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Chisom Winifred: Want To Be An Excellent Blogger? These Tips Are Here For You

Would you like to start a successful blogging career? Reading broadens your horizon. Read the works of other writers, read articles, newspapers, magazines, self-help books, and fiction books. Just read! If you read regularly, you would always have things to write about.

When most people start blogging, they get excited, announce it on their Instagram pages, add ‘blogger’ to their bios, and then – almost predictably – after a while, their creativity and consistency fade away, and drop drastically.

What has helped me stay consistent over the years, as a blogger, is that I consider blogging as a part of my legacy. My content, words, and ideas are forever on the web and anyone who searches my name would get a feel of the gift God gave me.

If you are about to start blogging or if you’re already a blogger, here are some tips that have helped me to creatively solve the problems I’ve faced:

Deal with your bias

We’re all biased in one way or the other. When it comes to subjects and issues, we always have our opinions based on our experience or on what we think is right, and most times, we are wrong about those opinions. Dealing with your bias when it comes to issues and topics you blog about helps you present your articles in a clear, wholesome way, devoid of personal judgment. Deal with your bias by doing adequate research before you write, present all your thoughts in your articles and give different perspectives on the matter. It shows your readers you are not a narrow-minded person and they are able to draw their own conclusions without you forcing your own opinions on them.

Also, learn to think clearly before writing. Analyze and understand ideas and arguments before expressing them. Thinking clearly makes you bold enough to write with assertion. It also helps you question if what you are writing is the truth or if it’s influenced by your biases.

Always research your blogging niche

Read a lot, listen to people, watch movies, and open your mind to learn from different sources. You cannot pour from an empty cup. Doing adequate research on topics you choose to write about arms you with the knowledge you need to pen down a good piece.

Get an editor

Getting an editor is very important. Imagine a pencil without an eraser. An editor not only serves to grammatically correct your work but also plays the role of a gatekeeper before your work is shared with the public. Having an unbiased mind go through your articles and give you honest and constructive criticism makes you a better writer and that way, you churn out awesome essays every time you write. A common problem most beginners face is the inability to afford an editor at the early stages of their careers, mostly because of financial constraints. What you can do is think of the other skills you have that the editor can benefit from and offer that in place of money. Since you can write, suggest ghostwriting for your editor in exchange for him/her editing your blog posts.

Planning

Always plan ahead. Create a monthly/quarterly content calendar for your blog. It helps you stay consistent and gives you plenty of time to research your topics before you write about them.

Read

Reading broadens your horizon. Read the works of other writers, read articles, newspapers, magazines, self-help books, and fiction books. Just read! If you read regularly, you would always have things to write about.

Tell your story

It’s advisable to always put an element of yourself in your stories. Tell your story in a way that only you can. Don’t fall under the pressure of trying to sound like someone else because you think that person is gaining more traction. You can never be excellent at copying someone, so learn to be the best version of yourself.

Be ready to deal with writer’s block

Writer’s block happens to the best of us. Most times, it is your brain trying to tell you that it’s time for a break. Whenever I deal with blocks, I try to relax. Breathe and think about why you are unable to write at that point. You can also write about the block, and what you’re feeling, and share it. That is solid content on its own. If you have a block about a certain area you are trying to write on, try writing about something that is entirely new to you.

Get an accountability partner

What happens when you don’t publish a post as you promised yourself you would? Nothing? Too bad. That is the beginning of the end of your blog. You need someone to keep you accountable. You can get your parents to help by sharing your dream with them, they’ll keep you on your toes.

Blogging is not as easy as most people think, it can be draining and often discouraging when it doesn’t pay the returns you’d like immediately. See blogging as an extension of yourself, a hobby you enjoy doing, and would continue to do even when you have zero readers. Think about it as your legacy, this would keep you going when no one is clapping for you.

I hope you found these tips helpful. Happy blogging!

Take a look at other related interviews we’ve had in the past:

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HOW SIKEMI IFEDERU TRANSFORMED HER LITTLE TRAVEL BLOG INTO A TRAVEL COMPANY

There has always been a stereotype that black people (specifically Africans) don’t like to travel – but thankfully, with the increase in income and education, the rise of social media, and a generation of tech-savvy millennials, all that’s definitely changing.

