Advice For New Bloggers & What I wish I'd Known When I Started Blogging!
Monday, July 06, 2020
Building your blog takes time, effort and dedication. There are lots of things you need to learn from SEO to perfecting your voice and style of writing. There are things you won't know straight away! I have a collection of amazing bloggers to tell you what they wish they had known before they started blogging! They also have some helpful advice, so you can be at the top of your game, as quick as possible!
Make Sure You're Prepared To Put In Hard Work
I wish I knew how much time, effort, and energy truly went into the whole blog experience. Not just in terms of writing, that part is easy for me. I mean editing the blog, adding the right pictures, creating the right blog site with a nice style.
My advice to new bloggers is to take your time! Research and make a plan for your blog. Don’t be afraid to look to other bloggers for inspiration I’d recommend setting a schedule for your social media accounts. If you’re able to, create your posts ahead of time, and schedule them to be posted automatically at a later date. That way, you’re not overwhelmed.
Jojo Hall | Jojo's Cup of Mocha
Form Bonds With Other Bloggers
Before starting my blog, I wish I knew how friendly and supportive the blogging community was on Twitter. When I first launched, I only used Pinterest to promote my posts. I was told that Pinterest was the best for driving traffic to your site, so that's where I went. And yes - Pinterest can be fantastic for traffic. But it's also lonely. You can always count on the Twitter community to pick you up when you feel like you're failing or to promote your work when no one's reading it.
Take some time to form real bonds with bloggers whose work you love. Read and support their work, and they'll do the same for you. The people on the other side of your blog aren't just readers - they're people. And it pays to get to know them. The key to success is to just keep on going, and you'll be less likely to give up when you're part of a fantastic community. Growing your blog is hard work, but it's fun. And it's more fun if you share the journey with others.
Rhi | The Violet Journal
Seek Out Blogging Communities
Before I started blogging, I wish I knew about the massive communities around blogging. There are so many niches, each with dozens of groups of supportive individuals who share ideas, do collaborations, and generally support each other when they are in a rut. They just provide a needed amount of support when you have questions about blogging. There are so many of them. You could even join more if you wanted to!
I would tell new bloggers to seek out these groups and join ones that match their niche. These groups are very helpful when you are starting out. Consistency is another big tip from me. Being consistent gives your readers a better understanding of when you post. It also makes you look more reliable for brand collaborations.
Help Your Readers Solve An Issue or Learn Something
Write what you know. It’s perhaps the most commonly shared piece of advice for growing writers. When I first started writing, my writing was for myself. It led me to imaginary places where I wanted to be. And, while there’s nothing wrong with that, bloggers often use the blogosphere as a means to communicate their own thoughts and feelings.
My advice to any blogger starting out is to keep an eye on your audience. That’s not to say that you should write about yourself, but the truth is that people will read your blog because it touches them, not because it touches you. Watch how often you use 1st person pronouns. Do you feel the temptation to stuff your titles with them? For example, “What I Learned About Life” is much better communicated as “Learning About Life.” It’s a subtle switch, but one that communicates to the reader that this is their realm, not yours. Remember that the goal is to help other people solve a problem, not to tell them how you solved yours.
Amy Kline | Translations Para Ti
Collaborate With Other Bloggers
I wish I had understood the power of connecting with other bloggers from the outset. It is so easy to connect with like-minded bloggers on social media platforms like Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. I highly recommend finding people in your niche and connecting with them from early on.
For example, bloggers will often collaborate on posts together, guest write for one another and provide advice and support. Blogging is complex, with many intricacies that you need to get your head around to get ahead. I have found the blogging community to be wonderful. While there are so many ‘business’ benefits for networking, there is the potential of friendship too. In my world, that is a win-win. Life is much better when we can all celebrate our wins together.
Don't Get Hung Up On Statistics
I’ve been blogging for roughly 8 years now! When I started blogging all those years back, I realised after being on social media, that I was quite an opinionated person. I wish I’d tried harder to schedule and promote posts at the time. I would have found more success with it sooner. Now, 8 years on and although it’s still not my ‘job’, I understand a lot more of how to be a legitimate blogger/influencer. Scheduling posts and promoting them being 2 of the main ways we’ve managed to grow our blog.
