I’m a relatively new blogger, but I have some tips that I’d like to pass on to other absolute beginners, in the hope that they will help make your entry into the world of blogging a little easier.

These are not “official” tips and I don’t have any sort of “blogging qualifications”(!), but they’re things that have helped me start and maintain my blog so far, and just some things I have noticed about the world of blogging in general.

1. Don’t worry too much about sticking to your “niche”

Don’t avoid writing about something purely because it doesn’t fit your “niche”. If you write a travel blog but you want to write something about mental health or parenting or food (etc), do it. Your blog should reflect who you are, and if you have something to say about a subject that’s not in your niche, that’s absolutely fine – it makes you more real. Having a niche is absolutely fine, just don’t feel restricted by it.

2. Read other blogs and leave a comment

Reading other people’s blogs is useful because it gives you some idea what other people are doing, and can spark your own ideas. If you decide to leave a comment, make sure it’s meaningful and not just an advertisement for your own blog – it doesn’t work and honestly, it just makes you look bad. Give praise where praise is due, and tell the blogger what you liked about their post specifically. Engage in a real conversation. If the blogger left a “call to action” at the end of their post, talk about it. If you show yourself to be engaging authentically in the blogger community, the traffic will come back to you naturally – don’t force it.

3. Get active on social media

Promote your blog on social media. I’ve found Twitter and Pinterest to be the most effective, but it may be different if you have a specific niche, such as beauty blogging, where you may find Instagram brings you more traffic. Don’t just post your links though, make sure you’re engaging in real conversations as well. Chat with your followers, and show your appreciation for them supporting your blog – they’re taking time out of their day to read and comment on your stuff.

4. Write some blog posts in advance

I always have multiple posts written in advance and scheduled to post on certain days. This keeps the pressure off in terms of deadlines and my blog schedule. This is particularly important for me, as I have days where I’m unable to write due to mental health issues. If I was writing each blog post on the day I was supposed to post it, I would quickly find myself in a pickle, because if I’m having a particularly bad mental health day, I do not have the concentration or motivation to write, and I’d end up missing my day’s post. The blog post scheduling on WordPress is my best friend.

5. Don’t burn out

When you first start out, it’s tempting to write dozens of posts and post them all very quickly. Whilst I said in the previous point, it is good to bulk-write if you can, it’s important that you don’t burn out and give up. If you’ve suddenly put out 10 blog posts, but then burn out and don’t post again for a couple of weeks, your traffic isn’t going to be great.

I hope these tips are helpful for newbie bloggers. Remember, I’m still a relatively new blogger myself, but these are just some things that have occurred to me so far. I’m sure I’ll post some updated tips in the future, but for now, good luck with your new blog, and let me know how you get on!

Are you a newbie blogger? What obstacles have you faced and how did you overcome them? Maybe you have your own tips for new bloggers? Feel free to share them in the comments!