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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?!

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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:

HOW TO MAKE MONEY BLOGGING

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.

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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!

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