Welcome to the Productivity Blog

Are you on LinkedIn? You should be.

This is one of the most valuable online tools out there to help you develop professionally in your career. And if you’re job hunting? Well, it’s a no brainer.

If your profile is out of date, your profile picture is a poor-quality selfie or all you do is talk about how much you love your cat, you could be missing out on some big opportunities.

Don’t get me wrong - it’s a big job. Not only do you have to create a LinkedIn page, but you’ve also got to keep it up to date too. Plus, there are so many different parts to fill in. Before you’ve even started, you feel instantly overwhelmed and wonder where to even begin.

Through my LinkedIn page, I’ve received both job offers and freelance gigs, which means my profile is doing it’s job. So how do you know if yours is? Today, I wanted to share with you these 16 simple hacks I’ve used that can help make yourself more hireable on LinkedIn. Let’s go.

#1 | Make sure you’ve got the basics up to date

These might seem like the least important things to you, but overall they can make a huge difference. Here are a couple of things to check:

• Make sure you’re using a custom URL. So when you originally set up your LinkedIn page, your URL will just look like a load of numbers. What you can do instead is change it to something like this: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hollysutton2. Putting your name in it makes you instantly recognisable and brands yourself too.
   
• Include your email address, website and social media platforms. If someone wants to get in touch with you through another channel, including these makes that happen. There’s nothing worse than wanting to get in touch with a person and not being able to find their contact information.

#2 | Make your headline creative

You might think your headline should be your current title, but this is actually a big mistake. Instead, be creative. Use your headline to describe what you want to do next. Plus, you can include more than one title too. 

Really, I class myself to have three jobs - my full-time one, my freelance business and my blog. That’s why I’ve included three different titles in one headline, so each represents one part of my career.

One thing to remember as you work through your LinkedIn page is that this is your chance to show off. Don’t miss out on an opportunity to show people what you can do!

 

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It might seem like writing a blog post or creating a freelance writing piece is easy. You just type up the content on your computer, hit publish and you’re done, right?

Wrong.

For the past week or so, I’ve been taking you through my creative process step-by-step. This has shown you what blogging looks like behind-the-scenes for me.

The first thing I do is discover the idea. This involves going through different methods to make sure I come up with an idea that directly speaks to my audience.

Before I get started on writing the content, I do some research around the topic and create a full outline for my post. This is a hugely important part of my process. Without research, your content will never deliver as much as you want it to, which is why I never skip this step.

Then it’s time for the words, which is always the step of my creative process that takes the longest, and takes most of my energy. I write the content and in a perfect world, it should be good to go, right?

Unfortunately, no. And this leads us to the last step of my creative process: editing, delivery and promotion.

 

So like I said, in a perfect world, a blog post would be good to go when you’ve finished writing it. But that isn’t usually the case for writers. Many people find the editing stage quite tedious - and some skip it altogether. Let me tell you. Whenever I see an error on a blog post, I leave straight away.

Editing and evaluating allows me to review my work, challenges me to become more intentional with my words and results in even better content for my audience. Here’s what the first half of step for looks like in my creative process.

 

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Like most careers, it’s so beneficial to have a process in place for your work to help make you more productive. I’ve seen many designers approach this subject, but not bloggers.

My method may not suit everyone out there, and that’s completely fine. Instead, I hope it inspires and encourages you to think about your own creative process.

Having a creative process is a way of being able to craft the best content possible. It contains various steps that you have to take to get to a finished product. (Want to know why it’s so important to have a creative process? Check out the first post of this series!)

 

As a blogger, I know you have a lot of fears. One of the biggest of these fears is the feeling that you’re writing to no one. The feeling that you’re not giving your audience something; whether that be entertainment, motivation or teaching them something new. 

Coming up with a solution to a reader’s problem that really speaks to them is the biggest struggle when it comes to communicating an idea. That’s why this part of my process is one of the most important - and also the most difficult. 

Writing the actual content is the part of my creative process that makes me the most nervous. And, no surprises here, it’s the most time-consuming step too. The way the blog post is going to look and how my readers react to the content, all hinges on each individual word that I write. 

It’s been eye-opening for me as I’ve written this creative process so far. It’s made me realise why I spend so much time in steps one and two - coming up with the idea and doing the research. It’s purely for the writing.  

