If you are just starting out on blogging or you are thinking about blogging this post is a great place to start. I share with you tips that I have learnt along the way having started one blog and failed — and started a new one and succeeded. Blogging is not easy but if you do it right it is one of the most rewarding things that you can do. The following tips are the best blogging tips for beginner bloggers from a fellow blogger who has been through the process of starting a successful blog.
Starting a new blog was a goal that I set for myself after blogging low key for a few years. My goal was to make the new blog different and not only was I going to try to make money from it, I was also going to ensure that it provided real value to my readers. With people being so busy and on the go all the time, wasting my reader’s time with click bait titles isn’t ever going to be an option.
After doing research months ago I started this blog and I have had some success and failures. I am always trying to improve on my writing and the quality of posts I produce. Over time this has led to readers returning to the blog. My plan is to post a write a blog report when the blog is 6 months old. Right now, I would like to offer the best blogging tips for beginner bloggers who to start a blog or plan on starting a blog.
If you are starting a new blog I have a comprehensive guide here.
The Best Blogging Tips for Beginner Bloggers
Table of Contents
Who Are Your Writing For?
First if you are thinking about starting a blog and eventually monetizing it, you have to always prioritize your readers. You readers should come to your blog and find what they need. Your goal should always be to help your reader with a need that they have. If you don’t do this your blog will not succeed.
With my other blog I wrote about things I cared about and no one wanted to read. This meant that no one was interested in what I was writing most of the time which hurt my traffic. Think about who you are writing to and create the best material for that audience.
The second thing you will probably need to think about is what your long term blogging goal is. My long term goal is to blog full time and based on the progress I am seeing it will happen soon. DO NOT let anyone tell you that you can’t make money blogging. Whatever the big bloggers are doing you can also do and as long as you create good content you will get readers. It is important that you believe in your dream and this next year plan and focus on starting a successful blog.
No matter where you are from your dreams are valid.
Lupita Nyongo
Self-Host
The first key tips I would offer is not cheap out when you start a blog and decide to use the Blogger or WordPress.com option. Find a blog name and then buy the domain that you like. Make sure that you self-host and that you own your blog from the get-go.
I have been using Bluehost and as a new blogger on WordPress it has been a better experience than I expected. There is a learning curve for sure but Bluehost customer service is great and even without them it’s very intuitive in setting up. If you use Bluehost your domain name is FREE which made them really attractive to me as a new blogger!
With Bluehost I was able to create the base of my blog, install plugins, select a free theme all through the step by step guide that Bluehost provides. The automated alerts would let me know when I hadn’t set up something correctly and they guided me through steps like creating a post, setting up a publishing schedule and selecting a theme that would work for the type of blog I want.
Give Bluehost a try and if you don’t like it, they have a refund policy that is favorable for new bloggers which was a pull for me and I haven’t looked back since.
Write Before You Publish Your Blog
Most new bloggers get excited at the idea of starting a blog and publish the blog too early. Before you hit the publish button make sure that you have a few posts for the blog. Whichever niche you pick or whatever you decide to write about it is highly advisable to have a few posts before going public.
This is important because once you let people know you have a new blog you want them to keep coming back. If I go to a blog and find only one post that’s relevant to what I am interested in chances are that I won’t return to the blog. In fact, I’ll probably forget about that blog unless the post was very very good.
To avoid having people not return to your blog prepare and edit at least 10 posts before you make the blog public. Then create a schedule to write more to ensure that the blog has a professional look and credibility.
Always ensure that you provide value to your readers so that they come back. Don’t write mediocre posts just to have something to publish. Take your time with this because it could make or break your future blog. Research your posts and even though you don’t have to be an expert you have to fact check yourself.
SEO Is So Important
The third tip which is extremely important for a blog (new and old) is SEO. With Bluehost you get an SEO plugin called Yoast. This is another reason Bluehost is my first recommendation. When you write an article, you want Google to find it. You don’t want to write articles or posts that no one ever reads. This is probably one of the best tips for beginner bloggers because most people are not aware of SEO when they start blogging.
SEO – Search Engine Optimization is what leads readers to you. When people search a topic google will rank your posts based on how they are written. This is where the Yoast plugin comes in with key words. Key words will become your best friend. They make sure that whatever you are writing about is elevated so that it’s findable. This plugin also makes sure that any images you include in your posts are optimized as well. I loved this article on SEO and it’s much more detailed and techy than I can ever write.
