We’ve all got to start somewhere. Whether you go flying in head first with blogging for business or you start off with a hobby blog, there’s a lot to learn when you first start your blog. Fortunately we’ve got the newest Shareaholic Featured Publishers here to help.
We thought we’d rope in some of the newest Featured Publishers to give back to the Shareaholic Community. We asked them one question: What do you wish you knew about blogging when you first started? Here are their tips for newbie bloggers:
1. Find a balance between passionate, organice growth and analytics at first.
Jen McKen, Jen McKen Photography
When I first started blogging, my blog mainly started out as a way to update friends and family that lived out of town about the day to day activities going on in our family. I posted lost of pictures of my daughter and then over time, I’d be in the grocery store when a stranger would come up to me and start discussing topics I had posted on my blog earlier in the week. I think that’s when I realized that people were reading it. I didn’t have any type of statistics hooked up to my site so I wasn’t paying attention to who or how many people were reading, I assumed it was just family.
Over time, my fan base grew and so did my numbers. As my photography career began to blossom, I noticed people were coming back more frequently to look at the “pretty pictures”. Today, my blog is mostly business related but I do blog frequently about my personal life just like I did all those years ago. It all happened by accident but I’m happy that I was able to blog so that my numbers built organically, I think it would have been less fun if I had been doing it solely for the numbers. Because I built them organically, I enjoyed blogging. Yes it’s time consuming, but I enjoy it. So to sum up everything, I wish I could have known:
- That it’s ok for your blog to evolve-even into something different if you are doing it organically.
- I wish I would have known about statistics.
- Blog about what you love so that you love to blog.
- It’s time consuming.
Check out Jen’s blog, Twitter and Facebook!
2. Learn how to network–it will help you find your niche.
Calley Pate, The Eco Chic
What do I wish I knew before I started? I continue to learn more about blogging every day of my life! I really wish I had known more about how to network better when I first started blogging. The community is so wonderful when we all work together for the greater cause.
Follow up with Calley on her blog, Facebook and Twitter!
3. Use your passion to produce engaging content for your readers.
Krista and Keri, The East Coast Bride
The most important thing we have learned about blogging is to always be ourselves and to stay true to our interests and passions in order to truly connect to those who follow our site. In the blogging world, it is so important to support and love all of your content because it will be fun for you and most beneficial for your readers!
Check out Krista and Keri’s blog, Twitter and Facebook!
4. Blogging and social media go hand-in-hand.
Rowan, Just Add Cloth
I wish I had known how huge social media would become and how blogging tied into it. The blogging world has really developed a lot of tightly knit communities and has provided an amazing amount of support for so many people. If I had known about all of the relationships that would stem from this outlet, I would have been more active when I first started five years ago.
Say hello to Rowan on her blog, Twitter and Facebook.
5. Don’t strive to be a blogger that you aren’t, but know when to reach out for help.
Elena Lipson, The Eco Diva
Personally, I wish I knew that I did not have to worry so much about being, looking or sounding a certain ‘blogger’ way. The most visited, profound and responded to posts were the ones where I just shared my voice honestly, authentically and intimately. Professionally, I wish I took time to learn more about SEO and partner with someone or a company that worked on that piece with me. I love blogging and connecting with such a wide range of people. There is an amazing community out there just waiting to hear your voice and become your tribe.
Say hi to Elena on her blog or Twitter!
6. Use all the blog resources available to help you get found through search engines.
Bridget Barnlund, Imaginate Photography
When I first started blogging, I had NO idea that the using certain types of valuable content would be helpful for coming up on search engines. I’ve learned to use not only content, but also blog titles, image file names, and more to allow my blog and website more visibility.
Learn more from Bridget on her blog, Twitter or Facebook.
We’re thrilled to have these publishers, and more, join Shareaholic Channels today. Click here to explore the Wedding, Photography and Green Living Channels:
