This applies to the creative industry. There are many people in the creative industry who are not passionate about it. 

But let's look at those with the passion and the results they get. When you hear an actor say they couldn't stop auditioning for acting roles despite their hard life. It makes you wonder why they didn't choose another career and or focus on the 9-5 job they had at the time when they were struggling. They probably would have had a promotion or earned more money and live a comfortable life. But no. They insisted until they made it in acting.

From this, it is important to note that it is ok to live a life with the desire to succeed in anything legally and morally possible but it is extraordinary to live a life filled with passion and love for something you do. That is why we are inspired by the stories of those who followed their passion and never gave up on it. That is why their success is different and more meaningful. 

You must not love what you do as a creative but in order for you to excel better and more meaningfully, you need passion to keep driving you until you succeed. You also need passion to tell a better story. 

It is important to know how to manage these types of inspiration as both of them are important to your creativity. 

An inspiration that comes fast or instantly may also disappear as fast as it came. so you may want to write it down when it comes in order to not forget. Some of the most brilliant ideas could be lost if you don't write them down. 

With slow inspiration, the idea may occur to you in an incomplete manner and you may get the other parts of the idea as you work on or implement it. It may also require that you brainstorm even more to grow the idea or make it more applicable. 

Whatever way inspiration comes, write it down to remember it and work on it to make it better or to get more inspired.

The creation process is what makes the story of your art so keep that in mind. Creativity is more profound when it is backed by a story. That story will be created alongside the process so you should love the journey of your imagination coming to life. 

Another thing that can make you fall in love with the process is thinking about telling your story - which is the process of creating your art. This story gives value to your art as well.

You also need some patience to love the process. I must tell you that not every part of the process is enjoyable or exciting. Maybe the thought of what you want to create will excite you but the process will be painful and boring sometimes so you have to practice patience. Invest your time in repeating the process and you will see that you'll begin to enjoy it. 

The road always seems long when we travel it for the first time. But when we do it over and over again it seems shorter. 

This brings me to the point that it's when you create over and over again that you love the process even more.  

So create some more, be patient as you create and use the process to tell the story of your art to stay motivated.

You could be inspired by how they do what they do. Observe their methods and find the lessons they share in their experiences.

Looking at this will inspire confidence in your work and the desire to do better.

Don't copy and paste; simply find a way to adapt what you learn or observe from other creatives. Remember you have your own goals and objectives which are not the same with that of others.

While watching those who have similar work as yours, find out how you can be different from them and create that difference to stand out.

Blogging this year, in general, has not been as consistent as I wished but I tried my best to have at least one post a month so I'm grateful for that level of consistency. 

In terms of direction or niche, if I should call it so, my blog is still a lifestyle blog which has content that is expressed from the mind of an ambitious African woman who is a mom, an entrepreneur, a social activist and a woman empowerment enthusiast. 

I had planned this year to try something new on the blog by separating some of the content to create new blogs with a specific niche. I did this and managed it for a few months but it really didn't work for me so I reunited all my content again. I feel happy about it and I'm thinking about the way forward.

I wish to share more content that I feel is useful for ambitious African women when it comes to lifestyle - fashion, beauty, food and most importantly personal development. 

I also look forward to increasing my blog views which are regularly between 3000 - 5000 per month and getting more African countries to join the list of my top viewers. Most times I get my highest views from The US, Nigeria, Cameroon and Ghana and lately countries like Sweden, Israel and Germany have been coming through. It's also a pleasure to see countries like Egypt,  South Africa and Kenya join the list from time to time. Hopefully my content next year is even more interesting for you guys to keep returning.

I want to give a specific shout-out to one of my blog readers who also follows me on Instagram and doesn't keep it to herself that she loves my blog. Thanks, @ginas95 (her Instagram handle) for reading my blog and for your support. It means a lot to me and makes my work worth it when you tell me you love my blog. I'm glad you found my blog useful and that you love it.

Also to everyone who reads, comments, shares my blog posts or even my videos on youtube or liked my posts on other social media platforms, I'm so grateful for your support. Thank you. 

Here are my social media handles if you want to follow me there and engage more with my posts. 

I'm preparing more helpful and entertaining posts for you guys this new year and I'm looking forward to having a better year in your company.

