Today, I want to share my top 10 blogging tips with all of you. These are things that I’ve learned in my years of blogging both on this site and other sites. I’m still learning, but these are a few things that might help you get started, or improve what you are already have going.
1. Post often, but not daily – For some blogs it works to post daily, but I don’t think it is a neccesity. Honestly, even if it is a blog I love, if they are posting every day, I don’t read all the posts. I would personally rather see 2-4 quality posts a week than smaller posts everyday. It takes a lot of pressure off of you to be creating that much fresh content and it will give you time to edit and be sure every post you are publishing is the best it can be!
2. Own your own domain – Purchasing your domain name shows commitment to your site. It shows that you are serious enough about blogging to invest some money into it, and you are going to stick around for awhile!
3. Re-name your pictures – Did you know that you can use your photo names to your advantage? Instead of uploading an image called something like 1234.jpg Rename the file before you upload it and give it a name including keywords relating to your post. This will help people to find your site when they are using Google to search for those keywords!
4. Link Parties – This is a great way to get more pageviews and connect with new people in your niche! I participate in various link parties every week and I’ve met a lot of great bloggers this way! You can find a list of all the sites I link-up to by clicking the Link Parties option in the menu at the top of this blog.
5. Guest posting / post swapping – This is another great way to connect with other bloggers and find new followers! Doing a guest post for some one in your niche brings new views to the host blog and to yours as well! It’s also a fun idea to swap posts with another blog, they will do a post for you, while you do one for them! PS I’m always looking for guest bloggers to connect with! check out my contact page and email me if you are interested!
6. Build Relationships – Readers want to know that you care about them. Don’t just post a monologue about your day and ignore the viewers, find creative ways to engage with them! Consider posting a question at the end of your post to show that you welcome their input and want to carry on the conversation in the comment section. I love hearing from my readers, and interacting with them! I’m also much more likely to follow a blog if I can tell that the author truly cares about her readers and doesn’t just want them to listen to her. This comes through in writing style just as much as it does in responses to comments. There are several bigger blogs that I can think of that truly care about their readers and finding ways to engage with them, even when they are unable to respond to every comment for lack of time.
7. Social Media – Blogging is done on social media almost as much as it is on wordpress/blogger. Create a facebook fanpage for your blog and a twitter account. Use these pages to really get to know your readers, and allow them to get to know you. I post things on my accounts that I could never write a full post about. It makes your blog more personal, and it’s an easy way for followers to keep up with new posts! It’s also a great tool to keep you ‘grounded’ and help you stay focused on the people you are writing for instead of the stats.
8. Have pin-able images on every post – This is still a huge struggle for me, and something that I’m working on, but I already know how important it is. I have gotten huge amounts of traffic from pinterest lately as I’ve started working on making my posts more pin-able! Some days I get more traffic from pinterest than from any other single site! Learn how to use pinterest to your advantage! It takes some extra work and effort, but it’s definitely worth it! Like I said, this is something that I am still working on, but I can already see the value in it, even though I’m not where I should be yet!
9. Carry a Notebook – This has helped my blogging so much! I purchased a small 4×6 notebook and it goes every where with me. I use it to jot down ideas as they come to me, or even to write out entire posts when I’m waiting somewhere and I don’t have my laptop on me. This has helped me to become more organized and to remember all the ideas I come up with so that I’m able to post more frequently!
10. Have time set aside for writing – This is helpful for two reasons. It ensures that you take the time to write and blog like you want to, and it also keeps you accountable so you are not spending all your time blogging when you should be doing other things. I have struggled with keeping a good balance between blogging and “real life”, but having a loose schedule in place helps keep everything in perspective and makes sure my priorities are straight!
Bonus Tip! – If you are thinking to yourself “But I do all these things, and I’m still going nowhere!!!” or if you are just in a rut and need some more personalized pointers consider hiring a blog coach! My friend Kathryn just started a blog coaching business and she is incredible! She just did a week long evaluation of my blog and gave me lots of fantastic tips (My Review of the Blog Coaching Experience). My blog is going to improve so much just by implementing her ideas and help! Her program is extremely affordable, even for penny pinchers like me!!!
