Hi bb’s!!! HAPPY 3 YEARS TO US! I can’t believe it’s been 3 years since I fully committed myself to Namastshay! If you follow me on Instagram then you already know that March 26th, 2019 was the official 3 year anniversary of starting Namastshay as you have come to know it! I originally had the idea and desire to start a blog back in 2012, and I kind of did start a dinky little blog on blogspot called Namastshay – but I didn’t do much with it or post consistently. I have always been into health, fitness, cooking and wellness, and I was always the gal my friends would call for advice or with questions about food/beauty/exercise/tips/wellness.. WAIT, actually this is hilarious: literally as I type this my mom JUST text me asking me about a supplement.. hahaha!!! ANYWAYS, for years my friends would tell me I needed to start a blog/youtube channel so that I could share all of my tips and recipes but it wasn’t until years later in 2016 that I finally was like WAIT YEAH I SHOULD START A BLOG! THAT WOULD BE FUN! I THINK I WANNA DO THIS WHOLE BLOG THING FOR REAL! Better late than never right? Either way, officially starting my blog and deciding to create for Namastshay was the best decision I’ve ever made. The last 3 years have brought me so much joy, and the reality is that none of this would be possible without YOU, my readers, my friends around the globe, my tribe of babes; I LOVE YOU! In honor of this milestone I thought it would be fun to share 10 blogging tips + answer some of your blogging questions! I put a question box up in my IG stories for you to ask me all of your blogging questions and compiled a list of the most common questions that I have answered for you below! Buuuuuut before we get into the the Q+A, lets get into my blogging tips, shall we? 🙂

MY TOP 10 BLOGGING TIPS

#1: Just start

I get asked all the time how to start blogging and my biggest tip is to JUST START! You have to take action! Planning and dreaming on it all is great and definitely a part of the process, but the other larger part of the process of starting to blog… is starting. If you’re anything like me (hi, I’m a recovering perfectionist) it can be hard to begin because there never seems to be the “perfect time” and things never seem to be “perfect enough” to put out into the world (PSA: there is no such thing as perfect UGH!) but the truth is this: as long as you are doing your best and doing it with heart then it’s ready to be put out into the world! If you wait for the perfect time or for when you’re “fully ready” you’ll be waiting forever. JUST.GO.FOR.IT. My blog, my style of creating and my content has evolved so much over the years and there was no way for me to find my groove with it all without just going for it and trying things out and learning along the way (more on this later though!)

#2: Decide what you like/what makes you happy and what want to talk about- then stick to that

When I sat down to plan out what my blog would be about I kept it pretty simple: I thought about all the things that I love and wrote them all down. My list looked a little something like this: yoga, fitness, cooking, health tips, wellness, the color pink, positivity, inspiration, self-care, self-love. Boom, that’s what my blog is about, and that’s what I have stuck to for 3 years; people know that if they want any of those things they can come to Namastshay and get those things. I think that all of those topics really mesh well together and those are all things I love and can talk about on and on (3 years and counting to be exact!) It would be random and confusing for readers if I talked about those things and then threw in other topics like cars, bees and architecture (I know nothing about any of those things by the way) you know what I mean? Find one or a few topics that mesh well together and that you really love to talk about and then stick to those to keep it consistent. Which brings me to tip #3….

#3: Blog because you love it

You have got to love and feel passionate about what you are blogging about because if you are wanting to eventually make it a full time thing you’ll be talking about it a lot, and hopefully talking about it a lot for a long while. If you just want to blog to make money then you’re in the wrong headspace for this and you should reconsider blogging as a long term career. Blogging is not an overnight get rich type of thing (at least for me it wasn’t) it takes time, it takes energy and it actually takes money! All of which I was more than happy to invest because…. I truly love it!

#4: Have a solid WHY

Having a solid why is what is going to give you the motivation you need to get up and create every day! It is also going to give you direction each time you sit down to create content! For example, whenever you are gearing up to create ask yourself these questions: why am I creating this content? Why am I creating this blog? Why am I writing this blog post? etc. Just to give you an idea: my why is to connect to and help others, and hopefully inspire others by sharing all that inspires me!

#5: Be consistent 

Consistency is everything when it comes to blogging! I know that it may feel discouraging in the beginning when it seems like no one is consuming the content you create but you have to keep creating consistently as if your ideal audience is already there. You can’t worry about how many people are looking at your blog or how many people are liking your Instagram posts, you just have to create and talk about the things that you love talking about and do it because you love it.. and then continue to consistently keep sharing! I know the feeling that comes on when you’re sharing but it feels like no one is reading or watching, every time that would happen I would want to stop or give up… what’s the point if no one is looking? DON’T STOP! DON’T GIVE UP! It takes time for people to discover you and what you share so be consistent and have patience..Rome wasn’t built in a day bb!

