I don’t think anyone really knows how much work is involved in blogging until they start a blog themselves.
You might think it’s just a case of writing a post and pressing publish, but there’s so much more to it than that! From taking photos, sourcing images, reviewing products, making social media graphics, scheduling & promoting your posts, interacting with other bloggers and growing your following, the list is endless…
It gets a bit easier the longer you keep at it, and you’ll learn a lot about writing, SEO, social media and much more.
With the help of some fellow bloggers, we have come up with some fantastic tips for new bloggers. So if you’ve recently started a blog, or are thinking of setting one up, read on for some great advice…
Choosing a name
Thinking of a blog name is the hard bit, you can spend weeks thinking of names before you come up with something you like.
- Brainstorm by writing down words or phrases that relate to you and what you want your blog to be about. This will help you come up with some name ideas.
- Take your time thinking of a blog name, you don’t want to just pick something and regret it later. Changing your blog name is tricky with having to update domain names, social media accounts, logos and more so make sure you get it right first time.
- Research your name ideas to see if anyone else is using them. Check if a name has been copyrighted or trademarked – I had to change my first blog name as the phrase had been trademarked!
- Check if the domain name (web address) is being used by someone else. You need to have a web address that matches your blog name. You can go onto any domain name registration site to search for available domains.
- Choose a name that won’t date – I had to change mine after 6 months as the name wasn’t going to be relevant as my daughter got older. Jenni @ Odd Socks and Lollipops
- Secure your blog name across social media so you can easily be found on all channels. Nadia @ Scandi Mummy
The Competition
It can be very daunting for a new blogger when you see more established bloggers talking about the number of page views they get or the number of social media followers they have. 18 months on and I still get jealous of other blogger’s stats! Don’t let it put you off though, everyone has to start somewhere.
- You’re not going to get the same page views straight away as an established blogger with 20k Twitter followers. Try to remember this if you get worried about your stats being lower than theirs.
- Remember that the “professional” bloggers are few and far between. For every pro-blogger, there are thousands of smaller bloggers.
- Don’t compare yourself to the “established” bloggers around. Building up your creation takes time, patience and a lot of hard work. Don’t get too disheartened and keep at it! Amy @ Mighty Duxburys
- Don’t get totally obsessed with stats and comparing your blog to others constantly. Think about why you are blogging and stay true to that. If you think it’s all about ‘free stuff’ you are going to be very disappointed. A blog requires lots of hard work and nothing in life is free. Mary @ Over 40 And Mum To One
- Be realistic – you aren’t going to be making money, have thousands of readers or be sent ‘free stuff’ instantly. It all takes time & hard work! Charlotte @ The Home That Made Me
Write for you
Before you set up your blog you’ll probably have an idea of what topics you want to write about, and the direction you’d like your blog to go in. If you don’t, have a think about what you want to blog about before you get going.
- Start off by writing about what you know. These posts will be the easiest to write as you have all the information already in your head.
- Write in the hopes of others enjoying what you have to share, but ultimately write for you. Don’t be afraid to post something. Share what you feel comfortable sharing and make your blog YOUR space. Sophia @ Tattooed Tea Lady
- Find your voice and write honestly. The best content comes from the heart, and your passion shines through. Maddy @ The Speed Bump
- Stay true to who you are and what you want to write about. It is easy to compare yourself to others and perhaps change your writing to match theirs but readers want to hear your own voice. If you have a story to tell, a new angle and are passionate about it, you will create your own audience. Enjoy what you do and that will shine through. Emma @ Emma Reed
- Don’t be worried if not everyone you know is behind you and supports you by liking your page. You can be a success and enjoy blogging without everyone’s support. Not everyone will love your blog but as long as you do that will show! Jen @ Just Average Jen
planning & Scheduling
Some bloggers post every day – I still don’t know how they have time to do it! Don’t feel like you have to start off by blogging every day, or even every other day.
- Start off small. Write one post per week and gradually increase it to more as you get the hang of blogging and have more ideas.
- Try and plan ahead by writing a week in advance, that way you won’t get stressed the night before trying to think of what to write about.
- Don’t post for the sake of it. Quality always wins over quantity. Louise @ A Strong Coffee
- Don’t be afraid to say what you want to say – sometimes the scariest thing can be hitting the publish button but we have the amazing power to tell the real story how it is and so should honour that incredible asset we have at our disposal. Talya @ Motherhood The Real Deal
- Write useful content amongst your passions or connected to them. Read read read info and tips posts. Don’t pay out for expensive courses or equipment straight away. Jenny @ Midwife and Life
Hosting
When you first start it can be confusing learning about whether to go with a free WordPress or Blogger account or hosting your blog yourself.
- Don’t worry if you start with a free blog and decide later that you want to self-host, you can always move your blog later.
