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If you are a blogger or are thinking of starting a blog (you TOTALLY should start one, btw), there are many things you should be doing in order to have a successful blog.
On the other hand, there are also things you should not be doing, as they might hinder your progress, or just be a waste of time for you, which you totally don’t want.
Today I want to share with you some blogging do’s and don’ts I learned about since starting my blogging journey.
Blogging is an amazing outlet with a ton of opportunities, but it also is hard work.
Therefore, I believe that you should put your efforts and time into something that you could eventually monetize, and benefit others from.
This post contains affiliate links. Read my disclaimer here.
Blogging Do’s
Do have a plan
Having a plan, or to-do list that you stick to (most of the time, at least) is one of the best things we can do for our blogs.
When we plan out our blogging months in advance, we have a clear view of what we want to accomplish which makes it easier to get content out. And when we know what content to put out, it helps us with writing and eliminates writer’s block.
Pro tip: On the first of each month, sit down for 20 minutes and have a blogger’s brain dump. List all the topics you would be willing to write about, and once you are done, plan out which day of the month you will dedicate to which post.
Do get involved in the blogging community
The blogging community has hands-down been an absolute joy to be a part of since I started my journey.
Bloggers are very friendly people who all have different experiences and are willing to help newbies, or even more pro bloggers. I have been helped a ton by other bloggers, and their knowledge has been invaluable to me.
Everybody has something to add to the community, and it’s beautiful. Do yourself a favor and join in on the fun.
Pro tip: Join Twitter, and follow bloggers on there. You can use #bloggers, #bloggerscommunity, or #bloggerswanted to find blogger accounts if you don’t know where to start looking. You can also add me if you want, I’d love to be friends!
I also have a Facebook community on Facebook which I’d love you to become a part of! Join Boss Babe Bloggers here.
Do find other blogs in your niche
Doing this will help you loads, mainly because of three reasons. One, you will see what other bloggers in your nice have to offer in terms of content. Two, by commenting and liking their posts you are likely to become a friendly face for them. Three, getting involved in other blogs gives you more exposure.
When you comment on other blogs, other commenters can see your comment. And since these commenters have shown an interest in the blog, they are likely to click on yours to see what you have to offer.
Pro tip: Leave your link when commenting on other blogs. Be careful, though, because certain blogs mark comments with links as spam, so instead of writing www.yourblog.com, try writing it as yourblog . com to eliminate the risk of seeming spammy to the blogs.
Do create a mailing list
If you are a blogger, you need a mailing list. You need one yesterday!
Mailing lists are crucial for building relationships with your readers and having your content reaching readers who otherwise might forget to check your blog out often.
The most important part of a mailing list, though? Marketing.
Once you have created products or services which you would like to sell, marketing them on your mailing list is an awesome way to advertise them for your subscribers.
I’ve been reading a lot about mailing lists and how to utilize them, and there is one thing that all these articles stress on: people will not sign up to your mailing list unless they get something in return.
Pro tip: Create a free product in order to attract mailing list subscribers. You can create a workbook, an email course, a few printables, or whatever else you want!
Then, instead of just typing, “Subscribe to my mailing list” above the email box, type something like, “Get your FREE planner today!”. Doesn’t that sound like something you’d like to subscribe for?!
Blogging don’ts
Don’t expect results overnight
I stress this in all my blogging posts. Blogging is hard MFing work.
When I first started blogging, I would read ALL the articles about how so and so made $1000 their first month of blogging, and to be honest with you, that did not happen for me.
Nor do I think it will happen to 90% of new bloggers.
In order to become successful, you need to create a lot of high-quality content and have things in place that will help you monetize your blog.
That takes time and patience, but it is 100% doable. Take it one day at a time, and do not get discouraged if you don’t make $1000 in your first month like somebody else claims they did.
Related:
Don’t get into blogging solely for the money
Sure, blogging has many opportunities for extra cash, however, that should not be your main goal.
I’m just going to say it. If you do not enjoy what you are doing, you are going to produce half-assed content.
