Well, we’re here, friend. The last blog post on A Branch of Holly for 2016.

I can't really believe it, can you? I was really struggling to know what route to go down with this, but then I took a look through my Bloglovin’ feed and managed to find some inspiration. 

So I thought I'd take a look back over the last year and how my blog and online presence has grown and developed - boy has a lot changed! I've done a personal year in review on Little Branches (where I announced we've bought a house!), but here I want to reflect in a little more detail. 

I wanted this to be helpful for me as I go into a new year, but also an inspiration to you to see what you can do in a year if you put the right plan in place, work in a smart way and believe in yourself a little bit more.

I just wanted to quickly tell you why I love doing these end-of-year reviews. When my blog was very young and only my family were reading my content, I saw some bloggers I admired write posts like this and I thought it was so honest and refreshing. They were people with successful blogs and thriving communities, and they were exactly where I wanted to be. Of course, I was falling into the one trap all bloggers should avoid - comparison.

But then I read more about the journey they'd been on, what they'd done to make their blogs successful and I didn't compare myself anymore. These were no overnight successes. They were real. There were late nights, lack of sleep, sacrifices, hard decisions and sheer determination. That's what pushed me forward.

So here we go - my 2016 in review

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How do you think social media will develop in 2017?

That's a question I've been thinking about a lot lately, but one that I haven't really been able to answer by myself. But because social media is so fast-paced, I don't think it's ever too early to start planning your next strategy.

Buffer recently released their blueprint about the trends to look out for over the next year across all the different social platforms. And as we’re nearing the end of a year, I thought this would be a great time to reflect on the world of social media, from Facebook and Twitter to Instagram and Snapchat. Get ready to take note of where these different channels are heading and what's next for them in 2017.

Before we jump in, I just wanted to draw your attention to a key thing that's happened in 2016…

PLATFORMS BECOMING MORE OF THE SAME

It's been the case for many platforms this year, that instead of concentrating on their unique features, they've started using features from one another. It's almost as if they're becoming more alike instead of trying to differentiate themselves.

Here's why.

When Snapchat came on the scene, it was like nothing anyone had seen before. It was live, instant content that disappeared. Instagram, on the other hand was the place for us to publish one or two of our best images - polished and pretty. 

That was until Instagram Stories appeared and what do you know? It became very similar to Snapchat.

But they aren't the only platforms that have shown signs of similarity. 

• Facebook has introduced a Facebook Live feature where you can record video in the moment and broadcast to a live audience
• Facebook is also trying to become the new place for trending news and events (sound familiar, Twitter?)
• YouTube is testing community features, which essentially involves a community chat within the platform

Basically, every single platform out there is trying to become the best at everything and I think that's how it'll continue in 2017. They'll all be battling it out to become the best for offering in-the-moment, easy-to-digest content.

My other prediction is that video will be even bigger than it already is right now...

OTHER THINGS TO WATCH OUT FOR IN THE SOCIAL MEDIA WORLD IN 2017

Like the Buffer report, I'll walk you through a couple of highlights for each platform.

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It's been a busy old year at A Branch of Holly HQ. I've been publishing content like a machine!

So here's the big list. From the launch of the Blogging Breakthrough magazine to now. You can find out what it is, where to get and most importantly stay in the loop with why it's so great.

The biggest and first change I made happened a couple of months ago. I decided that instead of having the ‘How I Got to Where I am Today’ interview on the blog, I would make it a piece of content exclusive to the magazine. 

I worked hard to get the message out there and got a wonderful line up of interviewees for the first few months of the magazine. But the best bit has been revealing teasers on social media of who is going to be featured in the issue. Then on the day the magazine is delivered to your inbox, the big announcement takes place!

#1 | READ AN EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW IN THE MAGAZINE

Yep, as a reader of Blogging Breakthrough, you now get an exclusive piece of content within the magazine!

The aim of the ‘How I Got to Where I am Today’ interview is to highlight lots of different careers, but more importantly, how that person got there. They take us on a journey, from starting out with no experience at all, to becoming amazing at what they do as a profession.

