Somewhat Simple

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Blogging Tips – What I Wish I Knew When I Started Blogging

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If you’re thinking of taking the plunge into the blogging world, here are a few blogging tips to consider before you get started –

blogging tips

I started a family blog in 2006 and after spending over an hour on a simple post, I vowed to never post again! It seemed like a complete waste of time and I just didn’t get it. But, realizing that having a blog was a great way to journal and keep in touch with long-distance family, I stuck to it and I kept learning.

Pretty soon, I loved blogging, and I loved the comments on my posts from friends and family. I even started getting comments from strangers on posts where I did fun projects and activities with my kids. And while I did enjoy the virtual compliments, I did not like the idea of strangers having a personal window into my family life. The solution for this was to make my family blog private and start a separate blog to showcase my creative side. Somewhat Simple was launched in July 2009 and it has been a wild and fun ride!

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Over the years I’ve been asked by my friends and family for advice on how to start a blog. The truth is, there is SO much I would do differently if I were to start over! Let’s talk about it –

Blogging Tips: 10 Things I Wish I Would Have Known

1. WordPress vs. Blogger

I started on blogger and stayed there ’til December 2010. I LOVE blogger but WP has more features that make my site run smoothly and look pretty. Here is my opinion: If you plan to be blogging a year from now and you want to earn money on your blog, go with WP. If Blogging is just a hobby and you aren’t trying to make anything of it, Blogger is just perfect. (My family blog is still hosted by blogger.)

If you are currently on Blogger and you’re wanting to switch to WP but you have no idea how to do it, save your pennies and hire someone. I tried making the switch 3 times on my own before I ended up hiring someone to do it for me and it saved my sanity. Start asking around for recommendations on who to hire. I first went to Etsy and found a guy who seemed great and all his feedback was amazing. I thought it was safe and his prices were reasonable. But 6 months later, I ended up firing the guy and losing money because he ended up being CRAZY! It has been several years since then and I am STILL fixing some of his mistakes.

If you’re just starting out, I’d get things rolling on Blogger- make sure you like blogging and that you’re in it for the long-haul. When you have saved enough money or when you start to see some consistent cash coming in, it might be time to think about making the switch. Remember, Blogger is free, WordPress is not. You will need to pay for your monthly hosting. So make sure blogging is something you really want to jump into before you take the plunge.

2. Criticism & Discouragement

Learn real fast to deal with criticism and discouragement because it happens to the biggest and best bloggers out there. I have been slammed on a message board for a project I did and it hurt my feelings. On the bright side, it was a HUGE message board, so my traffic for the day was crazy high! I don’t like mean people, but sometimes you just gotta deal with them. The best way I have found to deal with them is to ignore them.

3. Put Yourself Out There

I started having more confidence in my blog when “bigger bloggers” featured my ideas. But don’t sit around and wait for those sites to find you. Here are a few suggestions:

  • Link up to link parties. I hosted a link party until 2017 and all of the features I wrote on Somewhat Simple were ideas that were linked to our parties. A lot of bloggers do the same. Linking up is a great way to get your ideas seen!
  • Email the blogs that feature other people’s projects with links to your projects. DON’T be spammy though- make it personalized and email them just a few of your recent links maybe once a month- not weekly. (Or daily, for that matter!) 🙂
  • Ask other bloggers to “blog swap” with you. Blog swapping was probably the best way I found to get site exposure. In the beginning, I set aside every Friday to blog swap with someone – I would do a project for their site, they would do one for mine. It was a great way to introduce yourself to another audience and gain new readers.
  • Don’t forget the power of Social Media. Let’s be honest, Pinterest has changed things- BIG TIME. I started blogging before Pinterest even existed and now Pinterest is my number 1 traffic referral month after month. Feel free to pin the HECK out of your stuff (as long as you’re also pinning from other sites too!) Facebook and Twitter are great ways to interact with your fans, Instagram let’s your fans to learn more about you personally, and g+ is still a mystery for me, but I am learning! Don’t feel like you have to jump on every social platform- find what works for you and go crazy with it!

4. Grow Authentically

Don’t expect overnight success. And don’t expect to get rich blogging.

5. Keep Your Priorities In Check

Set daily “business hours” and don’t overwork yourself. You will get burnt out and other parts of your life will suffer. I love being a blogger, but I love being a mom even more. I don’t want to look back on this time when my kids are little and regret not spending more time with them, so I set hours that I allow myself to be on the computer and stick to it.

