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Running a blog can be terribly overwhelming, especially when it’s your first blog. In today’s article, I list down 12 blogging tips for new bloggers so you can begin your blogging journey in the right direction.
New to the blogging business?
First off, congratulations on your decision to start a blog!
If you’re completely new to this, you’ve probably done tons of research, and you’re probably overwhelmed about all the advice and tips and tricks you’ve read in many different sources.
Today, I’ll list down 12 blogging tips for new bloggers that will help you on your blogging journey.
P.S. If you haven’t actually created your blog yet, you’ll find this article helpful.
There are plenty of platforms and content management systems you can use to create your blog, but if you’re serious in pursuing blogging as a long-term undertaking, owning your domain and installing WordPress in it is the best foundation you can ever have for your blog.
It’s tempting to start your blog on a free platform because that means less spending at first. However, it’s not advisable to build your business and your brand on a foundation that you don’t own and can’t control. Sooner or later, you’d want to migrate to your own domain, and the longer you put it off, the more time, effort, and cost it will involve.
You can read more about the pros and cons of various blogging platforms and why WordPress is the best in this article about starting your blog from scratch.
Ask yourself why you’re blogging.
Do you want to make money from it as your main source of income? Or are you content with it being a part-time gig?
Maybe making money from blogging isn’t your priority. Do you want to blog to be popular in your niche so you can network with other popular bloggers for offline business opportunities? Or do you want to advertise your skills and knowledge for freelance work?
Knowing your “why” will keep you from wasting time and energy into things that may be important for other bloggers but don’t help you achieve your goals and your reason for blogging.
For instance, do you really need to create your own theme? Unless you’re advertising your services as a website designer, there’s really no need for you to learn how to create your own theme; there are thousands of themes out there and chances are one of them will suit your blog just fine.
Stick to your “why” and focus your energies so you can fulfill it.
Some of you may be thinking, “This is ridiculous. The reason I went into blogging is I want to be flexible. What’s this about a routine?”
The only way you can consistently publish content on your blog is if you carve time for it in your day and the most effective way to do that is to write at the same time every day.
For example, you might want to set an alarm for 6 AM, have your breakfast and some coffee, then start writing a blog post from 7 AM until 9 AM. You can then do something else blog-related like designing this week’s newsletter, or an errand that’s completely unrelated, like grocery shopping.
Having those two hours a day solely dedicated to writing is the routine that you can stick to, and then be flexible for the rest of the day. You can even continue to write if you want to or if there are no other pressing tasks.
It doesn’t even have to be in the morning. If you write better at night, then schedule your writing hours then. What’s important is establishing a set routine that you can fall back on.
Chances are either you’ve heard this a lot or you’re going to: Always aim to add value to your readers’ lives.
I mean, it’s definitely sound advice. But what does it even mean?
When you’re thinking about what it means to add value to people’s lives, think about the content that you like to consume. Think about the value that those provide to your life.
Perhaps the most common way of delivering value is through educating readers. Describing how to do something, explaining an important but complicated concept, or providing tips or hacks all qualify as education. Providing your readers with new skills that they can use in their lives is an excellent way to turn accidental browsers into loyal, long-term fans.
Another way to provide value is through inspiring readers. You can encourage readers to be the best versions of themselves, or showcase a certain lifestyle, or motivate them to take action about something that will improve their lives.
Yet another, underrated way of delivering value is through entertaining readers. It doesn’t seem very significant or notable, but everybody needs to be entertained. We all need to snicker or even laugh out loud every once in a while.
So if you’re witty or sarcastic, or just plain pun-ny (haha), go for it.
There are so many content writing and copywriting formulas available to you; you only need to Google to find them.
But if you follow these formulas to a T, you deprive your audience the chance to really get to know you.
Allow your readers to connect to you by letting your personality shine in your writing. People prefer to consume content that looks like it was written by a real person and not a robot.
Plus, people don’t want to read content that they can read elsewhere. You need to offer them something more, something extra. Soon, your early fans will come for the content but stay for your perspective.
Write in a way that’s familiar to your target audience so that they pay attention to your message.
Be clear and concise when you write. The fewer words you can use to get your point across, the better.
Break up your text into several paragraphs instead of subjecting your reader to one huge wall of text. Not only does this make it easier to scan your content but also makes your content look more visually appealing.
Don’t use jargon or complicated words if you can help it. Using simple, everyday language allows you to get your point across more effectively.
A good test for this is to read what you’re writing out loud. If it sounds too scripted or awkward, rewrite it.