So far we’ve had someone studying for a Ph.D in Soils Biophysics, a certified nutritionist with a love for writing and soon, you’ll be hearing from an interior designer.

I’m so grateful that so many people want to be interviewed for the Blogging Breakthrough magazine, and I love getting to share so many inspiring stories. But more than anything, it also means you can learn so much too and gain such an insight into their experiences!

Recommended read: How I Got to Where I am Today: an Interview with Lizzie from Wanderful World

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If there's one thing I love, it's finding new tools and resources to increase my productivity. I bet that doesn’t come as a surprise to you 😉 

But what I love even more is passing these tools onto you.

The resources that are out there for us to access are awesome. They can help you create more time in your day, help you complete tasks more quickly and improve your overall efficiency. The tools that are listed here are ones I use every week, if not every single day. Not only have they improved the way I manage my blog and online presence, but they’ve also transformed the way I balance everything too.

So today, as we get even closer to the new year (!), I wanted to share with you a few of the tools that have increased my productivity so they can have a positive effect on your life too. Let’s go.

#1 | BULLET JOURNAL

The bullet journal is a relatively new productivity tool for me. I only really started using it this summer, but it soon turned into an essential.

I’d heard so many people talking about using a bullet journal and even have a Pinterest board full of journaling ideas. And even though I thought it was great, I just couldn’t seem to find the right way to use it in the best way for me, my life and my blog.

Then I took a step back from it all, and this turned out to be exactly what I needed to do. I put together a list of lots of things you could track in your planner, which turned into a blog post and that was the key. When it comes to the bullet journal, it’s about including what’s right for you. Pick the things to track that work best for you and that’s how this productivity tool will thrive.

Over the Christmas break I’ll be planning how to use mine for 2017 and I can’t wait to see how it’s going to revolutionise my productivity. If you’re thinking about using a bullet journal, I’ve written a whole post on it here!

 

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First things first, friend… I want to say thank you.

It's been over three years since I first started blogging and I can't believe everything that's happened in that time, both for my online presence and my personal life too. I'm always floored by the comments I get on social media every single day from you guys.

But the biggest surprise? This tweet from my blogging friend, Rebecca…

“Just to let you know, I've nominated you for a UK Blog Award because of the valuable content you create for your readers.”

“I've nominated you for a U.K. blog award”?? What?!

I couldn't believe it. And that leads me onto today's post.

Today you can officially vote for me in the U.K. Blog Awards!

The purpose of the UK Blog Awards is to recognise “true viral style and creative excellence.” They provide a really exciting time for bloggers in the digital industry.

You can either nominate yourself for an award, or someone else can nominate you. 

Turns out, someone nominated me.

This came out of nowhere. I've been a blogger for three years and nothing like this has happened to me before. I mean, I feel like I've come a long way. Since that very first blog post that I hit publish on, I've transferred my blog to Squarespace and redesigned my site and I've doubled my blog traffic by implementing a solid social media strategy. 

Today, writing this post doesn't guarantee a vote from you, and a vote doesn't guarantee I'll win. But I can try.

So, I wanted to give you some concrete reasons why I deserve to win a UK Blog Award and why you should vote for me.

Why am I doing this? Because I want this. Because I value transparency. I know you care a lot about not just where you get your information from, but WHO you get it from too. I know you care a lot about getting your blog to the next level, to getting that breakthrough and getting to where you want to be.

I believe that I can offer you those things. So here's why else you should vote for me:

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Let me guess.

You’re not sharing your Instagram pics to Pinterest are you?

Well, I only have one question. WHY NOT?

You’re taking great photos of your work, your life - everything. So if you’re putting that much effort into creating your photos, then you want to get them in front of as many people as possible. That’s where Pinterest comes in.

Now, you don’t have to share every single image. You want to share your best photos. The ones that get the most likes and comments. This is a great way to share unique content and get credit, because they're yours! And the best bit? It’s SUPER easy to do. All you need is a phone.

This tutorial is going to be for iPhone users as that’s the phone I have. But I’m sure there’s some info out there for Android users too.