6. Pictures Matter!!!

In the beginning, I would spend hours and hours creating something blog-worthy and then I’d quickly snap a picture and post about it. My pictures were dark and small and yucky and they did not properly showcase how awesome the project was.  Stage your photographs, use bright, natural light and make you images as big and pretty as you can. If you need to edit your pictures, I am a huge fan of PicMonkey and use it daily.  I’m spending serious time now-a-days recreating crafts and projects I did years ago to swap out pictures that were horrible. Seriously, go find a post from 2009 and you’ll cringe! I have no idea why anyone would come to my site and stick around- it was that bad!!!

7. Let Your Personality Shine Without Being Too Personal

People like to know the person behind the posts. With that said, too much of a personal blog mixed with your creativity and expertise doesn’t work well either. It’s fun to read a little glimpse into an authors life, but when the blog ramblings start to make up more of the content than the actual information people came to see, some may not want to come back. There is a fine line between no personality and too much rambling- but find the sweet spot and your readers will love you for it!

8. Don’t Rely on Blogging to Define Yourself

The sooner you realize your blog is disposable, the better! I used to stress over getting a daily post up, but eventually came to the realization that my life does not revolve around a post and neither do the lives of my readers! As much as I love to blog and it is something I am passionate about, I can quit blogging tomorrow if I needed to, and I like that I can say that!

9. Be True

Do what you love and stick to that. Don’t try to be someone you’re not, your readers will see right through it. And don’t compare yourself to other bloggers or try to pass their ideas off as your own. Also, getting offered compensation to promote a company or product is always tempting, but make sure your post is your actual opinion and don’t shove something into your readers faces that you yourself wouldn’t try or love.

10. Make it Worth It

When I first started blogging, it was all just for fun and I posted whenever I wanted to. The virtual “pats on the back” from comments is what I worked for and they kept me motivated. But as soon as I decided to be more professional and dedicate more of my time to blogging, I needed to make sure my blog was as profitable as possible. I started selling ad spots to small Etsy shops on my sidebar for $5 a month, I joined Social Spark and started writing sponsored posts, I also installed ads from Google Adsense. It is definitely slow-moving, but consistency is the key to blogging success. So find your motivation – whatever you think makes it worth it – and keep doing your thing!

Blogging tips

Blogging for me is fun and rewarding. As a stay at home mom, I don’t receive any pay checks and promotions for having a clean house and happy kids. Watching my kids grow and laugh is obviously better than a paycheck, but sometimes its nice to have an adult outlet with a virtual high five and validation for my creative endeavors. I hope those of you who are reading this will get inspired to either start a blog of your own or keep working at the blog you have, but ONLY if you find joy in it. The day I decide the fun is gone is the day I will take a permanent blogging vacation. For now, I am going to enjoy the ride and see where it takes me!

This post originally published in October 2011

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Comments

  2. Stephanie, I loved every word of this post! As a newer blogger I am soaking up all the info I can, and it can get a big overwhelming! I started out on Word press and out of sheer frustration went to Blogger where I have found things much much easier! I will def save my pennies to have someone design my blog for me one day! 🙂
    Thanks for penning these words, it’s been very encouraging and helpful!
    Cathy

    Reply

  3. Stephanie, I SO needed to read this post. I am a rookie blogger, too, and as I was reading this, I felt like you were talking directly to me. You answered pretty much every question I’ve had and it was nice to hear that I really don’t have to post every day (I’ve totally been feeling that pressure!)
    Someday, I hope to not have to ask my husband for money for his birthday present, too…what a great goal 🙂
    I pinned this post and will be referring to it often, for sure.Thanks for all the tips, you are awesome!

    Happy Easter!

    Reply

  4. I went from Blogger to WordPress. I actually used the Blogger to WordPress plug-in. It automatically transfers everything over. Then there is another plug-in to auto redirect your page — and it is search engine friendly.

    These are some great tips and especially important for those who are just starting out with a blog and not sure where to go. THank you for sharing!

    Reply

    • Thanks Korilynn! And there are some handy plugins you can use to transfer your content- you’re right! I had the biggest issues with the design! I could create anything for my blogger blog, but designing in WP was like reading a foreign language! That is when I decided to hire someone to do that part for me. 🙂

      Reply

  5. Thank you for sharing this Stephanie, I have thought many times about starting a blog but haven’t really known how to and I haven’t really even felt like anyone would be interested in what I have to say. But I’m going to try it!

