Tips For New Bloggers

Welcome

To my blog. Today's post is some tips for any new bloggers. I've been blogging on and off since 2010. My first ever blog (now deleted) was for my college elective. I did about a semesters worth of blogging and then deleted it.  This blog did have some other posts on it, but I deleted them all about two years ago because I wasn't happy with them. I carried on using this blog though and over the last two years I have seen a major change in the way I've blogged.

- Pick a name that isn't to complicated

You should pick the name of your blog as if you are naming your child. Don't make it to complicated. As long as you are blogging you will have that name. It's your brand.

- Social media

There is a lot of social media out there nowadays, use it to your advantage. You can link your blog up to it all, so if you have followers on twitter make sure that you link your blog to twitter, even put a link in your twitter profile. Make a post on instagram, Facebook, tumblr, Snapchat or any other social media every time you do a post. Also don't make your social media name complicated. Use the same name across the board. Also you can find blog related twitter pages to follow. Don't be scared. Follow them all

- Bloglovin

Bloglovin is a great app/website to keep track of all the blogs you love and read.  It's also a place where people can follow your blog as well.

- don't go into it thinking your going to make money

Don't think that right away you are going to make money. It takes time, and in the beginning it will seem that you are spending more then you are making, but keep going.

- Pick a topic you are interested in.

If you want to write about books, makeup, life, travel, everyday things do it then do it, but remember you don't have to be limited to just that subject. If you are a book blogger you can also talk about what make up your liking at the moment. Or if you want to do a post that you have a strong connection to then do it. Your blog is your own. If something is important enough in your life you want to write and post it, just do it.

- Don't compare yourself to others

It's so easy to compare yourself to other people, but you are your own person, if you like something that others don't that's ok and vice versa it's your blog not theirs

- Don't think everything will happen over night

It can happen over night, but sometimes it can take weeks, months or even years. Keep going. Keep grounded.

- Pictures and editing apps

I take my pictures with my cell phone and then edit them on it as well. I personally use three different apps to edit my pictures. I use layout which is an istagram photo editor, and also Photo blur for the first picture.  There are so many photo editors/layouts and the way I chose what was best for me was I dowloaded a lot and what ever one felt good and was easy go use was the one I went with. Also with pictures if you are not using your own make sure your letting your audience know at the end of the post

- Write down your ideas on the note app on your phone

To plan out my posts i use my note app that comes on my phone. I have folders for everything from my TBR, to my Wrap Up, any blog posts that I want to write about that isn't related to books to Top 5 Wednesday, that way I know where I am and don't have to keep looking for something in a long pile of notes when I know it's in a curtain area. Yes you have a lot of folders on your phone but it helps so much.  Also when I have finished with a note on my phone what I'll do is delete it. With my TBR what I'll  do is move it to my Wrap Up and take out anything TBR related and keep the name of the book and then write it as a wrap up and when I'm done with that I'll delete it. One of the best things I have learnt to do when writing my Wrap Up post or book reviews is every time I am reading a book,  or even a few pages I write down how I feel about those few pages or how I felt about the book over the course of reading it because then you can write around it. For each book that I've read a few pages I'll date it, wrote how I felt in bullet form and do that until I Have read the book that way when I come to read the book o can bulk it  up to make a post. It may sound crazy but for me it works.

- Set a schedule

Set any kind of schedule. Monday, Wednesday and Friday or every week day, once a week what ever it may be. If you are a book blogger then set a day a month for your Wrap Up and a TBR for the following month. It can be a separate post or together but set a day for it either at the end of the month or beginning. Join a booking community online. Top 5 Wednesday on Goodreads and/or Top Ten Tuesday on Brooke and the Bookish.

- connect with people

Don't hide your blog away, let people know that you have a blog. Contact companies and offer to do a blog post about their products or what ever they sell. Sign up for free things.

- Don't be afraid

In the beginning when you first start out blogging is scary.  But fine be afraid. Making a schedule helps honestly. Making notes in the note app on your phone helps, connecting with people and social media helps. Once you know what your doing just go out and do it.

- Have a back up

Write as many posts as you can in a day, take as many photos as you possibly can. You don't have to publish the post, you can space them out.

- Tags and Q&A's

There are a lot of different tags out there weather your a book blogger or a beauty blogger or a lifestyle blogger. Occasionally do a tag. Or a Q&A

The last thing remember to have fun. Blogging may seem easy but it's not it's hard, so just have fun with it. Don't do it for fame. Do it because you want your options on something out there.

Over the years I have found it hard but so worth while.  I know my blog isn't great, but still I enjoy doing it.

It's hard I'm not going to lie but it's so worth it.

Lauren

xoxo