So we’re going to go through, step by step, how to share your Instagram photos to Pinterest. There’s two different ways to do this, so let’s get going with the first.

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“I've been getting a lot out of this in a matter of days!”, a reader told me over Twitter that made me decide to get really serious about blogging.

“I'm going to have to go back through and read all your other posts, because this was exactly what I needed.”

That was it. Right there. The time I started to take blogging seriously.

After reading that feedback, I refreshed my categories, redefined my social media strategy and started a second blog. The rest, as they say, is history. 

In a year, I doubled my social media following, increased my blog traffic by over 300% and created a community of determined, inspirational bloggers. More than any of this though, I found my path. 

I discovered that no matter how hard things got, I was meant to be a blogger and I got great satisfaction from inspiring my readers. 

And that, my friend, is where valuable content comes from.

Looking back over the years though, I realised that none of it would be possible without my determination. 

HOW BLOGGING CAN ENRICH YOUR LIFE

As a blogger, the thing we’re hearing the most about lately is creating high-quality content. We hear that creating valuable content helps build trust in your readers, and those readers then become subscribers and eventually customers. 

This formula is totally possible - but instead of hearing about how this helps people reach six figures, why aren't we hearing more about how it's enriching their lives? 

Because that's what it's done for me.

I love being able to create content for you on a regular basis and talk to you every single day to find out more about you. And even though this is just a hobby, the truth is, if you fall out of love with it then you should stop doing it. Period.

Blogging really has changed my life. It has helped grow my confidence in myself as a person, it's helped me understand that I am on the right path (when I wasn't sure I had one), and it helped me come out of a really dark place in my life, all the way back to those three years ago. 

So today, I wanted to give you three benefits of blogging that you may not have thought of, plus an action step you can take to become the best blogger you want to be.

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You’ve accomplished a hell of a lot this year. 

You’ve tried your best to reach all your goals (it doesn’t matter if you didn’t get there, you still tried!

You deserve to wind down during December and start the new year with a BANG.

You’re ready to make 2017 even better than this year, doing things that you want to do and that you’re passionate about.

The path to get there is much simpler than what you’re doing right now. You don’t have to stumble your way through the year doing things you think you have to do and keeping your fingers crossed that somehow, some way, you’ll get that breakthrough.

Did you know that if you write down everything you want to accomplish, you’ve got an 80% more chance of making it happen?

But saying you’re going to make 2017 better and actually doing it are two different things, right? It doesn’t have to be that way.

You can make 2017 your best year yet through a little tactic of focusing on the right things.

Good job I’m here to tell you exactly what those things are 😉  Let’s get onto the good stuff.

#1 | REFRESH YOUR MORNING ROUTINE

Getting your morning off to the right start is something a lot of us want to do to make an improvement to our lives. Whether it’s making more of an effort with breakfast or simply having more time, the way you start your day is crucial.

The easiest way for you to make a difference is to move your alarm clock. And I don’t mean your phone - make an effort to purchase a proper alarm clock (like this cute one from Debenhams at less than a fiver!) Keeping this away from your bed forces you to get up and not hit snooze.

#2 | SORT YOUR INBOX

We’d all love to have inbox zero, but most of the time it’s just not possible. What is possible though, is making your inbox easier to maintain. You can start by sorting your emails into folders and unsubscribing from all the newsletters that you just don’t read anymore.

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We live in an uncertain world right now and that’s just as true for the world of work.

Good workers are always in demand. But it’s also not enough. Each new wave are making themselves more and more disposable. So it’s your job to make sure you’re too valuable to lose.

One of the most important things you should be aiming for in your career is to make yourself indispensable. What does this mean? It’s simple - it means building up a strong reputation for yourself to show that provide a positive impact to your work environment.

You become so good at what you do that there is no one who could replace you.

Being indispensable at work definitely benefits the company you’re working for. But it also benefits you in a massive way. Not only does it give you better chances of getting a promotion and avoiding redundancies (if they were to happen) - it gives you great pride and satisfaction that you’re doing so well in your career.

This is what I strive to do every single day in my current role. So here are 17 of the best ways you can be totally indispensable in your workplace. Let’s go.