You might not think writing a blog post is that difficult or time-consuming. You might be able to smash one out in half an hour. So why does it take me so long? How do I go about putting the ideas and research into words? How do I get to the finished blog post? Here’s a look into what step three of my creative process looks like for me.

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Like most careers, it’s so beneficial to have a process in place for your work to help make you more productive. I’ve seen many designers approach this subject, but not bloggers.

My method may not suit everyone out there, and that’s completely fine. Instead, I hope it inspires and encourages you to think about your own creative process.

Having a creative process is a way of being able to craft the best content possible. It contains various steps that you have to take to get to a finished product. (Want to know why it’s so important to have a creative process? Check out the first post of this series!) 

 

It wasn't until I started working in the online marketing industry for a living, that I began to understand how important (and eye-opening!) the research stage is. 

I used to just write my content straight onto the page without any real structure or background information. But when I discovered that one - Google favours factual content, and two - readers build more trust with you when you include real facts - I started to take this part of my creative process more seriously.

 Now, I’ve made it a priority to include research time when it comes to putting each one of my blog posts together.

This step gives me time to learn, time to explore and time to get even more creative. It’s become fundamental for the way I create content for my blog, guest blog posts and my freelance clients.

Here's an exclusive insight into the second step of my creative process and what this looks like for me.

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Like most careers, it’s so beneficial to have a process in place for your work to help make you more productive. I’ve seen many designers approach this subject, but not bloggers.

My method may not suit everyone out there, and that’s completely fine. Instead, I hope it inspires and encourages you to think about your own creative process.

Having a creative process is a way of being able to craft the best content possible. It contains various steps that you have to take to get to a finished product. (Want to know why it’s so important to have a creative process? Check out the first post of this series!)

 

I’m a blogger. I’m a writer. I’m a freelancer. These words sound so simple, but when you dig into them, you find they’re made up of so much more. People worry about telling others when they have one of these professions. This is mainly due to the complete shock on someone else’s face. You do this for a living? How is that possible? So we usually come up with some other explanation that has a bit more weight to it.

But the longer you’re a blogger for, the more you realise just how much is involved in that term. Writing isn’t just about publishing great content (although it’s definitely something I strive towards). It’s about discovering an idea that translates to solving a problem.

My readers have problems, even if they don’t realise it themselves. They can’t find the motivation to accomplish their goals. They’ve got social media channels, but they don’t know how to use them effectively. They struggle staying on top of everything or coming up with ideas, etc.

In order to help my readers, solve their problems and communicate with them on the same level, I have to be aware of what they want to know. That’s where step one of my creative process comes in.

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As a blogger and digital marketing freelancer, it’s become really important to be able to pin down my creative process. It might seem like writing a blog post or creating a freelance writing piece is easy. You just type up the content on your computer, hit publish and you’re done, right?

Wrong.

Writers, designers and creatives alike are all problem solvers. We have to know there is a problem worth solving and then come up with a solution. That involves a whole lot of steps to get to the finished outcome.

Like most careers, it’s so beneficial to have a process in place for your work to help make you more productive. I’ve seen many designers approach this subject, but not bloggers. So over the next few weeks, I thought it might be helpful to launch this series. I'll be sharing my own creative process as a blogger and freelancer.

My method may not suit everyone out there, and that’s completely fine. Instead, I hope it inspires and encourages you to think about your own creative process.

Having a creative process is a way of being able to craft the best content possible. It contains various steps that you have to take to get to a finished product.

Without a process, creating content is a lot harder than it needs to be. You lose your message, your voice and your path.

You might think that creating a blog post involves the same process and that’s sort of true. It involves the same type of tasks, but their method will never be exactly the same.

So the series officially kicks off tomorrow. But today, I thought it’d be worth explaining why having a creative process is so useful in the first place.

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Yesterday marked my three year anniversary of being a blogger.

The past year has gone by SO quickly, right? I can't believe everything that's happened in the past twelve months, so much so that I've sort of flown past it. So today, I wanted to reflect and think about my growth so far.

I thought it would be interesting for my readers to see how I'm doing with my blog, online presence and freelance business. How much have I grown? Will freelancing ever become my full-time job? What's worked and what hasn't?

