Alright, chicas. I promised it. You're getting it. A continuation of last week's So You Think You Wanna Be a Blogger. AKA Blog tips part 2. And, yah since you are wondering, it would be much much easier to just say blog tips, but that would be so boring, wouldn't it?
P.S. If you didn't check out Part 1 of this hooplah, you're going to want to. And isn't that weird that I put a P.S. at the beginning of my writing instead of the end? Well, I'll be!
1. Looking good. This is a huge one for newbies. The blog has got to look professional. Like I have mentioned before, I started blogging consistently last fall. My friends and family were all supportive and one day my best friend was chilling at my house watching the Kardashians with me. I brought up my blog and told her how excited I was about getting people to read it and she replied very nonchalantly. "Yah, I like it. It's funny. You should make it not look so ghetto though." "What?" Naturally I was offended. "You know. Like some blogs look nice. And professional. Yours should look like that." Touche, Amy. Touche, Amy. Do a little research on google and learn the basics of web design. Or, if that makes you think about vomitting, pay someone to do it. Lots of girls will do it for $10 or $20 and make it look a millions times better than it currently is. Among the HUGE blog no-nos/ AKA things that will give you away immediately for a newbie
- Polka Dots
- Dark backgrounds with neon writing
-Colored backgrounds. Always better to go with the white background and add color in your header or font. I've rarely rarely seen a legit looking blog that didn't have a white background.
- Playlists. Oh, stop the playlists! Don't make us listen to your music. Nothing is worse than having my own music on and then visiting a blog and having their music blast on top of mine while I scramble frantically to find the stop button. Half the time I just exit out of the blog entirely and that's the truth
Take this blog design for example. It might be cute once, but who is going to want to visit this site every day? No one.
2. PICTURES. I feel like it takes most bloggers a little while to figure this one out. A couple of things about pictures that I notice all the successful bloggers do:
-Make pictures as big as possible. None of this small or medium crap. Hit the x large button every time.
- Don't post every picture you have take on your blog. Especially if they are very similar. Choose the very best pictures. People gotta stay interested.
-Some people even edit their photos. Blogger veterans, what are your thoughts on this (or blogger newbies... anybody can answer!). I have rarely taken the time to edit my pictures. I would like to if I had more time, but it's all I can do to get the words on the page most nights. Besides that, I want the focus of my blog to be my writing, not my pictures. While people might enjoy the pictures, that will never what brings me joy from blogging. That being said, it is definitely on my to do list to find a good photo editing program and be a bit more serious with the pictures I take. I would love to hear thoughts on this one...
3. BE CONSISTENT. Now, some people might disagree with me, but when it comes to blogging, I say that quantity over quality. That doesn't mean I think you should be writing garbage, but some nights you just don't have a stroke of brilliance. But you can still write something entertaining to your readers. When I started blogging I set the goal to blog 5 times a week and I have stuck to that religiously. People need to know that when they check your blog in the morning there will be something new. If there isn't, they will check less often. Less traffic. Less followers. You get my drift. There have been lots of times when I've thought, "But I have nothing to say!" and then I sit down at my computer, and what do you know? My fingers go buck crazy with their talking. Get in the habit of writing consistently.
4. HAVE SOMETHING THAT KEEPS PEOPLE COMING BACK. Every blogger fills a niche. You've gotta have something that makes you stick out a little bit. Something that sets you apart from the (literally) millions of other bloggers. I think a blog should have energy to it, almost likea vibe. I think a blog should have personality and reflect the person that is writing it. Be comfortable with yourself when you're writing and write stuff that other people want to read. When writing a post, think to yourself "Would I be intersted in this if it weren't about me?" If not, you got yourself a bad sign missy.
5. PAY ATTENTION TO WHAT BLOGGERS ARE WRITING AROUND YOU. To be a blogger you have to read blogs. I'm sorry, but that's just the way it is. You have to know what's out there, you have to know what other people are reading, writing, saying. I've had several posts that have been triggered by reading a post on someone else's blog. Just today Jenni wrote about the relation between babies and marriage and a post was born in my head. Next week I can't wait to write my thoughts about this.
6. PAY ATTENTION TO WHAT'S GOING ON THE WORLD. Taylor from The Daily Tay is one of the best at this... her "Best Week Ever" feature is all about news and gossip from the week. She is totally up to date with current events and celebrity gossip so she writes these hilarious, timely posts about it. There is so much going on around us that can trigger post ideas... BE INFORMED.
