In a continuation on my tips series that you guys seem to really enjoy, I wanted to focus a little more on blog tips and general ways in which you can further push your blog through my own experiences. For the most part blogging is something you can do freely without spending much or any money on, but I've also seen my blog benefit through the ways in which I have invested into it and I thought i'd share what has worked for me and may work for you.

Good camera - In the first year of blogging I really didn't have my photography as a main priority and I have since learnt that your photography is probably the most important part of your blog. I used to use an old digital camera that i'd had for years and once that died I decided to get myself something a little better. I opted for the Canon 1100D mainly because it was on an amazing deal during a black friday sale a few years ago and it came with a memory card thrown in. I'd definitely recommend investing in a good camera, but I must add that you don't need to break the bank either as there are plenty of camera's of great quality but quite affordable prices.

Camera equipment - Along with having a good camera i'd definitely suggest investing in some equipment to go along with it. Personally I only have a tripod, which a friend kindly donated their old unused tripod to me and I will be forever thankful as it's an absolute life saver, especially when i'm shooting a tonne of blog photos in one go. You can also invest in camera lenses and lighting, but for now I haven't ventured down that route.

Photo editing software - Following on from having a good camera, another thing that makes your photos look bomb, is having the software to edit them. Although some days if the lighting is on your side you don't really need to edit your images, but if you're like me you'll know those days are very rare. There are a fair few photo editing softwares out there, of which i'm sure there are some free ones but personally I used Photoshop mainly because I already had it from uni but also because it's so good for photo editing! I've self taught myself so many editing tips that are my ultimate sidekicks when it comes to bringing my photos to life!

Background props - I'm sure like me you're guilty of buying things and using the excuse 'ooh this will look good in blog photos'. Back in the day blog props were alien to my images, but now you wouldn't see any photos without any props. There is something about cute notepads and candle trays that just make my blog photo's and is something you don't have to break the bank on but buying a few cute pieces for the background of blog photos will make your photos that extra bit special.

Layout/design - Another area of your blog that make or breaks your blog is definitely your layout or design. I'm sure like myself a fair few of you have used bloggers pre made layouts and have trolled the internet for CSS tips and to be honest up until this layout i've not spent any money on blog designs. There is only so much you can teach yourself when it comes to html and I wanted to take my design further than what I could do and there are so many people offering their layout services where you don't have to break the bank. My layout was done by CharmedCharlee for just £30, which in my opinion is so affordable and she did an absolutely amazing job!

Time - Lastly the main thing to invest in is time. I know it's such an obvious one but if you don't put in the time or effort then nothing in life will work, and your blog is one of those. For me having a full time job makes this hard, but I set aside a few hours at a weekend to ensure my blog is set to go for the following weeks.

So those are my tips for how you can invest into your blog in order to push your blog and further you content! I hope this post has been somewhat helpful.

What ways have you invested in your blog?