I want to start this post by saying I am in no way a pro blogger – I don’t do it full time, but it’s been four years now and I’ve learnt so much along the way. People often ask me for advice when they’re thinking of starting a blog, and I know I trawled the internet for posts like this one when I was first starting out. So without further ado, here are my biggest blogging tips.
First of all, and I think most importantly, just be yourself. Don’t start your blog trying to be something you’re not, because keeping up appearances is tough and once you let things slip you’ll start to lose the trust of your readers. Write about things you enjoy and are passionate about, things you’d want to read yourself, and that way it won’t be a chore. You don’t reaaaaallly need a niche; YOU are your niche, which I learnt at the recent Blog & Beyond workshop in Liverpool. Nobody has your experiences, your voice, your opinions – and that’s what makes blogs so interesting. I don’t have a niche, which is reflected in the ‘scrapbook’ element of my blog name, but I do stick to a few main topics/categories: beauty, travel, lifestyle. These are all things I’m interested in and love to write about, so it’s a win for me.
Utilise every tool that’s at your disposal – hashtags are amazing for promoting your blog posts to likeminded people on social media (#bbloggers for beauty posts, #fbloggers for fashion posts, #travelbloggers for travel-related posts) and for meeting other bloggers who write about the same things as you. When I was planning my recent trip to Belgium, for example, I would search ‘Brussels #travelbloggers’ on Twitter to see what blog posts people had written about the city. Easy peasy lemon squeezy. Join in with Twitter chats, too; they’re not as frequent as they were a few years ago, but they do still happen and can be an amazing way to get to know other bloggers, promote your blog and learn something new. CLICK HERE for a really helpful Twitter chat calendar. There are so many other things to make your blogging life easier, like social media scheduling apps and Facebook groups to promote your blog posts and loads of other things. Make use of them!
Read up on things you’re not sure about, because 9 times out of 10 you’ll find that someone has written a really helpful, user-friendly post about it. Most bloggers don’t start out already an expert in SEO, photo editing, networking or affiliate marketing, but people are always happy to share the things they’ve learnt along the way. I’ve linked some helpful posts from other bloggers throughout this post, so take some time to get to know the things you’re not sure about. When I first got my domain, I didn’t know how to link it to my blog – but Google is jam-packed with step by step guides, so I figured it out in the end.
Get to know other bloggers, especially in your area. It can be a lonely hobby, but making friends with bloggers who live near you can be amazing – you can do photoshoots together, have blogging dates in cute coffee shops or just in your pyjamas, and share local opportunities/event invitations. I run a Facebook group for bloggers in the North West, Look out for specific hashtags or groups for bloggers in your city, and if you get invited to an event just GO! It can be daunting, obviously, but blogger events are mostly really chilled and it’s an excellent opportunity to network with brands and of course, make some pals.
READ ME: Seven Useful Resources For Bloggers
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