I posted last week about my one year blogavirsary I still can’t quite believe that it has been a whole year since I began this journey along the way I have learnt so much and I wanted to share a few of my top tips with you all so anyone who’s new to blogging or is thinking about starting a blog can have a little kick-start.
- Social media is so so so important for your blog, I use Facebook, instagram, twitter and pinterest the most get on them all, you don’t need to be on them all all day long but be present, share your blog post and..
- Interact whether that’s on social media as mentioned above or by replying to your comments. Interaction in the blogging community is so important get your name out there, not only will it help people to find your blog but there is also so many lovely people in the blogging world I have made so many great friends whom I talk to daily just from starting this blog.
- Comment comment comment! I noticed a huge difference in my own traffic and the amount of comments I was receiving when I started taking a lot more time to comment on other blogs. Joining in with linky’s is also a great way to increase comments but play the game, comment on others post as well nobody likes a link dumper.
- Take lots of photo’s; I take tonnes of photos, I’m forever snapping away luckily my girls aren’t at the age where they mind it yet I’m sure the day will come but for now they are happy to pose away. If you take loads of photos the chances are you’ll get some great shots to use on your blog and social media – good photography is a big thing. You don’t need a big expensive camera either up until last month every photo I used came from my iPhone.
- Spend some time on your design, I like simple but professional looking blogs my first few months as a blogger my blog looked terrible I have since gone self hosted and had my blog redesigned – for me it was money well spent but if you’re a whizz at that kind of thing canva and pic monkey are great from making your own headers.
- Keep it real, write about what you like to write about don’t think you need to do something because everyone else is, you won’t enjoy it and why would someone enjoy reading it if you didn’t like writing it?? Have fun with it, it is your space to write about what ever you love.
- Don’t compare, this is so much easier said then done it is easy to get caught up in who’s getting what views and has how many followers but don’t, it will just give you a head ache everyone has their own way of doing things so concentrate on what you are doing and what you would like to achieve.
I could sit and go on and on all day long I am so passionate about blogging and grateful for all the great things it has bought me.
What do you love most about blogging and if you don’t blog have you thought about it?
some fab tips, I wish I’d have done more research when I started my blog. I’ve learnt so much along the way but it would’ve been a great start off x
Top tips and spot on! Especially number 6 – couldn’t agree more! Great post and so helpful for all bloggers. Jess x
Fab tips, Amy. I wish I had known these when I first started. I agree that spending time on your own design is really important. x
Fab tips. I totally agree. Especially with the commenting.
#sundaystars
Really great tips here Amy and HUGE congratulations on making it to your first year! It’s quite an achievement! (I hope you celebrated with something naughty like wine or cake?!)
So lovely to meet you at BritMums Live too! x
Don’t compare is possibly the best but hardest tip to follow! Thanks for hosting #sundaystars
Great tips hun. You are doing so well and your gorgeous personality shines through your lovely blog xx
No 7! It’s so hard not to compare and think you’re not doing things right. It’s taken me a couple of years to find my voice and stop comparing, well most of the time! Great advice thanks for sharing #sundaystars
Brilliant tips Amy, I agree with all of them and would advise the same to a newbie. Especially #6 & #7 xx
Great post! I definitely agree! And your blog looks fab! x #SundayStars
I’m bookmarking this post! I’m just starting out and have a lot to learn. Thanks for the tips.
Great tips there. My blog is just over a year old too and I agree with all your tips. The best tip I think is enjoy it, and if you don’t ask yourself why!
Thanks for hosting #sundaystars.
Amanda.
These are great tips 🙂 Social Media, especially Twitter really does help me with my blog!
x
Great tips especially number 5. I have just attempted to simplify mine a bit as it was getting a bit busy! #sundaystars xx
Fab tips Amy. social media is so important and its often something that as a new blogger you dont place enough importance on. Love the point of photos, I take so many but still find that I needed different ones for a post or a share.
pics, pics, and more pics. I can’t count how many times I’ve sat down to write and kicked myself for not having taken a picture of something earlier that week
Great tips! I definitely need to take more photos and I desperately need a new design (and a logo!). Still I’m fairly new (and techno-clueless) so all in good time! #sundaystars
Great tips and I really agree with them. I definitely like 6 – very important! I think too many people try to fit into a genre but if your life is a bit of everything, should your blog be #sundaystars
Brilliant tips, I take loads of photos too and if i ever need inspiration i just look through my camera to see if anything jumps out at me! Love your blog Amy happy blog birthday! x
Really good tips! I use an iphone too and can’t quite seeing myself managing anything more. I’m always taking photos on the hop!
