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So you’ve been blogging awhile. That’s great! I’m right there with you. I am always aware though that there is more to learn and new things to try. When it comes to this crazy fast moving world of blogging. If you are at the point where you either don’t want to learn or don’t think you need to learn anymore then honestly blogging might not be for you. So let’s talk about how you can start being a better blogger.
Especially if your goal is to be a full-time blogger and to earn an income through your blog. If you want to have your job be as a blogger then you need to be willing to constantly be learning and working on improving and growing your blog.
So here are a few of the most important blogging lessons I’ve learned and have helped make a huge difference in my blog growth and quality over the recent year or so. I want to help you all grow and improve so I am sharing some of what I have tried and what has worked as well as what hasn’t worked as well for me.
You need to get honest about your blog goals
If you want your blog to be your hobby and it’s just fun for you to do that is great. Blogging can be a lot of fun and if that’s what your goal for your blog is. To just be fun, own it. If you want your blog to be a career and something that you can monetize down the road that is also fantastic.
There is no wrong way to do this. The only thing is you need, to be honest about what your goals are at least to yourself. You don’t have to explain your desire for a hobby blog or for a blog to make money to anyone else. Just know what you want out of your blog so you can set your blog up for potentially making money or not. Also, don’t expect to put in four hours of work a week or one blog post a month if what you really want is to be making an income.
Start spending more time on your blog titles
This is so important and something I wish I had realized earlier in my blogging journey. It makes sense the title is often the one thing that determines whether or not someone will click and open your post to read it. If they don’t open it up and read it then it doesn’t matter how amazing your post really is because it’s not getting read.
So the title matters. So you want your title to be relevant to your post and contain the keywords your audience wants to read about. Also, I find keeping the title not too long and somewhat simple is best. You want to catch the readers attention so keep it simple and quick. Don’t be afraid to play around with titles a little bit. Make your title sound interesting enough that people will want to see what the post is about.
Get to know your audience
One thing about blogging is that your blog isn’t for everyone and that’s ok. It doesn’t need to be. Even if you aren’t heavily niched and write about many topics you still need to have an idea of who your audience is. The reason being that if you are writing posts on the same topic for teenage girls and for middle-aged men then the style of your writing and what you include in your posts will be different.
So you need to figure out who exactly your audience is. There are a few ways to do this. First, check out your stats. On many platforms, your stats will show you gender, age, and the location of your followers which can give you an idea of who is following you. Another way is to check out who is leaving comments and go find out more about them.
The best way, though, in my opinion, is to just ask. Ask questions on your social media or put together a survey and ask your readers to take it. I do surveys occasionally and it’s always interesting to read the answers that you get. I’ve also learned a lot about my readers and what they want through surveys. I usually do surveys through SurveyMonkey though there are other options out there.
Give, give, and give some more
This is so important to do as a blogger and really all throughout your life both in blogging and really everywhere. If you want to build relationships with other bloggers and your readers you want to give them a lot. The more that you give the more that you will receive in return.
It’s also important to give a lot to your readers. Especially if you want to start selling products. You need to give, give, give so that your readers know how valuable your content is before they decide to purchase your products. Even if you don’t sell though you want to give a lot so your readers know they have to come back to your blog because of how valuable it is.
Some ideas of what you can give. Content upgrades, like the free worksheet that comes with this post. Also, email courses are a great thing to share with your readers. I’ve created two free email courses to give to my readers. I love to share as much information as I can with my readers both on my blog and on social media.
Try new things and take risks
If you want to be successful and I’m sure you do then this is so super important. I know taking risks and trying new things isn’t easy. I can be introverted and putting myself out there is scary but almost always when I do it I’m glad that I did and it works out better than expected. So it’s worth it.
Plus you want to try new things so that you can figure out what works for you and your blog and also what doesn’t work as well. So do your research, learn some new things and then actually try those new things out. I’m doing it as well. I’m launching a free email course and then working on paid programs. It’s scary and I don’t know if anyone will want any of the things I’m working on but I’m forcing myself to try.
