By guest contributor Mariah Danielsen. Photography by Magpie Paperworks.

The Internet is full of creative things. With sites like Pinterest, it can be hard to find your voice, and build authenticity in your own brand, without feeling like you’re copying someone else. We’re bombarded with fun ideas and beautiful design on a consistent basis.

Since it’s incredibly important that you’re representing the real you on your blog, here are a few ways you can be authentic:

Use Your Own Language
One sure way to be authentic, is to write your blog posts with the same language and tone that you would use in writing a letter to your best friend. This shows your true voice, through the language you use on a daily basis. If someone visits your website and then meets you in person, they will know right away that you are one and the same.

And the best part of using your own language – it’s easier and more enjoyable to write posts.

Share about your life
Another way to infuse your personality into your blog is to share snippets about your life. People love to see a little peek into your life; it helps them form a connection with you. The more real you seem to your readers, the more connected you’ll be.

By Sara Urquhart. Photography by Costin M.

Bloggers are an ambitious bunch, with big ideas and even bigger dreams. If you’ve got a big project brewing in the back of your mind, begin bringing it to light with careful planning.

First, ask yourself what success will look like. Establishing clear goals for your project will help define and refine all your tasks associated with the project. Prepare to invest either time or money—usually some of both—to reach your goals.

Then, give yourself plenty of time to get everything done. Working in a frenzied rush will not serve your big event or product launch, so think carefully about what you need to do and how long it will take. Being methodical in the planning stages will save you sleepless nights and last-minute hustles down the road.

When your to-do list reaches monumental proportions, enlist help from others. Maintain ownership over the things you love doing, and then work to find people who will love doing other things that need to get done.

By guest contributor PJ Feinstein. Photography by Jessica Swift.

Wouldn’t it be nice to be a full-time blogger, having all day to plan, write, and edit your blog posts? Most of us, however, fit blogging in among our other responsibilities—attending classes, going to work, being a mommy, and so on. Here are five ways to become a more efficient blogger, when you have a limited amount of time each day:

1) Carve out some quiet time on a Saturday or Sunday, then write as many posts as possible during that time. If writing a week’s worth of posts in a couple of hours seems like an impossible goal, aim for completing just two or three. While you’re at it, outline the week’s remaining posts, so you have less work later on. This will put you ahead of your blog, rather than trying to keep up with it.

2) Keep an ongoing list of post ideas in a small notebook or on your phone. When you’re in a creative slump and can’t think of a topic for the day, refer to your list so you don’t waste time brainstorming. How many times have you fallen down an internet rabbit hole looking for ideas, and still not come up with anything?

3) Start in the middle of your blog post. If you’re struggling to write the perfect intro, jump ahead to the middle. Inspiration will often hit when you’re a little bit distracted.