#1 | EMBRACE CHANGE

There’s a saying that goes like this: if you do what you’ve always done, then you’ll get what you’ve always got. Some situations will crop up in your company that require change and adjustment. A lot of people won’t like this. You’ve got to be the one to embrace it.

See change as a positive and always look for ways it can benefit your team and your workplace as a whole. The mindset you want to have is that change doesn’t mean things have to come to a standstill. It means there’s room for more opportunity.

#2 | DON’T BE AFRAID

If someone tells you they want you to be indispensable, they want you to rise to a challenge and push through your fear.

If there’s a project coming up that you want to manage or there’s room for a new team leader within a certain department, don’t be afraid to put yourself forward. It’s not the end of the world if you don’t get to do it. People will notice your bravery and they’d be a fool not to give you a chance next time.

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This is honestly one of my biggest struggles as a blogger.

As a freelance writer with a blog and a day job (plus everything else that goes on in my life), the amount of free time I have becomes a lot smaller. But what’s growing is the list of projects I want to do for my personal brand. 

So why do I do it? Why do I run two blogs that I publish content for every week? I don’t monetise them, yet blogging has become such a big part of my life that I spend a huge amount of time committing to it each week.

You might be in a similar position as a blogger.

Maybe it started out as a hobby and you just published a post once every week. Then you realised that the quickest way to grow would be to publish content more frequently. But after that, you learnt that it’s actually more about promoting your content than it is about hitting that publish button.

Now you have an editorial calendar, you’ve got a social media posting schedule and you write guest posts for other bloggers - it’s these things that’s getting your name out there.

But you don’t want to cut down the number of times you post on your blog. You love writing and you know it plays a bit part in getting you to where you want to be. So what do you do? How do you manage both? How can you promote yourself online and still have time to write for your blog?

At the moment my time is very limited, so being productive and managing my time well is key. Luckily, I’ve found some strategies (or productivity hacks) that have helped me build my platform as a blogger and freelance writer, whilst still publishing frequent content on my blog.

This is how I do it.

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Well would you look at this. Two posts in a week! What’s going on? Well it’s all part of me realising that not only did my traffic take a hit when I went down to one post a week, but I also missed posting extra content too. So here we are.

Anyway - onto today’s post.

There seems to be a lot of mystery surrounding SEO in the blogging industry - how important it is, what it actually involves, whether you have to be technical to understand it and so on. This is a post I’ve actually been meaning to write for a while and now seems like quite good time to do it.

You know - since SEO isn’t really going anywhere.

They’re not so much tips to make your organic traffic soar out of the roof or so your favourite brand hits you up for a massive opportunity. They’re more tips that I’ve learnt myself from working in the industry, and from the various training sessions I’ve been to about digital marketing.

So here are seven of the top SEO tips that I think you need to know, and we’ll also be busting some huge myths too. Spoiler alert: the basics aren’t actually that difficult to get your head around.

#1 | WRITE DESCRIPTIVE TITLEs THAT ARE SHAREABLE

If you take anything away from this post, let it be this: your headline is arguably the most important part of any piece of content you create. Yep - more so than the lovely words you fill your actual blog post with. Why?

Because your headline is what actually gets people to click through to your content. It’s the gateway.

That means it has to be descriptive, attractive and offer a promise.

Holly, you’re hyping headlines up a lot - surely they’re not that important, right?

Think again.

8 out of 10 people will read your headline, but only 2 out of 10 will read your entire post - Copyblogger

Basically, the better your headlines, the better your chances are of beating the odds and getting your content out there in front of a wider audience of people.

You want your headline to tell readers what they can expect in the post, but you also don’t want to give everything away. Take these as some examples:

• Stop! This is why you need to rethink using ads on your blog
• 41 of the best ways to use Twitter to improve your blog and personal brand
• How to keep your blog running when you go on holiday
• 7 of the biggest reasons why you’re just not getting the job

Each of those examples instantly interests the reader and this is a key point - you’ve got to keep your audience in mind when you’re writing headlines.