- Fully research your hosting options – it’ll save you lots of time. I went from WordPress.com to Blogger to WordPress self-hosted. Each time was a lot of time and effort that I could have saved if I’d just researched the benefits of each first off. Terri @ Tea Terri And Two
- Blogging doesn’t have to be expensive, and it’s possible to monetise your blog without paying to host your blog. Use Google to research the different options and take the time you need to decide the best option for you. Mo @ Adventures Of A Novice Mum
Use Social Media
It’s not enough just to write a post, hit publish and hope that lots of people read it. Unless you tell people that your blog is there how will they know where to find it? Social media is perfect for promoting your blog.
- Set up social media accounts for your blog and follow other bloggers and people who you think will be interested in your posts
- Never underestimate the importance of interaction with other bloggers. Share the love and comment, reply, like and share their posts and links too, over time you’ll build up online relationships with like-minded people who will return the favour and promote your content too. Charlotte @ twentysomethingxo
- Interaction is key! Do not play the unfollow game! Amy @ The Smallest Of Things
- Share all your blog posts on social media. You don’t just have to post the link once, you can do it multiple times.
That’s a lot of advice! We could go on all day but I’m sure that’s plenty to get you started with.
If you’re a new blogger don’t be afraid to ask advice, we have all been where you are and are all still learning! I’m happy to talk to any newbie bloggers if you want to chat, you can find me on Twitter here
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Really great set of useful tips for new bloggers and good to be reminded of these for not so new bloggers 🙂
Thank you for this post. I’m very new to blogging and I must admit I’ve found it hard to find an audience but I will definitely try these tips x
I wish there had been posts like this around when I started out – though there are definitely some tips even some not so new bloggers will find useful.
Fab post, Emily xxx
Useful and handy tips for begginers I wish i had seen posts like this when i had started blogging as it would have been handy.
Really informative Sarah. Well Done. I’m blogging 4 months now and learning everyday. I’m going to take some of these on board. I’ve already adopted a lot of them but wish I didn’t have to learn by trial and error and had more advice along these lines to start with.
These are fantastic tips. It’s so easy to feel the pressure as a new blogger
These are some great tips. I would say that as a blogger you will NEVER stop learning xx
These are some great tips, even for me now 2 years on! 🙂
Tara x
Even as an established and small blogger I still appreciate being reminded of some of these tips like jot comparing myself to other bloggers! It’s so easy to get sucked into that trap. Thank you for sharing these wonderful tips and linking up to #sharethejoy xoxo
Scheduling is saving my life right now. It’s taken all the burden and stress off my writing and I feel like my posts are so much more enjoyable to write and to read.
Thanks so much for posting this to Marvelous Mondays so that I can check out your tips.
Brilliant post, packed filled wth great advice, I love the write for yourself and don’t compare yourself – let the content speak for itself! Thanks! #marvmondays
This is brilliant. I will definitely be saving to have another read later. X
#MarvMondays
Such a useful post! I’ve shared it on my Facebook and will pin it now too x
Thank you Nicola! 🙂
These are brilliant tips. Blogging is much harder than people think, but I do love it! Really great advice, thanks for sharing. Katie xx
Great list and some fab tips – not just for new bloggers!
What a fab, useful post Sarah, thank you so much! It’s so daunting being a new blogger in the world of bloggers, there are so many bloggers out there ranging from smaller to the biggest and its so easy to get caught up with all of the stats, trying to be as good as others and comparing yourself. It’s so important to just do you! xx
Some fab tips and advice here from some great bloggers! This post would have been so useful when I started blogging two years ago x
What a fab post so helpful. I love posts like these. They are a really great help.xx
Great tips. Even though I am blogging for nearly three years, I still find myself comparing.
There seem to be so many new blogs starting up everyday so I’m sure these will be super helpful x
Even though I don’t class myself as a new blogger I still love to read posts like these. Nine times out of ten I find something I didn’t already know. This is a great list full of useful info 🙂 #dreamteam
Useful tips not only for a newby, but for me as well. Thank you #stayclassymama
I’m new to blogging and that is really useful, thanks. I’ll definitely check out more of your tips! Thanks so much for sharing #StayClassyMama
This post is fantastic for all bloggers to learn! There are many people these days who are so interested in blogging but don’t know where to start – this post is great for them! #MarvMondays
Great advice for new bloggers and a reminder for me who has only been blogging a year. x #MarvMondays
Great post! I am going to share it with my friend as it will be really useful for her.
Some handy tips here! #stayclassymama
Write for you – write for you! I cannot agree with that more! In the beginning I played safe, didn’t let my real writing/ opinions out – it was pointless. You are you and that’s what people want – they don’t want contrived rubbish that is the same as everyone else’s. We have a StayClassyMama Facebook page (come join if you’re interested) and I’m going to share this post on there next week as I think its really helpful #stayclassymama
Being uniquely you and enjoying what you do is where the joy can be found. #sharethejoylinky
Some really great tips here, thank you so much! xx
This is really interesting. I do live by the write for me advice and the not worrying about stats. I’ve just gone self-hosted, thanks to some advice from other bloggers x
Im still a reasonably new blogger and have save these. Fantastic tips and also some great new blogs to follow.