I would say my main advice to new bloggers would be to not expect your blog to grow overnight. I think a lot of influencers get so caught up in the numbers and statistics that they get disheartened when they aren’t where they want to be. Eventually, you will get to where you want to be – but it’s important to remember all the reasons you enjoy blogging. If that comes across in your writing, then you will grow.
The Stevenson Family | The Stevenson Life
Engage & Build A Loyal Audience
When you’re a blogger that’s looking into monetizing your blog by creating your own products and services, it definitely helps to have an engaged, loyal audience. After all, they are who will eventually purchase and invest in what you have to offer.
I’ve recently rebranded my blog as well as redesigned it. So I’m reintroducing myself with my audience and making a more significant online presence, as well as promoting my products that I’ve created.
Amber | Allofamber.com
Go Self Hosted & Buy A Domain!
The first and most important thing to learn is the difference between hosted and self-hosted. After some research, I opted for WordPress for my blog platform. I hosted with WordPress themselves, but this is quite restrictive. It doesn't allow you the freedom with site design or plugins that help various aspects of your site.
The other has to be SEO (Search Engine Optimisation. At the start, I hadn't heard of this term before. I think I was around 25 posts published on my blog and learning on the job. I had to go back and edit these posts to get the best SEO I could. A couple of great plugins that have helped me with SEO has been the Yoast plugin and Rank Math.
Eddie | Yorkie, Not Just For Dads
Schedule Your Content!
There are a few things that I wish I knew before I started! Blogging is a commitment, even if it is a hobby! To have a successful blog, you will need to set time aside and be committed to your work. This includes your content, website and social media. I also wish I knew that quality is better than quantity. It is nice to have hundreds of blog posts, but your readers will care more about the quality of your content than the quantity. I did not know about the different tools and apps you can use to be successful. You will save so much time if you schedule posts ahead of time. It is also important to schedule tweets, Instagram photos and Pinterest pins. This will save you time in the long run. Pinterest is going to be your lifesaver and by far your biggest source of traffic, so you will need to dedicate time to it. I found the best way to keep myself accountable would be to make friends with other bloggers on social media and have a supportive group chat.
Learn About All The Nitty Gritty From The Start
Blogging has definitely been a journey for me. I have had to figure out WordPress and learn about the nitty-gritty parts of my blog. When I started my blog, I wish someone had been there to tell me that if I needed help, all I had to do was ask. Blog posts are teeming with advice about different aspects of blogging. You can learn about everything, including DA, SEO, and everything in between. I wish I had known more about them before plunging into blogging. It would have made things a lot easier. It would have meant that I would have done things the right way the first time, rather than having to go back and change everything.
My advice to anyone wanting to start blogging would be to have a look around! There are blog posts out there that can help you with your blog, but also just to have fun. Get involved on social media, and you'll meet all kinds of people who blog who are more than happy to help you if you need it.
Shannon | Shannon's Corner
Don't Wait Until Things Are Perfect
As a relatively new blogger myself, I think the main piece of advice I’d give to new bloggers is to launch your site as soon as possible. While it can be tempting to wait until you think it’s perfect (you’ll never reach this point!), it’s better to get on and get it out there. Putting it off rarely helps and prevents you from getting feedback for longer. I found it so much easier to learn on the go and make tweaks as I worked out what did and didn’t work for my site.
Katie | The Twenty Percent
Don't Let Others Put You Down
You need to be clear on what you want to blog about. You need to know the audience you're writing for. When I started, I knew I wanted to give people advice, but I didn't know what kind of advice I wanted to give. Be clear on your niche, and develop your ideas. This will attract a better audience.
Don't let people try you to stop you from what you want to do, even if it isn't blogging related. When I started, I decided to give relationship advice. A lot of people laughed in my face and told me that people wouldn't read my post, but I kept ongoing. This has made me stronger, and I am doing something I love.
Nike | Nikes Corner
Blog about something you're passionate about
My advice to new bloggers would be to blog about something you are passionate about. I love travelling and reading, which is why I chose those things. If you love what you are writing about, it doesn’t become a chore. You want to do it, you have the information, and ultimately it makes your posts better. Also, if you don’t know something, take the time to learn. You won’t necessarily become an expert, but you don’t need to be, you can easily find information from other blogs, podcasts and Google.