I completely agree, especially with your points about social media and commenting. I’ve had a couple of weeks where I haven’t dedicated much of my evenings to commenting and Twitter etc and have noticed the impact. As a new blogger, I think linkys are invaluable #sundaystars
Amy great tips, I love you blog you are so professional and organised, I love your blog x
Happy blogiversary! These are great tips, I need to work more at improving my social media
Great tips, especially the one about comparisons. I remember hitting my 500th page view and being so excited. Later that day I was reading some posts and seeing blogs with 100,000+ page views. I felt really dejected, and a little stupid for being so excited about 500. Then I realised that one day in the past, those big blogs had once reached their 500th page view too, and that they were probably excited about it back then too. I decided then and there to not compare! Thanks for hosting #SundayStars
Debbie
http://www.myrandommusings.blogspot.com
Amazing how time flies hey! Congratulations on your blogiversary. To many more blogging years ahead; good tips. Growing one’s blog for the most part requires getting the word out there about you, and social media interactions and linkys are fab ways of doing this. #SundayStars
Good tips! Linky’s have been great for me to discover other blogs and I love it when people find mine….but def comment! So annoying when people link and run, I’ve stopped linking in a few where this always happened. Thanks for hosting xx
Agree with all of these Amy, you are so right about writing for yourself and don’t compare, they are so hard to do but really worth it. You have learnt so much in one year, it took me much longer! xx
NUmber 6 is sooooo important isn’t it. I always have to tell myself to just write what I want to write about, not what I think others want me to write about! Some great tips there 🙂 xx #sundaystars
Great tips, all so true! Especially the design & photography, I literally take my camera everywhere I go. Even if the photos don’t seem relevant at the time, they usually come in useful for future posts!
Great tips! I find the last one the hardest for sure! Thanks for sharing! #twinklytuesday
Great tips – I wish I had known at the start! #TwinklyTuesday
These are brilliant tips, thanks Amy! I especially agree with not comparing yourself to others :). Also a BIG congrats on your blog’s birthday – hurray! Mim x #sundaystars
Brilliant tips lovely and a belated happy blog birthday! I definitely agree with the commenting and responding – although I have a huge bunch of comments to reply to right now! There is just not enough time in the day hehe! Thanks so much for linking up with #TwinklyTuesday
Great set of tips, I really struggle with number 7, I am stat obsessed, constantly looking at numbers, worry why I have dropped visitors today over yesterday, why my twitter followers are going down not up, trying to find ways to get my klout score up etc. I honestly wish I had no access to stats and could just write, would make things easier 🙂
Great tips, social media is so important, although I’ve not tackled Facebook yet, Twitter has been amazing as a platform to share. Linkys are the best way of increasing traffic in my experience too. I’ll be coming up to a year blogging at the end of this year!
Happy blog birthday! I cringe when I look back at my first few months of blogging, these are really great tips to start anyone off. wish I’d known it 9 months ago. #twinklytuesdays
Fab post! I always find other bloggers tips very useful. You have a really lovely blog and it sounds like youre doing really well. Getting to the year plus mark and beyond is definitely an achievement! #TwinklyTuesday
Great post, as a new blogger I’m always keen to hear tips from experienced bloggers.
I have been reading blogs for years but I very rarely bother commenting, I now realise how important that is and I try to comment as much as I can
#twinlytuesday
All good tips, Amy – you’ve obviously learned a lot in a year! I think 5 and 7 are particularly important and often overlooked by bloggers.
It’s easy to concentrate on the words and forget about visual design – design *is* important, as it’s the first thing a new reader sees before they even start reading. A professional looking design – and that often means simple and uncluttered – makes a good first impression.
And I can’t emphasise enough the importance of finding your own voice and not blindly pursuing numbers or trying to imitate what other successful bloggers are doing. Write for yourself in your own voice first, and worry about building an audience second – often the one follows the other.
Great post! I agree with you. Number 6 is very important. xx #SundayStars
Great tips and agree with them all. I have started focusing on my blog since January and still need to do some of your ideas. I particularly agree with the final tip, it’s so hard not to compare but once you stop it makes it much more fun 🙂