Of course, you could jump into blogging, but you will find out after a time that you need a better direction. It might be that you decided to blog about anything and everything on your site, or you just are not happy with how your site has come. It could be that you might not have the traffic you want.
For the beginner blogger, any help is appreciated. In fact, more so now than in a couple years ago because of how blogging has become so popular.
Here are some tips for beginner bloggers:
- Site Focus. You need to pick what you want to write about. Even if you have a specific niche, make sure to keep your focus to anything pertaining to it.
- Your Content comes first before design. However, make sure your site is easy to navigate. If you are trying to direct people to special page, create an image or something unique that draws attention to that area. (this will help convert over your visitors.)
- Blogging is not a chore. If you find yourself having problems with blogging, you might need to research to be able to continue writing. Do not be afraid to read other blogs and write about their topic. Of course, you should be using your own opinion and you should give some link credit back.
- Be prepared to return comments. You like them, and others do too. If you receive a comment, try to return it. It is plain lazy to just tell your visitors – oh, I will comment if I feel like it. Although it is not a requirement, it is certainly an act of courtesy. Also, make sure to reply to comments. Your visitors may or may not agree with you, or they may provide some useful information. Your blog is somewhat like a forum so you do want to continue the conversation and keep people coming back.
- Try learning new ways to promote and optimize your site. Social networking has come quite a way and it can be a great tool for bloggers to share their articles. As to optimizing sites, this will help your site be seen better by the search engines so when people are looking for specific information and it relates to what you write about, your article just might show up in those search results.
- Do not be afraid that your blog fails the first time around. Just re-focus and try again.
- Share valuable content. There are so many blog sites out there that say the same thing. Others might vary, but try to go in-depth and provide an informative and unique way to approach a subject.
- Always ask for feedback. Never assume a handful of people is the majority in how effective your site is to your readers. Go outside your normal circles and ask people, even those who may have never been to your site on what they think about it. You might be surprised.
What other tips might you have for anyone who has started blogging or might be considering it?
Blogging is not a chore. How true. It requires lots of studies, lots of research, a sharp skill that can convert common event an interesting episode, active participation among community. In fact is is enoying if you love it and it is very hard if you are after easy money.
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Hi Nile.
Nice words here, do not afraid to fail 🙂
Love it! Simple words but full of meaning.
Thanks
The tips sound solid enough – I think #6 requires some expansion: how do you know when a blog is failing, and how do you establish criteria to know whether you're achieving what you want? I think a good idea for bloggers trying to make an income is to set a timeline; at some point, if things aren't working, switch gears or abandon the efforts altogether. At the same time, paradoxically enough, patience is a virtue.
I'd also add that the most intelligent bloggers I know – the ones with ideas and a passion for higher things that could really make the world better – are the most ignored. If self-publishing is about something higher, you've just got to keep at it. No one might care about your work on a 12th c. Latin poet, not even in the academy. And the blogosphere especially doesn't care; the content online that gets the most attention I've found also to be the most repetitive.
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My tip for beginner is just star a blog and your blog will tell you the tips. That's what I experienced with my first blog. The blog that teach me a lot about blogging so I can build the better second blog.
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Number #6 is very true sadly.. Whichever blog you start, chances are you'll be on to a new one within 3-6 months 🙂
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Site focus is indeed very important. I coach beginning bloggers to first choose their topic or niche and to make sure is something they can remain passionate about, post after post. This way blogging will never be a chore.
Any new blogger should produce several good foundation atricles before he/she even chooses their template or launches their site.
And as for failure. It's not a negative word. It is synonymous with learning. Failure gets a bad rap. Truth is we should embrace it for what it is, life – telling us to pay attention, learn and try again. Ultimately blogs don't fail. Bloggers fail to plan – hopefully they learn enough to start again with a good game plan in mind.
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Failure is synonymous with learning in any type of situation. It is important that people go back to the drawing board if they want to push forth and also find new techniques to replace what may have aided in not succeeding in the first place.
“Practice makes perfect.”
I agree with the foundation posts. They show how well you can write and that you have something worth reading to say.
Thanks for the really useful insight on how to get started at this tricky situation
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Simple words with lot of meaning. All the tips are solid enough to encourage a fresh blogger. Do not afraid to fail- inspiring words in the post!! Technology has given many options for the blogger's to succeed in blogging.
To newbies, it really is difficult to maintain a blog. All the confusions up in their minds and don't exactly know where and how to start. Stumbling down your post made me think about how difficult it was to start on my own. I think the ideas you shared are valuable enough to be considered by newbies in blogging. Anyway, thanks for the post.
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I really struggled to motivate myself to blog when I first started, and in the end, I gave up. In the early days when hardly anyone is reading, it can be somewhat disheartening when you hardly get any responses to a post that you put a lot of work into.
Nice tips here.. Would try to follow them 😀
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Hi Niles,
Very interesting post. All 8 tips are very good and sound like they will keep you out of trouble. As a newbie, good solid posts are so important. Thank you so much for sharing.
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Beginners who’ve started a blog should be ready to devote more time to promote the blog. Once we think of monetizing our blogs we cannot take blogging as a hobby anymore. There are hardships involved and you’ve highlighted all the important points beginners should keep in mind.
Nice, quality tips you enlisted here and beginners can be availed of this to make their blog/site more effective. Thanks for sharing Nile.