What are your top blogging tips? Are any of these ideas new to you? You can find more blogging tutorials and tricks by checking out my blogging tips pinterst board!
Del says
These are some wonderful tips, thanks for sharing them Paula. I will pin this post!
Paula says
Thanks Del!
Fawn Weaver says
Great blogging tips! And it’s so ironic you mentioned carrying around a small note pad to write down thoughts and blogging ideas. I just began doing that two days ago and it’s amazing how many blogging ideas come to mind when you do it that way.
Paula says
how funny! that’s awesome :)
Heather says
Hi Paula,
Great tips! I never thought of hiring a blog coach. But I think it might be beneficial to a lot of people depending on what their blog goals are.
Paula says
Yes! I just did a review of my experience with the coaching! I loved it!!!
Heather says
P.S. Forgot to tell you that I am a new follower from the Thumping Thursday Blog Hop! I am following on Twitter.
Rosey says
Ugh, I”m so terrible about Pinterest, and I know you’re right that it’s a great place to network and meet other bloggers.
This is a great list!
Visiting today from Thumping Thursdays.
Erica {let why lead} says
The one about building relationships really got me thinking. I share so much of myself on my blog, but I hope my readers know I do it not just to ramble about myself but also to paint a realistic picture and also to uplift them, when I can. Thanks for making me evaluate my blog. I needed that!
Paula says
:) It takes some work to make sure readers are engaged, but I love the community and relationships that I’ve found !
Ashley Ditto says
A big help to me!
Naomi@whatjoyismine says
Paula….Really great tips for the blogger. Thank you for sharing at WJIM. I know bloggers will benefit from your encouragement.
Lori says
Thanks for sharing what’s worked for you. I love the way other bloggers go out of their way to help each other along the way. It’s a big world, with lots of people to reach for the Lord. There can’t be too many of us out there!
AJ Collins says
Great tips! Especially the pin-able one and the relationship thought. :) I am also not a big fan of blogs that have so many gadgets it takes time to load up on my computer (or ones where I have to mute it because of the music)… I love music, but often I am listening to music on my computer and the cacophony of sound that results when I open a blog that automatically plays music makes my ears fold back ;) I am a new follower on facebook! Have a fabu day!!
Paula says
I have the same problem with music on blogs! :) thanks for following along! :)
Amanda says
Good tips! I had a blog a few years ago, and I learned a lot from it that I’m applying to this blog, but the landscape has changed thanks to things like twitter and pinterest, and so there’s a whole new slew of things to learn, too.
Renee says
Thanks for sharing all those lovely tips :-)
Laura Lane says
Hi!
I appreciated your post today. I found you through the Wise Woman link up.
I’ve been writing my blog for a few years. I’m puzzled that even though I post regularly, I rarely get comments. I’m not sure how to be more engaging in my posts. Ideas?
Laura
Happy at Home
Paula says
I understand Laura, I was in that position for a long time! What made a huge difference for me was when I changed the way I was writing. Instead of just writing MY thoughts, I wrote my thoughts while thinking about the reader, I work hard to make the entirety of my posts relatable to the reader, instead of just writing out my stories or what comes in to my mind and then sticking a discussion question at the end of my post. (that’s how I used to write and I got minimal to no comments)
It’s just a new way of thinking about things maybe, but it has changed the way I write, though not necessarily the topics. You may already be doing this, but I know that changing the way I think about blogging was what did it for me. Now, I write to help people and engage with the audience, where as before I wrote as a personal outlet and a way to give voice to my stories. Neither is better than the other, but the former definitely generates more responses from readers because they feel like they can relate, and that they want to speak up and share.
I hope that helps!!!! <3
momstheword says
I read #9 and thought “That’s exactly what I do!!!!” I can’t tell you how many times I got an idea and was so sure that I’d remember it, only to forget it five minutes later. Frustrating! I have written ideas on napkins and receipts before but a notebook is better, lol!
Paula says
haha it really is so helpful!
Lori says
I’d be curious to know whether you’ve found guest posting to be very productive in growing your blog. Several blogging friends and I were comparing notes, and we’ve not seen much of an increase in blog traffic or subscribers after guest posts. What’s your experience been?
