Meet Danielle from Framed Frosting with Tips on Growing Your Blog + GIVEAWAY!

Why hello there! My name is Danielle and I blog over at Framed Frosting. I'm a full-time college student and part-time blogger. I first began my blog in April of last year as a way to document the end of my high school years. Now it has evolved to be about all things fashion and beauty related. I make a mean coconut cream pie, am obsessed with chevron, and couldn't live without my dark chocolate.

I've been blogging for a little over a year now and have absolutely enjoyed every moment! Although until this January, my blog was mostly for me. I had 100 followers or so but when this year came around, I made a New Years Resolution. My goal was to grow my blog and not to be afraid of what others would think of me. So I began engaging more with other bloggers, I signed up for Twitter, and I got my name out there. In the past few months my blog has expanded from those 100 followers to now 800! I'm here today to share with you 5 tips on how I've grown my blog and gotten to where I am now.

1. Be YOURSELF - This one sounds lame, but for me it's the most important. There are so many blogging "niches" out there and at first you will probably find yourself trying to fit in. However, it's important to remind yourself that your readers are here for YOU. They love the content you write and your personality, so don't feel like you have to be a certain kind of blogger. Just be yourself, hence the picture below.

2. Engage and Interact - This is something that is so simple, yet some don't take the time to do it. Engage with other bloggers on Twitter, comment on the blogs you love, and don't be afraid to send an e-mail to a new blogger and introduce yourself. There are so many other bloggers out there who would love to know you! Don't be afraid to reach out to someone and say hello. You'll be amazed at how quickly you connect with others, which leads me into tip #3...


3. Be Present in the Community - The blogging community is absolutely amazing. If you're unsure of how to do something or what to do in a specific situation, there is guaranteed to be someone who has gone through the same thing. There are so many bloggers out there and so many of them are willing to help you out. All you have to do is send a quick Tweet, e-mail, or share it in Facebook and see the replies come rolling in.

4. Build Relationships - One of the things I love most about blogging are the relationships that I've formed. It is so weird how one day you won't know someone very well and then a week or so later you're reading their blog daily and staying up late chatting on Twitter or going back and forth with e-mails. You never know how or when you'll meet someone amazing. Need an example? A typo on a group giveaway brought me to meet Amanda. E-mailing about being a Meet & Tweet co-host brought me to meet Laura. And now both of these gals are ones that I talk to on a daily basis. They are both so inspiring and without either of those two things, I may not have met them. Now I'm just yearning for the day when I can meet them both in person!

5. Sponsorship Opportunities - Purchasing ad space on another blog or offering ad spots on your own blog are both huge steps. One takes money and the other takes a lot of time. However, I can honestly tell you that is 110% worth it. A lot of bloggers believe they can do just fine with free advertising, but for me that only works to a point. Don't get me wrong, free ad swaps are a great way to meet other bloggers and promote your blog. In my opinion doing free swaps will only get you so far before you should consider paid spots. When I'm looking to purchase an ad space on another blog, here are few things I look for...

• Is their content similar to yours? If your blog is all about crafting, you wouldn't want to advertise on a beauty blog. Be sure you pick blogs similar in interests to yours!
• How many followers do they have? Make sure the amount you're paying for the ad is reasonable compared to how many people will see it in the blog's sidebar.
• Does the space you purchase come with extras? For example, the opportunity to do a guest post, host a giveaway, or do a product review. Those are all great ways to draw in new readers!

Speaking of advertising...today I'm giving you the chance to win an XL ad space. That's worth $20 and it includes an optional guest post or giveaway. The perfect way to grow your blog some more!!

a Rafflecopter giveaway