We’re about to dig in!

MY WEBSITE & BLOG

For those of you who don't know, the ABOH site started off as a lifestyle blog on Blogger. But last August, I migrated across to Squarespace (#bestdecisionever), and now this blog has turned into one that purely helps people build a fulfilling online presence and get a breakthrough with their blog, through tried and tested strategies that really work.

Then in February of this year, I released my first ever lead magnet - the 28-day Blogging Breakthrough challenge eBook. There'll be more on that later ;)

I've never shared my analytics on here before, but I wanted to show you a snapshot of what's happened over the past few months. Here's a screenshot from my Google Analytics comparing May (the orange line) with August (the blue line).

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A Branch of Holly turns 3 on September 5th - can you believe it? 

So since a lot has changed since I first hit publish in 2013, I thought I'd share with you the posts that you've loved the most over the past year.

At the end of the year, you can expect a review on what to expect from ABOH in 2017 and I've got some exciting things to share with you over the next few months - one of which I'm revealing in today's #BloggingBreakthrough magazine!

Blogging, social media, career, productivity and motivation have all taken centre stage so far this year with a main focus on sharing my experience and strategies to help others. And since I achieved one of my end-of-year goals in July, it's safe to say that this has been a positive decision.

So with thanks to you, my wonderful readers, here are the 20 posts that you've read and loved the most over the past year, in no particular order. Enjoy!

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Self-care isn’t selfish or idealist. It isn’t about comparing yourself to others or showing off. It’s more about belief, acceptance, and accountability for who you are. 

Think about the love you have for your other half, your parents, your child or even a friend. That love is unconditional. It’s like no other. You can feel it.

Then let me ask you this - do you love yourself unconditionally? 

It’s a deep question, I know. But as much as we like the idea of self-love, we can’t seem to practice it in our own lives. Sure, we’re great at being a shoulder to cry on when a friend needs lifting up, encouraging our other half when they’re going through a really tough time and celebrating big milestones with our loved ones. 

But what about your achievements or problems or good times? Don’t they deserve celebrating too?

Self-love is a fundamental factor in building a fulfilling, happy and successful life.

Think about what would change in your life if you started to appreciate yourself a little bit more. Would you carry on feeling guilty about not finishing your to-do list? No. Would you feel bad about messing something up? No. Would you be scared of failure? No.

But the big brick wall that’s up ahead of us at this point has a big sign written on it that says “you’re not good enough.” I want to be better at this. I want to do better at that. We might not think it all the time, but it always seems to be there in the back of our minds.

So when you get to that wall, why not remove ‘not’ and change the phrase to “you’re good enough”.

You. Are. Good. Enough.

Would that be too difficult for you to say?

Would you be able to accept everything about yourself and your life as it is, without feeling the need to change anything?

This is a fairly contradictory thing to say, especially since one thing I live my life is that there’s always room for improvement. And surely there’s nothing wrong with that, right?

Obviously it’s motivating. There’s room to learn more, so you want to learn more and be better. But what happens when you get to another obstacle? What happens when you get to that space between success and failure where you feel like giving up?

If you tell yourself you can’t do something, the likelihood is you won’t do it. You yourself are a barrier. You’re the obstacle you need to get past. It’s like if you don’t like something about your body - your nose, your teeth or the way your feet are shaped. You feel bad about those things so you don’t do anything about them and continue to dislike yourself.

Instead, why not accept those flaws? Why not accept your weird feed, your funny nose or your crooked teeth? What if you loved everything about yourself, including your imperfections? And the characteristics that make you who you are?

Self-love means you’re more likely to be loving towards yourself in various ways - ways that you probably feel guilty for doing right now. You’ll be more likely to give yourself a break, take a long walk in the sunshine, make yourself some delicious healthy meals, tell yourself that you’re good enough.

Change is inevitable. But what you have to decide is whether you’re ready to accept the change in a loving way - so are you?

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Let’s create a scenario, shall we?

I’m sat with you in your favourite coffee shop and we’re enjoying our favourite drink of choice (tea for me!) You’re telling me how you’re feeling frustrated with your blog, and I ask if you can pinpoint the thing that you’re struggling with the most.

What would your answer be?

Think about it. Right now.

What to focus on?

How to stand out?