That sort of content doesn’t get many clicks, and therefore it will be hard to monetize it. It’s a lose-lose situation.
Only get into blogging if you truly like writing and sharing your thoughts with others. People aren’t stupid- they can tell when somebody writes something half-assed, and you don’t want to be the person producing that.
Don’t not promote your blog
Let’s say you create amazing content. If you don’t promote it, who’s going to see it?
Nobody.
Promoting your blog might sound like annoying self-promotion to some, but that’s exactly what you need to be doing in order to gain exposure. There is also a difference between self-promotion and being spammy, so you should learn the difference.
Pro tip: Some places you can promote your blog are: Pinterest (click here for my ebook, Pinterest Perfect, and learn how I am able to get thousands of views a month on autopilot using Pinterest), Facebook (click here to join my Boss Babe Bloggers group!), Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, mailing lists, and YouTube.
*Read about other places you can promote your blog here.
Don’t steal other bloggers’ work
Yup, I said it.
There’s a thin line between being inspired by a fellow blogger, and blatantly stealing their content. I’ve heard about this happen to other bloggers and honestly, it baffles me that some people do this.
If you publish something that wasn’t yours, it’s stealing. I’m not going to sugar-coat it, because there is no way to say it nicely. It is plain stealing.
Like I touched on before, the blogging community is like a family. Don’t be the jerk of the family. Take inspiration from where you need, and then produce content that is authentically yours. It’ll feel good, I promise.
Well, there you have it! My blogging do’s and don’ts.
Bloggers, if you have anything to add in this post about blogging do’s and don’ts, leave it in the comments below! Learning from others is always welcome on this blog!
PIN FOR LATER!
Good post. After getting into blogging, I have realized that it really is a lot of hard work!!
It definitely is more than just typing away at the computer!
Nice one thank for sharing this will help me alot
Involvement is such a good one (and certainly not stealing!) Thank you for sharing these, they’re really helpful 😊
My pleasure!
Totally agree with all of these!
These are some great points. Especially about planning and not expecting things to take off straight away (well, not stealing is also a biggie, but I HOPE most people know that’s not ok). I really struggle with the whole mailing list thing still – even with free stuff no one seems to want to sign up. But, I keep reading about how important it is, so I will persevere. Thank you for sharing this! 🙂
I think it takes a bit of time to build an email list. Mine has been building up on an average of 9 subscribers per week for a few weeks now, but it’s better than nothing! 🙂
Great post! I know this can help people who are trying to get into blogging. Thanks for sharing!
My pleasure! Glad you found it helpful 🙂
These tips are great especially if you are new to blogging!
I completely agree with this, I’m still getting to grips with creating a mailing list.
Would you be interested in a post on how to create/manage one? It seems a lot of bloggers have trouble with mailing lists.
Great post. I completely agree with that you should have/make a plan. But I have to admit that I suck at making plans. Really need to improve that.
Bettie
http://www.thewildflowerhippie.com
Once you get into the habit of planning it will be like second nature 🙂
These are such useful tips! Planning out your content for the month really makes the creation process easier. 🤗
I started my blog with the plan to make it onto a business – 100% agree that we shouldn’t expect to become overnight successes. Blogging is very lucrative but plenty of hard work is required!
Ooh, I’ll keep the link spam tip in mind!
Thanks, Mariam! 🙂
Bianca xx | missmonro.com
*into
Loved this! So many useful tips!
Glad you found it helpful!
It has taken me time to learn some of the tips mentioned in this article. This is a very useful blog especially for newbies. Thanks for sharing.
You are most welcome!
These are some excellent tips for future and current bloggers alike!
Thank you!
These are great tips! I’m definitely going to try getting more involved in the blogging community. I think I have everything else that you mentioned set up on my blog.
Definitely do that! Connecting with other bloggers helped me a ton especially when I’m having bad blogging days or when I need to ask how to do something! Best of luck to you!