You write content for your readers, yes? So you want to craft a headline that your readers will want to click on.

Let’s go back to the examples above. What words do you think people would search for, for those articles to appear?

• Using ads on blog
• Using twitter to improve blog
• Keep blog running on holiday
• Why I’m not getting a job

What do you notice?

Each phrase is included in the headline in some way.

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If there's one thing I talk about a lot on this blog it's productivity. Being productive with your blog, being productive with your routine - but have you ever stopped to think about this personally? 

Have you ever stopped to think about what a productive day would look like for you?

A key thing that will really help you to achieve your goals is visualising what success looks like to you. Want to lose weight? What result will make you feel like you've made it?

The same goes for designing your day. Want to feel super productive when you sign off for the day? What will that look like?

I've been giving this some thought recently and I think I've come up with a basic foundation that anyone can apply to their own lives to design a productive day.

Now this isn't a formula that has to be set in stone - you can adapt it so it looks differently for each and every one of you. But I do believe if you make time for each of these activities and work to integrate them into your day, you're going to see an increase in your productivity immediately. 

#1 | START YOUR DAY ON TIME

What happens in the first ten minutes of your day can also set your tone for the rest of it. And it's hard to have a productive day when your morning goes wrong. Fact. Oversleeping, hitting the snooze button or waking up in a bad mood all lead to your day being completely unproductive. 

This takes a lot of self-discipline, which doesn't come naturally to people. For me, I have the same routine every morning, and I have no problem getting up when my alarm goes off at 6:30 during the week. 

For others, it's not that simple. For when you're struggling, try this instead - give yourself something to look forward to in your routine. Whether it's an exciting breakfast, getting to watch a YouTube video while you get ready or whatever it is that puts a smile on your face - add that in. You'll find that if your day gets off to the best start possible then you'll be super productive and boss it.

#2 | CREATE A MORNING ROUTINE

However much time you have in a morning, establishing a simple routine is key to being productive. Getting to where you want to be doesn't come down to luck - it comes down to working smarter, not harder. That's where your morning routine comes in.

I wrote a whole post about how you can take back your mornings here, but these are a few pointers for you:

• Plan ahead
• Don't hit snooze
• Get focused
• Don't check your emails first thing
• Manage your energy

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When it comes to your career, it’s not quite as simple as simple getting paid to do what you love as soon as you start out.

For most of us, we’d love to run our blogs full-time. The question you have to ask is this: is it realistic? 

Usually, the answer is no. So instead, we look for a job that’s somehow related to blogging. But the question I see people asking all the time is, but how do I find a job when I don’t have any skills or experience?

The truth is the skill set and professional value you’ve developed as a blogger means that your career options can be far more diversified than you think.

When I graduated from my Masters and started looking for jobs, (you can read more about my career journey here), one thing I noticed was that most companies in the digital marketing sector were looking for the same things: management of social media accounts, high quality writing skills, editing experience, coming up with ideas, working as a team, being organised and so on. 

Yes, they’re very general skills to ask for, but the majority of them can be applied to a variety of scenarios and a variety of career paths. And do you know what’s even better?

You can do all of them.

So today, I wanted to talk about the skill set that all bloggers have at their disposal. Hopefully, this will help you succeed in your next job interview or inspire you to be more confident in the job you’re in now.

#1 | Your own opinion and writing experience

When you become a blogger, you instantly create your own voice. The content ideas you come up with are from your own mind and you write about them using your own thoughts and opinions. And as you grow as a blogger, your view and your words develop an authority that people want to hear, to communicate with and to get involved with. 

Think about the way you communicate with your audience right now. It’s online right? But think of all the different ways and the different channels you communicate on:

• Blog posts
• Comments
• Social media
• Live video
• Imagery
• Online conversations (Twitter chats/Facebook groups)
• Email marketing

The amount of ways you can communicate is so diverse and even better than that - you have the knowledge about how to use that communication for each one too.

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Some of you might've seen that not only do I manage and run this blog, but I've also recently started a new one. 

As someone who has got a full-time job, a blog, does freelance work on the side and is in the process of looking for a house, you can see there's a lot going on.

