3 Simple Ways To Make Readers Subscribe To Your List

You know growing your email list should be one of the top priorities when it comes to building your online business. If you didn't know that, oh my gosh where have you been!?!? It's time to start one my friend.

The easiest list building provider I would recommend to start with is mailchimp which is what I use and love. You get 2000 free subscribes before you start paying.. yadda yadda.. that's a post for another time!

ANYWAY, you can literally grow your list in a multitude of ways. Today I'm sharing 3 of those strategies with you in my very first podcast below.

(Sidenote: Ahhhhhh!!! My first podcast!!! Talk about exciting/nerve-wrecking/lots of sweating *cue monica* OH MY GOSH. Please hang with me as I work out the kinks, learn to be less awkward and  settle in. It won't take too long I'm sure.)

3 SIMPLE WAYS TO MAKE READERS SUBSCRIBE TO YOUR LIST

So after listening to those short and sharp tips I would love to hear what's one action point you're going to take away and implement into your blog and business today. Is it more promoting on social media? Being more diligent with following up when you've mentioned your influencers or are you going to give creating a few content upgrades a try?

At the end of the day, behind all of these list building tactics, nothing can replace adding genuine value to your readers lives. If you follow those principles, your business will grow rapidly and your list will grow substantially.

5 Ways To Get More Traffic Through Pinterest

I remember the days when you had to request to be invited to join Pinterest, when it was mainly all DIY & craft projects and there weren't that many pins circulating around so you would literally pin every post there was. Oh my how the times have changed!

Pinterest is an amazing tool you can utilize for your blog (if you didn't know that already!) The biggest attractor is the amount of traffic it can bring to your blog consistently. For me, Pinterest my third biggest traffic driver for my blog. I've only started using it properly for my business for less than 3 weeks and I have an inkling it will become number one traffic driver before the end of December. So if you yourself are interested in getting more traffic to your blog through Pinterest, here's how.


CREATE RELEVANT BOARDS

What is your blog topic? Social media. Recipes. Self love. Knitting sweaters for penguins. Okay maybe not sweaters for penguins (believe it or not they actually exist). The reason you want relevant board topics is so that people start to trust that you'll share content specifically around the topic they're interested in. Create a few key categories out of your topic. So for instance you have social media. You might want to have a board solely dedicated to Pinterest, and another solely to Periscope and maybe another to Twitter.

Bonus Tip! Don't forget to make your first board, your own board with all of your blog posts!


USE KEYWORDS

Millions of people are using Pinterest's search engine every single day. And they're using keywords to find the content - your content. I don't know how many times I have searched 'brunette balayage' to find exactly what I'm looking for - I still haven't had the guts to get it done yet! Use keywords in your pin descriptions. People will find your blog so much quicker when you add keywords! For example, if my blog theme is around food I may want to use cooking, baking, recipes, vegan, sugar-free, gluten-free etc in my descriptions. Doing this gets traffic to your blog life a mofo!

Bonus Tip! Add keywords into your board descriptions to give your pages that extra boost.


DESIGN ATTRACTIVE IMAGES

Pinterest users love bright and pretty vertical images with text. They're like flies to a cake! These types of images get repinned over and over and over again. The easiest way to create an image like this is to use PicMonkey, Canva, or for the more experienced, Photoshop. It's important to be consistent with your branding and colouring when doing this - otherwise it gets a little confusing.

Bonus Tip! In your down time go back through old posts and re-do them with pin-worthy images.


BE PICKY WITH YOUR PINS

This part is the least fun, because it means you're going to be deleting a whole lot of pins. Say whaaaaat? Yup, any pins with less than 5 repins have to go. Why? To put it simply: Pinterest rewards your account for having less crap. Yes, you literally get more repins by deleting most of your pins. I still don't fully understand this, but it really does work. If you're not totally convinced yet, give Sarah Titus' 9 Reasons You Should Be Deleting Your Pins a read. When you get some free time, trawl through your account and get deleting. You won't regret it!

Bonus Tip! After you have "trimmed" your account, try pin less than 30 high quality pins a day.

SET UP FOR A BUSINESS ACCOUNT

This is a fantastic way to get super valuable analytics data for your account. You get to see the people who are pinning from you, which boards they're spending most of their time in and what they're pinning.

Bonus Tip! While you're at it, set up for Rich Pins as well! Here's how to set up for Blogger and Wordpress.



Pinterest is definitely becoming my favourite method for marketing and getting more traffic, I can't wait to share further info and stats with you along the way. If you have any questions, leave a comment and I'll help you out. Till then, share with me..

