6 Things I Did To Improve My Blog

It's almost been two years since I started GirlGoneDreamer and it's safe to say I've learned a lot since then. What was good enough back then just doesn't cut it for me now. Blogging is no longer just a hobby. I'm building a brand, pushing forwards every single day to create the life I have always dreamed of. As such by Christmas 2016, I felt that my blog needed to up it's game. Here are six things I did to improve GGD.

1. New Layout/Template

A new layout can make all the difference. It can bring life back into your blog if you're bored with how it looks. And the more user friendly it is, the more it will encourage your readers to return.
When I chose my original template I wasn't thinking about how user friendly it would be. It was more about how pretty it looked and to be fair it was perfect for me at the time. I'd dabbled with various templates but none were really cutting it. Then Fiona from WishesHopesDreams kindly uploaded my latest template (designed by KayLuxeDesign.)
I love it because it's much more user friendly for starters. And I love the 'You Might Also Like' feature at the end of every post. (Apologies if you're reading this on a mobile phone rather than a computer as you won't be able to see what I'm on about. I do plan to add this feature to the mobile view in the very near future.)

2. New Logo

Along with a new layout I felt as if I needed a new logo to represent GirlGoneDreamer. Some might say it's too 'young' but I really love it. I've always been young at heart anyway and the unicorn represents the dreamer side of me. It couldn't be more perfect. Anyone after a new header should check out Dorkface. It was indeed Dorkface creator Jemma who created mine.

3. Posting Quality Content And Doing So More Frequently

When I made the decision to take my blog up a notch I realised that I also needed to up my own game. Posting sporadically wasn't going to cut it. Ever since New Year I've tried to post content three times a week. The most important thing for me is the quality. I won't publish anything that I haven't put 110% into or I feel is sub standard. And I've definitely found my numbers have grown since posting on a more frequent basis.

4. Finding My Niche

People go on about finding a niche don't they? I honestly didn't have one up until - ooh I don't know, maybe yesterday? Don't get me wrong, I thought I did but after posting several book reviews, mini hauls and various other 'unsatisfactory' posts I just wasn't feeling it.
Then it occurred to me that this was all supposed to be fun, and I was trying too hard to be like other bloggers. So much so that I wasn't even enjoying the content I was creating. This was the moment I decided that no matter what, I would always write posts for my enjoyment first and foremost. And hey presto. Three months in I think I might actually have found my niche. My advice to you all is to write for yourself, because if you do, your personality will ultimately shine through. Stick with it because over time maybe your niche will also reveal itself.

5. Working On My Social Media Growth

Okay so item number five isn't about improving my blog as such but it still counts. Writing quality content on it's own just isn't enough. You can't expect the readers to flock to you of their own accord so self promotion is hugely important. Now more than ever I know this to be true. I've spent a lot of time networking, scheduling, sharing content written by others. It does pay off if you work at it. My 1k growth in just one month alone is proof of that. If you want your blog to go places you need to up your social media strategy.

6. Going Mobile Responsive

One of my blogging pet hates is clicking a blog link to find it's not mobile responsive. I will always leave said blog in a nano second. If you haven't already gone mobile responsive then pleeeeease go do it now. People do not want to try read a blog in 'website view' on a teeny tiny phone screen. Trust me when I say it's losing you readers. And if you're not sure how to do this, then ask Fiona from WishesHopesDreams. She's a dab hand when it comes to all of this tech stuff! Who do you think helped me with all mine? :)


Finally, if you missed my blog post on 'Learning From Others' then do go take a look. Anyone who thinks DA stands for District Attorney definitely needs to read it.  ;)


How have you improved your blog? Do you have any tips to share?


Until next time...



Justine xxx




Image via Pexels

8 Productive 'Blog Related' Things I Do When I Can't Sleep

While you're all snuggled up in bed dreaming of nice things, I'm often lying awake writing posts like this one. I didn't always have problems sleeping but over the last few years I tend to wake up on an hourly basis and sometimes I just cannot get back to sleep for love nor money. But rather than lie there worrying about the days events or counting sheep - seriously did that ever work?! - I make use of my insomnia by being as productive as possible.

I know, I know. You're gonna tell me that I'm not exactly helping myself. That any form of blue light emitted from electronics will keep my brain active and be bad for my health. Still, if I'm lying awake anyway then I'd rather get stuff done.

So what exactly do I get up to in the dark of the night?

1. Schedule Tweets

I love scheduling. It has been a life saver seeing as I work full time. I personally use Hootsuite and so far I can't fault it. It's absolutely spiffing! The odd time a tweet will fail but as it's a free app I'm hardly going to complain.

2. Catch Up 

I scroll through Bloglovin catching up on posts, bookmarking my '#SundayBlogShare' and '#MondayBlogs' favourites as I go. I tend to share any of my favourite reads on Twitter on a daily basis but on Sunday and Mondays I like to make use of the two hashtags mentioned as it helps to get my tweets noticed by more people.

3. Search For Blog Opportunities 

On Twitter I'll search for any tweets featuring the hashtag '#bloggersrequired and #bloggerswanted.' On Facebook I'm part of the UK Blogger Opportunities group but I also again search for posts with relevant hashtags.