Paula says
I have had great success with certain posts and certain other bloggers. You have to put offer great content to another blog as a guest post in order to get a good return from it. It also helps if the person that’s writing for you promotes their content through all their social media sites etc.
It’s not HUGE numbers with every post or anything, but it’s something. and it builds a better relationship with the blogger that hosted you and vice versa. Anyway, I’ve really enjoyed it and gotten some new followers from it (both hosting guest posters and from being a guest poster myself), and I’ve found some new favorite blogs that way too!
Paula says
awww I understand. there is a learning curve to it! feel free to message me if you need any help or have any questions! I’d love to help you out!
Belinda Nicoll says
Great tips – thanks for sharing. I regularly feature guest writers, and I love serializing topics.
Jessica Benavides Canepa says
Smart tips Paula! Thank you so much for sharing.
I’m especially trying to remember to carry that notebook with me as ideas usually pop up at the weirdest times for me :)
Jen Stults says
Excellent tips for new bloggers, especially! The one I like the most is to have a pinnable graphic or picture. The more I blog and the more I use pinterest, I can see how necessary it is. Sometimes I want to share something from another blog or website, but I can’t because I get the error message from Pinterest that “there are no large images.” Also, I’ve only been blogging a month and was beginning to think maybe the time spent on Pinterest wasn’t really worth it. However, yesterday one of my posts (that I shared at a link-up) was shared on the board of a much more prominent blog, and I’ve seen a LOT of traffic from that one pin since yesterday! You never know when an influential person will find what you’ve written helpful. :)
sara says
Some fantastic tips here Paula. thanks for the advice. x
samantha laratta says
Excellent tips, Paula! I am about to re-work my website into a blog that will have a future, instead of just a bunch of random articles. Your tips are exactly what I needed to read to get my head organized. Also, funny side-note: My dad is always telling me how he used to carry around a 3×5 notepad in his shirt pocket… it’s his favorite piece of advice for me and just about everyone he talks to! :) Thanks for your tips!
Amy @ {Life to the Full} says
Thanks for the tips, Paula! I’m new to blogging and want to build a solid readership, but lack in the comments department… I think I need to re-evaluate how I’m writing the posts!
Nat D. says
Wow, thanks Paula! Great tips. I’ve learned some of those the hard way, but I’ve never thought about renaming my photos! That’s an amazing tip. I’ll be sure to do that from now on.
Julie Corbisiero says
Hi, thanks for sharing this valuable info on blogging. I saw it on life on lakeshore drive.
Julie from julieslifestyle.blogspot.com
Laura @ Cookiecrumbs and Sawdust.blogspot.com says
Awesome post Paula! You’ve been rocking your blog lately.
Laura
Kimberlee says
Thanks for the great tips and advice. I just started blogging a few months ago so this is very helpful to me.
Kris, Neighbor Chick says
Paula: Thanks for the tips. I also struggle with making my posts pin-able yet I have gotten HUGE visibility with just two of my posts that others have re-pinned. I know it makes a difference!! Have a lovely day.
Kris, Neighbor Chick says
Sorry, forgot to say…I’m tweeting and pinning this article!!
ang says
Paula,
I saw you thumbnail on Pin it Monday and had to check it out! These are such great tips, and a great reminder for me on some things, too. :)
Thanks for sharing!
Ang, Juggling Act Mama
Allison says
These are great tips! Thank so much for sharing.
Allison
Jenifer @ Not Quite Mom of the Year says
Great advice! I’m a new blogger and I really appreciate it. Thanks for sharing on Sweet Sharing Monday!
Beth Cranford says
Great post, thanks for sharing what you’ve learned along the way. I like what you said in # 7 ” It’s also a great tool to keep you ‘grounded’ and help you stay focused on the people you are writing for instead of the stats.” Any time I look at my stats I’m not quite sure why I do this. But when I get an email from a reader, thanking me for what I wrote, that makes it all worth it!
I’m enjoying reading your blog, I look forward to more. Maybe I can guest post for you. Heading over to check out your guidelines. Oh, and thanks for the recommendation for a blog coach, I was just looking for one!
