Q&A: You asked, I answered.

Hey there, dreamers! Thanks for taking the time to stop by my blog. I’m always excited to hear from you all, be it questions or comments.

So, here is a quick post in response to a few curious questions from @hannaj0y, that might help some of you who are hoping to start up your own blog too!

Q: Where do you get your inspirations/ideas for topics/posts?

It’s always good to keep your initial intention of why you personally want to start up a blog. That way, this vision will keep you on track and inspired whenever you are deciding between what you should cover and why.

For me, I started out from the love of photography. Instagram ’til today is still primarily my biggest platform for curating and sharing my photos, and my blog was started because I needed more space to expand the story behind a single photo. That’s how I decided that I wanted a lifestyle blog – a platform to share from topics ranging from my thoughts on particular beauty products, travel experiences, and food reviews. On a practical side, my posts nowadays run a lot on the sponsored / product review side of things though, which kind of pushes me to get my content out. But I’m also hoping to start up my organic posts too – the stuff I really want to share with you all about – particularly my USA and Europe travel posts. Also, let me know what other posts you would like me to share!

Everyone is different in what inspires you to write and to post about, and that’s what sets us all apart and makes us unique. And don’t worry, if you’re still not sure on what your blog is all about, you don’t have to define yourself from the get go. Take your time, see, write, share. You’ll figure it out soon enough.

Q: Also, how do you gain audiences for both blogging and Instagram?

The golden question to all of social media.

I’m actually hoping to one day run a seminar on this topic, to share what I’ve learnt works best in greater details. There are ways in which you can extend your reach, from content making, to target markets, to collaborations. However, as a general overview, keep asking yourself this – how can I get people to share what I share, how can I push into other circles so that they will know me, how do I make them fall in love with my feed from first sight, and to want to stay on?

Although numbers may sell, but there is integrity in the business as well. Don’t allow the number of likes or followers define how “good” your blog is because it should be a reflection of what you love and who you are. You don’t need half the world to approve your self-worth before you start believing that you’re made of something. You are worth however much you allow yourself. I much rather see my photos as a way to raise up topics across circles I would otherwise have never connected with, to share my personal emotions and experiences from time to time, or simply as a way to make your day.

Q: I’ve been wanting to re-do my Instagram, but I’m not sure where or how to start. Any advice/suggestions for both?

The questions that I always ask in my head to help define my initial vision are: “What is the difference between your Instagram and Facebook?”,  “What do you see your Instagram developing into?”, “What makes your feed different from the others?”, “Why would people want to follow, to read, to feel what you are trying to express?”

Like any business that you want to get yourself into, it’s always about finding that niche. And don’t worry, you don’t always have to have everything perfect from the start. I’ve changed my feed concept in its entirety at least 3 times. My advice would be to be patient but proactive at the same time – and keep pressing on for what you want. It’s just the ‘keeping at it’ part and the ‘why you do what you do’ that matters to yourself in the end.

If you are wanting to start a blog and think it’s a big commitment – I’m going to break it down to you, it is. If you are serious about anything in life, anything would be a commitment. But if it’s what drives you, you would do it anyway. So start.

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In closing, if you have any other questions or thoughts that you might like to share, feel free to add them in the comments section below and I’ll try my best to keep updating this post!

Hope to hear from you soon!

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