12 Tips for New Bloggers

Starting a new blog can be a great way to share your thoughts, interests, or expertise with the world. But it’s not always easy to make a success out of it. Here are 12 tips to help new bloggers get started:

1) Choose The Right Platform

There are many different platforms you can use to start a blog, but some are more popular than others. WordPress is one of the most common and free choices, with an exclusive coupon. Other popular platforms that make it easy to build, customise and update a blog, include Wix and Squarespace. Do some research, have a look at what they all have to offer, and choose the one you think will work best for you.

2) Choose A Catchy Domain Name

The domain name is the address of your blog, so it’s important to choose something that represents you and your blog well. Also, try to choose a name that is relevant and easy to remember but unique to you. I personally recommend GoDaddy for affordable domain names, and if there’s a particular name you’ve got your heart set on, make sure you check if it’s available and secure it sooner rather than later. Once it’s gone, it’s gone!

3) Find The Right Hosting

Hosting is where your blog will live on the internet. There are many different hosting providers, such as BlueHost, GoDaddy and DreamHost but it’s important to find one that offers a strong uptime rate, bandwidth and customer support.

4) Pick A Theme

Themes are what determine how your blog looks. There are many, many free predesigned themes available, which you can then customise according to your preferred aesthetic. Or you can purchase premium themes if you want something even more unique.

5) Write Compelling Content

This is perhaps the most important part of starting a successful blog and it’s best if your blog focuses on a particular topic or niche. Publishing plenty of helpful, informative content about your chosen topic is better than writing random posts about anything and everything. Random posts will only confuse visitors to your blog, which is definitely not what you want to do if you want your audience to grow. Remember the saying: A jack of all trades is a master of none! Therefore, your content needs to be interesting, well written and always relevant to your niche.

6) Promote Your Blog

Once you have some great content, you need to promote your blog so people can find it. Social media platforms like Instagram, Twitter and Facebook are a great way to get the word out. And get creative with it! For example, convert snippets of posts into Reels or carousel posts for Instagram (and then share them to Facebook) or post links to particular blogs in Twitter threads or Facebook groups if the posts genuinely answer the question(s) people are asking. (Never spam links anywhere though!)

7) Interact With Your Readers

The seventh tip in 12 tips for new bloggers is interaction. Engaging with your readers is a great way to build a following and keep them coming back for more. Always try to respond to comments and questions in a timely manner. And remember that interacting with your current audience is just as (if not more) important than trying to reach new visitors. If people take the time to engage with you and your blog in amongst the noisy chaos of the internet, make sure it’s reciprocated. 

8) Analyze Your Traffic

Keep a regular eye on your blog’s traffic using tools like Google Analytics. This will help you see what type of content is popular and where your visitors are coming from. And once you know what type of content is popular, publish more of it! Going deep with your niche or approaching it from different angles is always a good thing – showcasing depth of knowledge is preferable to posting brief, shallow, forgettable pieces.

9) Make Money From Your Blog

If you want to make money from your blog, there are several ways you can do it. For example, you can sell advertising space, promote affiliate products, or create and sell your own products or services. WordPress has a wide range of YouTube tutorials to help you start making money from your blog. If you don’t have a WordPress blog, check out whether your platform has similar guidance with a quick google search.

10) Be Patient

Starting a successful blog takes time and effort! Don’t expect to see overnight success. Just keep writing quality content on a regular basis, promoting your blog and assessing your analytics, and you’ll eventually achieve the results you’re hoping for. And if you ever do feel frustrated about it, be proactive rather than despondent. Consider what you can do to make your posts even better, for example: adding backlinks to previous blogs, updating graphics, updating any outdated links/information, making calls to action as clear as possible, making it even easier for visitors to interact with you, and making sure you have communicated in a clear, concise way in each and every post.

11) Keep At It

Blogging isn’t a quick or easy way to make money. But if you’re passionate about it and are willing to put in the work, it can be a great way to share your thoughts with the world and connect with like-minded people. Don’t feel disheartened if you’re only getting a few views/visitors in the early days because those few views/visitors will start to grow in number as your blog grows. Remember why you started your blog in the first place and keep at it!

12) Have Fun

Above all, remember to have fun with your blog. It should be a place where you can express yourself, share your interests with others and express your creativity!

By following these easy and straightforward tips, you will be able to start a successful blog of your own in no time – good luck!

If you’ve enjoyed reading ’12 Tips for New Bloggers’ and found it helpful, check out these other related posts:

How To Write A Great Blog Post

Why Great Writing Isn’t The Only Step To Blogging Success

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