Or what about time?

Ah, time. Yes. A problem that ALL bloggers struggle with.

Whether you’re new to the blogging game, your enjoy blogging as a hobby, you blog alongside your full-time job or you want to turn your blog into your main money-making gig, finding the time to fit everything in is a constant challenge.

Juggling a very busy life myself, I’m always struggling with how to be productive on a limited timescale. With even more on my plate now than ever, I’ve had to find some ways to conquer this challenge and I think I’m onto a winner.

So from my experiences, what follows is a collection of some ideas and strategies I’ve tried that have helped me accomplish a lot more in less time. I really hope you can take something away from this. Let’s go!

Just before we begin, I’ve created a checklist of tools I use everyday that seriously help increase my productivity. Click the button below and it’s yours for free!

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Krista is a WordPress developer and blog strategist who helps female creatives elevate their business, increase conversions, and boost engagement through crafting strategic blogs. She uses personalised, goal-driven strategies to set her clients apart from the competition and highlight their unique offerings.

I'm a huge fan of Krista so was thrilled when she wanted to take part in the career series. Hope you enjoy the interview!

DID YOU ALWAYS WANT TO GO INTO YOUR CHOSEN CAREER?

Definitely not. I didn’t even know what software or web development was until I was a sophomore in college. My husband was a computer science major and started coming home from class all excited about the things he’d learned. In return, he’d get completely blank stares.

In order to get a better understanding of what he did, I took an introductory class on computer programming. I was in love from day one and ended up getting two degrees in the field.

After a couple years working in software development I transferred to web development. Once I discovered the online space shortly after that, I knew that’s where I wanted to end up.

WHEN DID YOU START TO DEVELOP A PASSION FOR WHAT YOU CURRENTLY DO?

Honestly, the very first time code was explained to me, I was in love. I’ve always enjoyed math and logical thinking and being able to combine that with making something beautiful and functional is perfection to me.

WHAT WERE YOU LIKE AT SCHOOL? DID YOU ENJOY IT? WHAT WERE YOUR FAVOURITE SUBJECTS?

I was an extremely dedicated student. I didn’t say much and I wasn’t a teacher’s pet, but I enjoyed learning and (usually) loved doing homework assignments - yep, total nerd. My favourite subjects were math and band. In my senior year in college I had one quarter where my classes were Calculus 1, Calculus 2, Advanced Placement Statistics, and band. Yikes.

 

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Are you struggling to grow your Instagram community right now?

I feel you.

 

Instagram is a really exciting and frustrating platform to get to know a bit better. This popular photo-sharing app (that now has even more monthly users than Twitter), is simple, fun and growing every single day.

But whilst it's a really exciting tool to use to market your blog or business, there have also been new features introduced lately that a lot of people aren't a fan of. The new business profiles and analytics? Tick. The fact that posts are now in a new algorithm-style feed instead of chronological? Not so cool.

But even though these new changes have come into effect, I still love Instagram and if you're reading this right now, I'm guessing you are too. Lately though, I've found myself stuck on the same number for ages, and I've not seen the results I wanted. So I implemented a strategy - a simple strategy that I've been using to try and grow my Instagram community.

So whether you're a blogger running your own race, a social media freelancer or you manage social media on behalf of a company, read on to find out the best tactics I've using for A Branch of Holly that could help you build the Instagram community you want and deserve.

IS INSTAGRAM REALLY THAT IMPORTANT?

Before we dive in, I thought it'd be great for us to get up to speed with why Instagram is one of the most popular social media platforms out there. Here are some of the latest facts I've picked up:

• Instagram now has more than 500 million active users.
• Over 60% of users log in daily, which makes it the second most engaged network after Facebook 
• It clocks up 3.5 billion likes every day
• Around 80 million photos are shared to the app on an average day
• When Instagram introduced videos, more than 5 million were shared in 24 hours

BUT WHAT ABOUT THE NEW FEATURES?

Let's start off with the most exciting one...

 

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If I told you there were over 120 different social networks, what would you say? Or that email marketing is one of the best (and easiest) ways to get directly in front of your target audience? Or that you need to be using video, because it’s six times more effective than anything else?

I know what you’re thinking.

But Holly, I don’t have time to start making videos!