Happy new year in advance and take care of yourself.

It's easy to get inspired by the work of others especially when you find work that is similar to what you want to do. I look at and follow up on other people's work and creativity to stay inspired.

Don't get me wrong, I love a variety of blogs. But the ones that I love the most are personal blogs. If you are wondering what a personal blog is: it is a blog where the blogger shares their life and things happening around them. it is usually filled with emotion and personal opinions about the topics discussed.

When I started blogging, I read a number of personal blogs and felt motivated to start mine. I visited and navigated lots of blogs. But the ones that I really enjoyed reading were the ones with personal stories.

Personal blogs are a window into other people's lives. It allows you to see and understand how others live and experience life. And I find this amazing. Personal pictures and thoughts grant an understanding of someone else's culture just like you are living with them.

On personal blogs, people share their journeys and the things they deal with daily. These stories are shared to give a sigh of relief to others going through the same thing and make them feel less lonely in their situation. I love to have the me-too or the glad-I'm-not-the-only-one feeling when I read a personal blog.

There are lots of life lessons to be learned from personal blogs. The stories of others inspire, educate and inform you. Everyone is going through something and sharing those experiences helps those in that same situation to learn from you

Some personal blogs have a very soft and comforting tone while others have a remarkable sense of humour which makes the blog interesting and entertaining.

I don't know if you were expecting a list of personal blogs that I read but I'm sorry that I can't share one because I haven't made a list. if you are a blogger reading this please comment below and leave a link to your blog so I can check it out. And if you are a lover of personal blogs, which blogs are you following?

Bloggers are content creators who make the internet very useful to everyone. Every article you've read or that has helped you one way or the other was written and posted by a blogger or a content creator whose aim was to help those in need of that information.

I started blogging out of passion and I also realized that my blog helps others make better decisions about a product they want to purchase, treat a skin problem or solve a life situation which they find difficult to handle by themselves. This information is often given for free to our readers and we get satisfaction from the feedback we get. 

Despite the passion we feel for blogging, we can get discouraged at times and lose the inspiration to write. The lack of motivation may be a result of little or no feedback or the lack of resources to keep on blogging. A blogger could also be going through 'life' as we usually say. We are human too and one life situation could cause us to become discouraged or not think of blogging.

If you've ever wondered how to support your favourite blogger or encourage them to keep doing what they do, then here are a few ways you can do so. These methods are free and don't take anything from you other than your time.

Isn't that obvious? Reading the blog posts of your favourite blogger(s) is a way of supporting and encouraging them. Bloggers need views! They love it when their blogs are being read. That's why they put out the blog post - for it to be read. So please read the blog posts of the blogger(s) you love and care about. Thanks for reading this post by the way!

Do click on the advertisement (Ads) you see on our blogs. Especially if you need the product or are just curious about it. Yes, bloggers make money from the Ads you click on (if they are Google Adsense Ads) and yes, bloggers do need money too. They want to make money from their passion just like all other artists or creators out there are making some money from their passion. 

If you love a blogger or their work, then you shouldn't ignore the ads that you see on their sidebars and within their blog posts. Clicking on an ad is free! It takes nothing from your wallet. 

When you see any ads that are relevant to you and you feel curious, click to find out more. This helps you satisfy your curiosity and also helps your favourite blogger(s) make some money.

And please be nice in your comments. I'm not saying that you shouldn't say your mind sometimes but just put it in the nicest way possible. We are humans too and can seriously be hurt by your words. Let your criticism be constructive and stay polite while you do it.

Comments make bloggers feel extra happy because they know that their blog really made an impact on the person commenting. If you enjoyed the post or have another perspective then share your thoughts in the comment section of the blog. This will really encourage your favourite blogger(s). 

Another reason we love comments is that we really want to know our readers and what they will like to read on our blogs. So when you leave a comment, we get to know you (better) and write blog posts with you in mind.

You can write a cool message or mail to encourage the blogger(s) you like. Especially when they stay for a while without posting new content. They may be going through a 'life' and a simple message will really be nice. Just say 'Hi' and tell them you miss them posting new blogs or that you read their blog always. Also telling them how their blog has inspired you to do something is a very good thing to say to your favourite blogger(s).

