Are you new to blogging?

Are you thinking of starting a blog?

Have you been blogging for long and fallen victim to some of the blogging traps out there?

I recommend thirteen quick blogging tips to get you started, become a better blogger, and avoid those traps.

1. It’s all about me

Do you like to know something about the person behind the blog? I do, as it gives me an idea of what to expect when considering whether to follow a blog.

Every blogger and blog should have an ‘About me’ page.

Why? Because not only do most new visitors to your blog want to know a little about you before deciding whether to follow, but it’s also one of the most visited pages of the majority of blogs.

Take a look at how many times my ‘About me’ page has been viewed.

Yes, over 12,000 times! Check how often your blog’s ‘About me’ page has been visited. You may be surprised!

Tell visitors a little about yourself and at least give them a name by which they can call you. If you don’t want to use your real name, use one you’d like to be known by.

Ensure your blog does not have the original template for an ‘About me’ page. It will say ‘This Is An Example Of An About Me Page’ and contains no other information. How bad does that look to new visitors to your blog?

My blog post, ‘Why Every Blogger Should Have An About Me Page On Their Blog‘, gives lots of information about what an ‘About me,’ page should include.

I also recommend reading James Lane’s post, ‘How to Write the Perfect About Me Page For Your WordPress Blog.’ It gives essential and excellent information about the ‘About me’ page.

And remember to update your ‘About me’ page at least every 6 to 9 months or sooner if anything has changed.

2. Make some journeys outside of your blog

I’m always amazed by the information in the blogging world.

I’ve learned how to self-publishing a book, how to use social media and make it work for me, how to bake gin & tonic cupcakes, how to take great photos and, of course, picked up lots of blogging tips.

Reading other blog posts often ignites ideas for new posts.

Make sure to also check out the comments section, as this is another place to discover new bloggers and get ideas for future blog posts.

Even if you can only spare a few minutes a day, make sure you visit, read, and comment on other blogs.

3. Get talking to other bloggers

When you comment on another blog, other visitors will read and see it and may come and visit your blog. However, ensure your comments are always relevant to the post and prove that you have read it.

Comments of at least ten words or two sentences long show that you enjoy interacting with other bloggers and your audience.

Don’t overload comments with emojis, as they can appear spammy. Using emojis in blog posts is also considered a bad habit that can affect your blog’s ranking with SEOs like Google and Bing.

Avoid leaving lazy comments such as ‘Great Post.’ These types of comments add no value whatsoever.

Instead, tell the blogger what it was that made you think it was a great post or why you enjoyed reading it. They will appreciate your thoughtful comments far more and may visit your blog and become your next follower.

However, never feel obliged to leave a comment if you’ve nothing of value to add. Instead, click the ‘like’ button on the post. After all, that’s what the ‘like’ button is for.

4. Treat others how you’d want them to treat you

Don’t ignore anyone who has taken the time to read and leave a comment on any of your posts.

Most importantly, never ignore anyone who has taken the time to leave a comment on your ‘About me.’ page.

Think about it like this. You’ve invited a guest around for a coffee and a catch-up and completely ignore them. That’s like ignoring comments left on your blog.

Try and respond to comments promptly. However, responding a week later is far better than not responding at all.

Treat everyone who visits your blog as a guest and ensure they are made to feel welcome. After all, with millions of other blogs out there, they can always go elsewhere.

5. Not all links and pingbacks are seen as friendly

Never leave any links in a comment unless you have been invited to do so.

If you want to leave a link to one of your posts or to another blogger’s post because you believe it’s relevant, ask for permission first.

When I started blogging, I quickly learned from other bloggers that leaving uninvited links was frowned upon and seen as spammy.

What would you think if you owned a coffee shop and, without your permission, somebody from a rival coffee shop came in and left a lot of promotional leaflets about their coffee shop without your consent?

It’s not your blog to leave links on unless you have been invited or asked for permission to leave them.

Not sure how to deal with uninvited links or pingbacks left in comments on your blog posts? Edit them out by editing the comment first before approving it. Whoever is leaving uninvited links or pingbacks will soon get the message.

6. Take a challenge

There are lots of writing and photography challenges in the world of blogging.

Don’t be shy, have a try.

It will help you with your writing and photography skills, and other participants will come over and read or look at your entry.

It’s a great way to make new friends, have fun, and gain more followers.

Most challenges are held weekly, but some may be held monthly.

Here are details of some blogging challenges I’ve participated in. Click on the links for more information.

• Sunday Stills Photography Challenge
• Thursday Doors
• Carrot Ranch 99-word Flash Fiction Challenge
• Writephoto challenge

7. Link-up parties

Link-up parties are a great way to introduce your blog to many other readers and for you to discover new blogs to follow.

This is where the host will invite you to leave a link to one of your own blog posts.

I’ve participated in many link-up parties and have always found them successful.

Most link-up parties’ rules are that you must at least visit some of the other participants’ blogs if you leave a link to a blog post.

If the host features your blog post the following week, you’ll get an increase in traffic to your blog.

It’s a great way of promoting your blog and discovering new blogs.

Here are details of two link-up parties I participate in. Click on the links for more information.

• Senior Salon Pit Stop
• Inspire Me Monday Link Party

8. Make sure you’re contactable

Can you imagine a TV or movie producer, an editor of a magazine, or another blogger wanting to contact you to invite you to write an article, and they can’t find a way of reaching you privately?

Many bloggers dream of making some extra cash with their blog, so if you don’t have a ‘contact me’ page and they can’t find a way of contacting you, they’ll probably move on and give that opportunity to somebody else.

Not everyone wants to leave a comment that other readers can see, so ensure your blog has a way for visitors to contact you privately.

Click here to learn how to set up a ‘Contact me’ page.

9. Invite a guest blogger

I’ve contacted and asked other bloggers and writers to write a guest post for publication on my blog. Many have accepted my invitation.

Once published, the guest blogger may reblog the post. Some may ask you to write a guest post for their blog, putting you in front of a brand-new audience.

Don’t be shy. Ask other bloggers and writers if they want to write a guest post. You’ll be surprised by how many bloggers and writers welcome guest blog post opportunities.

10. Take up an invite

On the other side of inviting guest bloggers, consider accepting opportunities for writing guest posts for publication on other blogs.

Remember what I said previously about being put in front of a brand new audience? Time for the spotlight to shine on you.

However, don’t fall into the trap of accepting every invite.

11. Sharing is caring

I no longer use the WordPress ‘reblog‘ button but, instead, use ‘Press This.’ to share other bloggers’ posts. I also share their posts on my social media platforms, especially if I have enjoyed reading them.

In return, many bloggers will share my posts, putting me and my blog in front of thousands of new readers.

By sharing blog posts, you are putting yourself in the position of the possibility of having your blog pushed to the front, where you may be discovered by new followers.

The more you share, the more you and your blog get noticed.

12. Social Media: The highway to your blog

Using social media to promote your blog is free and can help bring your blog lots of extra traffic.

But don’t take my word for it; check the following screenshot to see what additional shares social media brought to my blog in 2021.

Want to follow me on social media? Click on the buttons below.

• Twitter
• WordPress
• Amazon
• Goodreads
• Link

13. Get ready to land

Do you know what the first thing new visitors to your blog see when not clicking on a specific post is?

What’s the first thing you’d like a new visitor to your blog to see when they visit your blog?

Click on the home button in the menu at the top of my blog to see what new visitors see when they arrive here out of the blue.

Make sure your landing page is something that will persuade every new visitor to stay rather than leave and never come back.

Do you have other tips for bloggers you’d like to add to my list? Please leave them in the comments section.

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