Blogging Tips
I’ve put off this post in the past because there are blogs way more successful than mine and I’m embarrassed to even pretend to be in the same league.
However, a common email I receive asks for tips on how write a successful blog. And since I’ve been able to turn my blog from just a hobby into my dream job, I guess I do have some qualifications to write such a post.
There’s no way I can sum up all my blogging tips in a single post; I’ve been blogging a long time! So how about a series on blogging tips? Obviously I’m not an expert in technology (Far from it!), but I can offer tips learned from experience. In many cases, they’ll be tips of things not to do, based on mistakes I’ve made. Hopefully if I offer up my own mistakes, I can spare y’all the frustration of repeating them.
Part One: What makes a successful blog?
Truthfully, there is only ONE criterion for determining whether a blog is successful or not: Do you enjoy blogging? Are you excited to create new posts, to connect with others, to publish for the world to see?
If the answer to these questions is yes, then (in my opinion, at least) your blog is a success! It doesn’t matter if you only have five readers or if you publish ten posts in a row about nothing but your love for Boston terriers. If your blog makes you happy, it is successful. Period.
On the other hand, if you have a huge readership and yet blogging feels like a chore, I’d argue your blog is not successful. What good is having a popular blog if you don’t even enjoy writing it? That’s like those poor, rich businesspeople who hate their jobs… yes they make a lot of money, and yes they’re successful by society’s standards. But are they having fun in life?
Blogging should be Fun
Based on the above criterion, my own blog is wildly successful. I have fun with it every day. Dreaming up recipes, experimenting in the kitchen, photographing my creations, writing blog posts, and connecting with readers…
I cannot imagine anything that could be more fun, especially when so many of the aforementioned kitchen experiments involve chocolate!
Such as my peanut butter stuffed brownies.
When I started my blog, it was a lot of fun.
I had about three daily readers and barely received any comments. Yet, I loved my baby blog because it was mine. I imagined it being an online scrapbook, where I could write whatever I wanted (no one was reading anyway!). With no readers, there’s no pressure. You can blog when you want and about what you want.
How to make your blog successful:
First, ask yourself if you’re having fun with your blog. If the answer is yes, you really don’t need to change a thing! If the answer is no, here are some ideas that might be helpful:
- Look over your old posts. Was there a time when you did have fun with your blog? Are there any particular posts you were especially excited to publish?
- Look at the blogs you love most. What about these blogs makes you smile?
- Are there any aspects of the blogging process you enjoy more than others? And any aspects of blogging you hate? For example, maybe you really like the writing process but hate taking photos. Or maybe photography is your thing, but you’re not one for words.
- Change your blogging style so that it suits YOU. If you love pictures but hate writing, who says you can’t do photo-only posts? Or, on the other hand, who says a good post needs a photo? What’s awesome about blogging is that you are your own boss ;).
(It might be helpful for you to make an actual list on paper, jotting down notes on what you like and dislike about your blog, about other blogs, and about the blogging process.)
Questions of the Day:
Do you enjoy blogging?
And what are your favorite aspects of blogging (or reading blogs)?
Connecting with people who are like you? Learning about new foods and trying out recipes? Taking photos? Looking back on your old posts?
By the way, if you want a laugh, check out my very first post.
🙂
Yayy for this post! Thanks times a million Katie 🙂 as a new blogger I’m always looking for tips and they’re even better coming from someone I look up to and admire as much as you 🙂 my favorite thing about blogging so far is connecting with other like-minded individuals and of course yummy recipes! Blogging makes me so inspired to get in the kitchen and dream up new creations of my own to post about.
At the risk of echoing a TON of other people, I just have to say that your blog is my absolute favorite Katie :). Don’t ever change :).
It really is true that you have to enjoy it. I have periods when I don’t feel as creative, successful, chatty or “likeable” as other bloggers…but I refuse to compare! I love my blog, I enjoy the foods it prompts me to try and the community that it allows me to be a part of, and all of the support I get from my readers! Of course, I’m trying to grow it as much as possible, but I refuse to let it stress me out. Then it just becomes a chore, and why would I want to keep that up when I already have tons of other chores? When I remind myself that it’s a hobby and can be light and fun, my blog gets so much better!