A shout-out to your favourite blogger(s) with a sweet message will be nice. It will help them to be discovered by more people and increase their blog visits or followers on social media.

Please never hesitate to recommend good blogs to those your friends and family. Sharing is caring oh. Please share our blogs with those people who may need the information we share on our blogs.

Those are the six ways that you can support and encourage your favourite blogs. And they are all free! 

Please share this blog with your friends. I hope you enjoyed reading it as well. Thanks for supporting me by reading this blog post until the end. I'm grateful! 

I also want to thank all those who have been visiting, reading and commenting on my blogs. You guys rock! Thank you! I hope you keep on supporting me and I hope to keep writing interesting posts for you guys.

When I started blogging, I did it anonymously.

I was so afraid to be identified as the one behind my posts though they were not controversial in any way. But I was scared.

Blogging was new to me and I was afraid of being judged because I was putting my thoughts out there. 

But I got over that and started putting myself on my blog. 

I felt the same fear when I decided to blog about fashion. But I dared myself to do it.

When I took these pictures and posted them on my Facebook account, I received a lot of mixed reactions. Some people asked me if I was trying to become a model or why I was taking pictures with strange poses. 

Honestly, their comments were shocking to me but I decided to put them aside.

I was determined to post these pictures on my blog even though I felt a little mockery behind the comments I got earlier.

This post is just the beginning of many more fashion posts to come. It is not my first fashion post but it has made me more determined to blog about fashion.

I admire fashion bloggers. It was hard to understand them at first like others don't understand me. So I get it.

I love dressing up and taking pictures of my outfits to show the world how I mix and match my clothes.  So fashion is an important part of my lifestyle blog. I hope you enjoy my fashion-related content.

What I was aiming for with this look was a smiley soft ladylike look. Just looks like a lady but in a simple way. 

The off-shoulder top made me feel very feminine so I felt like a lady. The skirt is a very soft jean-like material and the belt brings out the shape around my waist, making it more fitting.

My shoes match the skirt because they are also made of jeans material.

Accessories stood out with this bold necklace and brown-wood bangles I wore. I believe the necklace made the top look better and stand out more.

Some people even ask: "Is blogging dying?"

To answer the big question let's examine why we are experiencing a change in blog traffic and engagement. Let's answer the following questions:

Why are people no longer reading blogs? 

Blogging just like any other career or industry experiences changes which could be positive or negative. When it all started, it was for fun, and then it gained more value and pulled lots of attention from readers and brands who wanted to work with bloggers because of their growing faithful readers.

As time went on many more bloggers came along with much more content to read. The tips and lifestyles they shared attracted lots of readers.

The readers began to have less interest in blogs as time went by.

Why do readers have less interest in blogs?

- Most of the blog content is similar and doesn't contain much information.

- Bloggers are no longer relatable to their readers.

Readers come back to blogs which they find relatable content. Over time bloggers no longer shared content that they could relate to and this made them no longer read as much.

- Reduction in readers' attention span

Readers no longer have a long attention span as before. They no longer want to spend much time reading one content so they tend to prefer very short content on platforms like Instagram and other social media platforms.

- Addiction to Instagram

Instagram has become an addiction and an obsession to many more people and the community over there is growing. Content previously shared only on blogs is being shared on Instagram and this doesn't encourage the readers to move to blogs when they know that they can see it all on Instagram.

Where are bloggers going wrong? 

Putting out empty posts/content.

Lack of originality. 

Most bloggers want to be like the successful bloggers they admire so they try to blog like them or blog about the same things as their favourite bloggers. Almost everyone is writing about the same thing using the same style and taking the same kind of pictures with the same kind of poses. Everyone seems to be producing similar content these days and readers are no longer inspired to read.

This is common with fashion, beauty and lifestyle bloggers. The same outfits, poses, flat lays, filters, places and topics are used by them on their blogs.

As I mentioned in another post, it's ok to learn from and copy from others from the beginning of your creative career. But it's smart to learn from others and then apply what you learned in your own unique way.

You show your readers that it's all about the money

Bloggers have become a lot more money minded. Which is not a bad thing at all. But the problem with this is that they let it show to their readers in a bad way.

There are some bloggers who only share sponsored content. Even though you have lots of people following your blog and you are monetizing it as much as possible, it's not fun for your readers who followed you originally for your non-sponsored content. They may feel used when they see you sharing only sponsored content.