Mrs D | I Can Show You The World
Related: 200 Blog Post Ideas For Every Niche!
Do what makes you happy!
It’s been an interesting time for trial and error, and the below pieces of advice is what I wish I knew when I started, and even now still come back to!
It’s okay to try out different things if your blog style isn’t suiting you. You’re not tied to the one niche forever if you don’t want to. The first year of blogging isn’t going to be your greatest. Just like everything, blogging takes practice. Remember that while you may be writing a personal blog, most people will be tuning in to find the value for themselves. You do need to think of how you can help others with your writing. Have fun! There’s no point doing a blog if you hate writing up every post. If you find it’s not for you, that’s okay as well! Finally, be AUTHENTIC! People will read your blog because it’s your blog. You’ll eventually find your style and voice, and build your audience around this.
Claire | Short Girl Walking
To break it down, the most important things to take away from this post would be:
- Be prepared to put in hard work
- Connect with other bloggers
- Join blogging communities
- Use your blog to teach your readers something
- Collaborate with other bloggers
- Don't get hung up on statistics
- Engage with people & build a loyal audience
- Purchase a domain for your blog
- Schedule your content
- Educate yourself on blogging before you start
- Don't wait until everything is perfect, edit along the way
- Don't let others put you down, and stop you from achieving your goals
- Blog about your passions
- Do what makes you happy
I want to say a huge thank you to those who have shared their advice and things they wish they had known! There is a lot of advice to take in. I hope that this post helps out new bloggers, and teaches some things to bloggers who still want to learn! There are so many other tips and tricks out there. What piece of advice would you give to bloggers? Let me know in the comments what you wish you had known before you started blogging!
48 comments
Brilliant advice here Em. For me the self hosted thing still feels like the biggest mistake I could have made, I'd been at it for almost 18 months before I went self hosted. Of course now, 6 months later I am still working my way through my old posts to improve them for SEO etc and it is overwhelming.
ReplyDeleteI love the blogging community, I think it is the only reason I am still at it if I'm honest x
I think it is important to do it asap - especially if you're 100% dedicated to your blog and wanting it to grow. Thank you for reading!
DeleteEm x
What a great post! I love learning from other bloggers and I really enjoyed reading all their different advice - thank you for sharing :)
ReplyDeleteEm x
planningwithem.com
I think this was a really fun post! Thank you for reading!
DeleteEm x
I was really scared when I first started my blog (like 4 years ago) and I rarely shared anything! Since I have started blogging again this year I have made so many friends and joined lots of communities and it makes such a difference! Thats definitely something I wish I had done sooner as there are so many supportive and lovely people out there who can help you! This is a really great post! x
ReplyDeleteI too was scared, but once you make the leap, all those fears will go away as there's always someone out there to help! Thank you for reading!
DeleteEm x
Some brilliant advice on here. There's even alot that I have learnt from reading it. Great Post.
ReplyDeleteThank you for reading!
DeleteEm x
Some great tips here from some great bloggers. I've been blogging 7+ years and I just wish I had taken it more seriously sooner. I wish I had learned about SEO and keywords and Pinterest and all that stuff sooner because my GOD I would be so far ahead of where I am now if I did!
ReplyDeleteI am so lucky I have bloggers like you giving me advice from the start. It has really helped me out! Thank you for reading!
DeleteEm x
Some great advice here! Although I've technically been blogging for 7 years I've had various different websites/blogs/names and I didn't take it seriously enough at all! I never focused on SEO, keywords, ALT text or growing a following and it's only in the past few months that I've actually started to do this and seen a difference!
ReplyDeleteTash - A Girl with a View
I've been doing it for 4, and I am still learning by the day! Thank you for reading!
DeleteEm x
Thanks for the post! :)
ReplyDeleteI work for a digital marketing/SEO agency - so when I have time I try to check all of my SEO bits. But forming relationships with other bloggers is something I really want to do more of!
That is really good! Having knowledge of things is deffinitly a benefit! Thank you for reading!
