When I began blogging a couple years ago, I thought I'd just write a few things and give myself a little something to do that didn't completely revolve around my daughter. I began sharing deals and such that I found, basically to keep it off my personal Facebook news feed because hubby said I was spamming everyone. Apparently he didn't appreciate sales as much as I did.
Down the line I realized no one was looking at, reading, or commenting on my posts. Even more so, I started noticing that other bloggers were doing these great reviews and some were even making money from their blog! Wow ... new territory!
So, I wouldn't say that my blog is successful in a way that I'm earning a paycheck, but I have come a long way since the beginning. That said, here's a list of things I wish I knew when I started blogging!
Practice Makes Progress
If you go back to the beginning posts at Ivy's Variety you'll notice that my writing wasn't nearly as polished and put together as it is today. We're talking about roughly two years of practice and I imagine I'll see improvements over the next year or two still.
When I began blogging, my draft posts were littered with those ugly squiggly red lines. Misspellings and poor grammar took a lot of time to edit. I'm not exactly proud of my work from the start, but I DID finally make progress.
Most of my posts these days are much cleaner, so I'm not wasting tons of time editing! Just go for it... you'll get there!
Socialize
I struggle with this one myself. Balancing cleaning a home, chasing a two-year-old child and a dog, cooking, caring for hubby, sometimes doing yard work, testing and reviewing products, and writing a blog... and then you have to socialize, too.
Find some blogging groups on Facebook and socialize. Visiting and commenting on blogs will be useful when you leave a link to your blog. Often that blogger will return to your blog to comment on something too! Oh how I wish I had the time to do that more regularly.
Do not go to a blog and leave meaningless comments though. The key is to leave something meaningful and don't simply request others to visit your site.
You Can Make Money from a Blog
I haven't found a way to making a living doing this, but I'm okay with it. A bit of advice is 1) keep your advertising on the sidebars simple, 2) incorporate minimal links into your posts, and 3) post about things you're passionate about.
If you're not connected to the product or service, the chance your readers take interest in checking out your links is slim to none. Depending on your work and your social reach, you may be able to find a way to get sponsored posts, but I think I'll write about that in a future article.
Have a Schedule
You'll drive yourself nuts if you're just blogging by the seat of your pants. Know when you are available to sit down and give your blog the attention it needs. Your fans are going to like some kind of repetition too. They'll enjoy knowing when you're going to be posting new content.
In general, I know I have nap times and the time after the little one goes to bed to work on anything I want. Find what times and days work for you and utilize it. I generally like to have posts scheduled for Mondays and Wednesdays. The rest is bonus content.
Get to Know Social Media
Prior to blogging, I enjoyed Facebook. Now that I've begun transforming the blog into my "business" (because I do treat it like a job), I have to stay up-to-date with social media. So, I had to learn Twitter and Google Plus.
And, you have to stay up to date on their rules and learn about the best ways to engage your fans. Did you know that Facebook's new rules will not allow you to make liking your Facebook page a giveaway entry? That's why you have to stay up-to-date.
Jot Down Your Ideas
When you have a creative idea for a blog post, jot it down. I can't tell you how many times I've had an idea and thought I'd certainly remember it later. WRONG! Now I either write a note or use my Blogger app to start a draft.
That said, it's always a good idea to create drafts when the mood strikes. At the very least, write a quick note on a piece of paper to help you remember.