You are micro-blogging on Instagram

Some bloggers now microblog on Instagram since they have a bigger audience there. This doesn't encourage readers to go over and read their blogs. They write the content of their blogs and refer readers to their sites. Fashion bloggers share their outfits on Instagram and ask readers to go over to their blogs to see the post they published about them. Most readers don't go to read because they've already seen the outfit on Instagram.

The effect of Instagram on blog traffic. 

Is Instagram stealing your blog traffic?

Are all bloggers experiencing low reader stats?

Not all bloggers have complained about a drop in stats on their blogs but most bloggers are experiencing this new trend.

Bloggers with a bigger following may not experience it much because they may have developed a very strong and large community of faithful followers.

But most growing and new bloggers are suffering from the low blog traffic trend.

Which blog niches suffer from this change in traffic the most?

- Fashion blogs

- Beauty blogs

- Lifestyle blogs

- Personal development blogs

These niches have the highest number of bloggers so there is already so much content on these topics for readers to choose from. As bloggers increase in these niches, the bloggers will have to share the readers' interest in these topics.

Does this mean you can't make it if you want to start blogging in these niches?

The fact that most bloggers in these niches complain about a fall in traffic to their blogs doesn't mean that new bloggers can't grow successful blogs in them.

It will need a lot of work and most of all original content. Something different, unique and true to you and your personality.

What should bloggers do to remedy this? 

Share relatable content with your audience.

Life and levels may change but your content still needs to be relevant to your audience in order for them to want to keep reading. If you know who you want to inspire with your blog then keep writing content that is relatable to them.

When your life becomes better or levelled up as a blogger, instead of making all your content only about your new property and achievements, also share content that you used to share before to keep your audience. Most of them are inspired by and happy with your achievements but may not be able to relate to all of them. So keep sharing content that will keep them around.

If you want to change your focus or your audience then make your content relatable to your new audience.




I read a blog post where a blogger explained that she was moving to YouTube because of the present low blog traffic trend and in her comment section, one of her faithful readers said that she doesn't read her blog as much as before because of her content was no longer relatable to her.

That could be one of the reasons why your blog traffic has been reduced. Find out how your blog content has changed over time and ask yourself if 70% of it is still relatable to your audience. It may have happened consciously or unconsciously.

Show your audience that you genuinely care.

Remember when all you wanted to do is a blog? You need to go back to those times, my dear blogger. all you wanted to do was to share great content with your readers and you were willing to go to any length to do so and even spend money to give them content for free. That's why they stuck with you because you genuinely cared.

Bloggers need to make money with their blogs no doubt but don't make your readers feel like all you care about is the money. Your readers have problems too and trust me money is the biggest one.

Share valuable content with them for free alongside your sponsored content. Be honest when you are making money from your blog or when a post is sponsored. It makes them trust you more and come back to read.

Start producing original content.

Don't make it a goal in your blogging life to copy and be just like your favourite bloggers. It's easily predictable and gives a feeling of deja-vu. Your readers are intelligent enough to spot that and trust me they also follow your favourite blogger. It can lead to them comparing you to the person that you are striving to be like.

Implement your own ideas no matter how insecure you feel about them. Let your personality show in your blog posts, develop your own voice tone and just be yourself because that's the only way that your readers will distinguish you from others, remember you and stick with you till the end.

Share longer, detailed and more informative content.

People are more used to shorter content but that is a trend that will fade away with time when people will need longer and more detailed information to solve their problems.

I realized that bloggers tried to compete with Instagram by producing content which is short and straight to the point. But that is not really working as readers somehow expect blogs to have more detailed content.

When the reader is in need, he will read the longest post as long as it solves his problem and is helpful to him. So don't be afraid to write longer posts, dear blogger. Make it easy to assimilate by breaking it into sections and making it entertaining and personal. They will love it and want to read more.

"We need to show our readers that blogs have their place and that it provides them with detailed information that Instagram can't provide."

Use catchy titles

Make your titles catchy to your target audience. To write a blog title that will make your readers click quickly, ask yourself 'what questions does my audience have in their minds about this topic, issue or problem. You can write your title in the form of that question or as a response to that question. Also, ask yourself what they want to know or feel when reading about what you are writing about.