One of the people promoting travel culture among black people – specifically young Africans – is Sikemi Ifederu with her company, Tambollo.

Originally created as a travel blog for Sikemi to share her experiences from around the world, Tambollo has morphed into a travel company with the aim of inspiring young Africans to travel more and immerse themselves in new cultures – through personalized trips and travel testimonials.

Speaking on her website about the platform and why she created it, Sikemi said:

“Tambollo is a platform where travellers like myself can share their experiences [and book trips].

It is also to encourage young people to travel more, learn about the world, meet people that will challenge them and in the process learn more about themselves.”

Sikemi’s ultimate goal is to expose and encourage people to appreciate the various cultures and destinations around the world rather than limiting themselves to the familiar.

 

Source: Konbini.com

 

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“IF SOMEONE TOLD ME FIVE YEARS AGO THAT I WOULD BE RUNNING A BLOG I WOULD HAVE LAUGHED IT OFF” – AMAKA BENSON

Amaka Benson is an energy economist, mummy-blogger and author of recently launched children’s cookbook Micah’s Meals. She tells NIKE SOTADE how she ventured into full-time blogging, which has recorded a phenomenal success within the SHORT time she started, essence of her new book and more

Background

My name is Amaka Benson. I am an energy economist, mummy-blogger and more recently author of Micah’s Meals. I have a wonderful, loving and supportive husband, Yomi. We have been blessed with two beautiful children, Micah and Eliana. Our son Micah, is three years old, a strong-willed but sensitive little foodie. Our daughter Eliana, is eight months old and she is a very happy and gentle baby. I hold a first degree in Chemical Engineering from the University College London and a M.Sc. in Energy Studies with a specialisation in Energy Economics at the Centre for Energy, Petroleum and Mineral Law and Policy. In 2014, I started the lifestyle and parenting blog, Maky’s Corner and I recently published my first baby/toddler cookbook, Micah’s Meals.

Leaving the Oil and Gas Sector to go into blogging 

The decision to become a full time blogger didn’t happen overnight, I moved to a new country and we were expecting a baby soon after. It was a high risk pregnancy so I wasn’t able to return to work immediately. At the same time, I was working on publishing my first book, Micah’s Meals. The truth is I never compare my career as an energy economist to blogging and writing. I am thankful because I never approached blogging as a “career” or a means to make money. I simply wanted to share my story, but in a short period of time, my brand grew immensely. My children don’t see me going to an office everyday, but my son knows there are different kinds of jobs – I have an office at home, which I work from and I try to be a strong role model for my children as well as show them that unconventional work can also be meaningful.

I make it a point to stay up-to-date in my field, in case I decide I want to return to full time employment. It also helps that my husband is in the same industry – it makes for insightful work/dinnertime conversations. And, as time permits, I still seek out opportunities to consult on projects in my area of expertise.

Why Blogging

If someone told me five years ago that I would be running a blog very much centered on faith, pregnancy, motherhood and family, I would have laughed it off but becoming a mother, especially after experiencing difficulties, drastically changed my perspective on so many things. The truth is, I started blogging because I wanted to share my pregnancy testimony and I decided that a personal blog would be the best platform to do so.

My Target Audience

I don’t focus on a “target audience” – my blog, my story, my experiences are for everyone, regardless of age or sex. Having said that, I’m especially strong with women aged 18 – 34.

I started my blog with no expectations of a large readership, if any but the support has been overwhelmingly positive! In the first couple of months we already had over 300,000 views on the site. I feel so blessed that so many women open up to me and share their stories and testimonies. I connect with amazing women from all walks of life and have discovered a new passion in life.

Large Social media audience

I am blessed because I have been able to build my audience organically by doing the things I already do without focused intentions. By doing the things I love that come NATURALLY to me, it is humbling to know that I have been able to enrich and add value to my audience.

