Blogging: Tips for Beginners

Where do I start? What do I write about? How do I get people to read my blog?

These are some of the questions I get asked almost daily.

First thing I always suggest to new bloggers is to concentrate on creating some content. Write about things you like, things you are passionate about, things that interest you. I’d say having about 10 or so posts is a good place to start. My next suggestion is to always network and connect with other bloggers. Visit other blogs, leave genuine comments (I think we’re well past the “want to follow each other?” or “love this post, check out mine right here!“) and build relationships. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with leaving your blog link with your comment, but make sure to only leave meaningful comments. Connecting with other bloggers will build a good audience foundation.

My next suggestion is to get on Pinterest. I know it seems like I mention in every single one of my “blogging” posts but seriously, it’s the place to be and I get numerous emails from those who finally started utilizing Pinterest and love the results. See, the thing about blogging is that some bloggers get lucky and their blogs expand overnight, but more often than not, growing your blog actually requires a lot of work. Which is why you need to be smart about where you invest your time. Invest it in Pinterest, trust me. I have written a bunch of posts about Pinterest and you can find most of them linked down below.

I wrote this post/summary of some of my best tips after it was requested by a few readers who are new to blogging, but if you can’t find an answer to your question, leave me a comment down below.

GROWING YOUR AUDIENCE + TRAFFIC

• 6 Simple ways to drive traffic to your blog– simple tactics for increasing your traffic
• How to grow your Pinterest following fast– learn all about my favorite Pinterest tool
• Setting rich pins for your blog– this is a must-do for any blogger
• Grow your blog– a few tips for growing your blog
• How I doubled my pageviews– using Pinterest, of course
• Step up your Pinterest game in 10 minutes or less– Pinterest has over 150 million active users and acts more as a search engine than a social media platform, so if you’re a blogger, it’s a great place to be.
• Optimizing your images + Improving SEO– your text isn’t the only thing that needs to be optimized for web

PHOTOGRAPHY

• Tips for beginners + DSLR basics– this is a great place to start if you’re just getting into photography or have or are interesting in getting a DSLR but don’t know how to use use
• How to take bright photos for your blog– learn how to get bright images even when working with limited light
• Tips for better Instagram pictures– consistency and engaging community are far more important than an absolutely flawless feed, but having good images doesn’t hurt.
• Blog photography styling & finding affordable props– tips for styling your blog photos
• My Photography & Blogging Resources + Equipment– a list of tools I use for photography and to run my blog
• How to create Pinterest-friendly images– more Pinterest tips
• Must-know Photoshop tools for editing your photos– in this post, you can see how I edit my images

CONTENT

• 113 Ideas for a blog post–  a list of topics for lifestyle, beauty, food and fashion bloggers-
• 113 [more] Ideas for a blog post– more ideas for topics for lifestyle, beauty, food and fashion bloggers-
• Maximize your content– when you maximize your content, you’re making sure that nothing gets buried and that you have a steady flow of traffic coming through
• How to create better content– good content will always be relevant, captivating, and it’ll bring value to your readers
• 7 Things to do when you feel stuck– or, in other words, how to deal with a creative block
• What to do for your blog when you don’t feel like writing– for those days when the words just don’t come
• Your #1 tool for getting things done + staying productive– if you blog and work full-time while also “having a life”, you can’t afford not to be productive
• 7 Things to do for your blog today– when was the last time you backed up your site? Is your name easy to spot?

BLOGGING + LIFE

• Life lessons I’ve learned through blogging– a few lessons on why you should never underestimate yourself as a blogger and why you shouldn’t try to be perfect
• Things no one tells you about growing your blog– it ain’t all sunshine and rainbows; blogging also involves some fears, anxiety, and self-doubt

My last tip is to remember this: there is no right or wrong way to blog. There’s only the way you blog, and the way others blog. A lot of the *blog tips* posts and articles online assume that everyone who blogs does it because they want to eventually do it full-time or they want to get rich or start an online business- and I realize, that isn’t always the case. If you blog for yourself or just as a hobby and aren’t interested in a lot of people actually reading your blog, then these tips obviously won’t necessarily apply to you- although I do suggest you still do things like back up your content, etc. BUT if you want to grow your audience, improve your blog and maybe make some extra money or connect and work with some of your favorite brands, then you need to be prepared to put the work in. If you’re just starting out, it can very easily feel overwhelming. Concentrate on creating the content you love, talk about the things you love and network- this is, once again, a good place to start. Try new things, see what works and what doesn’t – don’t try to do it all at once.

Want to launch your own WordPress blog and start earning money? Check out my step-by-step guide to starting a blog right here + a list of all my blog resources, including my favorite affiliate marketing programs, right here.