How To Fall Back In Love With Blogging

If you're reading this then you're either a) one of my loyal lovelies (thank you) or b) you've grown tired of the blogging game and are looking for some motivation on how to get your mojo back. 

Blogging isn't always fun but it should be. If you're feeling like you have to force content, if it's become a chore or even if you're feeling disheartened because your views aren't all you want them to be, you need to take it back to basics. Ask yourself this, 

'Why did I start blogging in the first place?'

Was it for fun? A hobby? Was it with the aim to launch a brand or a business? A new career? Is it your own writing platform? Whatever the reason I'll bet when you initially started out that you were buzzing from it all the time. I know I was. Truth be told - please don't hate me - I still am. I simply love my little internet space. I love creating content and playing around with different ideas. I'm literally in my element. These days I probably spend as much time working on GGD as I do my day job and even though I'm tired, it honestly doesn't ever feel like work. Have you ever heard of that expression? 

'Find your passion and you'll never have to work a day in your life.' 

This is so true of blogging for me. If I got to do this full time I'd be one happy girly and yet it wasn't always like this you know? I wasn't always so euphoric. So what's my secret?

Put simply, I quit trying to be something I wasn't. I decided to blog for me and me alone, even if no-one else ever read a post again. 

I am having a whale of a time creating my kind of content. People say writers should write the book they want to read. Well I'm writing the kind of blog posts that I would choose to read myself. 

I've also stopped obsessing over numbers and now just allow myself to be pleasantly surprised if they happen to jump up one day. The odd tweet and comments here and there also mean so much. Hearing how a post has inspired someone or the emails thanking me for such a lovely, positive, happy internet space give me so much satisfaction.

Why not try one of these five ideas and see if they work for you?

1. Quit Comparing Your Blog To Others

You will never feel good enough trust me. It's human nature. This does not mean your blog isn't great! Keep at it.

2. Stop Obsessing Over Numbers

Seriously. It's not healthy. Track them if needs be for your media kit but just try and let go a little. 

3. Take A Break

Hands up if you are so obsessed that blogging and numbers are all you talk about every minute of every day to any and everyone! (Guilty as charged.) 

It's not healthy for blogging to be your only thing, your only outlet. I do love it yes but I also now make sure I have time away from it too. Absence makes the heart grow fonder and all that! Sundays are my 'official' day off from any blog related work. I make sure that by Saturday evening I've scheduled all my tweets so that I can enjoy having an actual life for one day of the week. It honestly makes me appreciate blogging all the more. Why not try having some time away if you feel like you need it?

4. Take It Back To Basics

Are you writing content purely for your own pleasure? Or are you guilty of trying to be too much like the blogger next door because hell, it's working great for them, they have 100k followers and you want to be just like that! Right? No no and no. You'll drive yourself crazy for starters. And where's the enjoyment in trying to be like someone else? Always write for yourself first and foremost. If you choose to write things that you're passionate about, it will not only show in the content but I guarantee you'll have much more fun putting a post together too. 

5. Try New Things

I've only just started working on collaborations lately and I can't believe it took me nearly two years to bite the bullet as it's actually so much fun!! It's given me a confidence boost and now I feel like anything is possible for GGD. The only limit is myself. Why not try reaching out to a brand or blogging agency yourself? Having deadlines and goals to work towards can actually be really motivating. 

Whatever you try, I hope if you're struggling with your blog that you get your mojo back soon. Remember that blogging should always be fun! If it's not then perhaps you need to look at why.

Sending you all lots of love...

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How To Keep Your Reader Interested: Writing Content Of Value

So far in my 'blogging tips' series we've looked at blogging when you're broke, blog post ideas and how to create a title that catches the readers eye. Today I'm going to delve into why your content should be of value and how to keep your reader interested.

Why does your content need to be of value? 

There's nothing worse than seeing an intriguing title or a fantastic header photo and then clicking the link to find you're bored just two sentences in. Sure some people might come back and read a future post, but chances are they'll never bother darkening the door of that blog again. It doesn't matter if you have the most gorgeous flat lays and layout, if the content is way off the mark then you're not going to captivate your readers and your blog won't be a success.

Your readers visit your blog for a reason. Get to know what your readers want or expect from your site and you'll be able to write with this in mind. It could be that they're looking for an answer to something or that they're simply reading for pleasure but a post should always bring something to the table. Whether it's answers, a life lesson, advice, motivation or inspiration, if it's of value to your reader then you'll stand more chance of them sticking around for more.

How can I ensure my content has value? How can I improve my posts?

First of all as mentioned above, get to know your target audience so you can cater to their needs. Knowing what your readers like goes an awfully long way so why not test the waters with a few different styles of posts? I had wanted to write a 'blogging tips' post for ages but wasn't sure how this would go down with my readers. Turns out that not only do I really enjoy writing them but they've also been really well received. Don't be afraid to try new things.

Be sure you make your point or achieve your end goal. Does your post answer the relevant question? Does it educate? Does it leave you feeling inspired? Whatever your goal, read and re-write until you're sure you've got it spot on.

Choose a topic that you feel passionate about. Chances are, if you find yourself feeling bored when you're writing, then it's going to reflect in your content. A writer who is passionate about a topic will usually derive pleasure from writing about it and thus this will shine through.

Finding your own style of writing is also hugely important. I've found that people like to relate to the writer behind the words so try to keep it real. For instance, I tend to write exactly how I speak to people, therefore I think (or rather hope) that my personality shines through. I don't use fancy elaborate sentences or pretend to be anything I'm not.

As someone who writes frequently (and believe me I'm no expert) I think no matter what you're working on, whether that be an article, blog post or novel, you should have a clear vision of what you want to say before you start.

Separate your post into segments. Have a beginning, middle and end. The beginning should introduce the reader to the topic and reveal what the post is about or it's aim. The middle should include the main body and by the end you should have made your point, leaving the reader feeling satisfied.

Other key points I try to remember when writing

I don't like blog posts that are too long unless there's a valid reason for this. Likewise too short and you may as well have just posted a tweet instead.

Keep on topic. Don't digress or waffle. People's minds wander at the best of times so cut out unnecessary words and sentences. Be sure you make your point.

Edit. This is so important. Read your work aloud so you can hear how it sounds. This is one of the best pieces of advice I was ever given. It's amazing how different an article sounds when it's spoken aloud opposed to being read in silence. I edit every post using this technique. If I'm tripping over sentences I go back and re-write.

Break a post up into paragraphs rather than having just one large block of text.

Use sub headings and keywords (if relevant) so your reader can see at a glance how you've broken up the post.


I'm not a professional writer so please take into account that all of the above is just my own opinion on what I've learnt since starting out but I hope that you find something useful.


Until next time...


Justine xxx



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