July 25, 2016

Blogging Tips for the Curious

Martie Sound Off! blogging tips, invest in yourself, proper grammar, successful blogging 4 Comments

Are you thinking of starting your own blog? My best blogging tips are all up in this post!  I’m not one to blog about blogging, but I enjoy blogging so much that I want to share what I feel is the most valuable information I’ve found on the subject. There’s enough room for anyone and everyone who wants to blog in this big ol’ web world, and I would love to help you get started.

*This post contains affiliate links, which means I may receive a commission if you purchase using the links I provided. All opinions are my own. 

Blogging Tips

Don’t you think it’s so much easier to start something new if you have a little help from someone who has been there, done that?  I know I searched high and low for blogging tips when I first started out. There is so much information on the internet, and not all of it is trustworthy.  If I had found what I’m going to share with you today at the start of my journey, it would have been so much easier for me.

Don’t get me wrong; I’m no expert.  I’ve built this blog with trial and error, help from friends, and pure determination. The help I had was invaluable to me, and I want to pay it forward.  That’s why I decided to share my best blogging tips with you! Here’s the short list.

• Don’t be afraid to invest in yourself, and your business (because blogging can be a very successful business, I promise).
• Don’t let fear get in your way on any level, even if you’re not a “techie”.  You can’t break the internet. Try stuff, and if it doesn’t work like you wanted it to, try something else.
• Write in your own voice.  No one wants to read something that would sound like a lecture if spoken.
• On that note, use proper grammar, punctuation and spelling.  No one wants to read something that would sound like a 4-year-old if spoken, either.
• Do your own research, thoroughly. Don’t jump on every bandwagon you come across, because lots of information on the internet about blogging is a big, fat waste of time.  

Investing in Yourself

The old saying is pretty true; it takes money to make money.  If you’re not interested in blogging for profit, then your financial investment will be minimal, maybe even non-existent. There are free blogging platforms out there, like WordPress.com, which is where I started my blog. It was a great way to get my feet wet, and learn to navigate the behind-the-scenes of blogging without spending money. I had the desire to monetize my blog, but patience and a desire to learn won out. I knew that making money blogging would not be an overnight thing, and I wanted to get a feel for it, and maybe a few readers, before I invested a lot. After blogging from that platform for over 2 years, I switched over to paid hosting on WordPress.org, and then migrated my content and my followers with me to the new platform.

The good news is, you don’t have to wait!  If you want to start your blog on the right path from the ground up, you need this course: WordPress Site In A Day. This course will teach you how to start your self-hosted WordPress blog the right way, and you’ll be all set to start monetizing your blog from the get-go. You choose your host, your domain name, and your niche (which are all things I recommend doing before you get started), and this course will guide you and direct you to your very own blog! This is by far one of my most valuable blogging tips, so click the link or the image and check it out for yourself.

Kick Fear In the Butt!

Did you read my second blogging tip up there clearly?  Yes, I said you can’t break the internet.  Chances are, you can’t break your computer either.  Click on things that intrigue you! Pushing buttons and clicking links (except for the virus-y ones you sometimes get via email) will not destroy the World Wide Web, or your equipment! Don’t be afraid to explore, try, navigate, click, or otherwise snoop around online. Go outside your comfort zone and play with things! You can create cool graphics with Canva! You can edit photos with PicMonkey! You can figure out how to install a theme on a blog, and edit that theme to your heart’s content!  How do I know?  Because I have done all of these things and nothing exploded! Yes, I had some help along the way, but I finally learned that trial-and-error would not hurt me, and was nothing to be afraid of. I can’t write in code, I know nothing about web building, but I have this here beautiful, clean, fun blog that I pretty much built myself (with the help of a few friends, like I said). If I can do it, so can you!

Successful Blogging

This blogging tip could have been numero uno, for sure.  My best tip for successful blogging is to write good content.  By that I do mean to follow the laws of proper grammar, spelling and punctuation, because no one will stick around long if you write like you have a first grade education.  But, I also mean to write like you mean it, in your own voice.  Let your personality shine in your writing!  Give your readers a reason to come back and see what else you have to say, rather than just spitting out information. Lists are boring, lectures are boring, and boring won’t get you very far as a blogger.  Make people laugh, cry, think.

This does not mean dumping all of your problems on your readers, or crying and whining about your life online.  Blogging is NOT Facebook; in fact, it’s an escape from social media for some people. I would much rather read a good blog than spend time on social media learning how many times someone’s kid puked today, whose butt they’re going to kick, or who they’re voting for in the next election. I love reading new recipes, heartwarming stories, hilarious tales of life, or how someone turned that old dresser into an amazing entertainment center, and I like reading it in that person’s true voice.  Don’t you?

You’ll have typos, misspelled words and the occasional grammar faux pas, sure.  Don’t sweat it…every blog post is editable for life. You can always go back and fix your mistakes.  I’ve had to on more than one occasion!  (This is your chance to point out any screw-ups on my part…be a good friend, and don’t let me walk around with a bat in the cave, ok?)

Do Your Own Research

This blogging tip is important.  Would you buy a car without doing your homework?  A computer? Would you send your kid to a school that you knew nothing about?  No.  So don’t start a blog, or make major adjustments to a blog, without doing some research.  There are lots of AMAZING groups on Facebook that you can join and just be a fly on the wall for a while, learning by other people’s mistakes.

If you like the looks of the class I shared above, then the first group I would request to join is Pajama Affiliates on Facebook. They’ll let you in, ask you to read the pinned post and follow the rules, and then you can just soak it all up. Ask questions, take notes, and see for yourself if the courses are right for you!  Pajama Affiliates offers a number of amazing courses that will help you on your blogging journey once you decide you’re ready to monetize. You can visit their website here, and read up on all of the courses, as well. The support in the group is amazing, and the folks who run it are super-encouraging and friendly.

I’ve made the investment for myself, and can assure you that the information in the courses is definitely worth every penny, saving you time and headaches by guiding you through each process step by step. No, I didn’t pay up the minute I joined the group. I hung around a while, paid attention to other posts, and did my homework before taking that step.  Jumping in blind is not my way, and it shouldn’t be yours, either.

Wrapping Up

If you’re considering starting a blog of your own, I hope my blogging tips come in handy for you. Investing in yourself, writing clearly and in your own voice, and doing your own research can really set you on the right path for a rewarding experience as a blogger. Seeking some expert help and advice certainly won’t hurt, but remember, successful blogging is not just for the experts.  You can do it, too, with a little help.

 

X,O,X,O,   Martie