What I RE-Learned About Blogging, Youtube, and Instagram in 2020

Man, if 2020 has not been the year to teach us all how to PIVOT, then I don’t know what.

As I was preparing for what my goals and content would be for 2020 earlier this year, I knew I would have to make some tweaks. Blogging for one had changed so much. When I started this blog back in 2007, blogging was still a relatively new medium. I started this blog as an extension of my then image consulting business while I worked full time selling investments and insurance. I was maybe 25/26 at the time. I barely even showed my face on the blog or on Twitter (the only social media back then—Facebook didn’t even have pages for businesses yet if I remember correctly) because I didn’t want people from my job all in my kool-aid.

Back then there really wasn’t a blueprint so it was pretty much a free-for-all. So as the years went on, I morphed from posting makeup tips and swatches of makeup on dark skin to adding my personal style via outfit photos, and at one point I had a gossip section (don’t ask…lol). But my monthly page views and monthly unique visitors SOARED.

But blogging and how people use blogs has changed. When I was doing my research into blogging for 2020, I found out that people would be less looking at the daily blog posts and more for meatier info. Makes sense—a lot of what I would make a blog post for back in the day can be easily posted as an Instagram post or an IG story. So now I blog less here, but when I do, it’s meatier info mostly involving skin but I also post hair and fashion here as well. I even gave my blog a facelift so it was much easier to find the posts that answered the questions people ask me the most (i.e. how to start a skincare routine, how to get rid of dark spots, under eye filler, etc.).

I don’t post on a regular schedule like I used to, but I do have an email list so you know when I update (which I’m wondering if it’s even sending my emails—SIGH. I have to figure that out one day when I can sit still).

Then when it came to Youtube, I realized my joint was ALL OVER THE PLACE….lol. I started doing Youtube videos in 2015, but didn’t regularly post until maybe 2018/2019. Initially it was an extension of my blog: makeup on dark skin, some skincare, and some fashion. But then I also wanted to post vlogs about my day-to-day in NYC and also when I traveled.

I quickly learned that being too complacent left me posting stuff on Youtube without really thinking about the impact it would make. If I wanted a truly engaged audience, I can’t be posting about travel, fashion, makeup, and skincare. The people who found me because of my travel videos may not be into makeup videos. Then the people who follow me for makeup may not be into travel. So I decided I needed to niche down and then did something I rarely do: I asked my audience on Youtube and on Instagram what I should niche down to. Now the reason I don’t normally ask things like that is because when I do I get a wiiiiide variety of answers that wind up sidetracking me. And then the people-pleaser who sometimes lives inside of me wants to do what everyone says. Nah, it can’t work like that, boo.

But I’m glad I did because another influencer I love (@shantelrosseau) told me my skincare content left more of an impression on her than anything else. All sorts of lightbulbs went clicking off in my head. Niching down to skincare was SO SMART because 1. I already knew a boatload of stuff about skincare 2. I have access to SO MANY BOMB PEOPLE in skincare 3. I LOOOOVE skincare and 4. I would have an overflow of topics I could cover about skincare and would never have to worry about coming up with what to post about (or at least for now…lol).

So I did it. I niched down to skincare. It hasn’t exactly been easy because of course people who want to see travel vlogs or makeup content are gonna be like “WDMC, Danielle” but I am feeling this skincare niche. So now I post skincare videos on Sundays and Wednesdays and I still cover fashion on Friday.

Now the views ain’t always in your girl’s favor…lol. It’s been the cause of many moments of Virgo overthinking. And because you can see everyone else’s views on Youtube, I sometimes feel defeated watching people rack up on views and my joints got tumbleweeds going by…lol. BUT I have learned that my skincare videos take more time to build up views. My fake marketing research shows that people don’t watch skincare videos until they have a skincare problem. Not everyone is weird like me and watches skincare videos for sport.

Funny enough, one of my first videos on sunscreen from like 2015 used to get some really nasty comments. I suspect someone linked my video to some hotep message board. All sorts of weirdos would be cursing me out, calling me a bed wench, and one person said I needed to be shot for telling Black people to wear sunscreen. Even years later I STILL have to remove comments and block people from that video. But you wanna know which of my videos lately has been racking up lots of views quickly in a short period of time? A video on mineral sunscreen for dark skin! And do you know people search “style and beauty doctor sunscreen” often enough for it to auto-populate in Youtube search? Ha!

I’m getting there though—with tools like VidIQ and keeping up with the tons of Youtube channels that offer advice on growing on the platform, I’ll be even better. I have a big vision for how my career and livelihood will vastly improve due to being on Youtube.

Folks try to clown you for it—especially when you’re over 30, but when they hear about the money-making and career opportunities, they’re all ready to drop everything and belt out “HEY GUYS! WELCOME TO MY CHANNEL!”

Instagram is about to get on my whole nerve though…lol. But while there is always this cloak of mystery behind WTF the Instagram algorithm wants to promote, one thing will always remain the same: your audience wants to follow people they feel they know and like. Which is cool, but after filming Youtube videos, I AM TIYAD…LOL. But IG is a bish—the minute you start slacking on stories or posting to the feed and then decide to emerge again—oh they will play your behind with less than average visibility. Sometimes it feels like being on a hamster wheel. But I think I have a plan for it and that’s to PLAN FOR IT…lol. I’m taking a page out of my boo Monroe Steele‘s book and planning ahead more. I used to do this, but a dwindling attention span will get you off track QUICKLY.

Thirteen years into this and 2020 might as well be year one. You never stop evolving, never stop learning. While it’s a pain in the rear many times over, there are of course plenty of bonuses to this lifestyle. We still have more than five months left in this year and I’ve already made close to double what I made in 2019. I’m proud of myself. And when I meet one of my bigger goals, I’m buying a farm and taking my cat and my mama with me.

Photos: Dadouchic

Outfit details

Hair: Big Chop Hair Kinda Kinky Wig custom cut by Gabrielle Corney (Black woman owned biz)

Top: ASOS

Shorts: Suakoko Betty (Black woman owned biz)

Earrings: The Sable Collective (Black woman owned biz)

Shoes: ASOS

What has 2020 taught you so far? Tell me in the comments!