Start working on some epic and shareable content
This is one of the areas that I’ve really started putting time and effort into over the past year on my blog. In the first two years of blogging, I wrote more personal and shorter posts. I built up a lot of content on my blog but it wasn’t bringing me in traffic month to month and year to year which I needed it to. Other than a few posts.
So this past year I started focusing more on creating epic and shareable content. What I mean by that is I have started writing longer and more detailed posts. Like this one that you are reading. I did research on epic content which says that posts that are over 1,000 words tend to get shared more often. Not all my posts are going to be that long but I aim for one epic post a month at least. Usually, I try to do 3 or 4 epic posts a month. The more lengthy and quality posts I can post the better.
I’ve really been working on ways to make my content more valuable so that it is shared more often. That is one thing I’m continuously working on and hopefully, I will get better at over the next few months.
Keep a running list of post ideas and plan posts
I really love doing this and it’s so helpful to having ideas when you sit down to write. I will have blog post ideas but if I don’t put them down somewhere when I sit down to actually create posts my mind is a big blank.
So I have started putting my ideas down in Evernote. That way I can add it on my phone or iPad or computer whatever I’m near when the idea comes to me. There are lots of ways to keep your list you can just write them down on paper or use any list system on your phone or computer.
It has been so helpful when it comes time to actually write my content to not have to try and come up with a post idea right then. I just open Evernote and read through all my ideas and choose which one stands out to me as what I’d like to start working on.
It doesn’t take very long to build up a list of ideas. I am constantly having ideas pop into my head at random times. Before I started keeping track most of them disappeared from my mind and I probably forgot many good post topics. So if you aren’t doing this yet start doing this today. Don’t forget any good post ideas.
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Robin Rue (@massholemommy) says
A good title is REALLY important to bring in readers AND for SEO. These tips will help lots of newbie bloggers,
Ana De- Jesus says
Lol most of my posts are over 1,000 words I write a lot! Some helpful ideas in particular being honest with yourself. I want to monetize my blog but have no idea how to without getting a heap of affiliate links which I find spammy.
Ana De- Jesus recently posted…The 60’s Mini Skirt
The Cuteness says
These are awesome tips! I definitely utilized a lot of these when i decided to get serious about it. Working on copywriting and making sure my content was shareable was so helpful not only for readers but for SEO. Those things attract brands!
The Cuteness recently posted…Holidays Our Way – Hanukkah at Home
Heather says
These are all great tips! I keep a blogging notebook and use it for writing out blog ideas. I have way more ideas than I will ever have time to write – so keeping the written down helps when I hit a writer’s block. Having a prompt always seems to help.
Heather recently posted…How to Enjoy Family and Slow Down during a Busy Season
tiaras and tantrums says
I wish I had more time to focus on my blog! I sort of swoop in and out when I have time. Three kids will do that to you.
Michelle @ Sunshine and Hurricanes.com says
These are all great tips! Truly understanding your audience is key to success in any market driven business!
Michelle @ Sunshine and Hurricanes.com recently posted…How to Show Appreciation with Thoughtful Simple Gifts
tp keane says
Being a blogger, in my opinion, is akin to being a mother. Multitasking is a must, generosity of spirit and giver of time… also hardworking and relentless.
Debra says
These are all such great tips! I am always looking for ways to become a better blogger!
Debra recently posted…Ravioli Lasagna
OurFamilyWorld says
These are great tips. It’s very important to understand your audience, so you can always give them what they need.
OurFamilyWorld recently posted…7 Sparkly Pregnancy Announcements To Start New Year’s Eve
Logan Can says
These are awesome tips! I think planning posts has definitely helped me! Of course, I do better some weeks than others.
Logan Can recently posted…Kid Friendly Minion Craft + Movie Night
Blythe A. says
It is almost as if you read my mind. I’ve been thinking about taking risks and working on you ways to improve my blog. And I’ve also been making a conscious effort to improve the titles of my posts.
Paula says
This is a really great post. I’ve been blogging for 8 years, and I’ve noticed a huge difference now that I’m more focused, and spend more time working on it. Thank you for posting these.