You should also make sure to include the keywords they would use to describe or identify this problem or topic you are writing about. Let the reader think that he/she will find what he/she is looking for in your post. And make sure that you deliver and make him/her feel the way he/she expects to feel.

What should bloggers and future bloggers expect in the future?

Bloggers should expect the best in my opinion. Every career or industry experiences some regression at some point and blogging isn't an exception. Times like these help to redefine the industry and those who stay consistent and restrategize will succeed when the bad phase is over.

So what should we really expect as bloggers? 

- Instagram will become normal to people and blogs will still be needed for a very long time.

- People will need detailed and useful information in a place where they can find it anytime. Most apps don't provide that. They just pack up one piece of information over another and this makes people lose useful information on apps.

- People will miss reading blogs and connecting with bloggers on their blogs.

And what is expected of a blogger?

- To stay consistent.

- To make people fall in love with and value blogs again by providing original, valuable, relatable and detailed content to readers.

- To be more creative and diversify our blog content.

Here's what we can do during these trying times to revive our lovely industry of blogging, trusting that everything will turn out fine again.

I use it to follow blogs that I love reading and commenting on and this has been such an amazing tool when it comes to finding inspiration and getting blog traffic.


It is not a direct traffic provider but it helps you have all the content of blogs which I want to comment on in one place. I check my reader list daily to find new content to read and comment on so that I can have more traffic to my blog and interact with other bloggers.

It affects you to the extent of losing faith in your dream. When your relatives and friends all think you are crazy for pursuing the path that you are taking or when society thinks 'this is what a real job or career looks like' then it may begin to affect how you feel about your dream.


I've wanted to abandon blogging several times ever since I started. I sometimes feel discouraged or just fed up because the growth is not enough or not up to the amount of work or energy put into it.

At this point, all the fears that other people expressed concerning my blogging career started to become my reality.

I begin to think to myself that they are right after all. I can't make a living out of blogging. But then I wonder how Linda Ikeji made millions from blogging.

She is my role model in the blogging domain. In my most crazy moments, I imagine myself as the next Linda Ikeji of Africa. I'm not even shy to share this. Strange.

Anyway, that's just to let you know how far I want to go as a blogger. I know every blogger will love that too.

Even with success as evident as hers in the blogging world, I still sometimes feel like I'm doing wrong by blogging. It's like I am wasting my time on this path that I have chosen. That one day I will regret this because it won't work out. And it might just be too late.

I sometimes feel like blogging is not a real job. 

The typical employee or entrepreneur wakes up every morning and goes to work. He/she returns home after putting in long hours of work and everyone sees that he or she is working. Everyone understands what he/she does or at least can understand when explained to them.

But when it comes to blogging, it doesn't happen like that. You work from home most of the time and no one sees you leave your house to work or any place like that every day. Probably no one even sees you working. No one even understands why you should be paid for sitting down to write articles all day. In fact, you are seen as a lazy youth or adult who wants to make easy money or use people's clicks to become rich.

It is tough to fight this mindset every day as a blogger and this makes me feel that I need a real job. One where everyone can see me working and applaud my efforts.

But I hate working for people. And I love blogging. I'll rather be working for my own dream than to work for someone else's.

What makes matters worse is that there is no income coming yet from blogging. And that's when everyone is right to ask you why you are still blogging. Some will bluntly tell you to go and get a real job. After all, blogging is not working out.

This post is not meant to show how difficult and time-consuming blogging is nor it is meant to justify how much blogging is a job. I just want to share my experience.

There are other career paths which suffer the same thing like art, comedy, YouTubing and the entertainment industry in general where your passion is never considered a job until you 'blow' or you have made it or received your first paycheck.

And honestly, they are right to think so because if it is a job then you have to be paid for it. So where is the money?

Will-I-Am of the former group Black Eyes Peas said during an interview that he used to tell people when he just started out in music that he was an artist who hasn't been paid yet and it was just a matter of time.

I am putting up the same attitude with my career but I must say it's hard. It's hard to not ask yourself if I am doing the right thing because there is no paycheck yet. It's not all about the paycheck. I just also want to make a living from my passion.

I even feel like it may never come. But I'm staying positive. Others have been successful with blogging and so will I. It's a matter of time.

