how i make time to blog (+ win a DW watch)
Zara basic tee (similar) / Helmut Lang jeans / Skye Footwear 'Rbutus' sneaker / Daniel Wellington watch (enter to win below)
I get asked this question a lot. How do I make time to be a mother, work 4 days a week, exercise, spend time with my husband & friends, all while running a blog. Well 5-6 hours of sleep a night isn't the answer. Honestly it's always a juggle and it's never a constant balance between all areas of my life, but I wanted to share my process and tips for those thinking about starting a blog.
1. Ready 123
If you haven't already started a blog, it's not too late. Ignore all those naysayers who think the influencer bubble has burst. That's utter BS. If you've got a point of difference and can create interesting, high quality images - there's nothing to say you can't have 10k+ followers by the end of your first year. Here's the thing though, it's going to take a lot of work and dedication. Make sure you've got yourself a great blog platform. I highly recommend Squarespace. In my experience brands want to work with influencers who also have a website for lengthy posts, instead of just Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest etc. Buy a unique domain name and the email address that goes with it e.g. hello@shardayengel.com.
2. Set yourself goals
Ok so you've got your blog & social channels set up and you want to start posting. Set yourself some reasonable goals regarding how frequently you're going to post. My goal is to post one blog post and 4-5 Instagram's a week. Work within your means. If I had a goal of posting to my blog 3 times a week and 1-2 Instagram's per day - I would have to re-evaluate my working situation, because that just ain't possible for me. If hitting your goal means every other part of your life is lacking e.g. looking after your health, spending time with loved ones, sleeping etc., then you might need to re-look at your expectations.
3. Carve out the time
Setting time aside to work on your blog is critical. Believe me, I've tried getting up at 6am to work on my blog and I've tried working on it after Lily goes down at night, but it's really hard to sustain long-term. I've arrived at a great solution (thanks to the suggestion of my amazing husband). Every Saturday morning I go to an 8am exercise class and then spend the rest of the morning/early afternoon working on blog posts, scheduling content etc. Having a few hours dedicated to working on my blog sets me up for success and prepares me for the week ahead.
4. Content
You're ready to post.. but you don't have any images lined up. Oh oh! I've been in that position hundreds of times and it's really frustrating. The intention is there, you just can't follow through because you don't have any images to share. Here's my little secret - bulk outfit/content photoshoots. Whether you're paying a photographer or bribing your partner to take your images, you can be super efficient with your time if you shoot your entire months content in the space of 3-4 hours. Of course it takes more time to curate multiple looks for your photoshoot, edit the photos etc., but at least all the images are taken in one hit and ready for you to use at a moments notice.
5. Quality over quantity
It's much better to post 4 quality IG images a week than 8 poor quality, boring or unrelated images. Which can be tough sometimes as you're wanting to post something on the regular but try not to feel restricted by your goal. Remember, your followers are savvy and will instantly know when you're posting for the sake of posting. As you may have noticed, all my blog posts give some value to my readers. I really don't think there is much to gain from just posting an outfit post, but if I can share with you something I know, there's so much more value to that! It also makes me different to other bloggers out there as I'm sharing my personal experiences & learnings.
6. Small wins
I have to remind myself to follow this advice frequently. Don't be so hard on yourself. Celebrate the small wins and try not to compare yourself to other bloggers. I heard a great quote the other day 'comparison is the thief of joy' ( - T. Roosevelt). Well Teddy I couldn't have said it better, constantly comparing yourself to other bloggers takes all the fun out of it. Keep your head down and work hard at doing what you're doing! You'll get there :)
And speaking of winning - I'm giving you a chance to win 2 x Daniel Wellington watches & matching Silver cuffs. Keep them both or gift one to your bestie. I wear the Sterling watch daily and it's such a great style that goes with everything.
You'll win:
- 1 x Classic Petite Bondi in Silver watch valued at C$225
- 1 x Classic Petite Sterling in Silver watch valued at C$235
- 2 x Classic Silver cuffs valued at C$158
You can enter below, or over on my Instagram (just make sure you're following @shardayengel or qualify). Open worldwide. Ends Sunday 24th September 2017 at 11:59PM PT. Good luck!!
Photography: Jeremy Wong
