I have been blogging for just over 6 months now and, as a new blogger, I know how difficult it can be to get started. I wanted to do a post where I could share some tips that might help any of you out there who consider yourself to be a new blogger as well.
The blogging community can be very cliquey and it can be different to break through. I have been blogging for a while but only started taking it really seriously in August last year. So I have been blogging flat-out for the past 6 months to produce content and images that I am very happy with!
I am by no means a blogging expert and I don’t get tens of thousands of views every month but I am happy with the views that I get nonetheless. These tips are things that I have been doing with my blog and they have worked for me so I want to share them all with you.
Find a chat that works for you
There are so many Twitter chats out there but not all of them might be the right fit for you. Find one that you like, that have good topics and where the people are fun and friendly. You will start to see a lot of the same people returning every time there is a chat. ENGAGE with them. You cannot expect to grow your social media and blog engagement if you are not engaging with others. Also, please do not feel disheartened if you put your all into a chat and get nothing from it. I once did a blogger comment swap and commented on a bunch of blog posts and not one person commented on mine. Not one. This is why you need to find which ones work for you.
Have A User Friendly Blog
If I go onto a blog and there are different categories on top I am more likely to have a look at more of the posts. If I need to scroll down endlessly without being sure where I will end up, I will probably only read the article that I came for. Make sure that people can easily navigate your site, or search for what they are looking for. This will make more people want to stay on your site and read more of your content which, I am guessing, is what you want.
Make Blogger Friends
I’m not going to lie; this has been a hard one for me! There are still very few people that I have become friends with but I also know that some people have made loads of friends through blogging. It’s nice to have someone who understands the blogging struggle and who can also help you out if you get stuck. They are also great people to bounce ideas off of and will also help you when it comes to getting your voice heard out there in the blogging community.
Promote Yourself
I think that this is especially important as a new blogger. Tweet your links with hashtags and tag accounts that will retweet your posts. If you have a Facebook page then share your links on there as well; on any social media actually. If you do not promote yourself then no one will see your posts. I am not saying that you should flood your friend’s timelines with your blog but a few links won’t hurt anyone, and they might actually help! I actually wrote a post on accounts that can help with that which you can look at over here.
Visible Contact Information
When someone visits your blog make sure that all of your social media is visible. If I have to search for ages for your Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc., then I’m not going to go and have a look at it. Also, make it easy for brands/people to contact you by having your email address either readily available on your site or by having a button for it. Also have a link to your blog and/or an email address on your social media so that when people visit you on there they can see where else to find your work.
Are you a new blogger? Have you found any of this information useful? Do you have anything else to add? Let me know in the comments below!
Love,
Kirsty x
Lovely post!
The best way to make blogging friends is to be a friend to bloggers.
Visit their blogs, stalk their social media and before you know it, you’ll be besties
xoxo
I really try! But I am still working on it haha x
I agree with Jonelle – there are clicks and I found it difficult too BUT i made it a point to engage not just on blogs but in the groups. Well the blogger groups are intimidating, I found entrepreneurial women groups more friendly. It’s good to try – eventually you’ll find people for you.
Yeah I feel like I am trying but it can be difficult 🙂 I will keep at it though haha! I am glad you have found some that are good for you! 🙂 x
This is really helpful and well-written!x
http://www.rebeccaashleybeauty.blogspot.co.uk
Thank you! 🙂 x
I have been a blogger for about 10 months and your points are so valid! Still need to work on the twitter part hey.
Thank you! I used to be so much better with twitter and then I started slacking. I need to pick it up as well x
Twitter chats are one of my favourites. I love have a good chin wag about makeup and anything beauty related along with more serious topics. They have helped me meet some fab people! x
I agree completely! 🙂 x
I made a new email for each of my blogs. Wish I had known to do that way back when I started blogging.
And – pay it forward – there will always be the next new blogger, that you can help in turn – as you are with this post.
There was so much information when I started my blog that I was a bit overwhelmed! Hopefully this will help someone, even if just a little bit x
I so agree with this: “You cannot expect to grow your social media and blog engagement if you are not engaging with others.” I learn a lot from Twitter chats. Also, I recently went to an event where I met some of my online followers, offline. I learnt so much from meeting these people offline 🙂
This is a great post!
Thank you! 🙂 Ah I wish that I could go to an event! I would love to meet some of the lovely people offline as well!
I really need to get back on track with twitter chats, when I first started I tried to get involved with as many as possible and it became a bit overwhelming. I think finding the right one is a really handy tip x
I need to as well! I have really been struggling to find the motivation though. Been going through a slump! x
brilliant post – I’ve been blogging for around 3 years now and found myself agreeing with everything you mentioned! the community is the best thing, but I’ve always found people are reluctant to make friends as such as no one is really willing to make that first move of “lets be pals?!” haha, xo
sophiejc.blogspot.co.uk
I completely agree! I have actually messaged people before suggesting that we be friends (after they complained about not having many) and they never replied to me. So I kind of gave up hope haha! Thank you for the lovely comment x