If you’re new to blogging you probably quickly realized that a lot more goes into starting a blog that you originally thought.
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You will probably experience many emotions when trying to build your first blog. I know when I first started blogging I would feel excited one day, frustrated the next day, overwhelmed the day after that and so on.
There is, without a doubt, a lot to learn in the beginning. I believe that is true with any business you start though for the first time.
It will get easier with time. But honestly, no matter what industry you are in, there is something always new to learn. Things will always be changing and you have to learn how to adapt to those changes.
Thank goodness for the internet, right? There is so much information out there to help you with anything you need. If you are new to blogging your probably looking for as many useful tips as possible.
Today I have listed 10 useful tips to help new bloggers when they are just starting out building their new blog.
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1. Use A Self-Hosted WordPress Site
Even if you think you are just going to blog as a hobby don’t make the mistake of using a free blogging platform. I can assure you, with all the time and effort you put into your blog you will want to try to make money from it eventually.
How many times has a hobby turned into a business for people? The answer is a lot!
This means buying your own domain name and hosting service. I would suggest purchasing that through Bluehost. They have great prices and it is very popular among new bloggers!
Related Article: How To Start A Blog (Easy Step-By-Step Guide For Beginners)
2. Buy A Theme
If anyone tells you it is fine to use a free theme please run in the opposite direction. This is such bad advice! I truly believe that buying a good theme, in the beginning, is so important. Sure, there are thousands of free themes on WordPress, but from an SEO standpoint, they are not that great. And by the time you add plug-ins, your site will run very slow.
Not only that, free themes are extremely limited in customizing options. Trust me on this, you will just end up aggravated.
No point in wasting time trying to set something up that just isn’t going to work and you will eventually end up changing in the long run, which will require more work.
Save yourself the time and headache.
I searched high and low for the perfect theme for my blog and fell in love with Hello You Designs. They are by far the most beautiful feminine themes I have found.
My second favorite website for feminine WordPress themes is BluChic. They are pretty, simple, and elegant.
3. Use High-Quality Images
Whatever you do, don’t go to Google images and start saving photos to use for your blog. Using someone else’s photos without permission is illegal and the last thing you want is to be slapped in the face with a lawsuit.
So what do you do then?
If your not a photographer, then you are going to have to look for some stock images. Sure, there are plenty of websites that offer free stock photos but I guarantee you they probably will not be up to par. They are okay, but I never really had much luck finding any that suited what I was after.
If you are looking for beautiful feminine styled stock photography (like I use on my blog) I recommend Styled Stock Society.
Or maybe you are looking for a bigger variety of images. That is where Shutterstock comes in. They have millions of photos in every single category you could possibly need.
4. Pick 1 Or 2 Social Media Platforms And Focus
Social media is probably going to be one of the best ways to drive traffic to your blog.
How in the heck are you suppose to know which 1 or 2 to choose?
My advice would be to focus on Pinterest for sure and then probably on Facebook as well. Social media can be very time-consuming in the beginning, it will be too overwhelming to focus on more.
Even when you start out on just one or two platforms I would still make accounts on all popular social media sites just to make sure you secure your username. If you decide to use them in the future great, if not you still have them if you ever choose to do that. Obviously, don’t advertise the ones on your blog that you’re not using.
Don’t neglect your social media platforms either. I know it may be hard to not only come up with articles for your blog posts but to figure out what to post on social media can be another daunting task in itself.
Bluchic also has social media templates that will help drive traffic to your blog. If your not a graphic designer or just don’t have the time, then these templates are definitely worth it!
5. Build Your Email List From The Beginning
This is something many bloggers put off for a long time and it is a huge mistake. You need a newsletter opt-in form on your blog to capture your readers’ emails.
Please make sure no matter where you live in the world that you are collecting people’s data the proper way. You will have readers from all over the globe and that means complying with all international laws.
You will need to make yourself familiar with the GDPR law that went into effect May 25, 2018, in the European Union.
Related Article: What is GDPR? How Does It Affect My Blog?
6. Post Consistently
It isn’t necessary to post once a day or even a couple times a week. Do what works for you. Personally, I try to post on both my blogs at least twice a month.
This allows me enough time to create an amazing blog post and it doesn’t put so much pressure on me that I feel stressed about it.
The worst thing you can do is neglect your blog.
If you’r not writing new posts, at least make sure you are updating old posts to keep them relevant.
7. Carry Around A Notebook/Organizer/Planner
Am I old school or what? The idea of writing something down could make some people’s head explode. Don’t worry if you prefer a digital method that is fine too.
This may seem dumb to some but I assure you it is not. When I first started blogging I had so many questions and ideas I felt like my head was spinning. I had a leftover notebook laying around from when my daughter was in school so I put it to good use.
Let me tell you, I filled page after page of that thing! Ideas and questions will strike at any time. You think you will remember and then you will get on your computer and probably end up staring at the screen trying to rack your brain of what you thought of earlier.
Years later, I now have a planner I carry around to take notes and to keep me on schedule with my blog (and life). I even keep it next to me in bed! It figures that many ideas come to me when I’m trying to go to sleep.
I’m using a Kikki K planner right now in lilac and I love it!
8. Invest In Yourself And Your Blog
If you want to run your blog as a business and make money from it you have to treat like a business from the beginning. Unfortunately, there are not many businesses you can start without some investment.
Trust me on this, when I first started blogging I tried getting away with being as cheap as possible. I realized that after a couple months of being frustrated that I was going to have to invest some money into my blog.
And by investing money, I mean purchasing a great theme, getting a quality hosting service, buying beautiful images and templates, investing in courses or even hiring a blog coach if necessary.
The two courses that I found to be of great help were from Blogging Like You Mean It.
The first course is Pinteresting Strategies. It teaches you manual pinning techniques with additional tips and tricks. After I bought this course, I implemented some techniques and had my first Pin go viral!
The next course was Affiliate Marketing For Bloggers. It contains 37 lessons that will help you take your affiliate marketing game to the next level.
For a limited time, you can get both courses for $85, and that includes a 2019 Blogging Planner. This is a huge
Also, if your feeling stuck and need more help that is where I can assist you. Please check out my Services page for more information. I offer professional blog coaching and blog review services.
9. Make Time For Your Blog
I think there are two things in life we can never have enough of, and that is time and money. Finding time to work on your blog is going to be one of the biggest challenges to overcome, especially if you already work full time and/or have children.
Life is busy. Every time you turn around it’s like another one of life’s obligations has popped up.
- Weddings
- Birthdays
- Graduations
- Work
- Chores
- Errands
- School Functions
- Etc….
So how do you find the extra time to work on your blog? It’s simple you need to decide to make time. If that means waking up early, going to bed late, saying no when your friends want to go out on a Saturday night, then that’s the sacrifices you need to make in the beginning.
10. Most Importantly, Don’t Give Up
If you’re thinking blogging is some get rich quick scheme, I got some news for you, it is most definitely not! It is quite the opposite. With building any business it’s going to take a lot of time and hard work. I can assure you though, it will all be worth it in the end.
Keep pushing forward and don’t give up!
Final Thoughts
I hope these 10 tips were useful to you as a new blogger. If you have any questions or comments be sure to leave them in the comments section below and I will respond as soon as possible.
If you are new to my blog, my main focus here is to help you make and save more money. One of the best ways I have found to make extra money online is by starting a blog. I love helping other people with tips and tricks on how to build a blog.
✨Be sure to check the Blogging Tools section on my Resources page to see all the products and services I recommend!✨
