5 Brutally Honest Pieces Of Advice About Blogging No One Will Tell You
Let’s start by saying blogging can be a lot of fun! Having a blog gives you the freedom to write what you want, whenever you want, wherever you want.
This blog post is not meant to scare you out of starting a blog. Rather, I’m here to share with you 5 things I wish I knew before starting my blog years ago.
If you find yourself making these mistakes, don’t fret. We’ve all been there. Blogging takes time, patience, consistency, and practice.
As a general overview for this post:
- The definition of a blog
- My five pieces of advice (or, things I wish I knew before starting)
- Bonus Guide – How to start a blog
What is a blog?
By definition, a blog is a shortened version of “weblog.” You can guess by the name that it is an online journal or informational website. Blogs come in all different shapes and sizes that display information on different topics from the writer’s point of view.
Your topics, your writing.
Some blogs feature one writer, while others host a group of writers.
You can make your blog as big or little as you want. Meaning, YOU determine how many eyeballs you would like on your blog.
When I started blogging I had no idea how to get people to my blog. I would share it with my family and almost beg my friends to read and leave a comment.
All in all, there were so many mistakes made along the way that I don’t want you to make.
5 Brutally Honest Pieces Of Advice About Blogging No One Will Tell You
1.The blog is not about you, it’s about them. When you first start your blog, it’s easy to talk about your personal interests. However, if you plan to monetize your blog and get it in front of a lot of eyeballs, find a solution to someone’s problem. Your blog is all about your audience. If you keep your readers’ interest at heart and focus on providing amazing value, your blog will be a huge hit.
2.Not choosing a specific audience, focus, and direction will hurt your blog. It can be so exciting when you first start your blog because there are so many topics to blog about. However, being clear about what you write about, who you’re writing for, and the direction you wish to take your blog in will bring you all the success with your blog.
3.Focus on writing a really great piece of content instead of consistently posting average content. It’s better to publish really great content in the beginning that you can start promoting as opposed to pumping out lots of articles that are just…meh. No one wants to read that. In the beginning, it will take time to find your voice, who your audience is, and what you want to write. After some time, you will start to get the hang of it, and blogging will come naturally. In the long run, 1 great post will do much better for your blog than a few average posts.
“The blog is not about you, it’s about them.”
4.Start using your own, unique voice. There are plenty of generic websites out there that spew facts and give quick content. It’s overdone and feels impersonal. People connect with blogs because they know that there is a real person behind the screen. It feels friendly and familiar. Start using your real voice and let your personality shine.
5.Stop putting your most important information at the bottom of your blog post. The first thing I learned in school (I got my BA in Journalism and Media Studies) is the inverted pyramid structure. My teachers drilled this into our brains and I never forgot it. If you notice in news stories, information is presented in descending order of importance. In your blog posts, try to get to the most important information first, and then slowly make your way down arranging other details.
How to start a blog
First things first, pick a blogging platform. If you would like to eventually monetize your blog, a self-hosted website is the best way to go. I use WordPress and absolutely love it.
If you’re still unsure about blogging and would like to keep this as a hobby then most blogging platforms offer free blogs. If you go with a free blog, expect your URL to look something like yourblog.wordpress.com. It’s very limited and you will be left with a platform to simply write and add a few pictures.
Next, pick a domain name. Sit with it for a day or two until you are ready to commit. My site name, The Olive Brunette, popped in my head when I was on my Birthright trip to Israel. It gave me goosebumps and I couldn’t stop thinking about my website. I took it as a sign and created my blog the week I got home.
Now, it’s time to design your blog. Have fun with this one and let your personality shine. It doesn’t need to be perfect in the beginning, but make it exciting enough for you to look at it every day.
As you design, start thinking about your niche. Choosing a blogging niche is so important for the success of your blog. This will be the topic you choose to write and post about. Remember, if you read my tips above, stay focused on your audience and what direction you want your blog to move in.
That is to say, if you’re having a hard time discovering your blogging niche, think about things you like and how you can help others find a solution to their problem.
Grab your pen and paper and start writing down thoughts and ideas.
In conclusion, remember, you do not need to be perfect in the beginning. It takes time to find your groove in the blogging world. I’ve never met a blogger that had it all figured out in the beginning. For us bloggers, it’s a lot of trial and error. Welcome to the club.
If you found this post helpful, check out Jessica Knapps, BloggingBasics101 for more blogging tips. She provides very helpful guides for blogging and social media.
Hope you found these tips helpful.
I would love to connect with you. Send me a message or follow me on social media @sivangavish.
For more blogging examples, check out this post I made on Italian food in vegas.
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