Blogging has been a part of my life for quite a while now; my first official post went live in 2014 making this blog nearly 4 years old. Even I didn't think I've been going for that long! This year I decided to up my game & try to turn my hobby into something more.
I've only made small changes like purchasing a domain, a fresh layout & rebranding but I want to keep moving forward. I want to understand the blogging world more so here's a few aims I have for 2018 when it comes to ByBusby.
1) Move to Wordpress
My first big change I want to make is to convert from blogger over to Wordpress to give myself more freedom. This is probably going to be the biggest step I take because it's a lot of work but I know it'll be worth it in the long run.
I have been battling with the debate of Wordpress over blogger for a good while & to be quite honest I just didn't care. I didn't see any need to change from something I knew so well. Blogger isn't causing me any major issues & I know what I'm doing with it but on the other hand I know Wordpress opens a whole new world when it comes to being flexible.
I've been taking time out to research Wordpress so I can get a basic understanding. I really don't want to move over & be like what the hell do I do now so with the help of a few bloggers I've been reading & learning as much as I can.
I also am fully aware that even though migrating isn't impossible it's just not something I can do. I'm a complete stress head & a bit of a technophobe so I'm going to leave that up to professionals. Pipdig do an awesome migration service & I'm going to hand it over to them. I want it to be a smooth as possible & I know me trying to work it out will not be that!
*edit: I have made my first steps to moving over to Wordpress so potentially when you're reading this I'll have a fancy new blog*
*edit: I have made my first steps to moving over to Wordpress so potentially when you're reading this I'll have a fancy new blog*
2) Going self hosted
This comes hand in hand with moving over to Wordpress because I'll be heading over to Wordpress.org rather than .com. There doesn't seem any reason to stick with being hosted by the website if I want to take steps forward.
I spent years using blogger with .blogpost.co.uk & I finally purchased my own domain which I think was the right step. I feel happier with my blog & the next step is to go self hosted. It's kind of scary because it's brand new to me & what if I get stuck but I can only learn by taking this next step.
Luckily for me Pipdig are affiliated with siteground so if I use their migration service I will set up my hosting with them. It takes that decision of where to host out the window & I'm rather happy to not have to research all the different sites available.
It's a big step for someone who doesn't use blogging as an income because I'm investing money into this but it can only mean bigger & better things for ByBusby.
3) Get to grip with photography
Okay this isn't a big one for me because it's been a work in progress for a good while. I've invested in a good camera which gives me freedom to take quality photos & I've been gaining my own style over time.
What I do need to do is invest in my knowledge of photography because even though some photos (like these) turn out really good; shooting my content is the hardest part for me. I really want to try to learn more about my camera so I can turn off auto & adjust it to get a style I'm even happier with.
I aim to learn a bunch of this from research but I may even take a short course so I can really learn from someone hands on. I just think it'll be nice to expand my knowledge of something I'm passion about.
It may mean I have to reload all this new information over to Jacob so he can take my outfit photos more manually but it could also mean a new lens as a treat!
4) Monetise my blog
This is something that I need to really invest time in. I've been planning to really get to grips with earning money from blogging for way too long & I've never really put enough effort in. I can't complain that I'm over here with no sponsored content because I have gained a few campaigns may that be in the form of free items or payment but its all brand new to me.
I want to stop putting it off & invest some time into learning about how to monetise my blog & research the ways that suit me. Maybe one day I can be earning enough to full time with blogging but for now I just want to expand ByBusby's potential.
It's time to stop being scared; approach brands & to stop undervaluing myself & say "hey I do deserve payment for my time."
5) Get on top of my content
Content isn't something that I feel I need to improve on too much. I'm actually really happy with the content I've been creating since I've rebranded as ByBusby but I would like to get on top of my schedule.
Working full time means that blogging takes place on the weekends or evenings & sometimes I just can't be bothered. I am the sort of blogger right now who doesn't have a months worth of posts scheduled.
Right now I've got three posts scheduled & my schedule up till the new year planned out but that is so not the usual. I am much more a shoot, write & post kind of girl who is maybe a week ahead. That is what I want to change. I want to be more ahead with my schedule so I can take a break & release the stressful side of blogging.
I want to keep on creating based on what inspires me but also be a little bit more organised & prepared for those times when I really don't want to blog.
I could probably natter on for ages & have tonnes more things I want do but I also know the reality of the amount of time I can invest. I just want to make some key changes that will really take ByBusby to the next level; big or small. Hopefully this time next month they'll be a fresh look & my blog will on its way to bigger things.
Shelley xx
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