Micah’s Meal

Micah’s Meals is a weaning guide and recipe book for babies, toddlers and beyond. It is more than a cookbook; it is the quintessential guide to a baby’s IMPORTANT first years of feeding. From the introduction of solid foods at 6 months, Micah’s Meals provides information on taste, texture and what foods to avoid in order to help make the transition to family meals easier for babies and toddlers.

I personally think every mum is busy but Micah’s Meals is not just for mothers. It is for parents and caregivers too. To make things simpler for parents, Micah’s Meals also includes weekly menu plans and tips for cooking in bulk, so you don’t have to spend hours everyday cooking. With the menu plans as a guide, people can make dishes in batches and store a variety of nutritious, tasty meals. Micah’s Meals is an invaluable guide that is suitable for both the novice and experienced cook, it is the perfect addition to every home.

Challenges of Parenting for the 21st Century Mother & How I balance it all 

The Bible says, “For everything there is a season, a time for every activity under heaven.” So for me, juggling parenting with my career is learning about how best to manage my time and the opportunities God provides and blesses me with.

 

I need to balance quite a few roles but the roles I consider most IMPORTANT in my life are my roles as a wife and mother, especially the role of raising our kids to be wholesome and well rounded in their vital formative years. I try to be superwoman some days but I am honestly still learning to “balance” my ambition with my roles and responsibilities as a wife and mother. Ultimately I am a work in progress, subject to continual reflection and reassessment.

Meet Maky Benson

I believe in loving myself for who I am, keeping an open mind to the rest of the world. Not letting the noise of other people’s opinions drown out my inner voice. I believe in not worrying about things I can’t change, enjoying the little things in life, never giving up hope, trying to be the best I can be at everything and living without regrets. More IMPORTANTLY, having the courage to follow my heart and intuition.

My Faith

My faith has been a constant in my life for as long as I can remember – through school and into adulthood, though there have been times along the way where I have drifted and needed to re-align myself with God and rededicate myself to him.

Life has taught me that sometimes, you have to grow into your passion, it’s not something you are necessarily born with – sometimes you have to cultivate, curate, and discover what it is that makes you tick. It’s one of the reasons I find doing things so incredibly IMPORTANT; discovery, skill and mastery are as essential to happiness as many other things.

What have been the challenges of breaking into the blogging world?

The biggest challenge I faced was finding and starting a niche – when I started blogging as a new mum in 2014, there weren’t a lot of mummy bloggers. I created a platform to make women comfortable to discuss their setbacks, triumphs and the everyday joys that redefine their notions of motherhood. As a result, I got a lot of comments like “what is she going to tell us about motherhood that we don’t know” or some people weren’t comfortable with me being so open about my experiences and challenges. Through it all, these challenges have helped me grow into the person I am today and I thank God I’m able to keep doing what I love regardless of the trials I may face.

How I relax

I love to do a couple of things. Listening to gospel music and reflecting on life is very relaxing to for me. I also love reading motivational and inspirational books – for my Christian life, family, marriage and parenting. Other times I love going to the spa, getting facials, getting my hair done and so on. Things that make me feel and look good.

What I want to be remembered for

How I want to be remembered? I want to be remembered as the woman who gave her all. Giving less than 100 per cent effort is not an option for me. I give my all in everything I do – you only get one chance at life, and I’m going to make the most of it. I want to be remembered as the woman who inspired others to reach their goals – I hope that’s the mark I leave on the world. I want to be remembered as the woman who never lost her faith. I’m a very positive by NATURE, and I think a big part of that is knowing that there’re things beyond my control and God has always got a plan for me. If I didn’t have that to hold on to, I don’t know where I would have been. I want to be remembered as the woman whose heart was full of love. I want to be remembered as the woman who lived with no regrets. Obviously, living without regrets doesn’t mean I never messed up or made mistakes, it just means that in those times I learned something. I also don’t want to get to the end of my life and wish I had done more with it – I want to live an extraordinary life. I want to be remembered as a wonderful mother and wife.

Finally, I would like to be remembered as someone who made a difference in the world, who accomplished her dreams, pleased God, and did what God created me to do on this earth.