Getting email addresses when you’ve only just launched sounds sleazy, but hear me out.
Email offers you a more personal way to communicate with your audience than on your blog or through social media. Building your email list early allows you to connect with your readers from the start and establish a great relationship with them.
Start by offering a value-packed monthly email newsletter with the latest news on your niche/industry and your blog posts that month so they can read posts that they missed.
Later on, when you’ve been blogging for a while and have your readers’ trust, you can start an email list dedicated to marketing.
Here are some tools we recommend for building your email list:
Seems like everybody else is on all the social media platforms.
It’s tempting to jump down that rabbit hole and sign up for all the social media platforms you can.
But really, building a social media presence should be lower on your priority list than creating your content and building your email list.
Without content, you’ll have nothing to promote on social media. Without an email list, you don’t really have an audience. Remember that your social media followers aren’t really yours; you’re operating on a third-party platform.
Choose 1 or 2 platforms that your target audience is likely to have accounts in and focus on those first. You can always expand your reach to new social media platforms, but when you’re only just beginning to establish your presence, it’s better to focus on a few platforms only.
“But you just said…”
Yes, social media shouldn’t be on top of your list, but it doesn’t mean it’s not supposed to be in the list.
Social media is powerful when used correctly. Its two most valuable functions for you as a blogger is as a tool to engage with your target audience and as a source of traffic for your blog.
Once you have 5 to 10 articles published on your blog, that’s the time to make your move and promote your blog on social media. You don’t want to attract your audience to your blog and then have them see just 1 or 2 articles. It’s not a good impression to make.
When readers engage on social media, make it a point to reply to them. Similarly, when you see someone share your articles, make sure to thank them.
No matter how much research you do or how many articles you read (including this very article you’re reading) or how many guides you follow, mistakes will be inevitable.
And that’s okay.
Don’t get too wrapped up in doing everything perfectly the first time. As long as you have the basics set up (your domain, your CMS, and your email autoresponder), embrace the fact that at this stage, you don’t have too many followers, and so making a mistake doesn’t have such a huge impact on your blog (yet).
Of course, there will always be best practices in blogging, like don’t do black-hat SEO or engage in topics that are harmful or hateful.
But other than obviously malicious actions or practices, feel free to experiment with your content, your website design, your writing voice, etc. until you find the combination that works for you and your target audience.
Mistakes help you learn what to do and what not to do, so accept them as part of the process. Don’t take them too hard.
Remember: Even the experts made mistakes at first. So. Many. Mistakes. They were successful because they learned from their blunders.
When you’re just starting a project you’re really excited about, your enthusiasm is through the roof.
You might find yourself just pounding the keyboard, rattling out blog post after blog post.
A month goes by, then two, then one day you look at your analytics and your traffic is in the low hundreds and barely anyone is commenting. You look at your social media and you hear nothing but crickets.
You get discouraged and bummed and decide you’re not going to work so hard this time since it’s hardly worth it.
And then instead of writing every day, you push it back until you’re only writing two days in a week. You barely reply to comments, and you’ve stopped emailing your list.
Before you know it, your blog’s dead.
Don’t let it happen to you.
Know this: It’s going to take a while to get your blog to the point where it’s profitable, and it’s going to take a while to establish yourself as an authority in your niche.
How long? Around 12 to 18 months, and that’s if you’re publishing content at least three times a week.
This early in the race, accept that blogging is a marathon, not a sprint.
Don’t give up before you get there.
The most successful bloggers are those who keep doing it long enough to see their blogs succeed. So hang in there.
Especially in the early days, blogging can be overwhelming, with the numerous tasks you have to do and all the tools you have to learn how to use.
If you’re genuinely passionate about the topic you’re writing about, you’re more likely to create content consistently. Plus, your genuine enjoyment will show in your writing.
So have fun!
It sounds like lazy, throwaway advice, but it’s not, I promise. It’s important that you enjoy blogging because if you don’t, you’ll get burned out early and you won’t be able to see your blog achieve success.
Let me recap of all the tips I listed.
I sincerely hope these blogging tips help you on your journey to success.
Are you a new blogger? How’s your journey been so far? Did you find my tips helpful? Share your story in the comments!
JoAnne is your average, everyday, sane stay-at-home mom who believes in the power of the internet to make dreams come true. She has an insatiable appetite for chocolate, as well as all things internet marketing. She keeps up with the latest trends in blogging, affiliate marketing, e-commerce, and more.