What's your favourite way of bringing traffic to your blog?

Elise xo

25 Ways To Kick Bloggers Block In The Ass

At some point we all get a little burnt out from our blogs. Sometimes it's because we've gone too hard without taking a break, sometimes it's because we've run out of ideas and sometimes it's because we love blogging so much we don't want to stop!

I have been all three. And that's okay! It's not about what happens, it's about how you re-collect yourself afterwards! If you've found yourself experiencing bloggers block and are wanting to keep up the blogging momentum, use these 25 tips to jolt your creativity!

25 WAYS TO KICK BLOGGERS BLOCK IN THE ASS

1. Write a how-to post.
2. Write a letter to your younger self.
3. Re-write and improve upon one of your most popular posts.
4. Take stock & add your pictures.
5. Share something that scares you.
6. Write a letter to your future child(ren).
7. Start vlogging instead.
8. Create a new regular column or feature.
9. Create a character and write a story around them.
10. Start your bucket list.
11. Write about something you're insanely passionate about.
12. Set a timer for 10 minutes and just start writing!
13. Write a post about someone you idolise.
14. Make a list of your favourite blog posts.
15. Write about an upcoming event you're excited for.
16. Write a top 10 list of your favourite beauty products, dresses, bloggers etc.
17. Share a secret about yourself.
18. Interview a blogger you admire.
19. Just write 75 words.
20. Ask your best friends and family for ideas.
21. Write about what you were like as a child/teenager.
22. Tell a fiction story, fairytale etc.
23. Write about your favourite memory.
24. Tell us what you’re grateful for.
25. Never ever give up!

Are you going through bloggers block right now? How are you planning to kick it's ass?

xo Elise

2015 Goals & Plans

Doesn't 2015 feel like it's gonna be a year that puts out? Damn, it does! I hope you spent your New Years with people you adore - because you know what they say - what happens on NYE dictates how the rest of your year will go. No BS.

Now even if we promised we wouldn't buy into the resolution thing that comes along with the dawn of a new year, we still find ourselves quietly planning things we'd like to do. I'd like to share my non-resolution goals & plans with you. That cool? Awesome!

Blogging + Business

Get my butt back into blogging: I've felt so out of touch with blogging over the last 2-3 years. It's like being a uni student - you know what to do & how to do it, but you still procrastinate anyway. 2015 is the year I get back on it. Where's the proof you say? Just wrapped up my day of blog + business planning for the year. BOOM!

Stick to a post schedule: Friends, you gotta help me with this one. I aim to post 3x per week. Not too stressful to begin with and not too pitiful that everyone will condemn my widdle blog forever. You have full permission to kick my ass if I don't do it okay?

Collaborate more: The key is in collaboration, but moreso I just want to meet and hang with more like-minded bloggers and create some really awesome stuff together!

Build a community: This has been something I've been the most excited about. Getting to know you! It'll take time, but I swear I'm a keeper. I'll have your back in 'who did it' situations, make you chicken soup when you're sick - okay not make, but it's the gesture that counts! - and i'll patiently give you feedback from work via email on the thousands of online shopping items you want to purchase.

Increase number of email subscribers: 1000 is the goal baby!

Launch secret projects: One is set to launch this month! ;)

Life

Move to a bigger home: Scott and I are in a position where we're able to afford more space, and where we are right now we've outgrown. I'm thinking somewhere near the sea...

Get rid of anything I don't want or need: This is more about how much crap I've accumulated over the years. Crap I don't need, and some I don't even want, it's all excess, and no person needs to have this much. I'd much rather it go to a person who does need it and accumulate experiences & memories instead.

Become debt free: I don't have a lot of debt, but what I do have has been like a thorn in my side terrorising me in my deepest sleep for the past year. So I'm bringing it out into the light and tackling it bit by bit. I'll have it paid off within the year no sweat.

Buy only what I LOVE: This is going to be quite difficult. We all know a good deal when we see it, but for me I love bargain hunting. So when I see a great deal, I usually get it! But the thing is, I might not even need, like or want the item. Here begins the practise of making purchases only for what stands out to me and makes me go, "HOLY SHIITAKE MUSHROOM! I LOVE THAT!"

Build strong relationships with family & friends: This is the goal I'm most excited about. I'll tell you more later.

Visit to America with Scott: It's been Scott's dream since he was knee high to a grasshopper to visit the Americas. 2015 is the year we make that a reality for him. Bring on the Americation!

Philanthropy: I really want to start giving back. To begin with through regular donations, but eventually I'd really like to give my time. Volunteer at a chidren's hospital, raise a seeing eye dog for the Blind Foundation or help out at a soup kitchen over Christmas. *warm fuzzies*

Eat, eat, eat: Weird right? Shouldn't it be eat less? NO! I'm sick of eating sub-par meals that have no joie de vivre! I miss having an appetite for deliciousness, for gourmet, for pungent, for FLAVOUR. I want to eat real food instead of sticking to some kind of obnoxious meal plan that ensures I'll be healthy but miserable foreverrrr.


What are some of your goals? Are they the usual get fit, fall in love and make lots of money?  Or are they different, unusual, aligned to what you're really wanting? Tell me in the comments below!


xo Elise


Image from Sugar & Cloth

How to Survive Your First Bloggers Meet Up

Heart racing.
Temperature rising.
Palms sweating.
Convoluted thoughts about bolting.
"It could be a trap! A group massacre - like that couple on craigslist!"
Double slap to the face *Home Alone after-shave-scene style*
Self pep-talk.
Inhale.

At some point as a blogger you will need to slip on your big girl heels and walk the talk - meaning - step out of your virtual world and into the world of friendly, sociable réseautage (networking). It's not as intimidating as it sounds, as the result you get is making connections with other babes (& dudes) who are fanatical about the same weird things online as you are!

Needless to say, it can be gnaw-every-nail kinda nerve-wracking - especially when you think of the walk-in moment. I have actual panic attacks imagining the walk in. The close second is suddenly finding yourself alone, with no one to talk to pretending to look busy. Ugh, #girlproblems.

Image by Katerina Darling

Like for instance let's use today as an example. I attended my very first bloggers meet up (or as I should say #brunchclub) for a festive feast at Chuffed Coffee.

Created by Madi, Lizzy & Laura - who are three of the loveliest girls I've met - the brunch is an informal monthly meet up for bloggers to make new friends, drink coffee, chow down and swap blog tips & tricks.

As I entered the cafe - which instantly made me feel at home with it's country/panama feel to it - all three girls gave me a warm greeting without hesitation. I found a spot, nestled in and struck up a conversation with Kelsi who is the author of Katerina Darling.

As more and more people poured in, we found our place settings and began with a glass of champagne - naturally. The Christmas feast that followed was beyond words. The flavours, the freshness, the savoury & sweetness. As you can tell I'm not a food critic. But, if you want real wholesome food that most cafes don't serve anymore, you need to eat at Chuffed - like last month. I'm talking borderline better-than-Christmas-Day kind of food.

Image from Brunch Club

For those who are still trying to jump that hurdle of showing up to your first blogger event by yourself, here's 5 survival tips to make it easier on your sweet little cotton softs.

Get smart & rock in early: This is actually strategic action at it's finest. If you're early, you're usually one of the first there, which means you have ample opportunity to meet most people before it gets busy, secure a sitting post and start a conversation. If you show up fashionably late, it can be quite overwhelming walking in to a busy room full of people already partaking in deep conversation.

Snap yourself silly: You're at a bloggers event - probably the only place you have 100% clearance to whip out your phone, camera, ipad or laptop (kidding) and take snaps for a blog post you'll no doubt write about later *wink wink*. Try updating your social media in real time - it's a great distraction for when you're feeling a little awkward & don't know what to do with yourself.

Muster that courage, grrrl. Mingle! How else are you gonna meet other like-minded bloggers? Compliment those whose blogs you read often, find out about others you've just met. Learn about someones life, goals & wishes, crack jokes, find common ground - maybe someone else has a french bakery obsession. Be interested and you will be interesting.

Be a questions kid: Forget everything they taught you in school. Genuine unrelenting questions is how that courage gets channeled into action. When you're mingling, it's natural to talk shop and ask questions, but when you get stuck use these simple ice breakers. What's your blog about? How long have you been blogging? What made you want to start? What are your blog goals? Do you plan to monetize? What blogs do you read? You'll learn a lot about someone, but also start to form a slowly-but-surely friendship.

Also, wear something you wont sweat your butt off in. Just sayin..

Image from Brunch Club

At the end of the day, you've gotta push yourself out of your comfort zone. Yes, the initial anxiousness you feel beforehand could very well be worse than a first date - this is where you have permission to down a shot of your favourite spirit for a little liquid courage - but, it really is worth your while. You'll meet some amazing people with fresh, new and inspiring ideas like the ladies I met, and then you'll wonder why you even had a panic attack in the first place.

Exhale.

I wore this maxi, denim jacket & fedora (because Indiana Jones will always be cool).

xo Elise