4. Organise Images

As I don't always get chance to take my own photos I do still use Pexels for images as and when required. I find it easier if I've got some saved to my phone already so I know exactly which image will be used for which planned post.

5. Comment Spree

Commenting on other blogs is a surefire way to encourage other bloggers to check out your own. And quite often they'll leave comments in return which is always nice. I like to do a commenting spree at least once a week. Just make sure if you do this that you write authentic comments rather than just 'great post,' otherwise it'll come across like you can't be bothered or that you haven't actually read anything.

6. Write A Post 

I often write a full draft post so all I need to do is edit and publish it the following day. Bonus!

7. Jot Down New Ideas

Weirdly I get some of my best ideas in the middle of the night. And let me tell you, don't do as I used to do and plan to make a note in the morning because nine times out of ten the idea will be forgotten in the cold light of day. I could kick myself for this. Needless to say I now always make a quick note.

8. Network

By networking I mean I go through Instagram liking photos and commenting on any I really like. I do the same with tweets too. Fast forward a few hours and when I check my notifications I usually have a high response from people returning likes, follows and comments.


And that's about it. I do sleep sometimes honest! :)


Do you have problems sleeping through the night? What do you do while you're lying awake?


Until next time...  Justine xxx





Image via Pexels



Fun Bit *Choice of word 'Spiffing' used in this post as challenged by Peter of FinalCheck. Do you have a word you want me to feature in a future post? Please drop me a line and let me know! :)

How I Gained 1k And How You Can Too

I set out this year with several goals for girlgonedreamer, one of which was to reach 3k followers on my most used social media platform - Twitter. It took me the best part of one year to build it to the 2k mark, so another 1k over a twelve month period seemed attainable.

Apparently I did something right as here I am - beginning of February - and I've already reached my end of year target. January wasn't the easiest of months but by golly it feels so worth it now. I'm going to share my tactics in the hope that you'll be able to apply them and see results for yourselves.

Of course numbers aren't the bee all and end all, but for myself there is an importance there and perhaps you feel the same way too. Sometimes people are afraid to admit that they want the numbers but that shouldn't be the case. My goal when starting out was always to build an author platform and until I have reached a certain level of online success I'll be holding back with my book.

As most of you have probably found, not all tactics work for everyone and a lot of it is just pure trial and error. The trick is to try a few different things and eventually you'll find one that works for you.

One thing I am not interested in is buying followers. Sure it's an easy way to get yourself huge numbers but who seriously wants hoards of bot accounts that can't even interact? It certainly isn't going to prove my worth to any publishing houses. I'm not here to judge though, each to their own.

So to the all important question. How did I do it?

Scheduling

Firstly I started scheduling tweets. I know some people will groan at this because they prefer 'real time' or spontaneous tweets but hek I work full time. I can't tweet throughout the day cos I'd get the sack. Hootsuite was recommended to me by a blogger friend and after using it for a couple of months, I now realise what a difference scheduling makes. More and more people are leaving messages or interacting with me. I'm getting countless more retweets too. I log on in my lunch break daily and now have three times as many notifications as before. Yes I do still tweet for fun spontaneously in the evenings and weekends but scheduling for me is the way forward. It has worked wonders for my situation.

Sharing the love

I share other 'must read' posts and tag the blogger in question, utilising relevant hashtags and attaching any 'Tag for a retweet' Twitter accounts. This was kind of a fluke I suppose. I didn't set out to just share in order to grow my following. I genuinely love reading other decent posts but it also hasn't done me any harm.

Blogging more frequently 

As you will be aware, I've started blogging on a more regular basis. Creating what I consider 'worthy' content three times a week is damn hard work and takes its toll when I'm also holding down a full time job. But I absolutely love blogging and I've worked really hard on creating better content for you all.

Being part of the community 

I try to leave comments on other blogs even if I only take half an hour out of my Sunday evenings to do this. I especially like to respond to those who have commented on my own as they have taken the time to do so. I am always on the lookout for new blogs to follow too.

Competitions

I usually run a competition once a month. My best advice is to choose your prize carefully. If you know your audience or your target audience, aim for something they'd like. I deliberately went for the Zoella travel set for my January prize because I knew my followers would love it and I hoped other like minded individuals would jump on board too. Obviously this did involve parting with a bit of my hard earned cash but as I got it in the Boots Christmas sale it was actually quite the bargain.

One thing I'd like is to take part in more Twitter chats but with working late and my busy schedule it's not viable at the moment.

And that's it really. It's been a mixture of all the above that has made the difference. Like they say, the proof is in the pudding. My hard work is slowly paying off. Instagram and Facebook are a whole other story. I think lots of people struggle growing these platforms especially with the new Instagram Algorithm so they'll be on my 'to work at' list later this year. For now it's just about my blog and Twitter.

Talking of which, you can follow (if you don't already) by visiting me here.


Do you have any tips to share? Please share them in the comments below.



Justine xxx





Image via Pexels (Sorry if the Facebook image confused anyone but I just loved the use of the Scrabble letters and there wasn't one for Twitter.)