Blogging has a huge learning curve…and I mean really huge. If I had invested the number of hours I’ve spent learning about blogging into college, I’d have initials behind my name right now.
There are SO many things I wish I would have known as a brand new blogger, that would have saved me countless hours and headaches down the road. Blogging is more than a few photos and words on the screen.
To help other new, or would-be bloggers get started blogging on the right foot, I invited a panel of bloggers to share their blog mistakes – things they wish they would have known starting out. You’ll get so much more joy and success from being a blogger, by learning from those who have been there/done that, and you’ll avoid making some of the same mistakes they made in the beginning!
Visit each one of them, and take note of what you love about their blog. It may be their projects, home, design style, blog format – there’s you’ll enjoy and learn from each of them!
Marianne @ Songbird – I wish I had known how important a blog’s name is. I did not do much research, and I went with a name that I liked, that I felt said something about me. It was not a name that had any relationship to the topic of my blog, nor is it a unique name.
TIP: Do some research and think very carefully about the name you choose for your blog. Don’t choose a name that is difficult to remember, or one with a strange spelling.
Susan @ Homeroad – I wish I would have known how to make my photos bigger and brighter as a new blogger. My photos were small, dark, and had a black frame around them. I wish I had known that labeling the photos for SEO (Search Engine Optimization) was important.
TIP: Always NAME your photos and images. Search engines will never find anything called IMG1234. Use key words you would use if you were doing an internet search, so search engines can find your images/projects/blog posts.
Make sure the photo quality setting on your camera is set to the HIGHEST quality. It does take up more space on your memory card, and may take longer to upload on your blog, but the difference in the quality in your photos is like night and day. Look professional from DAY 1.
Larissa @ Prodigal Pieces – I wish have known how important pin-worthy photos and photo labels are.
TIP: Make sure that the image properties are filled out in both Title text and Alt Text spaces. I include a searchable title for Google, as well as what I want it to include in a pin (like www.blog.com and #myblog) If a blogger has a “pin it” hover button on their blog, those fill-ins won’t show up, but if you use a share bar (like Add This, Share This, etc.) that filled in information will be included with the pinned image. Make sure every blog post includes a pin-worthy graphic/photo. Include “before-after” photos, and photos that include text on the image, as well as the same photo without text, for those who prefer to pin text-free images. Give pinners lots of options to pin YOUR photos!
Nicole @ Meet the B’s – I didn’t have many posts in the beginning because I was so focused on “finishing” a room before I showed it on the blog. There’s no reason you can’t show a glimpse of what you’re working on. It gives your readers a little sneak peak of what’s to come!
TIP: Do not to compare your blog to someone else’s. Everyone’s blog is different and everyone’s situation is unique. It’s easy to get caught up thinking “why isn’t my blog growing as fast as theirs?” or “why am I not making the same money off of my blog as they are?”. Remember that growth takes time, and depends on how much effort you are able to pour into your blog, based on your own time commitments and lifestyle.
Lindsay @ My Creative Days – Social Media: I was a late bloomer to the social media thing and had no idea the HUGE impact that social media has on posts, getting to know bloggers and potential companies to work with. Join a FB group of bloggers. Reach out and comment on other blogs and try and find some support from other bloggers.
TIP – Open a social media account for Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter, G+, Instagram, etc., and share your posts on them as soon as you start blogging! Interact with other blog pages, and grow your followers through that interaction.
Anne @ White Lace Cottage – I wish I would have known how important my photos were. Some of my earlier images still get pinned and I wish they were better quality.
TIP: NEVER use a flash! Chose the brightest/best time of day to take your photographs – especially the most important shots. If you must take a photo during darker hours, use light bulbs that are “natural light” ones to brighten the room. Other types of light bulbs may give your photos a yellow cast. If you are photographing something small indoors, move it close to a window to get a natural light source.
My special thanks to all of these wonderful gals, for sharing their mistakes, so other new bloggers can learn from them! These ladies are fabulous, and their blogs are all amazing!