7. MAKE YOURSELF UNCOMFORTABLE EVERY ONCE IN AWHILE. I talk about this at length in my "Risky Writing" Post, but you gotta go outside your comfort zone every once in a while. Mix things up. Make it interesting. Dan from Single Dad Laughing says he tries every couple weeks to write something that he knows is going to shake things up a bit. Another one who writes some pretty edgy stuff is Raven from Don't Quote the Raven. What I love, though, is that she makes no apologies for it. She disses on Obama, claims that cardigans are frumpy, and makes fun of almost everything that the typical blogger wears. Yet her traffic is off the charts. She gets ot of her comfort zone.
8. GIVEAWAYS, LINK UPS, BUTTONS, ETC, ETC, ETC. If you are seriously trying to grow your blog, you should consider it a business. Businesses advertise. So should your blog. I have already told you I think you should start sponsoring as soon as possible, but there are other forms of advertisement... button swapping, link ups and giveaways are some of the best. You can enter giveaways or host giveaways. Lots of blogs that have sponsors do a monthly giveaway where anyone can give something away. It's all one giant blogger circus game, but learn how to play it and you'll see your traffic climbing. (All within reason, though. You can't let this stuff overtake quality writing. I've unfollowed lots of blogs that were nothing but giveaway after link up after sponsored post.)
9 TURN OFF YOUR DAMN CAPTCHA. If you don't know what I'm talking about read this post and then get to work. You want to encourage commenting on your blog and captchas discourage it. Plus they make everyone who comments on your blog want to tear your hair out. If I know a blog requires a captcha to comment I just don't comment. Simple as that.
10. BE VULNERABLE. There is a fine line from turning your blog into a sob fest to showing bit of weakness, but it is one I think merits playing with. I like to hear about people's struggles. Because I struggle too. And when I hear that the blogger who seems to have every single thing in her life put together struggles with anxiety/ feels inadequate/ sometimes argues with her husband/ can't get pregnant/ sometimes wants to kill her kids/ burns dinner/ lost a loved one/ has regrets... it makes me like that blogger more. Every once in a while you have to be willing to expose your vulnerable side to your readers. My mom used to tell me when I would mess up at my piano recitals, "She made a mistake and we loved her all the more." People want to read about real people with real problems so it's okay to open up on your blog. Let your readers see the real you.
P.S. If you didn't check out Part 1 of this hooplah, you're going to want to. And isn't that weird that I put a P.S. at the beginning of my writing instead of the end? Well, I'll be!
1. Looking good. This is a huge one for newbies. The blog has got to look professional. Like I have mentioned before, I started blogging consistently last fall. My friends and family were all supportive and one day my best friend was chilling at my house watching the Kardashians with me. I brought up my blog and told her how excited I was about getting people to read it and she replied very nonchalantly. "Yah, I like it. It's funny. You should make it not look so ghetto though." "What?" Naturally I was offended. "You know. Like some blogs look nice. And professional. Yours should look like that." Touche, Amy. Touche, Amy. Do a little research on google and learn the basics of web design. Or, if that makes you think about vomitting, pay someone to do it. Lots of girls will do it for $10 or $20 and make it look a millions times better than it currently is. Among the HUGE blog no-nos/ AKA things that will give you away immediately for a newbie
- Polka Dots
- Dark backgrounds with neon writing
-Colored backgrounds. Always better to go with the white background and add color in your header or font. I've rarely rarely seen a legit looking blog that didn't have a white background.
- Playlists. Oh, stop the playlists! Don't make us listen to your music. Nothing is worse than having my own music on and then visiting a blog and having their music blast on top of mine while I scramble frantically to find the stop button. Half the time I just exit out of the blog entirely and that's the truth
Take this blog design for example. It might be cute once, but who is going to want to visit this site every day? No one.
2. PICTURES. I feel like it takes most bloggers a little while to figure this one out. A couple of things about pictures that I notice all the successful bloggers do:
-Make pictures as big as possible. None of this small or medium crap. Hit the x large button every time.
- Don't post every picture you have take on your blog. Especially if they are very similar. Choose the very best pictures. People gotta stay interested.
-Some people even edit their photos. Blogger veterans, what are your thoughts on this (or blogger newbies... anybody can answer!). I have rarely taken the time to edit my pictures. I would like to if I had more time, but it's all I can do to get the words on the page most nights. Besides that, I want the focus of my blog to be my writing, not my pictures. While people might enjoy the pictures, that will never what brings me joy from blogging. That being said, it is definitely on my to do list to find a good photo editing program and be a bit more serious with the pictures I take. I would love to hear thoughts on this one...