    Reply

  7. Well said, Stephanie!! Thanks for all the great tips. I’ve had that realization, too, when I’m just trying to get a post done and published already – but then I remember that life goes on for my readers if they don’t see that post until the next day or the one after that (or ever!). So I try not to give myself any self-imposed deadlines anymore. The world always keeps spinning even if I take some time off! 🙂

    Reply

    • Self-imposed deadlines are never good!! Besides sponsored posts that have deadlines, I say any post can wait!

      Reply

  8. This was so helpful, Stephanie! I am just starting out in the blogging world, and you really hit the nail on the head with every point! Especially the “business hours” comment … in these first couple weeks I’ve noticed it’s easy to become a little addict and just want to add “one more post” or “fix one more thing” … and it turns into another and another and another. It’s important to keep balance!

    Thanks again for sharing.

    Erin
    http://www.busygirlshopping.com

    Reply

  13. Hello Stephanie,
    Oh my I am SO glad I stumbled upon your blog today (I’m a fellow pinner in the group board Flog Your Blog). It was so timely, exactly what I needed to hear. I’ve actually just printed it out so I can keep it on my desk to refer to. I’m at that stage where my blog is taking off and I’ve also just gone back to “school” to do a degree. So… some basics and a reminder on what to focus on is so timely. Your blog is gorgeous by the way. Your design work is perfect.
    Love your pinterest boards too! Will email you now to request an invite to your group boards. So perfect for my blog. Would love to join in the fun. Keep blogging and doing what you do so well. x Yen

    Reply

    • You are probably using WordPress.com, where as I am using WordPress.org. Both platforms are “free” but with .org I have to pay for hosting. I think both dashboards probably looks the same and you will get to use the great plugins that wordpress offers. But from what I understand, until you actually pay for hosting with WordPress.org, you don’t own your site and you cannot put any ads or anything on your site. I just googled this to be sure and I found this article: http://www.wpbeginner.com/beginners-guide/self-hosted-wordpress-org-vs-free-wordpress-com-infograph/
      It has the Pros and Cons of using the dot com and dot org. Hope that helps!

      Reply

  16. I have been following blogs for years and have just gotten the courage to take the leap and start my own. This was incredibly helpful for a (VERY) new blogger. Thank you so much for taking the time to share. Your insight is greatly appreciated!

    Katherine
    EVERYDAYCELEBRATIONSBLOG.BLOGSPOT.COM

    Reply

  17. Thank you for your post! I am new to blogging and trying to learn the ins and outs while trying to make a little extra money on the side! I love the rest of your site and can tell you enjoy what you are doing! Thank you for sharing and keep it up!

    Reply

  18. Thank you Stephanie for your article and keeping it real. I have been tossing around the idea of possibly blogging. I repurpose vintage furniture to give my little company more exposure in the province I live. I am still tossing different directions on the way to go just a website or combination of blog and website. Thank you for your insight.

    Reply

  20. This is just what I needed! My blog launches in less than two weeks and I’m trying to do as much as I can but what I really need to do is have patience. Whatever happens is going to be! I just need to enjoy the ride and stay positive!

    Reply

  21. Thanks for the tips! I’m in my 5th month blogging and it’s hard to not get posts up as quickly or often as I want. But I completely agree, being a mom comes first!

    Reply

  22. I really like your writing style and I really liked your advice. Easy to read, not loaded with pop-ups, I’d be happy to visit here again.

    Reply

  23. Thank you so much for your insight! I’m dipping my feet into this blogging world and your tips are priceless. Any tips about creating more appealing backgrounds for free other than the stock photos offered on WordPress?

    Thanks again!

    Reply

    • Glad to help Chantal! And I am not a huge fan of the free stock photo backgrounds either. I like to use digital scrapbook paper in simple patterns. I Googled “Digital Scrapbook Paper – Diagonal Gray Stripes” and plenty come up like the one used in this background, or you can find a lot of “papers” on etsy for really cheap. Hope that helps!

      Reply

      • Yes! This helps a bunch. Thank you. I can’t wait to try it! Your blog is so encouraging. I have 3 little ones under 3 so if you find the time to blog with 5, I know that I can do it too. Wishing you continued success ❤️

        Reply

        • You’re so nice! Thanks for the compliment! And you can totally do it too!!! Best of luck!

  24. I am so glad I found this information! I am trying to get my blog site up and running but afraid to take the first step so I don’t do anything but research. Thanks for the push!

    Reply

  26. Thanks for they tips.. My struggle is to try and stay intertsining. I can’t read long blogs with out getting sleep. So I try and keep that in mind when I blog. I went through wix and had ito designed by Shakeback design team. It turned out great. Now, figuring out how to reach people.

    Reply

    • That is definitely a real struggle! And I wish there was some magic formula to guarantee a certain reach or growth of an audience. The only suggestion I have is to stay consistent in posting and you will eventually get there. If you LOVE what you are writing about, it won’t be hard to keep writing, even when it feels like no one else is reading! 🙂 Good luck!

      Reply

  27. As a stay at home mom for a year now.. I am looking for what makes me tick. I was a full time restaurant manager along with my boyfriend so I made the decision to stay home since 50 hours was not negotiable. That being said, I have wanted to start a blog for about six months now and have read probably over 500 different posts on how to do so.. every time I have left the post confused on blog words I have never herd of it would leave me more lost than I already felt.
    This post has been the first time I have been inspired by what I was reading. Really want to thank you for that !!

    Reply

  29. I loved that thank you so much!! So informative. I love how I can see your personality shine through as if I’m talking to you through this post.

    Reply

  30. I really loved this! I’m also a SAHM and I’m learning a lot about blogging. I haven’t launched yet but all this information is so helpful!

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  31. Do you ever check out other blogs and offer feedback? Because I would really love some!! I am still on blogger.. and thinking about staying but just buying my link.. bad idea? Thanks!

    Reply

    • I wish I had the time to do blog reviews – it’s something I should add to my list ’cause I do love doing it! I did just take a peek at your homepage and it is super cute! I love the colors and design. The only thing I would suggest is to make your pictures as big as you can – fill the entire width of your blog posts! It might be worth taking down one of your sidebars to make your posting area and photos wider if you need. Just for reference, all the images on Somewhat Simple are 700×500 for horizontal and 700×1000 for vertical (well, the recent ones, anyway – don’t look in my archive, it’s scary!) Photography in blogging is EVERYTHING, so always try to share the images with the brightest and prettiest photography.
      I think your content is great and you’re on the right track – just keep going! Good luck!

      Reply

  32. I didn’t realize that your domain isn’t yours indefinitely. I’m trying to fix the problem and it’s literally driving me CRAZY😡

    Reply

  33. Hi. This is a great post. I started blogging 2 months ago and love ur. I am researching posts like your to learn from others experience.
    Thank you.

    I suspect my baby blog is a bit too broad right now but thats okay it will evolve

    Reply

  34. Hi. This is a great post. I started blogging 2 months ago and love it. I am researching posts like yours to learn from others experience.

    Right now I think my blog is too broad but know thats okay. It will evolve with time

    Thank you

    Reply

  35. Hello Stephanie,
    Thank you for your list , it was really helpful. I’m launching my blog next month and I appreciate your words of wisdom! I also signed up for your newsletter.
    Thank you,
    Amy

    Reply

  36. Wow this is so helpful! I am a newbie blogger and so far I am loving it! Social media is the overwhelming part for me. I had just opened up all my social media accounts at once and had to learn each platform at the same time. Yikes!!!! Your post though is inspiring and encouraging and helps remind me that I am not totally off course as much as I second guess myself. Thanks so much!

    Reply

    • Hi Kathleen, I am so glad you found this helpful! Good luck with your blog – I hope you have a blast! 🙂

      Reply

  37. Really great tips! I have been with blogger since the beginning and wondered what the benefits of WP were. Than for sharing with SYC.
    hugs,
    Jann

    Reply

  38. Super helpful!! I’ve been blogging for awhile but like you it was mostly for family. I only just recently upped my game so to speak. This post put some things in perspective for me. Thank you!

    Reply

  39. Well, i stopped by and I like the style of your writing…. Simple and friendly! I am a beauty blogger and I recently started to monetize my blog. Patience and positivity are the keys… There is always someone that is ready to discourage us… And I am happy that you continued and succeed! Hope to be a full time blogger soon… Give me your wishes!

    P.S. You are doing an incredible job. Keep up! Xoxo

    Reply

  40. Thanks for giving this honest, wonderful tips for new bloggers. I am just starting out and feel a little all over the place. You words eased my worry thoughts. Thanks again

    Reply

  41. Thank you so much for the helpful tips! I have been working away on my blog for 8 months now and not getting anywhere. I hope I can implement your tips and start seeing more traffic

    Reply

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