Click HERE, to read Parts 1-5 of this Blogging with the Pros series.
Fantastic round-up, Angie. I’m always learning and it never hurts to take some time to tweak and fine-tune my blog. Thank you for doing this round-up! :o)
Thank you for the tips. I’ve been blogging for 6 months and so far it’s a slow go. I’ve been studying other’s blogs for ideas on what approach feels right for me. 2015 will be my year to move forward. I hope to be giving advice to new bloggers one day. For now, I’m trying to learn as much as I can. Thank you!
Angie, you always have variety to your blog…that would be a good tip for some bloggers! These are all excellent and thank you for sharing.
I so appreciate these words of wisdom…but as a neophyte blogger, I ha e no idea what find of the terms in these hints even mean—especially with regard to Larissa’s sage wisdom. I have no idea how to do what she said to do. Some step-by-step tutorials would be do hogue. I realize that what may work with Google may not work with WordPress, but for someone just beginning I would love to know how to do some of these tricks of the trade. Thank you for gathering up the wisdom.
Jenni, Are you on Blogger or WordPress? If your question is regarding the photos, the 1st thing to do is NAME each photo when you edit it. Then, once you are uploading the photos to your blog, there will be a space to add Title Text and ALT Text. You can use the same name for title text, as you used when you named your photo, then just use something a little different, but still specific for the ALT text.
Filling both of those properties in, helps search engines find your photos/blog posts. Hope that helps!
Reading this with my eyes wide open. I am hoping to make 2015 the year I start blogging. I am just hiding under the “I’m reading as much as I can” rock. Underside of that rock is fear. So thank you all for sharing and telling us what you’d do different. I look for more advice soon.
Barbara Ann
etsy.com /shop/ barbaraannscreations
You can DO IT, Barbara Ann! Just take it one step at a time, ask questions from bloggers you love, and lose the fear, because there is nothing to be afraid of!! I recommend starting with ONE project or topic, and getting some GREAT photos of it (don’t forget to add a watermark to them!), and start a free blog on Blogger. Your audience will be very small at first, so it’s not like the whole world will be watching to see you mess up! 🙂 Google is your best friend, so just search for any questions you have, or ask others. Good luck!
Thanks for the tips Angie-as a new blogger I appreciated it!
Angie
This is pure GOLD.
Thank you so much for collating this info.
<3
Pia
ps
Merry Christmas & Happy New Year
Merry Christmas & Happy New Year to you as well, Pia!!
Thank you so much, Angie. It can get very discouraging at times but this gives me inspiration to keep trying and some helpful points on what to focus on.
Have a Happy New Year!
Tamara
Angie:
Thank you SO much for all of these wonderful tips. I need help with photo taking and posting; the comments from other bloggers in this article are a great starting point!
Wishing you a happy New Year!
Vicki
Mtnhomeblog.com
These are a BIG HELP, Angie. Thanks so much for sharing all this!
Great tips from some smart and savvy ladies! I think I have made all of these mistakes along the way, too! Thanks so much for sharing, Angie!
Angie, thank you for such generosity. I hope I can put it all together in 2015. Your blogging series has helped me immensely!
Great tips – thank you so much!!!
Great blogging tips!! Thanks so much for sharing and helping us all grow as bloggers! 🙂
Thanks for the insight.
i am a new blogger so I find these tips very helpful. Yes blogging has a huge learning curve so any insights that can be gained from more experienced bloggers can make the process a little easier. Thanks for sharing!
Thank you for sharing this wealth of knowledge that you have gained through your blogging experiences. I am a new blogger. I know I will benefit greatly by reading all of the information here and in all of the other blogging posts on your site. It is so kind that your are willing to take the time to share this information to help people like me get off our feet, and hopefully someday get more than 20 visitors a day:).
My pleasure, Rebecca! Blogging is not for the faint of heart, but I do love it!
Great article