So why would I even consider starting a brand new blog on top of all this?

I don't know a lot of bloggers in real life. But the ones I speak to online all love pushing themselves to try new things. 

And so do I 😉

My friend Stephie has just rebranded her site and launched a brand new interview series with creatives. 

Another blogger I love, Anna, has also gone through a redesign and is producing better content than ever. 

I love writing, and I've always wanted to go back to my roots of why I started blogging in the first place.

So if you're considering starting not just a new blog, but a new project, and you're not sure whether you'll be able to handle it - go for it. You can have doubt after doubt, but I'm here to tell you that it IS possible. Plus, there are so many benefits to having more than one creative project (especially more than one blog).

First of all though, I wanted to talk to you about why I decided to start Little Branches.

NOT ANOTHER LIFESTYLE BLOG!

A few months ago, I was talking to Tom about all my dreams for ABOH and described how I really wanted to fit in a way that I could document everything that was happening in my life. 

See, I wanted to keep ABOH in line with its specific purpose - to inspire you to get to where you want be, using my own tried and tested strategies that really work.

If I started documenting my life in sand amongst all that other content, it just wouldn't fit in with the flow of the blog. 

So the thought of having a separate place to write about all things lifestyle didn't seem like such a drastic idea. I knew I was cutting the posting schedule down on this blog, which would give me more time to write content for the new blog - plus I wanted to do it. So I went ahead and created Little Branches.

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Running your own blog is a great way to develop new skills, make yourself stand out and can bring you loads of opportunities. But no matter what you write about - whether you use it as a space to document your life or market it as a platform to sell your services - it's hard work. And there’s something I’ve learnt over the past three years.

You need to make some sacrifices in order to get a breakthrough. 

A few weeks ago, I talked about my creative process and how you can create systems for your blog that will help you be more efficient and successful. But that doesn't happen on it’s own. Making some important decisions based on your priorities will help you to reach your goals.

Managing a blog requires a lot of hard work, dedication and patience to see results. Thankfully (and if you’re a blogger you’ll know this), there are still endless benefits to being a blogger.

For instance, my blog has played a huge part in me getting to where I am today. It’s helped me be successful in my career and because I’ve worked so hard (and implemented my own strategies), I met one of my end-of-year goals in July.

Now, even though I’ve cut my publishing schedule down, I’m feeling more confident about my blog than ever. This all wouldn't have been possible without having made some sacrifices along the way.

So if you’ve got big goals for your blog, here are some sacrifices you could be looking to make in order to get a breakthrough… or two 😉

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Since I started blogging seven days a week back in March, things are now looking completely different.

I've developed a lot as a blogger over the past few months and I've watched everything about my online presence grow. As my workload has become larger and I've had the urge to create more, I've had to refine my processes to find a more systematic way to get everything done that I want to, whilst living my best life.

And if you've seen my tweets recently, you'll know I've been feeling the pressure.

If you run a blog alongside your day job or you've got loads of projects going on at once, I'm sure you can relate to my current situation. 

But even if blogging is only a small part of your life - I'm sure you've felt the pressure of keeping up and getting noticed, right? I mean, it's so easy to get sucked into this world and everything it has to offer.

One day last month, everything just became too much. I hit a big wall. I didn't feel like I was accomplishing anything, I felt completely overwhelmed, my mood was affected and I couldn't remember the last time I had some free time to play around with.

This told me that I needed to make some changes to create a better routine that would involve everything I wanted to do in my life, whilst being manageable and helping me move forward.

I also wanted to start doing more things for me. My blog is partly a hobby still, but there are so many other things I’d like to try in my spare time that I don’t get chance to do. Things like reading books and makings, baking, DIY projects and flower arranging. Plus re-watching Gilmore Girls and Gossip Girls from the very beginning 😉

So during September, I’ve tried out this new method for creating my routine and carried it out. Because it’s gone so well, I really wanted to share it with you today, in the hope that it can inspire you to make some change to create your ideal routine. If you want to feel more in control of your work, whilst still making the most of your life, I really think you’ll find this helpful.

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