While I’m by no means a blogging expert and am still learning everyday, since starting this blog nearly a year ago (say what?!) I’ve picked up a few tips and tricks along the way. I really enjoy reading these kind of posts so I thought I’d share with you a few pointers that I’ve gathered. Feel free to leave your tips in the comments below, I could certainly do with a few!
1. Upload regularly – Choose the day (or days) that you want to publish on and stick to them. Whether it be once a week or three times a week, having set days helps your readers know when to check back and when to expect new content. *Slaps self on shoulder because this post was supposed to go up yesterday…*
2. Take bright, clear pictures – The kind of pictures you prefer are obviously up to you, but bright, well lit pictures usually work well. I just use my iPhone 5s and natural lighting, as much as I’d love an expensive camera it’s just not achievable for me right now. Pictures are the first thing the reader sees when they visit your blog so make them as eye catching and appealing as possible!
3. Type how you talk – Let your personality come through in your writing! If you’ve a habit of saying funny things, throw them in. You don’t have to write A+ standard English, just whatever comes naturally to you and what is easy for your readers to understand and enjoy.
4. Reply to all comments – This is so important because it creates a relationship with your readers. If someone has taken the time to write something nice on your blog, reply back and you never know, you could make great friends!
5. Promote yourself on social media – Having an Instagram, Twitter page and Facebook for your blog will really help to promote it. The more people you tell the better! Sure why not, your blog is amazing! You don’t have to be generic or feel guilty for promoting your blog, being personable and letting your personality shine through will really help.
6. Think of what you would like to read – Look through your Bloglovin feed and see what blogs you read everyday no matter what. What is it about them that makes you keep coming back? Write down a few pointers, and think of things that you feel are missing or that could be improved and apply them to your blog.
7. Triple check for spelling mistakes – Spelling mistakes happen to us all, and maybe this just annoys me because I’m studying to be a journalist, but good spelling is so important! I realise how nerdy that sounds but I personally hate seeing spelling mistakes on someone’s blog because I feel that it shows that they didn’t take the time to read back over the post. What’re the chances of me having a spelling mistake in this post after saying this? 110% is my guess…
8. Don’t give up! – When it comes to blogging, success very rarely comes immediately. It can be disheartening if your stats are static, and if the only person viewing your blog is your little sister, but stick with it. If it’s something you really enjoy doing, work hard at it and stick to it, then if success comes from it it’s just a bonus!
9. Pay attention to detail – Especially when taking pictures, I always think to myself, ‘What’s missing? How can I improve this?’ Although I wish I had four hours a day to sit and take the perfect blog photo with all of the props and the best lighting in the world, I don’t. So just make do with what you have and make all you can do the best you can do! All the little details add up, so if there’s a smudge of black on your background (can you tell I’m a perfectionist?) remove it, if a sentence doesn’t really make sense, fix it.
10. Have fun! – Having fun when it comes to blogging is one of the most important things you can do. If it’s stressful or not enjoyable, then ask yourself why you are doing it. Try and find new ways to take pictures, different angles you can write about things. Having a blog is amazing because you have all of the control over it, so you can make it exactly as you like! Go crazy and have fun with it!