JanetGoingCrazy says
I’ve been blogging for almost 4 years and I have yet to “break through” because I can’t spend as much time on my blog as I want to. My biggest thing is I don’t know my audience. Thesea re great tips and thank you for the printable!
JanetGoingCrazy recently posted…Holiday Recipe: OREO Cheesecake with Nutter Butter Crust
Cathy M says
Having a running list of blog content and ideas is key! Sometimes I have like a million ideas to execute at once, and before I forget anything I go to my blog journal and jot it all down. It’;s great to save the list for a rainy day when I’m out of ideas, or even a nice resource when I’m looking to goal plan!
Jen K says
I need to do a better job with planing my content. I need to get ideas down on paper.
Jen K recently posted…The Gift of Netflix – Giveaway
Nancy says
Love the tips! Thanks for sharing the download!
Sarah says
Great article! I always put everything I need to do on google drive to stay organized. Getting to know my audience is really important. Numbers are important, but its really good to feel a connection with the people you are speaking to!
Check me out, http://www.thenomadicdreamer.com 🙂
CourtneyLynne says
These are some great tips! I laugh these days at my titles she I first started blogging!
Tanille says
Thanks so much for sharing! I wish I could explain how inspiring these tips are to read!\
Tanille from InspirationalMomma.com
Tanille recently posted…DIY Christmas Platter
Caroline says
This is clever I can’t wait to try these tips out on my blog
Caroline recently posted…Journaling Through South Wales
The Southern Thing says
Great tips! I love how you pointed out titles. They are much more important than a lot of us think!
The Southern Thing recently posted…Gift Guide for the Fashion Lover
Nikki @ Tikkido says
Great tips! I’ve gotten a lot better at planning out my content this year, and it’s made a real difference.
ashleigh says
Great tips! I think listening to your audience is very important so you can give them what they want.
ashleigh recently posted…Grandma’s Deluxe Potatoes
Stacey says
Great tips! I have been blogging for almost two years now, and it just seems that there is always something new to learn. I feel like I really leave a lot on the table due to my time constrains. I struggle with choosing what is the best way to spend my “blog” time. It is split between writing and marketing. And that balance is always in flux as my time available is also always in flux.
Stacey recently posted…Holiday Dinner Party Menu for Eight for Under $100
Yanique says
I totally agree about giving so people get to know the quality of your work and return regularly for new content. I have an online store and this strategy has been a great marketing tool.
Yanique recently posted…Divorce and the Holidays: Helping Kids Through Tough Times
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Leanne@crestingthehill says
these were great tips – it really comes down to the fact that what you invest in your blog (time, resources etc) are what you reap in the long run. thanks for making me think 🙂
Erin | A Welder's Wife says
These are great tips! I work on my titles probably as long as I do on writing a post. I want to make sure it makes the best impact to pull in readers. Like you said, you can have a great post, but if the title doesn’t draw them in, it doesn’t matter what you write. Thank you for sharing!
Erin | http://www.awelderswife.com
Amanda says
I just recently started planning my posts and OH MY! I don’t loose ideas now! I have a place to put them! And I even get ahead of myself, which is nice on days when the kids get up too early. Thank you for the tips to help me keep improving!
Dia @ All The Things I Do says
Planning ahead and understanding that those plans might change is a big one for me. I also keep notes in my google docs, on my phone and a tablet in my purse lol Great post
Dia @ All The Things I Do recently posted…How to Host a Bridal Shower
Erica @ Coming Up Roses says
Giving free value, building that trust, and really defining goals as clearly as possible are all amazing points. So true! Absolutely necessary when it comes to really upping your game!
Coming Up Roses
Erica @ Coming Up Roses recently posted…16 Fashion Photography Tips for Non-Fashion Bloggers
Omy says
I’m 16 and I started a blog because i wanna write about beauty and skincare and everything but the thing that’s plagued my mind is weather i should use blogger or wordpress. I can’t buy a domain rn so this is really causing me stress because every single post says that my blog will fail if I don’t buy a domain right away