Live and learn! That is exactly what I do on a daily basis. When I started blogging, I was clueless. I relied on Google, blog posts and podcasts to help navigate my way to become a successful blogger. It took a ton of time and patience to figure out what I now see as simple tasks.
If you’ve been following along and reading my blog tips, you already know that I have no secrets to hide. I’m more than willing to dish out advice and tips to help YOU grow YOUR brand.
Looking back at when I started, I made so many mistakes by just trying to figure things out on my own. Simple things from not utilizing Pinterest or choosing the wrong hosting site hindered my growth the first year in.
Making mistakes is only natural and it’s how we live and learn! I sat down and put together the 7 mistakes I made when I started blogging and turned them into practical tips so you can avoid these mistakes.
- Use reliable hosting
When I first started blogging, I made the mistake of signing up with Wix. It was easy to set-up and get going but I quickly learned all the limitations that came with it. No customization, a slow-loading page and so much more. It was such a pain transferring over my site and I almost called it quits, but I kept at it. After watching hours of YouTube videos and waiting for the transfer,I moved my site to Bluehost and now blog through WordPress. So don’t be like me, choose reliable hosting and WordPress even if it seems more challenging to get set-up.
2. Purchase a theme
When it comes to upfront purchases, there’s only a few I recommend. Those are– purchase your domain, hosting site and a theme. Blogs that look appealing perform better. I’ve tried several themes and purchased a few off Etsy but my favorite ones are from pipdig and it’s what I am currently using.
3. Create your archive
Before you hit the ground running, you should have an archive of at least 10 posts to help you get started. I found it was harder to think of ideas/get creative in the beginning so relying on those archived posts can be really helpful.
4. Don’t put all of your eggs in one basket
This one is another lesson learned. Rather than focusing on growing only one aspect of your blog, try different things to see what sticks. Establish a presence on all social platforms and push your content out on all of them. It’s okay to spend more time on 1 or 2 but don’t forget about the others. For example, I’m highly active on Instagram and Pinterest, but that doesn’t mean I’m not posting on Facebook or Twitter.
5. Make Pinterest your best friend
I wish I would have started using Pinterest sooner. It wasn’t until a few months ago that I realized the value of Pinterest and how to utilize it to drive traffic to my site. Make every photo on your blog “pinnable” and pin all of your blog posts to several, but relevant boards.
6. Listen to your readers
Sometimes I get really excited about a blog post and to my surprise, others don’t feel the same. Keep creating content on different topics that interest you and find out what sticks. I wrote a blog post last week, 7 morning habits to set your day for success, and it was a huge hit. It was something I wrote late at night and didn’t expect for it to be so popular, so you never know. Since then, I am working on creating similar content to piggy back off what I know my readers are enjoying!
7. Find your community
Now that you’re ready to get started, find your blogging community. Connect with other bloggers in your niche– engage with them, bounce ideas and ask for advice. I’m lucky enough to have found a community early on and it has been so helpful in my growth. Don’t be shy to reach out, they are likely in the same boat as you!