The essential thing is to stay positive and work hard while dealing with the feeling that you are 'not doing anything for a living' meanwhile you are really working your a** off something you love.

Here they are:

1. Buy a domain name.
2. Have a niche.
3. Blog for your readers.

I realized that what is necessary for you to have a successful blog is blog traffic. And getting a domain name, having a niche or blogging for your readers doesn't bring lots of traffic to your blog automatically.

People who buy a domain name still struggle to bring traffic to their blogs every day. Those who have a niche don't automatically appear on search engines either. We all seek attention in the same ways.

If you want to start a blog, my advice is to start with a free domain like Blogger or WordPress to see if you really like blogging. Many people buy domain names only to realize later that blogging is not for them. While some of us let this advice make us feel less like bloggers for such a long time.

The only thing that changes is the appearance of the name of the blog. The content and all the rest remain the same unless you decide to change it as well. Not all blogs with domain names are successful. And there are bloggers on free platforms who are very professional and make money from their blogs.

So if you have the talent of blogging, don't limit yourself or feel you are not a professional blogger because you don't have a domain name (yet). Do it like you had one already.

When it comes to finding a niche and blogging for your readers, I will say that there are no rules. There are lots of nicheless blogs which are successful.

On the other hand, if a blogger doesn't like the content s/he is putting out there then that blog may not progress.

How you want to blog s totally up to you. Try your idea and make it work! the world needs innovation, diversity and people who make a difference in every aspect including blogging. people are looking for fresh content.

All beauty blogs have the same pattern, content and style. How different will your own beauty blog be? Won't you run out of content soon? Won't your readers get bored?

But if you decide to be yourself on your blog. And add a little of life, and other things related (or unrelated) to your topic you may be the beauty blogger with a difference. You will be easily recognized by your readers because of the extra knowledge you bring to the table.

If you want to blog about your life then go ahead. Those who are interested in reading will follow. If you make it interesting and fun your readers will come back for more.

Don't let these three tips make you not feel good enough and slow down your blogging journey. Keep getting better at what you do and let your intuition and experience direct your blogging. You may start with a nicheless blog but soon realise that you are actually interested in just one niche. That's alright. But just give yourself time to make the transition so that you know what works for you. Just like you may start blogging on a free domain to be certain you love blogging before you buy a domain name.

Also, you should blog about the topics that you love to talk about. It is important to blog for your readers as well but you need to love your content to give them the best. You will suck at blogging on a topic you don't love and even if that's the content readers want to see they won't be coming back to see the bad content you wrote for them.

You can start and build a good blogging career with what you have; your computer/phone, internet and your content on a free domain till you feel ripe to get one. Start with the topics you love and progress from there. Linda Ikeji built a fortune from a free domain blog on Blogger before she ever bought a domain name. Anything is possible in the blogosphere if you dare to make a difference. Don't limit yourself

My greatest dream since I started this blog has been to make money from it. I guess that is one dream I somehow believe may never come true because of how much time it's taking me to get there. 

I don't want to be a pessimist but I sometimes feel it happens only to certain bloggers.

I do believe it's possible to make money and earn a decent living from blogging. I know it takes some time to build a successful blog. But sometimes the wait can be really long and it's not encouraging. 

I have been approached by brands for collaborations who either paid so low or wanted me to do work for free. 

I am passionate about blogging as always and I want to earn a living from my passion. 

If you often read posts like this then you should have heard many bloggers say that blogging is not easy. Indeed it isn't. 

It is filled with a lot of challenges and getting paid for the hard work will really do us some good. 

It seems to blog is one thing but making money from it is another. Right after this post, I'm going back to my Google search on How To Make Money From Blogging to find some new tips. 

I want to transform this myth into reality.

Work on your content. The better the value of your content, the more people will be attracted to your blog.

Social media can pull a whole lot of traffic to your blog for free. Use it! Join Facebook groups where you are allowed to share your blog posts. 

Find Google+ communities related to your blog topics and share your posts in them. Pin, Tweet and announce your posts on Instagram.

Shout out and shot your shot on social media.  

Find blogs similar to yours and comment on them. Leave reasonable comments on them and don't forget your links too. 

When you leave good comments on other blogs, other readers will see it and want to visit your blog too!