Debby Ray says
What great tips! I have only been blogging a short time so these are really good things to know. I love the idea about the notebook. I also carry my camera with me just about everywhere I go!
Have a blessed week!
Laura says
I’ve only been blogging 2 weeks so these are really helpful to know! Thanks for sharing.
Raquel @ Organized Island says
Great tips! There is so much to learn – isn;t there? Found you on the Brag About it party!
Cherry says
Thanks for sharing your blogging tips! Visiting from Teach Me Tuesdays.
Linda L. Martin says
Thanks so much for these great suggestions. I am somewhat new to blogging, and am working on getting back on track after a crazy summer. Your post was very helpful!
~Linda
Jamie Asper says
Thanks so much for all the great tips. I love the tip about naming each picture. Who knew!? Google used to be the best way people found my little blog, then link parties, and then Pinterest. It’s still not big and may never be but I still love it. Visiting from the Ginger Snaps Crafts link party. Have a wonderful evening!! ~ Jamie
Lori says
I like your suggestion to rename pictures. I never really thought about that. Brilliant! Thanks for sharing.
Tammy says
Good ideas! I find ideas come to me at random times and I keep a notebook nearby to write them down.
Alli says
Hi, I followed your link from the Wonderful Wednesday Blog Hop. Your post is great, the tips are so true, and sometimes oh so easy to forget about. I can’t wait to read more of your posts.
Carrie from Carrie This Home says
These are really great tips! I really agree with naming pictures–so often I see other bloggers not re-naming pictures. I really think that’s helped boost my stats. Thanks for the helpful advice!
Stopping by from Create It Thursday (#68 How To Paint Cabinets)
Lisa- The Domestic Life Stylist says
Awesome tips Paula! This post will help so many bloggers out there.
Kathryn Tall and Strong says
Hey! I just popped over from Do Small Things with Love’s Happy Hour Friday! What great tips! I even checked out your review of Kathryn’s {Singing Through The Rain} blog coaching review and she sounds amazing! Thanks for posting!
KathrynTallandStrong.com
Jann Olson says
Fabulous tips! I do a lot of them, but still need to improve. Thinking I need to add the pin it button to my blog and open a Facebook page. Thanks for doing so much research and sharing it with the readers of SYC.
hugs,
Jann
Danielle says
GREAT tips! I love them all!! Having a pinable picture on every post is super important – and something I’m still working on {I have pictures, but I want good quality pictures!}…
Happy Friday!
Danielle
SewMuchCrafting.com
SusanD crochet addict uk says
Just popping over from ducks n a row. Thanks for sharing the tips!
Sue
Kathy Penney @ Sparkles And A Stove says
Pinning! Great tips! Blogging is one of the hardest things I’ve ever done and I’ve been doing it for a year. I have found you really have to love doing it and love the relationships you build. Thank you so much for sharing at All Things Pretty.
Toni says
Great tips! I definitely need to start carrying a notebook , or at least keeping one next to the bed. All my best ideas seem to come to me just before I fall asleep!
Alison Bayne says
The tip about not posting every day was especially useful for me since I often feel a bit guilty if I don’t write something daily.
I decided to quit social media (twitter and facebook anyway) when I realised they were having a negative impact on my life! But my readership doesn’t seem to have suffered. Not making any £££ though!
Rea says
You definitely have great blogging tips! I agree with posting quality content instead of just thinking about quantity. I committed to post thrice a week.. it gives enough time for readers to at least read your post and comment on them when they want to. One thing I need to work on as well is creating pinnable images as I don’t have my much-needed camera just yet. I love Pinterest and I used to just pin and pin other photos and now I’m learning to make the most out of it by pinning my own content too! :)
Rena McDaniel-The Diary of an Alzheimer's Caregiver says
I am an empty nester but an Alzheimer’s caregiver I treat blogging as a full time job. I have a set schedule everyday that I mainly stick too and I take one whole day (at least) to just write. I work from 8 to 2:30 intermittenly between taking care of mom and household. Then start at 8 and work through until 12 or so. 2:30 to 8 is just family time. My downfall I always forget my notebook. I’ll think of something great and then it’s just gone. GREAT TIPS!