Hello everyone! I have some exciting news- I have reached 65 followers!!
((I don't know is 65 is really that special but you know it's a nice number and I needed a reason to do this post so we're just going to go with it))
guys my friend bought me succulents during school I can't
So in honor of this achievement I thought I'd do something a little different and try to impart some advice I've learned through a lot of trial, error, and observation on you other bloggers out there. This post is especially aimed for newer bloggers with less experience- hopefully I can help you shortcut some mistakes I made to help you streamline your blogging and create quality content, a solid amount of followers, and a lovely, unique blog aesthetic! Enjoy!
1.
White backgrounds look the cleanest. It seems that most bloggers progress through a few phases of backgrounds, but all of them seem to end up at white. I've been there too-- the remade blogger backgrounds, uploading your own photos, etc. It's fun to play around with backgrounds, but in the end white backgrounds make your posts pop and help your blog to look focused and uncluttered.
2.
Go easy on the gadgets. Don't overload your readers with a thousand things going on in the sidebar! Choose a few essentials that will help your readers navigate and help you get a feel for your audience and promote your blogger buddies, then leave it alone. Seriously, you don't need a slideshow of puppies on your sidebar, that's what your youtube channel is for.
3.
Take quality photos and make them BIG. Even if your blog is mainly focused on writing, quality blog graphics are the things that are going to catch your reader's eye and make them want to keep clicking on posts. If your photography skills are lacking, consider downloading photos from a free site like
Unsplash to keep your posts interesting. And don't hesitate to make them nice and large- nothing's more annoying than an itty bitty picture. Extra large is the way to go.
4.
Try not to rant too much about out-of-context personal life stuff. I know there are a lot of bloggers who use blogging as a diary and that's fine, but if you're hoping to gain a substantial audience I recommend pulling back on the middle school drama. The truth is, we've all lived it ourselves, and unless your life is incredibly out of the ordinary because you're a dragon or a celebrity or something, most readers are liable to get bored after a few paragraphs of code names and eighth grade gossip.
5.
Be social, make friends! There's no better way to foster a growing audience than to become part of another person's audience. Everyone loves comments and views, so be sure to visit lots of other blogs and leave genuine comments. Don't just do it for the views-- enjoy other people's content and take time to appreciate the other creativity happening in the internet. Notice things that people do different than you that you like and ask them about if you could try incorporating them into your blog.
6.
Be as consistent as possible. Try not to make every post a post about how you're finally back from a long blogging break and you missed everyone you're sorry you'll post more consistently..... and then it's the same next post. Everyone has busy schedules, and it's perfectly understandable that we all need breaks sometimes, and sometimes it's simply not possible to make it back as regularly as you would've hoped. That's ok-- your readers understand. But if you can, try to post
at least once a month, and don't rant about how long it's been every single time, just move on.
7.
Acknowledge other bloggers and participate in tags! One of the best feelings is seeing your blog featured on someone else's blog-- if you are inspired by a blog don't hesitate to give them a shoutout. Tags and collab posts are great ways to get to know other bloggers and can help both of you expand your audiences.
8.
Not all your posts have to be the same. I find blogs with a variety of different topics much more fun to read than those that post, say, only book reviews or only photography. If you feel competent to write more than one type of post, mix it up! There's no need to try and fit your blog in a mold, let it showcase all of your passions and interests, and don't hesitate to try out a new type of post and see how you like it.
9.
Please don't steal someone else's artwork to use as your profile picture. Seriously guys, I see this way too much. If you're going to feature another person's artwork on your blog, YOU NEED TO GIVE THEM CREDIT. Just because you found it on the internet doesn't mean it's free for you to claim as your own. And don't use it as your profile photo! It's ok that you didn't know- everyone has to learn. But now you know so go add attributions to the artwork you're borrowing and swap out your profile photo.
10.
Don't revamp your blog every month. It's normal for bloggers (especially newer ones) to try on a few different names and layouts. But if you're constantly rebranding and relaunching your blog it becomes exhausting for your followers to try and keep up- especially those that are trying to help promote you by displaying your blog buttons or links. Nothing's more annoying than having to dig the html out and switch out a blog button. Once you have a certain amount of followers, do your best to choose a name and aesthetic for your blog and stick to it.
11.
Try and make your About page or blog synopsis as unique as possible. I know this is super difficult, but having a quality blog description really does make your blog that much more appealing. Anyone who reads TBC regularly can practically recite the standard blog bio that appears on nearly every new blog. A major red flag should be if you're calling your blog "especially unique". Basically everyone says that, making it more than a little ironic. My best advice is to read as many other blog descriptions as you can before writing your own, so you know what will help to distinguish your blog from others.
12.
Go easy on the gifs. I know some of you really really love the gifs, and I think plenty of them are pretty funny. But in my opinion, there comes a point when you have so many it's junking up the post and distracting your readers from your actual content instead of enhancing it. If there's more gifs than words, it might be time to delete at least a few Hamilton gifs ((cries because not the Hamilton gifs! I'm sorry it must be done))
13.
Be genuine in your posting. Don't try to be overly fake or edited. Be yourself! People like to read people who are themselves.
14.
Don't use text lingo or excessive emoticons. A smiley face every now and then is fun and adds a playful aspect to your blog. But please don't use abbreviations- this is a piece of published work not a text to your best friend. It can be playful, but also remember to attempt to keep it clean and professional.
15.
Correct grammar, punctuation, spelling, etc. Everyone's liable to have a typo now and again. But if it becomes extreme (like multiple per post) it's just annoying to read. Reread your posts (and comments for that matter) before you hit publish.
16.
Enjoy the process! Don't let it become a drag, it's supposed to be fun! And whatever you do, don't get so hung up on followers or comments that you forget the reason you blog- to express yourself. In the end, your follower count shouldn't matter half as much as you enjoying the process and creating content you love.
So, what did you think? Were these tips helpful? Do you disagree with any, or have any to add? Comment below, and thank you all so much for 65 followers! I'm so honored to write for you!
