For this week’s blogging tips posts rather than focus on one particular area I thought I’d share with you all my more generic top 10 blog tips. I hope you enjoy them, here they are…
Be yourself
Now this might seem a little obvious but when it comes to blogging don’t try to be like someone else, just be you. After all your blog is your own little space on the internet and it’s your personality and your thoughts that engages your readers, so don’t lose that by trying to be something or someone your not.
Be passionate
This goes with being yourself but write about what you want to write about. Not what everyone else is. If you’re not passionate about what it is you’re taking about it’ll come across to your readers. There really are no rules to blogging so if you want to branch outside your usual beauty posts by writing about music, then go for it.
Learn your kit
I strongly believe that despite what you might believe you don’t need to spend a fortune to be a blogger. I survived for two years without a DSLR and I don’t think it did me any harm. I only invested in one once I knew I would take the time to learn how to use it. Otherwise what’s the point of spending that amount of money on something that you’re not sure how to use? If you’re interested in learning more about how to improve your blog photography then you can read my post on the subject here.
Develop your own style
Along with learning to use your kit, I would also suggest that you take time to think about developing your own style. That applies to writing your blog posts, taking your pictures and designing your blog. A lot of people choose to use a white background for pictures, myself included, as it makes the pictures look cleaner, but add something to make yours stand out from the crowd.
Be consistent
One of my ultimate blog tips would be to be consistent. It helps to build readers, and get yourself into a blogging routine. Whether you choose to blog, once, three times, or seven days a week, stick to a schedule. Not only will your readers know when to expect content, but Google likes sites that are consistent which will help with your SEO.
Plan ahead
Once you’ve decided how often you want to post, make sure you stick to it by planning ahead. I’ve mentioned this in so many blogging tips posts but write yourself a to-do list. That way you can plan in advance what you want to write about and when.
Schedule
Once you’ve got your plan in place, get writing and scheduling those posts. I know I’ve said it before but I honestly don’t know many bloggers who have the luxury of being able to write and publish their posts daily. For most of us juggling demand jobs and families, we have to bulk write most of our posts and schedule them for the week ahead. This way just saves so much time and ensures that you’re on top of your blog content.
Get social
Most of the traffic to my blog comes through social media. In fact, I would say 90% of my blog traffic is generated through Twitter, Instagram or Facebook. That means I need to stay active on social media to continue to drive traffic to my site. And one of the easiest ways to do this is by scheduling your social media posts, in particular the ones that promote your blog. Plus social media is a great way to meet and interact with other bloggers, there are so many blogger chats that take place throughout the week, so set time aside and join in a few.
Be patient
I think this is a really key point, especially if you’re new to blogging. Success, however you choose to measure it, doesn’t happen overnight. I think most people who come into blogging thinking it’s a quick and easy way to blag freebies get bored pretty quickly as that’s not what blogging is about. Blogging at times can be a real labour of love and the majority of fellow bloggers I know do this because they love to do it. There can be perks along the way but you have to be prepared to work incredibly hard and be patient.
Have fun
And finally, along with being a labour of love, blogging is also really fun. I’ve meet so many amazing people through blogging and at times it can be tough and exhausting and it can feel like my social life takes a back seat to blogging but it’s also one of the best things I’ve ever done and something that gives me so much enjoyment. Blogging should never feel like a burden, so if it’s starting to feel that way then it’s OK to take a break. Just remember that the majority of bloggers out there do this because they enjoy it, so make sure you have fun and enjoy it as well.
These have been my top 10 blog tips, I hope you’ve found this post useful and let me know in the comments below your other blog tips.