10 ways: blogging tips.

Even though I am not the most seasoned of bloggers, I seem to get a lot of emails asking me for tips on how to successfully create and maintain a blog. I personally have quite a ways to go before reaching some of the goals I’ve set for GML, but I have gained a decent amount of knowledge about the blogging process over the past year that I’d like to share with you!

1. Realize that blogging isn’t as easy as you might think. Before I started blogging, I used to think, “oh, that doesn’t look so hard!” Little did I know just how much time and effort would go into the hobby. The time I’ve put into blogging has definitely been fun and fulfilling, but it’s not exactly a 2-hour-per-week sort of deal. If you are keeping a blog solely for yourself, this shouldn’t be an issue. But if you intend on gaining and maintaining readership, you should be able to view blogging almost as if it’s a part time job.

2. Have a clear direction in mind. Another thing that I didn’t consider before blogging was what direction and theme I wanted my blog to have. I *thought* I wanted to maintain strictly a healthy living blog (hence Girl Meets Health), but I wish I would’ve put more thought into the decision beforehand. It turns out that I’m just not passionate or knowledgeable enough about healthy living to have an entire blog based on that alone. To come up with a direction for your blog, ask yourself questions like, What am I good at? What do I enjoy doing? What do I have to offer that can teach and/or entertain others?

3. …But don’t be too specific. This one is up for debate, but here is where I stand. While having a niche is certainly important, you don’t want to be so specific in your blog’s theme that you run out of things to write about or risk boring your readers. Decide on a general direction that you want to go in, but leave your options somewhat open as far as the content that you’ll deliver. Even if you decide to go with a very specific theme, I would suggest always being open to sharing at least some of your personal life/experiences because most readers appreciate that relatablity factor.

4. Think long and hard about your title. While taking into account #2 and #3, be sure to choose a title that you’re not going to regret in the future. If you have any doubt in your mind that the title you’re leaning towards might limit your blogging options, or that you might want to go in a different direction in the future – please reconsider! I clearly learned that the hard way.

5. Don’t be shy. If you’re going to be a blogger, be proud of it! When I started blogging, I personally made it a point to tell as many people as I could. Not only does promoting and being confident about your blog help in gaining more readers, but it also makes your voice and your story even more effective. I understand that there are some people you might not want reading your blog, but wouldn’t it be more embarrassing if they found out about it from another source? If you haven’t noticed, the Internet isn’t a great place for keeping a secret, so be prepared that anyone and everyone will have access to your blog.

6. Embrace social networks. When it comes to promoting your blog, take as much advantage of social networks as you can. Twitter is an especially great way to reach your readers throughout the day and to communicate/form relationships with other bloggers. You might not think that advertising your blog on social networks here and there is making much of a difference, but you’d be surprised. Just one new reader who might not have found out about your blog otherwise could result in multiple recommendations down the line.

7. Comment on other blogs. This is a tip that many bloggers give when it comes to successfully joining the blogging community, and I would agree. Leaving comments for others isn’t just about receiving them in return, though; it’s about showing interest and support for the blogs/posts that you appreciate. It’s the relationship you’ll form with other bloggers that will in turn cause other bloggers and readers to become more familiar with you. Be sure that your comments are thoughtful and sincere, even if they’re short. I’d personally prefer a shorter, sincere comment over a longer comment that ends in “please visit my blog when you get the chance!”

8. Have a blogging schedule. This is a tip that I first learned about from Hollaback Health, and I think it’s a priceless one. I don’t follow a strict blogging schedule all of the time, but there are definitely weeks where I have post ideas lined up and ready to go. It helps to take a lot of the stress out of blogging and also allows for you to provide fresh new content for your readers.

9. Spend time on your about page. I don’t know about you, but when I visit a new blog, I instantly go to the about page. While there are probably a million and one things you could say about yourself, I would try to at least answer the following questions: 1) what is the general point of my blog? 2) what do I really want people to come away with about me? 3) what is it about me that makes me relatable to you (my readers)?

10. Be honest with yourself. I hate to be a meanie in saying this, but sometimes I’ll visit a blog and think, “do they really think that this is interesting?” Don’t get me wrong – I’m sure that there are people who think that about my blog because good blogs can tend to be in the eye of the beholder. But really ask yourself – is my blog/this post something that I would stop and read if it weren’t my own? Oftentimes when I ask myself that question, I find myself either editing posts to death or deleting them completely. You HAVE to be able to maintain the eyes of a reader if you want to reach and hold onto the attention of others.

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You know, I actually feel like I could write ten more pieces of advice, but I think I’ve provided enough wordiness for the day Maybe I’ll do an additional blogging post in the future!

Which of these 10 do you agree/disagree with the most?

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