Know your worth 
Bloggers seem to undermine themselves so much when they really don't realise that they are worth so much more than they think! You're putting your time and effort into your writing, photography and social media posts and some people and brands may not appreciate how much time is spent perfecting your own personal space on the internet. You may collaborate with a brand and they expect posts to go up much quicker than possible as to them, you may seem to not do anything else apart from blog. You're valuable, as is your blog. Don't let anyone charge you a few pounds for a post you have to handwrite and add links to. See Michelle's post to see an example of how to value your blogging time and effort, but how much you should charge per post.

Make some goals 
Think about what you want to achieve from your blog. Whether it be using a new camera to improve your photography, working with a particular brand or reaching a certain number of followers. It is all relative and each goal you achieve is so motivating to improving your blog. My goals for this year were to buy a new camera, to start using natural light more, to learn how to use Photoshop and to reach 5,000 followers on Twitter. So far I've achieved all but the latter (but not far off) and I can't tell you how proud I am of my blog. Even within the past 6 months it has improved in quality so much.

Stand your ground 
This is something close to the heart that I see tons of bloggers getting stuck in the middle of every day. Someone wants to work with you, but is offering sub-par compensation (products, payment or otherwise) and wants a ton of work from you. You know you're worth more, so stand your ground. I've had so many emails offering me £10 for a blog post that takes around three hours work and I will stand my ground no matter what. It's perfectly reasonable to come to a compromise when discussing sponsored posts if you wish. What also annoys me is companies sending out contracts that the majority of bloggers will not understand. I read through one over summer and they were asking, in legal speak, for you to hand over the rights to all your photos, for them to be able to use your photos and words for advertising (to then make money out of) and if they weren't happy with your review, you had to send the product which was worth less than £10 back to them. I was not happy and told them exactly what I thought of it, which was essentially fobbing bloggers off with language that only law students/graduates and those in legal jobs would understand. Stand your ground.

Develop some skills 
I've said this earlier, and although blogging is a hobby to most, you may as well develop some skills whilst you're at it. You never know, the collaborations from your skill set could have you working with some amazing brands, or help turn your hobby into a job. You don't need to pay to improve your skills either, you may simply realise how to make the most out of natural light when taking a photograph, maybe expand your vocabulary to make your posts flow better or even have a go at designing your own blog header. The world is your oyster and your blog is exactly what you make of it.

Do what you want to do 
Most importantly, do what you want to with your blog. If you're a strictly food blog for example, don't feel pressured to write a post about a lipstick or a handbag. If you aren't comfortable taking outfit photos then don't do it - take flat photos to show them off that way. Don't feel like you need to go for a certain type of blog layout with a £30 blog design just because others are doing it. I change my mind about things on my blog all the time but that is exactly what gives it a personality. I am not a food blogger, but if I want to collab with a brand and do a recipe post then I will. If you need a break from blogging then take it. Be reasonable with what you're achieving and who you're working with, but ultimately your blog only involves your decisions, so make the most of it. 


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