I’ve reacently started blogging this year and I love this post. It’s just always a nice thing to know if you;re doing things right! 🙂
Thank you so much for reading! I’m sure you are doing amazing, every bit of effort helps when blogging 🙂
Thanks for this post. I had no idea how much work blogging would be when I started out. I think it’s important for new bloggers to give it some time and then to figure out if they truly love it. If you love it, the money will follow — but if you don’t love it, it will show in your content and maybe blogging just isn’t for you!
Joan Senio
My Best Friend Adeline
https://kindness-compassion-and-coaching.com
That is exactly how I feel about blogging! I had no clue what I wanted my blog to look like, and it took me a while to narrow down my niche, but after hard work and persistance I can say that I love the direction it is going in! Thank you for reading!
This is a great and thought out list for bloggers! That is really smart to leave your blog when commenting!
Briana 😉
https://justmythoughtsblogs.wordpress.com
I think so too! It helps your blog gain more exposure which is always welcome 🙂
This is a great post lovely! Anybody who has just started blogging or is looking to start a blog should read this! x
Lucy | http://www.lucymary.co.uk
Thank you so much! I’m glad you found it helpful!
Super useful post! Do you mind me asking how you went about setting up a mailing list? It’s on my list of things to do (blogging newbie!) and I have no idea where to start!!!
Lucie x
Of course! I signed up with Mailchimp (it’s free up until a few thousand subscribers) and that is what I have linked to my subscription boxes on my blog. The little pop ups on the blog are made on Mail Munch and then I link them all to my Mailchimp account. It’s a little confusing but I just watched YouTube videos on how to set it all up. 😊
Life saver – thank you SO much!!!
My pleasure! 🙂
Love this, especially your tips on mailing list subscriptions! Being a part of the blogging is also important, as communities grow with strong support from all. Loving what you write and blog about is crucial to creating honest content so, yes, be here for more then money.
I agree with everything you said! Thank you for taking the time to read and comment on my post!
😊
Great post on blogging do’s and don’ts! Understanding the basics and what you should avoid + should be doing. Creating a plan and staying consistent is something I continue to work hard on. It definitely helps me to stay on track plus follow my progress and view areas I need to work on.
Thank you for this resourceful post!
Sandy | Beauty, Bliss and Chaos
Consistency can be hard to maintain, but it definitely helps blogs grow! I’m glad you liked the post, thank you for visiting!
This was so so helpful! I’ve been blogging for years (on and off), and my blog hasn’t necessarily taken off. It makes me wonder if I’m doing something wrong, or if I’m just not good enough at it. But after reading your post, it seems like I AM trying, and you know what? At this point, I don’t care that I’m not making money. I’m having fun doing it and expressing myself, so who cares! I also LOVE the Twitter blogging community, so it’s been a positive experience all around. Thank you for reminding me of all of the good things about blogging <3
xo Emily
https://www.thatweirdgirllife.com
Blogging is amazing for the soul! It honestly helped me so much with my mental health and provided an amazing creative outlet for me. 🙂 If you are interested in monetizing your blog you should check out my Blogging 101 articles. I also plan on writing more posts on how to promote your blog so stay tuned! 🙂
A wonderful blog post, very helpful!
Glad you found it helpful!
Some great tips 🙂 Thanks for sharing them x
Laura / https://www.laustworld.com
My pleasure!
This was such a great post! Definitely one I think every blogger should read whether they’re new on the scene or been around for a while like me. Can’t wait to binge read the rest of your posts.
Han, xo | http://www.chroniclesofacreativemess.co.uk
Thank you so much!
Ya I am Agree with all the steps you have mentioned especially ‘”don’t Blog for Money only” Blog Is a tool to play around a passion.
Thanks For Sharing and Nice Blog “The Design” I am Impressed.
Thank you so much!
Blogging requires not only hard work but consistency is the most important. I noticed so much success once I connected myself within the blogging community and started following similar niche blogs. Just getting yourself and your name out there is important. And I receive positive feedback when I take time to engage and connect with other bloggers. When you support others, they will often also support you.
xo,
Erica