How to bridge the Mommy/Lifestyle/Design Blogger gap

"Call the crib, same number, same hood. It's all good" -Biggie

Hello! Oh, I bet your brow is furrowed right now, trying to figure out the connection between the title of this post and the striking similarity between my daughter and Notorious B.I.G. Well, here's what. Aside from Blake having a {very obvious} career as a hip-hop artist to look forward to, great photos are the cornerstone of a well-designed blog. So, with that in mind, my discussion on this topic at the Alt Design Summit consisted of me sharing the above image of Blake and her doppelgänger {hip-hoppelganger? doppelgangsta?}, and then BLASTING Biggie thru my laptop speakers while saying "Uh" periodically in that cocky, grunting sort of way.

WHAT.

Since so many of you have asked about my presentation, I thought I would share with you a few more tips on how to bridge the mommy/design/lifestyle blogger gap. What I mean by this is how to have a mommy or lifestyle blog that is aesthetically pleasing, has beautiful images, and is appealing to mommies and more. Disclaimer: I promise this will be the very last Alt-related entry for at least 352 days. Footnote to the disclaimer: if you are finding these blog-building, entrepreneurial-themed posts to be helpful, or if you just want to know what Alt is all about, search the #altsummit hashtag on Twitter, or check out any one of these great posts.

So, here we go!

1. Stay true to yourself.

2. If your blog has evolved into a mommy blog, stay true to your readers, too. {The Lil Bee has always been about my life and loves, so it feels only natural to hang onto the pop culture references, fashion, and occasional design posts that still interest me.}

3. Being a lifestyle blogger is not only OK, it's fantastic! Not everyone needs to fit neatly inside a Design or Fashion or Photography Blogger niche. Declare yourself a Lifestyle Blogger and LOVE. IT!

4. If you are a parent, blog about life, not just dirty diapers and teething tips. Your perspective on parenting is one part of your full and layered life that interests people.

5. Your blog is not Facebook. Your photos should be high quality, move the story forward, and keep the reader's attention.

6. The less posing, the less photo-editing, the better. People want honesty—crow's feet, laughter, light. My favorite photos are ones that make you feel like you walked into a room and spotted something beautiful, without anyone even hearing the camera click.

7. You don't need an expensive camera to take interesting photos. Instagram, as well as apps like Diptic, Photoshop, and Luminex are amazingly fun and easy to use.

8. Take your lead from photography blogs, like my friend Bentley's or Alt speaker Jasmine Star's, which tend to be wider {600px or more} and have clean, white backgrounds, so as not to detract from the images.

9. Everyone is busy. Save yourself some time by editing and uploading your photos once or twice a week, then writing your posts when you have a quiet moment {I like to blog on my phone while commuting or getting a pedi}.

10. Your blog is an extension of YOU, so treat it as you would a favorite outfit, heirloom, or drawing from your child.

♥

And since this blog is always a work in progress, I'd like to point out some of the blogs I turn to for inspiration, such as Rockstar Diaries, Freckle Wonder, NYC Taught Me, and Nat the Fat Rat. Hope you all got something out of this little rundown. Big thanks to Gabby for including me as a speaker. The jitters were totally worth it!

P.S. Did YOU attend Alt? Or do you have any pointers you'd like to share in the comments for fellow bloggers? Maybe you're not a blogger, but a reader with a point of view on what kinds of blogs you find most appealing? Thanks!