I don’t have a clue which social platforms I should be focusing on.

Where would I even start with managing and email list for my website?

You’re in luck, friend.

Something I love to do is help other people. Over the past few days, I’ve helped my brother apply for a job, my auntie unsubscribe from email notifications and today, I want to help you.

Recently, I got the chance to attend a seminar all about digital marketing, hosted by a business that the company I work for have strong connections with. I picked up some fantastic blogging, social media and website tips that I’m sharing with you all here in this blog post. So sit back and take note - this is how to get results with your marketing efforts for the rest of 2016.

WHY YOU NEED TO THINK ‘DIGITAL MARKETING’

It’s nothing new that we’re living in the online world. If anything, it’s just getting bigger and bigger everyday. Jobs are being created, websites are being introduced and lots of business promote and sell purely on the web.

You don’t want to be digitally directionless.

Without knowledge of the digital world, you can never be truly successful. You need to know how to use online platforms to be suit your brand so you can get in front of your target audience and build a readership or customer base.

You know how online influencers talk about consistency? Yeah - I bet you’ve read that somewhere in a blog post before. It’s so important, not just in how often you post content to your blog, but in all the platforms that you’re active one. You’ve got to be integrated with everything. Your website, your social channels, making sure your website is responsive - you want people to find one of your channels online and know they’ve found the right person.

Thinking in terms of digital marketing as a whole also makes it a lot easier for you to set strategic goals. Once everything is integrated, your goals can then reflect this. Want to increase your blog traffic? That’s a very vague goal? Want to increase your blog traffic through Pinterest? That’s a lot more achievable. 

So that’s the why - let’s get onto the how. Starting with your little hub.

 

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This is a guest post written by Ksenia from The Life Degree.

Perhaps you’re reading this after a nice start to the day...

Sun shining, coffee in hand, to-do list successfully broken into. Or perhaps not, because let’s face it, adult life can be hard. For many, health, financial security and domestic stability are serious struggles.

But if, like me, you are fortunate to be securely employed and healthy, an altogether different problem can arise: the fear of falling behind.

Not having the jobs we want, the possessions we see others buying, the quality relationships we crave and the experiences which we think will let us live life to the full.

In some form, the fear of not fulfilling our potential is immense. Trips we haven’t been on, jobs we haven’t landed, jeans we don’t fit into or friends we don’t see anymore.

Simultaneously, we carry both the weight of exhaustion and underachievement, wondering “why me?” or “what’s the point?". Waiting for the feeling to pass, we remedy it all with ready meals and box sets or head out for nights of drinks. When the feeling recedes, we can carry on as if it never happened - until the next cycle.

Yet truth be told, what we have in our lives is infinitely so much more than so many others ever get.

Despite 24/7 news feeds, we forget as quickly as we’re reminded. Did you know that globally, half the population lives on less than £2 a day? Earning £20,000 a year puts you in the top 5% of richest people in the world! Here in the UK, food banks gave out over a million rations of emergency three day supplies last year. And if you think about it, you could probably count a number of people facing greater hardships to you in nearby streets - perhaps fighting illness, loneliness or the cold.

Recently, during a bout of feeling unmotivated, I happened to run past a school. It was lunchtime; children were running and playing - energetic, carefree. It struck me: we were all little once, with so few worries and so many options. When did we build all the barriers we see surrounding us?

When did we start thinking so much more than doing?

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This is a guest post written by Simon Alexander.

What makes a good and successful Youtube channel?  Don’t ask me - that's not really why I’m doing it to be honest. Well, it wasn’t when I started.  Almost a full 5 months in, let me Share My Year with you.

On January 1st 2016, I decided to launch a Youtube channel - a kind of spur of the moment/New Years resolution. To be fair, it was probably late in 2015 when I decided, but it was this year when I finally plucked put the courage to start chatting to a camera.

Last year was one hell of a busy year for me with lots of exciting things that I will fondly remember. Sadly, very little of it is logged for future consumption by anything other than just a simple photo, and I thought that maybe Youtube might be a good way to change this.  

I had two goals initially - to log my activities of 2016 so that I could reminisce in my golden years, and also to improve my understanding of film-making and learn the intricacies of promoting on YouTube.

