6 Blogging Tips I’ve Learned in My First Year

Entering the world of blogging can be a daunting challenge. But it doesn’t need to be. I spent the past year learning, growing, and developing my blog and learned some valuable tips along the way. Read on and use my journey as inspiration to start your own blog.

1. Do your research.

Don’t just build a blog, be intentional about you plans. When I took the plunge and started my blog, I spent about a week researching, developing, tweaking, and planning. The first step to making your blog official is to host your blog under your own domain. This means your having your own unique URL. Not a .wordpress.com account, or a .blogspot.com account but your very own website domain name. I use Bluehost to host my website and have loved using them so far. I also have a great tutorial post on how to set up your Bluehost account and get your blog up and running.

2. Launch your blog with content.

On my first attempt at making a blog, I was so focused on the logo, the layout, the features, and pizzazz that by the time I went to launch, I had zero content. There have been countless times I’ve seen bloggers launch a website and it loads to a contentless page. If you take the time to gather an engaged audience, give them content to read! When I launched my blog, I already had four fully designed posts for each category. That way, my readers had a flavor for everything my blog would offer, and most importantly, they’d want to come back and read some more.

3. Consistency is key but it doesn’t unlock all the doors.

Dovetailing off of the last point, not only should you launch your blog with content, you need to stay consistent. However, a lot of bloggers make the mistake of holding themselves beholden to putting out “a post a week” or “writing for 30 days straight”. While these exercises in self-accountability are helpful, sometimes they can be an exercise in futility.

When I say consistent, I mean, staying busy. I didn’t write a single blog post for about a month and a half but I stayed busy with my blog. I was busy managing a lot all at once and was feeling overwhelmed. So rather than have the added stress of creating content and promoting, I toned down my content creation and instead focused heavily on promotion. I reshared old posts and made sure to engage more with followers. Social media is super easy to automate so I was able to recycle old posts and build my brand while still taking a much-needed mental break.

That being said, there is something powerful to remaining consistent. On social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram, you are rewarded for your consistency. Personally, I try to come up with at least one new blog post a week. Now that doesn’t mean I post every week, I just make sure to keep the blogging part of my brain active by brainstorming or creating drafts.

4. Carry a notebook.

I’m old fashion. I love using paper and pen. Though there is a highly contested debate in the blogging community as to whether this is a worthwhile endeavor as there is software and apps that can help you keep track of your blog, I don’t care. I use a notebook when I’m on the go to jot down ideas. I can’t tell you the countless amount of times I’ve looked back at my notes and recalled old post ideas, recalled campaigns and ideas that would’ve gotten lost in a “cloud” somewhere. You’d be surprised when and how inspiration strikes and how quickly it is to lose it.

5. Focus your social media.

This is a fatal flaw I see so many new bloggers and social media influencers make. Your social media is an extension of your brand and as such, you want it to remain consistent with what you put on your website.

Quite honestly, many of your loyal followers and blog readers may initially find you through your social media so if it’s not immediately clear what your brand is about through your images, Facebook posts, Pinterest pins, etc., you will lose engagement.

One common trope I hear is, “I want my brand to be honest”, but let’s be honest, that’s not what social media is for anymore. Sharing each and every moment, meme, video, and opinion on your social media is not how you win these days. Find a brand, find a lane, find a niche, and work with it.

This isn’t to say you should be disingenuous on social media, it’s to say that you don’t need to share everything just because you want to reach your audience. Having a focused brand and social media presence makes you looked more polished.

Some of the greatest personal brands I follow stick to this method and are super successful. For example, @amrezy does a color palette series. @wvrthy does trap makeup tutorials. These ladies have developed a brand by finding a unique way to promote their work and they don’t deviate from that.

6. Connect with others.

Community matters. Blogging is a selfish endeavor but it shouldn’t stop you from connecting with others. Once I got settled into blogging, one of the first things I did was build a community for myself. I created the Melanin Bloggers Network to help connect, engage, and support other People of Color in the blogging world. I have met some incredible bloggers, I’ve joined great campaigns, and I’ve built virtual friendships with folks just because of my willingness to share information and find community.