#6: Have patience // don’t rush the process

It takes time to build a community! Give yourself time, have patience and don’t rush the process! Part of the process is trying things out! Don’t compare your beginning to someone else’s middle, you know what I mean? Find the joy in whatever stage you are at, it’s all a process and there is no one right way to do it!

#7: Be experimental 

Don’t be afraid to experiment with different types of content! Try out a color palette, try out topics, try out photos, try out videos, try out infographics; see what resonates with people! You can’t be afraid to try new things. In my opinion there is no such thing as a failure in the creative process, just take each thing you try out as a lesson and made adjustments as needed!

#8: Be original // don’t compare or copy!

“You’ll never influence the world by trying to be like it!” This quote is something that I come back to constantly. I think it’s really great to feel inspired by other bloggers or other people in your field but BE ORIGINAL, don’t compare yourself or copy what you see! It’s really important to stay in your own lane and be innovative when it comes to the type of content that you’re creating! Find how you can put your own original spin on it! When I was doing my pink vegan nutrition posts I actually had a “friend” of mine straight up rip off my idea and copy me…. it was not only upsetting for me (it took me months to come up with something innovative, unique to me and special and it was a lot of work) but it really made them look bad and unoriginal.. which aint cute, harsh but true. Find something unique that you can bring to the table that’s different from what your peers are doing and put that out!

#9: Connect // be vulnerable

Vulnerability is your key to connecting with others and building a tight-knit community. Make connecting and being vulnerable with your tribe your priority!

#10: Have fun

Share, blog, create, WITH JOY! Let it be fun. Enjoy the creative process. Remember that just like with any creative project there will be highs and lows and it’s up to you to find the joy in both and keep it light!

Ok, let’s get into your blogging questions now! 🙂

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Q: What is the best way to get your blog out there if not through Instagram, family or friends?

Collaborate with other bloggers, create business cards and shamelessly talk about what you do with strangers, submit pieces to magazine or other online publications, get a job somewhere where the information you share would be relevant to the customers who frequent that establishment and share share share!

Q: What would you suggest is a must in each blog post?

VALUE. Always add value to your reader in some way, whether that be information, inspiration, tips… SOMETHING.

Q: What camera do you use?

I started out with the Canon Rebel T5 (which I am selling by the way! Email me if you’re interested in buying it! Its a great starter camera to invest in!) but now I use a Sony a6000 or my iPhone!

Q: What are 3 apps you can’t live without?

Lightroom, Hyperlapse and Unfold!

Q: What are 3 actionable steps to take before launching your blog?

1: secure a domain name

2: decide on what topics your blog will be based on (refer to tip#2!)

3: know who your reader is

Q: Should you start a blog if you hate writing?

Probably not, unless you do a photo only blog or some type of word-less blog lol! If blogging isn’t your thing try something else like making videos or starting a podcast! If your goal is to connect with others find a medium that you love and do that!

Q: How do you start reaching out to brands?

Send an email, reach out via DM, create some content and tag them! At the end of the day the people behind the brands you want to work with are people too, most people will respond if you reach out with an idea and want to collaborate!

Q: How do you edit your photos?

Lightroom!

Q: Do you give yourself a schedule to follow as if you were going in to an office job?

Honestly… no. I am not good at this right now. It’s hard for me because I also teach yoga and have private clients that I see so my schedule is different every day, but lately I have been trying to be better about setting working hours because I have a tendency to work 24/7. Truthfully I need to get better at this! Once I figure out a better system I will share it though! I think it’s hard to turn off when you are the only one keeping the wheels turning. I am hoping at some point to be at the level where I can delegate more tasks to others and set working hours but for now, I work as much as I can when I have the time.

Q: What are your normal working hours as a blogger?

24/7. I am not kidding. I am always either working, creating or thinking about what I want to create! I love love love what I do and I create based on topics that I am truly passionate about so it’s hard to *not* work!

Q: How long did it take you to make blogging your full time job?

It took me about 18 months to start making real income and feel brave enough to take the leap to take it full time; I do still teach yoga as well though, so blogging is not my 100% full time job!

Have any questions I didn’t answer? Leave me a comment below, I am an open book bb!

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That’s all I’ve got for today my loves! I tried to answer all of the most commonly asked questions I have been getting but if I missed any please leave me a comment below! xx Should I do more blog posts and/or Youtube videos about blogging? Are you interested in this topic?! Let me know in a comment below!!