Tanya Dhar supplements her words with vibrant and inspiring photos to make the journey as much of the readers' as it were hers.
Connectivity via social media is your first tool of success in promoting your blog and interacting with your readers in real-time, says Tanya Dhar. It is integral to get your name out there and gain new followers, driving traffic back to your site. In conversation with Social Samosa, she explains how blogging as a career requires a lot of time, effort and a dash of luck.
Looking back, where did it all begin?
The main reason I started my blog in 2016 was to connect with other writers, enhance my own writing skills and perhaps inspire other creatives to write too. The support and appreciation I have received from the blogging community have been amazing and this has been one of the biggest factors my blog has become so special to me.
Since the start of my journey, my passion has helped me grow my sapling blog, and I have been fortunate enough to have found a stable and focused mental space whilst writing.
What's in the name?
Coming up with a name for your blog is a tricky endeavour because it is a brand that is going to represent you. In a world full of gifted writers and niche blogs, you really have to go that extra mile to stand out and the name is the first step to give people reason to pause. It needs to be catchy and memorable and relevant. It is definitely a critical step and should be given a fair share of thought.
Urban Diaries — since I write about travel and life pretty frequently.
What is your USP in this cluttered space? How does your content give you an edge?
One of the mandates of my site is for me to impart the knowledge I gain from my life experiences, both personally and professionally. I aspire to influence and impact and inspire as I take the journey alongside my readers, experiencing my life through words. No amount of knowledge is finite and my little contribution to the plethora of it is a thought that puts a smile on my face.
Perfection is a goal I am constantly striving for but the honest truth about this is, perfection is tough and oftentimes an impractical achievement. That being said, I’ve always felt a strong degree of (self-imposed) pressure to curate quality content (my writing and ideas). I find it a great way of motivating myself, and I always know I get better day after day because hard work never goes unnoticed.
Please take us through your content creation process. How do you stay relevant and relatable?
Over my tenure of 3 years in the industry, I have had my share of learning but the most important lesson I have learnt is to have the courage to be authentic to myself and express myself the way I deem suitable. Although tough, I have realized that my best writing happens when I shed all self-doubt and allow my words to express my raw emotions and vulnerability.
One of the main reasons why Urban Diaries is doing so well is because I work every single day on my blog. I supplement my honest words with vibrant and inspiring photos to make the journey as much of my readers’ as it were mine. My goal is to always deliver 'evergreen' content that my readers will enjoy, and have them come back for more!
How do you make moolah with your efforts?
Money has never been the reason that drove me to pursue blogging and it will never become my primary motivator either. I aspire to live my best life and travel to new places, learning something new every single day and blogging has given me that opportunity! I want to continue to live better and hope the same for my readers too.
How do you maintain editorial objectivity with the influx of brand briefs?
My blogging process first and foremost begins with visualising a concept and understanding how the end product should look. Hence quality will always beat quantity whilst sewing together new ideas. This is one of the reasons you will never see me promoting a product that I am not one hundred per cent confident about and that’s something my readers have shown their appreciation for.
One instance/experience that made it all worthwhile
Having people who follow me on social media and read my blog come up to me and tell me that my work inspires them.
If not blogging, you would be?
If not a blogger, I would have probably been a travel writer.
The most intriguing aspect of my work is that I don’t have a repetitive job and every day is a new day with a new aspiration! I am quite meticulous about planning and do schedule my week to balance my work and personal life, but no day is ever the same!
I generally like to go over my list from the previous week to look out for pending work and then prioritizing what needs to be done first. Between the scheduling and actually executing the tasks, my days get rather busy so I know I don’t have to worry about boredom blues!
Message/tips for upcoming bloggers
Blogging as a career requires lots of time, effort and a dash of luck to be a successful venture. With new-age marketing and connectivity through social media, that is your first tool of success to promote your blog and interact with your readers in real-time. It is integral to get your name out there and gain new followers, in turn driving traffic back to your site.
This blog has been my baby that I have grown and nurtured with passion and hard work. It is my pride and I can’t wait to see where it takes me in terms of my learning, experience and of course, my writing! I have sown a seed in this little corner of the internet and I cannot wait to see the foliage that awaits me.
Through this is space I hope to learn a new lesson every day, keep my readers happy and more importantly, inspire other writers to start their own space. The future prospect for my blog excites me and for those that chose to take this journey with me, I cannot thank you enough for your love and support!
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