Love this! I needed to hear this. Thanks 🙂
Haha, I love your first post 🙂
Blogging has never felt like a chore yet, so when it does, I won’t do it anymore 🙂 I have fun with it!
I absolutely LOVE blogging, but there are days when I just can’t bring myself to do it…probably because I work full time, have a family, and do blogging on the side. I wish I had the time to devote to it like a job!!
Also, I just posted a recipe that I’m pretty sure you will love 🙂 Check out my vegan/gluten free recipe for Coconut Banana Bites!! http://glutenfreemuse.com/2011/05/26/coconut-banana-bites/
If you like it, I would love to see your version of them!
Thanks for this!
I love blogging! And your first post is adorable….I think I’ve been following since not too long after that. 🙂 In fact, the one thing that makes me sad about blogging is when other bloggers/followers just fall off. People stop blogging, and you totally lose track of someone you considered a friend. Remember Romina? Or the Voracious Vegan? Or Chelsea from Portland? Man, I miss those dudes. I am soooooo glad you’re still around though!!
Oh I know! I miss them too! (Well, I know Voracious Vegan is still blogging, just not as a vegan anymore.) I loved Romina… no idea what she’s up to! You’d better not disappear, Bianca! I’ll come find you ;).
Thanks for the great post! As a new blogger, I am always looking for new ideas! Your first post is cute 🙂
I love blogging! I love connecting with like minded individuals, getting recipe ideas, workout tips and generally just doing something creative!
I enjoy blogging so much, it is amazing that you can connect with people who have similar hobbies, opinions, lifestyle etc. I love to read their comments and to have discussions over things I am interested in! Blogworld is great 🙂
Aww, your first blog post is way too cute! hehe. Thanks SOOO much for posting this! I have so much to learn about this whole bloggy process and reading your thoughts about it all really helps. To make sure that you actually enjoy it should be the top priority and if you’re doing that you’re a success…you put it so perfectly. 🙂
Thanks for this and you are so kind for sharing what you’ve learned. And don’t even say you feel embarrassed because you don’t think you’re ‘successful’ enough to post this, because you ARE. We all have those insecurities or self doubt but girl, you’re rocking this blog-o-world and your recipes are amazing! Keep it up. 🙂
The synchronicity of the universe strikes again! I’m just getting down to the nitty-gritty of starting a blog as a work project, so this is a very helpful post. Not being a vegan, I wasn’t sure your site was for me when I stumbled upon it about a month ago, but then I came across your posts about college—I was hooked! I like your candid style and that your recipe posts are sprinkled with personal stories. I hope I can bring that kind of authenticity to my writing. Thanks for the inspiration and recipes!
P.S. Also, I really love garbanzo beans so I’m really excited to try your blondie dip.
I’m so glad you found my site, Lauren! LOL I think the majority of people who read my site aren’t vegans… or even vegetarians. Just as long as you like chocolate, right? 😉
OMG my first posts are so embarrassingly lame! I would love to see a series like this….you have so many readers and I would love to know more about how you grew your readership!
I love SO many things about blogging: finding people that are like me, being introduced to new foods, and the writing in general! Its all so fun and such a great hobby!
Thank you for the tips. It is so nice of you to try to help other people improve their blogs. Unfortunately, no matter how passionate they are and how much they enjoy writing, some bloggers will never be popular. Your blog just has this power of attraction that makes people come every day for more 🙂 . I had a popular blog when I started blogging on another site a few years ago but then I moved to WordPress for various reasons and since then I’ve been living in a quiet black hole. But I still enjoy blogging and I keep writing for my own pleasure and my 5 readers 😀 .
But there are positives to not having a big audience too! Sometimes I feel pressure or worry that people are going to take something I wrote the wrong way :-?.
Thanks for the great tips! My blagh is still only in the larval stages, hahah. Basically for the edification of my friends and family back in the states so they can connect with my life here in Japan more. I do need to start perusing (and commenting on) more blogs though.
Oh, I tried making your “boatmeal” last night. I used chocolate chips, and mushed banana instead of pumpkin/applesauce. I also added some cooked oat groats to it. ‘Twas delicious.
I feel like I had a running question I wanted to throw at you but I can’t remember what it was X_x. Oh well. Thanks always for the awesome blog/recipes/sunshine-y attitude =)
LOL well yoou know where to find me when you think of it ;).