I was scrolling through my old emails the other day and found one that said: “Welcome to WordPress.com” and it was dated January 2014. I’ve been blogging two years and didn’t even realise it. Back in the early days, I only started a blog because I was studying social media marketing at the time and one of the modules suggested it was important to have a blog as part of your online business.
During that time I haven’t even started my business and didn’t really know what the hell I was doing when it came to blogging either. I mainly wrote posts that contained a few writing tips and quickly became bored. Then when I published my book back in March 2015 I started to realise I could use it for marketing my book – but this wasn’t a very good long time strategy. My readers weren’t going to be interested in hearing about my one book the time and I’d become bored too.
So here’s a list of things I wish I’d known when I had first started blogging:
- Strategy. Have a clear strategy of what your blog is and what you want it to be about. Whether it’s personal, for your business or if you hope to help and inspire others with it. One thing I want my blog to do is to inspire and helps other authors along the way.
- Self-hosted WordPress is so much better than free. I originally started blogging on WordPress.com which was fine at first but then I wanted to do more things and found it too limiting. So I switched to self-hosted in June last year and despite a few bumps along the way it’s so much better.
- It’s okay to write about more than one topic. The that got me most interested in blogging is thinking about the topics that I loved and wanted to write about. Whether it be related to blogging, writing, business or self-publishing. Whatever topic you decide to write about make sure it’s something you love and that will hold your interest. If you write about something you don’t like you will soon become disheartened by it.
- Consistency. When I first started blogging back in 2014 I didn’t blog very often. If you’re not posting consistently people aren’t going to be interested in what you have to say, Google won’t know who you are and neither will anyone else.
- Organisation is the key. Being organise the planning out your posts and when you will publish them. I now plan out my blog post – even if it’s just the title. I now have a planner that I use as an editorial calendar so I know what I’m posting on which day.
- Blogging can actually be a lot of fun. Since I started being more organised and realise what I wanted to write about it has become a lot more fun and has inspired me to start writing my first non-fiction book about how to create your author brand.
What do you wish you had learnt when you first started blogging?
Robin Smith
These are great list! I agree with all of them, especially the consistency (this is why I love this blog challenge we’re doing)! Your readers start to look for your entries, you don’t want them to feel neglected.
tiffanyshand
Thanks!
Iman Brooks
Consistency was something that took me a long time to figure out. Great post.
tiffanyshand
Thanks!
Haley
That is a tough question because I feel like I have learned each piece of the puzzle exactly when I needed to. I am noticing that timing is the key, and now is the time that I am ramping up and learning all the things that are necessary to grow my blog and my business.
Dora Moua
Awesome tips Tiffany! Thanks for sharing! It helps me realign myself & self evaluate my purpose & dreams for my blog. Thank you!
tiffanyshand
Great, thanks!
Kusum
Great tips and I if I really have to be partial, I’d go with #4 and #5, see how hard you make it for me (I can’t even be partial to just one from the list).
xx, Kusum | http://www.sveeteskapes.com
ByBeck
Hi, tnx for sharing, i’m beginning with my blog and all this tips are really helpful.
tiffanyshand
You’re welcome!
Amber Lea Easton
Great tips! I especially like the one about not being tied to a certain topic. I made the mistake early on thinking I needed to be committed to only one thing and, like you, became bored with the idea.
tiffanyshand
Great, glad you found it helpful.
Rhi
It’s okay to write about more than one topic.
This! I get fed up of being told I have to have a niche. It’s my bloomin’ blog.
Post is spot on.
tiffanyshand
Thanks. Yeah, I got tired of that too!