DeleteEm x
You've highlighted some very important points here, especially that blogging is hard work, which I agree with 100%. It's almost like going to university especially if it takes years to even see a single cent (if you want to make money from it, of course). It can also be lonely so, like you said, joining blogging communities can be a source of support and comfort.
ReplyDeleteThere is so much that goes into blogging! It can be hard to keep track of everything as a 1 man band! Thank you for reading!
DeleteEm x
Amazing post! Thank you for sharing! These tips are very useful!
ReplyDeleteThank you for reading!
DeleteEm x
Great post! It's really helpful. As a new blogger, I thank you for posting it. Have a great summer!
ReplyDeletefleetinggyal.blogspot.com
Thank you, you too! Thank you for reading!
DeleteEm x
I wish I had studied up on more than I did when I started. I was only on Instagram when I started my blog and I just blindly followed the Yoast suggestions on my first few blogs. Then I started Googling things and realized I'd have done SO MUCH differently if I'd put in the work before making my site live!
ReplyDeleteThere is so much you don't realise! I think people underestimate bloggers a lot! Thank you for reading!
DeleteEm x
Such a great list produced here and so helpful for upcoming bloggers. I definitely wish I'd done a lot more of these things when I started, but better late than never I suppose!
ReplyDeleteI do too - I really underestimated blogging as a whole! Thank you for reading!
DeleteEm x
Great advice and filled with things I'm still working on daily. Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteThank you for reading!
DeleteEm x
Great advice! I wish I’d promoted my posts more when I first started blogging and used Pinterest more often.
ReplyDeleteI need to learn pinterest more! Thank you for reading!
DeleteEm x
Damn girl, so much good information in one post (although my google chrome is on the verge of breaking from all the tabs I have open to check out those bloggers' websites!) xx
ReplyDeletemia // https://beautiful-inspiring-creative-life.com
Oh dear! There are so many amazing bloggers on this page! Thank you for reading!
DeleteEm x
Great post! I love the idea of having everyone contribute a bit from a bunch of other bloggers as well.
ReplyDeleteIt seemed a lot of the comments were about Community. So I dug up this article from our blog that I think you might find fitting...
Why WhatsApp Group Chats are BETTER Than Tailwind Tribes AND Facebook Groups for Pinterest Marketing at RePinning in 2020!
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It was a really fun post to do :) Thank you for reading
DeleteEm x
Really great advice, I have just started my blogging journey and this helps a lot x
ReplyDeleteGood luck on your blogging journey! Thank you for reading!
DeleteEm x
Thanks for sharing these tips are really useful :)
ReplyDeleteNic | Nic's Adventures & Bakes
Thank you for reading!
DeleteEm x
Great tips Em! I wish I had a lot of these when I first started. But it's never to late to learn and grow!
ReplyDeleteNever to late, you're right! Thank you for reading!
DeleteEm x
I wish I had known all of these things when I started blogging too - who knew there was so much to learn? Great blog post and thanks for including my contribution x
ReplyDeleteThank you for being a part of this amazing collab! There are so many things that I learnt editing this!
DeleteEm x
Such great advice! Been trying to follow what others have been doing in terms of growing their blog and I would say it's been good and it has really helped. :)
ReplyDeleteI definitely got too hung up on stats in the beginning :-(
ReplyDeleteI agree if your not doing this because you love it, it's not gonna last. I learn something new everyday.
ReplyDeleteSuch a helpful post! Relatable too as blogger! It’s not easy starting a blog. I hadn’t done no research and found it so stressful!
ReplyDeleteI will soon be finishing my first year of blogging. And I am so glad that I found your post at the right time. Thank you so much for sharing all these advice.
ReplyDeleteCollaboration posts... that's one of the things on my to-do list. I have somewhat of a mini series in mind. And although I'm still not quite ready to put it on the schedule, I think your post may have pushed it up a few notches on the list. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteI couldn't agree more with the ones about engaging with the blogging community and other bloggers. I've found the entire community to be super supportive and when I've reached out with questions to specific bloggers they've always been happy to share their ideas or tricks!
ReplyDeleteGreat read, Em! Thank you for putting this post together with a variety of perspective from so many bloggers. I'm about two months into my blog and I will use these tips to help me going forward.
ReplyDelete