 

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#INTERVIEW| “LEARNING IS EQUIVALENT TO GROWING”- OLORISUPERGIRL

Olorisupergal remains one of the relevant and trend setting blogs among the multitudes of blogs currently running in Nigeria. Tosin Ajibade the founder of OSG is a dynamic woman whose love and passion for writing has led her to be among the highly respected bloggers in Nigeria. In this interview with Women of Rubies, she sheds light on her passion, her driving force and future goals.

Growing Up
Growing up for me was just like a regular average child. I had a strict dad who never seized to make me forget that the fear of a Nigerian father is the beginning of wisdom. I can categorically say that is why I love writing. My Dad would make us watch news even at out tender ages and write whatever you got from them. Back then, I had few friends because of my Dad, and that answers why I still have few friends. Obedience, sharing, patience, reading, writing was instilled in me.

Why I Went Into Blogging
It was purely passion. It started as a hobby before it grew into something a lot more serious. I really love to write. I started the blog with my personal contents and articles. I just thought to have my articles kept online and not to share them. It was more like my story book; whenever I write about anything, I just have them saved online. Well, as at then, social media was not what it is now.

My Driving Force
My driving force was and still remains the passion to write; then determination and most importantly focus as the experiences have been challenging. I have always told myself how important it is to stay focused despite all distractions.

Making Money from the Blog
Starting out was quite difficult. I have always known no good thing comes easy. At the initial stage, it wasn’t about the profit since I only wanted my articles stored online but as time went on I realized I could earn a living from it. When I finally made up my mind on doing business with my blog, getting advertise on the blog was not easy at all. I literally struggled for a long time but after those few years, things began to take shape.

The Greatest Lesson I’ve Learned in Six Years
For me, learning is equivalent to growing. I can’t say one lesson is greater than the other, for all I have learned, the values are equal. I have learned so many things in the past six years and I am still learning. Life itself is about learning, growing and getting better.

How I Built A Formidable Blog
It takes a lot of courage, focus and consistency to build a formidable blog lest you get knocked out. Managing a blog/website, creating the right content, driving traffic to the blog/website, pushing your brand out there isn’t easy. Since we give to receive, when we post contents out there, we expect comments and reactions. Anyways, it has been tough and with the competitions in the industry, nobody wants to be the dullard so we keep pushing with hard works.

Next Level for the Olori Supergal Brand
For the Olorisupergal brand, we are working on the second edition of the New Media Conference which is coming up very soon. The maiden edition held 27th May, 2015 at Terra Kulture with over 300 participants.

Also, we are working on the OSG Vitiligo campaign which is part of our CSR at Olorisupergal Limited. We realized a lot of campaigns focuses on awareness of all forms of cancers, rape, HIV/AIDS, STDs, etc which are really good but a few if not none talk about Vitiligo which is also an important campaign. We had the maiden edition last year June and created awareness about the skin disease on social media.

Challenges of Running OSG
First, the issue of internet services cannot be over emphasized. The networks sometimes can be very frustrating; you can have three different internet providers turned on with no signal at all. Secondly, you can run out of ideas for creating contents in a twinkle of an eye, and by that I mean creating fresh content and recreating old content. Also, merging trend follow-ups with the website schedules can be killing considering that you have to be on top of the game. Another thing is staffing. Many times people will say they would like to work and leave in few months/years after learning a few things. We are managing the hands we have and looking forward to employing more as the brand grows than what it is presently.

A Dynamic Woman of Rubies
Although I am worth more than rubies, but yes I remain dynamic, reflective, and object-oriented (which are the features of a ruby). I believe in hard work and I think that surpasses everything because in due time, the sweats will bring the smiles.
Final Words

For anybody in any field or line of business/industry, the key thing is to understand and appreciate your field. That someone else is getting it right doesn’t mean you can’t get it better.

From understanding, you can be able to tailor your own niche and discover your potentials and business strengths.
In summary, be yourself, surround yourself with good people, get viable mentors, find the balance between your work life and personal life, I had my own fair share of difficulty but I am proud to say I found a way to balance it.

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