Are you new to blogging?
I will say now I am NO pro blogger, I think I still count as a new blogger as HTML codes still mystify me. But in the 5 months (ISH) I have been blogging I have definitely made life harder for myself by being completely unaware and jumping in balls deep. So this post is for pointing out the little things that take ages to redo.
Many amazing people have patiently imparted their wisdom to me so I feel the blogging world is kind of Lion king esk in that in ‘circle of life’ style we all share our learning. I would not be where I am today without others generosity, kindness, love of GIFS and jokes about breasts.
There is NO one size fits all approach to blogging.
My tips correlate to what I want from by blog; I want people to enjoy reading it. Some people couldn’t give two hoots about stats, some don’t want to work with brands, some people like to talk about politics while others discuss poo…
NO ONE is better or worse, just different. Diversity is good look how successful skittles are.
Here are 12 things I should have done when I started blogging.
SOCIAL MEDIA
Great for getting your blog out there, as well as Twitter, Facebook, Pintrest, Youtube and Instagram, there is Bloglovin and Google+ ETC. FFS. You do not have to master all at once, in fact if you try you will get anxious and sweaty. 1 step at a time. Vicki over at Honest Mum has some fab Tips for using Social Media.
POST TITLES
My titles were a muddle of capitals and lowercase. You want continuity. On multiple occasions when I used PEEK by Usertesting commenters liked it when titles were the same format. Also my first titles were 4 sentences long. Fail. Make them snappy, that make you want to read them. Like snickers make you want to eat them. Check your spelling and grammar but don’t bitch if you see bad spelling. Even if you are an English teacher
Space out your sentences.
I am a three line sentence kind of girl, I write fluidly, waffling it is part of me. My readability is always in the red. I am learning to punctuate. Headings are your friend. So is a clear font.
TAGS
The word makes me want to drink. Do NOT write 60 posts then realise Tags are useful. Tag as you go…otherwise you will spend 4 back to back episodes of Silent Witness adding them.
LOGO
Whether you use Canva in a do-it-yourself job or pay a designer to create one, a unique and professional Logo is an important element to any blog. It should be impactful, relevant and clear. Branding is key. Logojoy offer tips on ‘How to make a logo’ and all the options available. A Logo should be used on email signatures and social media platforms.
LINKYS
They are fun, they bring traffic to your bog, it’s a way to reach out to other bloggers. Becky from The Cuddle Fairy wrote a great post Social Media. Some of my favorites are #ablogginggoodtime #fortheloveofblog #chucklemums TheList #KCACOLS #brilliantblogposts #Abrandnewday #stayclassymama #bigpinklink #puddinglove #FTMOB #PoCoLo #bloggerclubuk #FabFridayPost #FridayFrolics. I have got a stitch. Checkout Aby From You Baby me Mummy’s Linky list. Actually just read Aby’s whole BLOG. That will sort you out.
TAKE A BREAK WHEN YOU NEED Smell the roses, do the laundry…it gets addictive and is a lot of work. Avoid burnout.
POST IMAGES
Pick the shape and size of your featured images on your posts with care. I originally just shoved them in willy-nilly. I use Twitter & Facebook as my main media platforms and all of my first images had heads cut off. Buggeration. A good design and a design people can see is important. I have found Tweets do better with them. I am an avid fan of Canva to create featured images with my blog titles on. It’s free. They also have some pretty cool Pinterest infographic templates which is my challenge to get into next month. I am all about the visuals (hence my fascination with Thor).
P.S Add images to your posts. You do not always have to produce stunning pictures…my five year old scowls as soon as he sees a camera. There is beauty in imperfection. You can use images that are not yours but ASK. Don’t breach copyright laws and end up in jail…I doubt it is really like Orange is the new Black. Go seek out free stock images on sites such as Pixabay that have permissions and don’t need to be cited. Free editing sites such as Picmonkey are awesome. They also have airbrushing which is handy if your kid is smeared in snot… check out Fritha’s site here if you want to see how to rock pictures #photogoals.
BE CONTACTABLE
If you want to be contacted of course. Make your email subscription and follow button OBVIOUS. My lovely buddy Katie from Mummy in a Tutu has written a cracker of a how to post for setting up Mailchimp. I will do this one day…
STUMBLE UPON
Figure this out early, add each post to Stumble. It is fab for bringing in traffic. I got the hang of it 30 pages in and it’s a pain to add all your posts in a bundle.
SCHEDULE
I work through the day and (mostly) sleep at night so have a small blog window. Buffer and Social Oomph are my top picks, not just because they sound like characters out of Charlie and the chocolate factory. Find what works best for you. I also try and tweet live every couple of hours as they have a very teeny shelf life. GIF’s are my friends.
FIND A TRIBE
Make friends. They are your salvation in the dark, sleepless nights. I love these Tribals more than wine. Thank you for finding me. Respect other bloggers and how hard they work.
POSTING ROUTINE
I SUCK at this, I can write 3 posts one weeks and 1 the next. DON’T DO WHAT I DO. Tag retweeters such @bloggersblast @lovingblogs @BBlogUK @FemaleBloggerRT @UKbloggers1 on Twitter and don’t be frightened of a #HASHTAG.
SELFHOSTED
If you can do it from the beginning. Do not be a dick like me and think paying for WordPress premium will mean you can get plugins…not the case. I spent ages perfecting a layout then I moved to SH and the theme did NOT come too. Check out this post about my trials and the nitty gritty (what am I 80?!) of moving. It will involve cursing.
COMPETITIONS
Make the best of them. I use Rafflecopter and share across various competition website such as The Prizefinder. At first I brought the prizes myself but then as I began working with brands they share products as comps promote brand awareness. Use #competitions #win #giveaway #comp and @competitionspy @competitionclub.
There are loads more tips I have picked up but these are some good ones to start.
Welcome to the blogverse! Hold on to your knickers.