Pinterest is a Goldmine
Pinterest is a goldmine because for new bloggers this search engine provides a place to promote your blog using catchy images. When you start using Pinterest there is a learning curve as you get comfortable creating images that will lead people to your blog. Start a business Pinterest page around the time you start your blog.
It doesn’t matter that you don’t have posts yet. Create boards for topics you want to write about. For example, if you want to write about money create a board called Money. Then create more boards like ‘save money’, ‘budget money’ and ‘make money’ depending on what you want to write about. Pin other people’s stuff to these boards to get the boards going before you start pinning your own stuff. This will give your boards momentum and also get people following you. Make sure that you pin good images.
I use Canva to create pins. It’s such a great resource for new bloggers and you can create the most amazing pins on Canva. As I said there is a learning curve and through trial and error you will find pins that work great for you. They will provide a template for you to start. If you are struggling look up your favorite bloggers and see what type of pins they have. That can be a great place to start.
Tailwind Has Been Amazing
I discovered Tailwind when I was struggling to get people to visit my blog. I signed up for Pinterest one weekend and immediately saw some momentum. In my income report coming up in a few weeks I will post my traffic report and you can see how Tailwind and Pinterest have been monumental in getting traffic. Remember you need traffic to monetize your blog. If no one visits your blog, then you can’t get advertisers to use your blog.
Right after I joined Tailwind which is great for scheduling pins on Pinterest I discovered tribes. I didn’t really know what they did but after some research I discovered that they give your blog more exposure. When you join tribes that are relevant to the topics that you write about you are able to leverage the power of strength in numbers.
The tribes that you join have people who will also share your pins. This will open up platforms that you wouldn’t otherwise have. I have stayed on Tailwind for the tribes. They provide a great community and a great way to get awareness for your blog.
Monetize from The Beginning
Some bloggers will tell you not to monetize before you have traffic. I disagree because there isn’t ever a bad time to make money. You do have to be cautious not to have a site that looks spammy with too many ads. This is something you can control though.
Monetize from the beginning by signing up for affiliate programs such as Awin, Amazon Affiliates and Flexoffers. You can also sign up for advertising networks such as Ad Sense and Media.net. The idea is to set yourself up for success from the beginning. With time you will see what works for your blog and what doesn’t.
I have made $387.53 on this blog since launching it 8 months ago through affiliate programs and adsense. This may seem like chump change for some people but blogging is hard work and making money is slow in the beginning.
As a new blogger you have to build your readership and online presence and this takes time. Getting ranked on google takes at least 6 months so hung in there. I have enough views to qualify for some ad networks that pay more and I’m in the process of applying to get in so stay tuned.
BLOG INCOME REPORTS – YOU CAN MAKE MONEY BLOGGING!
Some Miscellaneous Things To Do
Included in the best tips for beginner bloggers I would encourage that you do the following:
Sign up for Google Analytics. This is important because it shows you who your audience is, what they like to read, when they like to read and how many they are. The analytics are important for measuring the performance of your blog.
Sign up for Google Search Console. It takes about six months to get ranked by Google and one way to get this going is to sign up for the search console. I promise it’s super straight forward.
Set up a mailing list. I use Mailchimp for now because it’s free and because I don’t have a big subscriber list. Based on the trend though I know I will start shopping for Converter kit, or something close to it.
Set up social media accounts. I mainly use Facebook for my blog as it’s the most convenient way to promote the blog. Make sure you add social media buttons to allow people to share your posts.
Don’t Give Up
I have come very close to quitting and I want to be honest about the process. Very few bloggers survive a year because blogging is hard work. It’s a repetitive process and it requires diligence and patience. I have come to think of this blog as my garden. I haven’t yet seen my flowers bloom, but I know spring is coming and my seeds will sprout.
Keep at it. Research what people want to read about, create new pins for old posts, update old posts to keep them relevant and always provide value to your readers. The reality is blogging is hard and making money – real money is hard. Do not fall for the, “I started blogging and made thousands in 3 months”. That may happen for a very few number of bloggers.
Personally I have made some money which I will disclose in my blog report, but it hasn’t been enough to pop champagne bottles or anything like that. However, based on the trend I will not give up because believe it or not I truly believe the effort is worth it. Make sure you check out my post on how to start a blog if you haven’t already done it because there is more information there on the basics. I hope you find the best tips for beginner bloggers useful in your blogging journey.
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