Are you about to start a blog and have no idea where to begin? Or already started one and are struggling to gain traffic or make money from it?
Have you just started an Instagram account and aren’t gaining followers? Or about to start one and don’t know how to monetize it?
Within 1 year of starting this blog, I have:
- Monetized my content and continuously made $$$ per month (between $500-$1,000!)
- Been published in 2 magazines and countless online resources
- Gain 20-100 Instagram followers every day using a fail-proof formula
- Partnered and collaborated with multiple big name brands
Today, I want to share some of my FAIL-PROOF tips from my eBook on how to grow your blog and Instagram fast while making $$$ from it. I PROMISE you haven’t heard of some of these tips before.
1. Make sure you have a good host.
This is key to running a successful blog. Most people will nudge you to sign up with Bluehost but DO. NOT. DO. THAT! I had a terrible experience with them as I received a countless number of viruses that they never picked up on. Seriously, I had viruses on my website for DAYS without them noticing. I was always the one to find and report them. Hosts are supposed to let you know the SECOND they sense malware in your files! Also, their customer service is SO hard to get in touch with. When you are able to get in touch with them, their reps can’t psychically do anything to your files or website which means you have to troubleshoot all tech issues yourself with their instructions. NOPE NOPE NOPE. You need a host that is 1. easy to get in touch with if there’s an issue and 2. will fix the issues for you.
I recommend SiteGround as your hosting provider and using WordPress to manage your blog. Not is Siteground one of the most affordable on the market, but they also have a FABULOUS customer service team. WordPress comes free when you purchase a Siteground hosting packing and they make it SO easy to set up your account!
If you need (free!) help setting up your SiteGround account and WordPress, please email me at chelsey@citychicdecor.com.
2. You need to be active on ALL your platforms.
I know this seems obvious but hear me out. You need to post 1-2 times a week on your blog and at least 1 time per day (at the beginning) on Instagram. Make sure to also story throughout the day because that’s a more intimate way to be connected to your followers versus just a post. People are going to unfollow you if you’re not being active on your social accounts. In addition, people are NEVER going to go back to your blog if they see your last post was 2 months ago. Your audience wants fresh content and if you’re not providing that, they are going to find someone else who can!
In addition to being active, it’s also just as important to engage with your current followers by responding to their comments and DMs. Why? It’s just as important to keep the followers you DO have as it is to gain new followers!
Another tip I have that was just going to be exclusively for the eBook…
MESSAGE PEOPLE WHEN THEY FOLLOW YOU ON INSTAGRAM!
Not only does this make your followers feel special, but they will instantly feel a connection with you that they don’t have with other influencers they follow.
3. Do not buy followers.
PEOPLE/BRANDS CAN TELL IF YOU DO! If you have 50,000 followers and only get 100 likes per post, that is a definite red flag for fake followers. Let me tell you a secret- I know more than 10 interior bloggers who I’m connected with on Instagram that buy their followers. I won’t name names, but its very obvious and just don’t do it because brands will not want to work with you. Want to know another secret? I am a total culprit of this! I bought a few hundred followers when I first started my Instagram (2 years ago!!) – and let me tell you – it was the worst mistake EVER! You could tell they were fake profiles because they were following thousands of people with only having a couple of followers themselves. Learn from my mistake and just don’t do it.
4. Keep a consistent theme.
This means sticking to your niche AND having high-quality photos on both your blog & Instagram.
What do you love? Interior design, fitness, fashion, photography? Once you pick a niche, stick to only one or it will confuse your followers and they will unfollow or unsubscribe. Let me say that again: Stick to only one! If you have an interior-themed Instagram or blog, you should NOT be posting photos of your dinner or the new outfit you just bought. People will unfollow & unsubscribe.
When it comes to your photos, you want as high of quality as possible! No, you don’t have to go about and spend $1,000 on a camera! However, if you do want to invest in one, I highly recommend mine.
You can take amazing photos on just your personal cell phone. What you do need is to invest in Photoshop or an app like VSCO. IF you want to learn how to edit photos like I do (in Photoshop, which is what I highly recommend!), I give you a detailed video tutorial in my eBook.
In addition, you want to make sure you have a navigable theme that’s pleasing to look at. My theme is from 17th Avenue.
5. Engage your followers.
Aside from responding to peoples comments and DMs, make sure on all your Instagram posts AND blog posts, you ask a question to have your followers engage in the comments. You can also do this in your Instagram stories by utilizing features like polls and questions.
7. Navigation is key
Make sure your Instagram and blog are navigable and easy to read. This means making your Instagram bio CLEAR to the audience as to what your niche and mission are. As for your website, you need to make sure your website’s mission is clearly stated as soon as you open the page. If it’s not, people are going to immediately click away.
AND THE MOST IMPORTANT TIP……
8. Engage in your niche.
The most important part of growing your brand is engaging with people in your same niche. This is how you get followers! This means liking and commenting on other peoples photos in your niche. When it comes to blogging, comment on other peoples blogs and drop your link in the comments! In terms of how to specifically do this, and the exact formula you need to follow to gain 20-100 followers per day, It’s all in my e-book course.
Some general tips on being published and making money:
When you are just starting out, you may feel like it’s impossible to have your work or photos published or make money unless you get tons of traffic on your blog or have thousands of Instagram followers. This is completely false.
Whether it’s a brand, company, online magazine etc., you can reach out to them and offer to write something for free or even offer a collaboration idea. In terms of making money, you can reach out to brands or companies in your niche and offer them advertising and sponsorship deals. When starting out, you can make between $25-$100 per sponsored Instagram post and story. You can also charge hundreds of dollars for a sponsored blog post!
In addition, you can also sell a product or utilize affiliate links. If you’re just starting out and wanting to sell a product, I recommend starting with a digital product. The key to selling any product online is by using lead magnets and paid advertising which is something I discuss in my eBook.
Although these tips may have seemed like a lot (and believe me, even without the eBook, they are SUPER helpful!), there’s still SO much more to learn. In my eBook, I give you the STEP-BY-STEP method on how to:
- Gain 20-100 followers PER DAY
- Create partnerships with brands
- How to be published in print & online magazines
- How to MAKE MONEY off of your Instagram & blog
- How to edit your photos to make them look SUPER high-quality
This 33 page eBook gives you ALL the information you need to run a successful blog and Instagram in under 1 year. All this information that someone would charge hundreds for in a class is only $11 just the next few days!
Key highlights:
What you should NEVER do (and are probably doing right now) on your Instagram on page 5
The two plugins your blog NEEDS to gain traffic on page 7
The ingredients for the PERFECT Instagram bio on page 12
What is a lead magnet and why you need one on page 13
What you’re doing wrong in your navigation bar that’s DRIVING visitors away on page 18
The EXACT FORMULA for gaining 20-100 followers every day on page 20
How to reach out to publishers FIRST on page 25
How to make $$$ without having to sell ONE THING on page 28
Click here to get your copy now!
xo, Chelsey
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