I’ve learned a ton during my 1 1/2 year blogging journey (I can’t believe it’s almost been 2 years!). From starting with a free wordpress.com site and learning how to install my first plugin, I’d like to think I’ve come a long way. I’ve definitely learned a ton during this journey.
Here are a few things that have been must DO’s during my blogging journey:
+ Start with passion
Life With Kim started purely through passion – I wanted to find a place to create and inspire. As I’ve watched it’s growth over the past year, I’m looking at it from more of a ‘business’ perspective to eventually it into my full-time job.
This doesn’t mean my content will become generic or inauthentic. That will NEVER happen. I’ve just become more mindful of quality, convenience to readers, increasing exposure – most things you start to think about when you start growing a business.
I bring this up because if you’re just starting out, I would recommend focusing more on writing about topics that you’re knowledgable in or passionate about before thinking about ways to monetize. Not only will that stress you out, but your readers will feel that and leave.
+ Post consistently
Establish a realistic posting schedule for yourself. Can you commit to 3 posts a week? Is it just one? Whatever it is, commit to it. This will keep your audience engaged (since they’re expecting content from you) and help you grow your blog.
Shoot to post as much quality content as you can per week. It’s better to post 1 great post over 10 shitty ones.
+ Check your analytics
Analytics are your best friend when it comes to social media and blogging platforms. I’ve installed Google Analytics onto my website which gives me in depth analytics into each one of my posts, audience behavior and more.
I check analytics on Pinterest, Instagram and my blog daily to see what gets good engagement and what doesn’t. I’ll try and pin point why a post/picture got more (or less) engagement than others.
+ Stay true to yourself
With so many bloggers and influencers these days, it’s easy to fall into a mindset of “well, her picture with that background or filter did well so I’ll just replicate it.”
One thing I’ve learned through blogging is that consistency is KEY. Not only with your posting, but with yourself. Readers will subscribe and followers will follow you because they like YOU. Give the people what they want and stay true to yourself!
+ Collaborate with other brands/bloggers
One of the questions I get asked most frequently is “how can I grow a small following?” The most effective way to grow any audience is to collaborate. Whether it’s providing content for a larger company/brand, guest writing for other bloggers, or being a guest on a podcast, collaboration is by far the BEST way to increase a following.
When it comes to collaborations, don’t work with companies or promote products you can’t fully back.
Think about it this way: if you promoted a restaurant that was infested with flies (this is an exaggerated example) and one of your readers/followers visited this restaurant, do you think they’d trust you again? Probably not.
+ Connect with your audience
Your audience is your BIGGEST asset. Stay connected with them, ask them questions, respond to comments and keep them engaged!
+ Continue learning
I didn’t study web design or graphic design in college, so blogging has been a continuous learning process for me, and I love it. Whether it’s finding the right plug in or widget, optimizing my mailing list, figuring out the difference between a .jpg and .png or learning graphic design (my most recent project), there is always something to learn. Don’t get too comfortable!
What are your best blogging tips or suggestions? Share with me.
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