I’m one of those people who likes to learn and always asks questions. I also work in digital marking and all things digital and social interest me, so this was a perfect match. So this was a great excuse to watch hours of footage on Youtube!  I quickly found a number of channels that I really enjoyed and I subscribed for inspiration and entertainment.  I enjoy watching Casey Neistat’s daily vlog, it’s a bit like tuning in to your favourite TV show.

On that Friday afternoon in January, I set up my old digital camera on a pile of books and spoke continuously for 2 minutes and 46 seconds.  No edits.  No special effects.  Now clearly this wasn’t the best video in the history of Youtube, but it provides an excellent yard stick for me now as to how much I have learned so far.  

That video to date has had 86 views. 

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You have more control than you think!

Do you have a day job that annoys you and gets in the way of your side hustle? The next time you have a mean case of the Sunday-night grumpies or daydream about how you will tell your boss you quit, you should remind yourself that you can make the most of your situation.

No, this doesn’t mean to tolerate a bad job while letting your dreams pass you by. Instead, I’m talking about figuring out how you can align your day job with your hopes, dreams and goals so that your job propels you forward instead of holding you back. 

 

Figuring Out Your Professional Goals: Where Do You Want to Go? 

To make the most of where you are, you need to figure out where you want to go. List out your professional goals. They can be huge, seemingly small, or anything in between. Some of you may already know what you want to do. You’ll want to list out your goals and think about the different steps that it will take you to get there.

For example, let’s say your goal is to run a social media management company. You might break that down to include learning more about different social media platforms, search engine optimisation, graphics, and developing social media strategies.

Or, instead of knowing with certainty what your goals are, you may be dancing at the edges or not really know what you want. It’s alright if you don’t have huge, overarching goals or even a specific next job in mind. Just start brainstorming. 

Your list of professional goals could include:

1) Become a Photoshop pro
2) Start a marketing consulting business
3) Give a TED talk
4) Receive a bonus this year at work
5) Find a mentor
6) Get more responsibility working with clients at work
7) Develop an epic freebie for your blog
8) Volunteer with a nonprofit.

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This is a guest post written by Rhianne from Little Novelist.

One thing we always need is a little help from other people.

When I first started blogging I didn’t know what I was doing or what it would amount to, but I knew it was something I loved to do. Blogging is a tough gig and whether you do it for passion or profit, there are always those times where it gets too much and we feel the burnout. 

I have gone and gotten some advice from some superstar people and accumulated it into one place for you all. Everyone needs a little encouragement and whether you’re just starting out or you want to up your blogging just that little bit more, these bits of advice might just be the things to help you. 

Let’s start with some basics! I went onto Facebook and asked what advice have you been given or would give to other bloggers who asked for advice. These were the best of the bunch...

Remember you do not need to blog everyday. Find a schedule that works for you. 

Niche down, of course you might be the lover of many things, just make sure you’re the master of one before you attempt another. 

Be Passionate. If you don’t truly love your work then it’ll show and the readers won’t come back time and time again to read it. 

If it’s not something you would say out loud do not write and publish it. 

Consistency is so important. People need to know when you’ll be posting so they’ll want to come back to your website. Even planning your posts in advance can help with this. 

Find a schedule that works for you. Too much can lead to burnout and too little can lead to boredum. Make sure there is the right in between

Brett Michael Orr: blog and Twitter @brettmichaelorr

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This is a guest post written by Amy from Amy Howard Social.

Don't we all want more Pinterest followers? Of course we do!

Believe it or not, there is a magical method to creating Pinterest boards that are optimised for gaining followers. The secret is, STOP pinning for yourself and START pinning content that your TARGET MARKET will love!

You need to be very strategic in what pins you pin and what boards you create. Today I am going to share my Top 10 Must Have Pinterest Boards for Gaining New Followers.

#1 | {Brand Boards} are a no-brainer, an absolute must, and totally necessary for your Pinterest account. Always place these boards as the first boards that you have.

Also, you should always pin YOUR BRAND PINS onto as many of your personal boards as possible. And for the love of sweet tea, please pin your brand pins onto group boards that you are a part of. Your brand is your baby, show it off first!

#2 | {Food & Drink} is the most popular category for both men and women on Pinterest.

