5 Key Blogging Tips I Wish I Had Learned Sooner

Today I’m sharing 5 of my favorite blogging tips that I’ve learned during the five years I’ve been blogging!

I’ve been blogging for almost 6 years now. For 6 years I’ve poured my heart and soul into this blog and at this point, I can’t imagine what my life would look like without it.

It’s funny when I think back at how little I knew about the blogging world when I first started, though. I didn’t know this was a thing. I didn’t know that people took blogging seriously and that it was a potential business and revenue stream.

I just needed a place to freaking vent!

That’s how I got started. And over the past 6 years, I’ve learned more about the blogging space each and every day, and I think that’s probably why I’ve been able to stick with it for so long.

I love that I’m never done learning. I love that every day there’s something new. Every day there’s a new algorithm stirring the pot or a new idea to try or ways to improve my old content. Maybe I’m a total nerd, but I find that so satisfying.

I recently re-read one of my favorite blogging books, Building A Framework, and today I decided to share 5 key blogging tips that even a seasoned blogger like me can take away from this amazing blogging resource. I wish I had learned these blogging tips a whole lot sooner, so here are some things you’ll want to take into consideration from the beginning.

From the Beginning, Grow Your E-mail List

I’m going to tell you a really sad story. Remember how I told you I’ve been blogging for 6 years? Well, you want to know when I started seriously collecting e-mail addresses to build my list? Um…last year. I know, epic failure, guys. Had I been smarter, I would have been building my list from the start. But hey, you live and you learn and for whatever reason, an e-mail list wasn’t something I thought was important back in the day. In Building A Framework, Abby devotes a whole section of her book to how she built her list, and why it’s so important. Printing that section out and re-reading it on a daily basis!

There are certain things your blog HAS TO have

Blogs are all different. I think we can all agree on that. And while the content we produce will be unique to our particular blogging niche and writing styles, there are certain things ALL BLOGS SHOULD HAVE. Abby talks about 10 of those non-negotiables which include things like a super-strong About Me page, a standard disclosure policy, a clear contact info page, and a search bar on your home page! All of these are essentials, and they can really make a huge difference between a successful blog and a mediocre one, so you’ll definitely want to hear what she has to say about each of these.

Photo Editing Is Important, But It doesn’t have to be hard

If you’ve been in the blogging world for even two seconds, then you already ought to know the importance of high-quality visuals for all of your content. In the online space, yes, your content matters. Your words matter. But if your images look like poop, no one’s ever going to read them! Sorry, guys! Because of that, you should be putting as much effort into your photo editing as you put into your writing, and you should be creating images that are easy to share across all your social media channels. Not a graphic designer? That’s totally okay! Neither am I! But I’ve learned some basic design skills using easy-to-use platforms like Canva, and that’s gone a long way. In Building A Framework, Abby walks you through her photo editing process step-by-step, and she shares how easy it is to create text overlay for Pinterest photos using Picmonkey.

Building relationships with other bloggers is important (AND FUN)

Who understands the craziness of this blogging world better than other bloggers, huh?! So don’t you think it might be a good idea to build relationships with some of them? Abby spends a whole section in her book discussing the importance of relationships in blogging and she shares a whole bunch of ways that you can leverage these relationships to help promote your blog. Want to know a secret? Here it is: The blogging space is awesome. In six years I’ve made blogging friends all around the world and I’ve met some of the sweetest and most genuine people that I really enjoy connecting with. But I also love the support that we provide one another. I love sharing content from other bloggers because it’s really not about competition in this space. Believe me, there’s enough money and business to go around! So instead, it’s more about boosting us all up, supporting eachother, and learning as much as we can while building strong friendships. What’s not to love about that?

REPORT ON PERFORMANCE

Blogging is….well, let’s just say it’s interesting. We spend a ton of effort creating content, and then we hit that “Publish” button and send it out to the universe. Then, we do that all over again. But whether you’re a newbie blogger or a seasoned blogger, it’s equally as important that you report on your performance. What does that mean, report on performance? It means looking at your stats. It means monitoring your posts to see how well they perform. How many blog visits are you getting? How many people looked at that post you just published? What’s your best performing post? What’s your #1 traffic referral stream? These are all things that you should be monitoring AT LEAST on a monthly basis. Because if you want to be a successful blogger, then you need to know what’s working and what’s not. And when you figure out what’s NOT working, you need to re-adjust what you’re doing and try something new. That’s what I’ve been doing for 6 years, and that’s exactly why I’ve seen HUGE increases in my page views and social media followings. I keep an eye on my stats because without those numbers, you can’t have any real strategy, and without a strategy, you’re just hitting “Publish” and praying for the best. It’s time to be more intentional than that, guys! In Building A Framework Abby includes advice on each of the social media platforms and offers ideas like testing out different posting times and figuring out which produce the best results. So smart!

BONUS: Approaching brands + Making Money

Once you’ve been blogging for a bit and you’re in a position to start working on sponsored content, the number one thing that people ask is “How do I find blogging opportunities that pay?” Abby definitely shares some of the blogging networks she’s a part of, but she also says this: APPROACH BRANDS YOURSELF! Sure, it’s nice when a brand reaches out to you and asks if you’d be interested in working together. But why wait on them to make the first move, ya know? Get out there and make sh*t happen baby! Don’t know how? Well, lucky for you, Abby shares one of the e-mails she sent out to a brand she was interested in working with. I loved reading it because honestly, that’s always one thing I’ve struggled with. I have all these ideas and so many brands I’d love to work with, but I never knew exactly what to say to them. What the heck is an e-mail to a big brand supposed to look like? How do I get them to even pay attention to me? Now having read Abby’s e-mail, I feel totally confident that I can do this! I can make the first move and start asking for those opportunities that I normally sit around waiting for.

2017 is going to be a game-changer, friends! I can feel it!

So that’s it! 5 key blogging lessons from one of my favorite blogging resources.

And in case you’d like to see a breakdown of all the chapters in Abby’s book, here it is, all 35 of them!

Then, go grab your copy!

*I’m also offering 1-on-1 blogging/social media strategy consulting so if you’re interested in learning more, e-mail me at lostgenygirl@gmail.com and we’ll discuss details. I’m a part-time blogger, but during the day I’m a social media manager + digital content strategist at an advertising agency. AKA, I know my stuff! Would love to work with you and help take your blog and business to the next level!*

BUILDING A FRAMEWORK CHAPTER BREAKDOWN:

Part 1- Starting a Blog: My Story

     1. Why I Started Blogging

     2. What I Did Wrong

Part 2- Starting a Blog: The Technical Stuff

     3. Choosing a Blogging Platform

     4. Setting Up the Essentials: Domain and Hosting

     5. Choosing a Theme

     6. Plugins

     7. 10 Essential Pieces to Include in Your Blog

 Part 3- Content is king

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