3. BE CONSISTENT. Now, some people might disagree with me, but when it comes to blogging, I say that quantity over quality. That doesn't mean I think you should be writing garbage, but some nights you just don't have a stroke of brilliance. But you can still write something entertaining to your readers. When I started blogging I set the goal to blog 5 times a week and I have stuck to that religiously. People need to know that when they check your blog in the morning there will be something new. If there isn't, they will check less often. Less traffic. Less followers. You get my drift. There have been lots of times when I've thought, "But I have nothing to say!" and then I sit down at my computer, and what do you know? My fingers go buck crazy with their talking. Get in the habit of writing consistently.
4. HAVE SOMETHING THAT KEEPS PEOPLE COMING BACK. Every blogger fills a niche. You've gotta have something that makes you stick out a little bit. Something that sets you apart from the (literally) millions of other bloggers. I think a blog should have energy to it, almost likea vibe. I think a blog should have personality and reflect the person that is writing it. Be comfortable with yourself when you're writing and write stuff that other people want to read. When writing a post, think to yourself "Would I be intersted in this if it weren't about me?" If not, you got yourself a bad sign missy.
5. PAY ATTENTION TO WHAT BLOGGERS ARE WRITING AROUND YOU. To be a blogger you have to read blogs. I'm sorry, but that's just the way it is. You have to know what's out there, you have to know what other people are reading, writing, saying. I've had several posts that have been triggered by reading a post on someone else's blog. Just today Jenni wrote about the relation between babies and marriage and a post was born in my head. Next week I can't wait to write my thoughts about this.
6. PAY ATTENTION TO WHAT'S GOING ON THE WORLD. Taylor from The Daily Tay is one of the best at this... her "Best Week Ever" feature is all about news and gossip from the week. She is totally up to date with current events and celebrity gossip so she writes these hilarious, timely posts about it. There is so much going on around us that can trigger post ideas... BE INFORMED.
7. MAKE YOURSELF UNCOMFORTABLE EVERY ONCE IN AWHILE. I talk about this at length in my "Risky Writing" Post, but you gotta go outside your comfort zone every once in a while. Mix things up. Make it interesting. Dan from Single Dad Laughing says he tries every couple weeks to write something that he knows is going to shake things up a bit. Another one who writes some pretty edgy stuff is Raven from Don't Quote the Raven. What I love, though, is that she makes no apologies for it. She disses on Obama, claims that cardigans are frumpy, and makes fun of almost everything that the typical blogger wears. Yet her traffic is off the charts. She gets ot of her comfort zone.
8. GIVEAWAYS, LINK UPS, BUTTONS, ETC, ETC, ETC. If you are seriously trying to grow your blog, you should consider it a business. Businesses advertise. So should your blog. I have already told you I think you should start sponsoring as soon as possible, but there are other forms of advertisement... button swapping, link ups and giveaways are some of the best. You can enter giveaways or host giveaways. Lots of blogs that have sponsors do a monthly giveaway where anyone can give something away. It's all one giant blogger circus game, but learn how to play it and you'll see your traffic climbing. (All within reason, though. You can't let this stuff overtake quality writing. I've unfollowed lots of blogs that were nothing but giveaway after link up after sponsored post.)
9 TURN OFF YOUR DAMN CAPTCHA. If you don't know what I'm talking about read this post and then get to work. You want to encourage commenting on your blog and captchas discourage it. Plus they make everyone who comments on your blog want to tear your hair out. If I know a blog requires a captcha to comment I just don't comment. Simple as that.
10. BE VULNERABLE. There is a fine line from turning your blog into a sob fest to showing bit of weakness, but it is one I think merits playing with. I like to hear about people's struggles. Because I struggle too. And when I hear that the blogger who seems to have every single thing in her life put together struggles with anxiety/ feels inadequate/ sometimes argues with her husband/ can't get pregnant/ sometimes wants to kill her kids/ burns dinner/ lost a loved one/ has regrets... it makes me like that blogger more. Every once in a while you have to be willing to expose your vulnerable side to your readers. My mom used to tell me when I would mess up at my piano recitals, "She made a mistake and we loved her all the more." People want to read about real people with real problems so it's okay to open up on your blog. Let your readers see the real you.
