't agree more with all your advice! Especially having the confidence to be you.

    Mel x
    http://mediamarmalade.com

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  5. I love your blog and the way that you write. It feels so unique and true to yourself. Great tips for bloggers and everyone out there!

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  6. Love this post so much, I think experimenting with your blog is so important to try new different things!

    Infinity of fashion// Lucy Jane

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  7. Wonderful post! I tell myself these things daily and I hope I stick to it in the end.

    -M
    www.violetroots.com

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  8. Dear Sarah Mikaela,


    I am not even sure why I just recently discovered your blog. It's always a pleasure to read it!
    Also I love your hair, that color is perfect!

    xx from Paris,
    Kat | teastories

    www.teastoriesblog.com

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  9. Great post! I think creating content you are passionate about is the most important thing. x

    113-things-to-say.blogspot.com

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  10. Great tips! Thanks for sharing :)

    Ana x

    www.bananacloset.com

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  11. this is such an amazing post- lovely tips, thank you! x

    www.monochromeroses.blogspot.co.uk

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  12. amazing post, I think it may help me :))
    xxx
    Yolanda
    http://www.wanderlife.tv/fox-blog/

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  13. Such great tips! Thank you so much for sharing these!

    xo Lauren
    www.earthtostyle.com

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  14. Thank you so much for sharing <3 I'm following your blog since the beginning and can't believe how much you and your blog grew.

    xx Michaela

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  15. Great Advice, these are things I need to keep in mind when working on my blog.

    Kim
    www.fridayfunday.co

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  16. Lovely post!! Thanks for the great tips!!
    Hugs,
    Love from www.trangscorner.com {a lifestyle, fashion, beauty, and food blog}

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  17. Great post. So true. :)

    xoxoBella | http://xoxobella.com

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  18. Love this! The hardest for me is doing what I love and thinking out of the box. My blog isn't popular by any stretch of the imagination, but I love coming up with content that mixes fashion with lessons I've learned in life.

    theblondeinthebuttonup.blogspot.com

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  19. Great tips Sarah! :) Love your photography and blogging style! <3

    http://www.thisisjulie.com

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  20. I love the last piece of advice, so damn true!
    x

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  21. Great advice! Especially about the camera manual. An expensive camera won't do any good unless you know how to work it!
    xx
    www.contemporarydiaires.com

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  22. Thank you so much for this post! It's such wonderful advice for new bloggers, like myself!

    Mallory
    perhapsbananas.org

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  23. Great tips! Thanks you


    Agnes x

    http://www.BLVCKBEE.com

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  24. Thanks for these words, kinda motivated me a little to go back into the blogging schedule. I just started following your blog on Bloglovin, and I can't wait to see future posts! x

    www.lydiatrj.com

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  26. I have to read the WHOLE manual?! Nooooo. Lol. But seriously, this is a great post. I'd give my right arm to have photos as breathtaking as yours... Or read a manual and save up for a wide lens. That sounds a tad easier :)

    Melody
    blingaholic88.com

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  27. Love this! all spot on! but just a question, I chose not to get a DSLR camera purely because a lot of the time I am by myself and it is hard to ask someone on the street to take a pic of me in an outfit for my blogs so i invested in a canon G7x camera which is great but i guess i need to read the manual on the ISO and aperture settings etc.

    Do you think as a blogger I would need a DSLR because I have seen some bloggers using a normal camera and get a lot more followers than me

    www.mycitymylondon.me

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  28. Those are some great tips. And oh my, lenses all the way. It changed my photography game so much.

    Creepers & Cupcakes

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  29. Great post!
    x. Mirjam

    www.jeneregretterien.ch

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  30. Hey:) a really good post. I'm especially unsure about the lenses right now, but I will definitely read the manual! ;)

    Susi

    style4mama.wordpress.com

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  31. Hi! I started my blog 2 months ago and I' m new to all this and it is so fun :) this post is really great! I' m even more motivated than before :)

    Jo

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  32. I am so happy that you wrote this. Such an inspiring article... especially convenient for a starting out blogger like me! Thankyou xxx

    Helena

    hello-helena.blogspot.com

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