Around 10 years ago I started blogging and almost 4 years ago I started this blog. I am not saying I am an expert in blogging now, but I do have 9 tips for blogging no matter if you are a beginner or when you have been blogging for several years now.
9 tips for blogging
Having fun
This is the most important one because if you don’t enjoy it, why are you still writing blog posts? Ask yourself if you would still do it when you can’t make money from it. Some people start blogging because they know they can money from it, but when that is your only reason, you will give up pretty soon and you will never truly enjoy the process. The reason why I started blogging 10 years ago because I loved writing stuff for no reason. And back in the day, I had no idea you could make money from it.
Read more: 8 reasons why blogging makes me happy
Don’t look at the numbers too often
Numbers can drive you crazy! I mean: really crazy. So my tip is that you shouldn’t focus on your numbers. Focus on creating content instead. Looking at your numbers (blog views, subscribers, etc) can make you really insecure because you read about other bloggers who have a lot of views and somehow you are expecting the same results. Every blog is different. Also when you set a goal for yourself (1000 blog views in 24 hours for example), the moment you reach that goal, you immediately set a new goal. That means it will never be enough for you. So make the decisions that you look at your numbers maybe once a day.
Don’t forget about your privacy
I love to talk about my own life on my blog, but I also know I have to be careful with the things I say and share. I don’t talk about where I live or what my last name is. If you share too much on your blog, people can figure out where you live and that is exactly what you want to avoid, because you never know who is reading your blog. Before you know it, there is this person with bad intentions standing in front of you. So if you have a personal blog or when you share personal stuff, make sure you don’t share too much about yourself.
Stay true to yourself
Don’t pretend to be someone else, just be yourself. First of all, it is exhausting to be someone else. But people will know that you are just pretending too. At this moment, Emma Chamberlain is really popular on YouTube, but now a few people are trying to be like her. But if everyone would be the same, life would be so boring. Find out your qualities, your interests and share that on your blog.
Invest in hosting and a theme
When you are just starting blogging, you don’t want to spend a lot of money. But then moment you realize that you really enjoy blogging, you should consider investing in hosting and a theme. It feels great to have your own theme. It feels like I have my own place on the internet, it feels like my baby. And when you have a free WordPress or Blogger Blog, you don’t have a lot of options when it comes to a theme. That is why I love to have my own domain because I now finally had the option to pick a theme that fits my blog. There are so many great blog themes you can find on Etsy. And it doesn’t have to be expensive at all. I think my theme was around 20 euro’s/dollars.
Pick a blog name that suits you
Picking a blog name is probably the hardest thing you have to do. Of course, you can always change it, but it is better to keep the same name. The moment you pick a name and started your blog, you also start to build a brand. And Coca-Cola would never change their name, would they? So take time for this step. Write down everything you like and turn that into a blog name. My blog name is The Wildflower Hippie and it is a combination of wildflowers because I love (wild)flowers and hippie because someone called me hippie back in high school. And that is how The Wildflower Hippie was born.
Make a braindump list
Number 7 of my 9 tips for blogging is to make a braindump list. Sometimes, especially at night, I have those moments when I just have a lot of inspiration. So I sit down with a notebook or just a piece of paper and write everything down. It doesn’t matter if it doesn’t make any sense yet. Just write everything down. Also, a great tip is to create a list on your phone. I have a blog ideas list and it is great because now I also have something I want to write about. And those lists are great for days when you don’t have any inspiration at all. You just go to your braindump list and see what you can use.
Be careful with copyrights
My best tip is to write everything yourself and to take your own photos for your blog. Because you can’t just pick a photo you found on Google and use it for your blog. Of course, there are sites like Unsplash with a lot of photos you can use for your blog for free, but I would recommend taking photos for yourself. And never copy-paste from another blogger. Because it can cost you money. I know that there was this (Dutch) blogger and she got an invoice because she used photos from other people and we are not talking about a couple of hundred euro’s/dollars.
Promote blog articles on social media
Do you want to reach more people and do you have Twitter or Instagram account? Share it in your Instagram stories and use the swipe up (if you have more than 10K) followers and share your post a few times a day on your Twitter account. Don’t overdo it though. Just share it 3 times a day on Twitter and just one time on Instagram because if you share your new blog post too much, people will unfollow you. Pinterest is also a great platform to get more views.
These were my 9 tips for blogging. Do you have more tips? Leave them in the comments so other bloggers can read them too.