Now, I am not talking about pinning your sweet mama's recipe of potato salad that everyone already knows how to make. Pin food and drink images that are appealing to look at, that you may never even make. Pinners are attracted to pretty images and will repin pretty food and drink images. Personally, I combined food + drinks together onto one board.

#3 |  {Home Décor} boards should be full of inspirational interiors.

Again, pinners want to see gorgeous images and will be attracted to pins that allow them to escape reality. Let's stay away from the pins that actually look like our homes, instead pin images that your target market wants their home to look like. Trust me, home décor images get A LOT of repins. You can take a peek at how I separated my home décor boards by interiors here.

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This is guest post written by Tash from The Bottom Step.

Firstly, it’s an absolute honour to have the opportunity to guest post for Holly!

This is one of the first blogs I found and loved. I think she has a real talent for posting great content and ensuring her readers are part of the conversation. So thank you again, Holly!

I’m Tash and I started blogging earlier this year. Whilst I haven't been at it for long, I do think there are some key lessons I have learnt on my journey so far.

I initially started writing as a way to hold myself accountable for tasks and goals I set myself, as I often found that I would set them and rarely achieve them fully. However, within the first few weeks of having my blog I found that I was becoming 100% more productive in all aspects of my life.

As I began to share these stories I started receiving great feedback from friends and family, and soon realised I was organically building engagement. This then gave me the motivation and the inspiration to build my little corner of the internet into something greater, but the question is ... How?

I wanted to focus today specifically on engagement and how to use this to grow your social media presence and in turn your blog audience.

#1 | Be Consistent

You may have already seen this title in 100 other blogs - talking about being consistent with your amazing content and your readership will grow. However, what many of them neglect to talk about is being consistent on social media in general.

Before blogging I had never really been a big fan of Twitter; however within a few days, I soon realised its benefit and the wealth of knowledge it offers.

But it’s so hard to be on it all the time and remembering to post 3/5 times per day on a regular basis - enter Buffer!

Buffer has become my new best friend. If you haven't heard of it, it’s a scheduling tool designed specifically for use with Twitter. It allows you to pre-write 10-100’s of Tweets in advance and schedule them to go live at set times.

This completely transformed my social media reach, gaining me engaged and loyal Twitter followers EVERYDAY! Now I don't have 1000’s, but the ones I have stay! They aren't ghost followers, they are people who are following me, because I post content that is relevant to them CONSISTENTLY!

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This is a guest post written by Cydney from The Good Life.

I've got a lot to thank for blogging.

Although it's been a turbulent journey, since the new year - when I started to really take pride in my content, got inspired and have so far managed to stick to it - I've already had so many opportunities open up for me. 

It helps that I've surrounded myself with like-minded bloggers and have also gained the confidence from running a couple of small time businesses.

But both the online and offline skills that I've gained through managing a blog has landed me a Creative Assistant role at a local company. So I'm living proof that your blog can lend a hand in getting you your dream job.

I have to pinch myself sometimes at how lucky I am to have landed this role. The company saw potential in me and didn't want to pigeonhole me as I have creative skills. I feel like such an entrepreneur as I literally handed them my ideal job description, and they hired me based on that. We agreed a real salary and contract, and I have now been there for just over two months.

This is a huge deal for me as I'm a young parent, have no qualifications nor a creative degree, and left college with barely a letter accredited to my name. I've just worked hard on personal development, networked and sought new challenges. I value my skills and my worth, and took pride in my hobby, treating my blog like a business and portfolio of my talent.

So, considering my journey and my success, I want to share the truly valuable skills that will make your CV shine and hopefully get you a step closer to where you actually want to be.

#1 | Online Marketing

So I'm guessing if you have a blog, you've probably got a Twitter profile, Bloglovin' page, Instagram account and maybe a Facebook page to go with it. If you're like me, you've probably got well over 500 pins on Pinterest too and actively use Snapchat, so you're already doing better than half the companies out there!

You can write a post, and half the success of a blog is knowing how to promote yourself and engage on social media, and you're already doing that! You're attracting like-minded people and showing off your passions and lifestyle in an appealing way.

Well hi, this is what every company/brand needs to be doing, and you're already a PRO.

Any company in the 21st century should understand the importance and potential of social media, and because you can do this with your eyes half shut, you can bring a huge amount of value on this basis.

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