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I received an email from a reader… a really long time ago requesting some tips for new bloggers. Dropped the ball on that one, but better late than never, right? I decided to split this up into at least two different parts – one being more about your writing, networking and handling the blog world, and the second having more practical tips about things like self-hosting, plug-ins, social media and more.
1. Don’t be afraid to change: I’ve been writing Peace Love & Oats for over two years now and over that time my blog has evolved tremendously, from my writing style, to the topics I cover and my attitude about many different things. It’s only expected since I’ve changed as a person over the past two years.
Every time I made a more obvious change, such as writing fewer What I Ate Wednesday posts, or cutting down to 4-5 posts per week, I’ve felt nervous about losing readers and having numbers drop. But I have to remind myself that I write this blog because I enjoy writing it, not because of numbers. You might lose readers by changing your style or other aspects of your blog, but the ones who stick around are the ones who are worth writing for.
2. Reach out to bloggers who you admire: If you have questions about blogging, how they got started, how they handle situations, definitely reach out to bloggers you admire and ask your questions! It never hurts to try, especially since most bloggers are really friendly women who would love to help you out. And don’t be insulted if you don’t get a response ASAP, they all have busy lives and sometimes take a while to get through their inbox. If you don’t hear back at all, I recommend trying one more time just in case you got sent to spam – this has happened to me before!
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Running with Chelsey!
3. Network with bloggers in your area: I always get more inspired to write my own blog when I meet with readers or other bloggers. Search on Facebook and Google, or ask another local blogger about any blogger network groups in you area. I started a Facebook group for Healthy Living Bloggers here in Chicago to get people to know one another, as well as joined several other groups and networks in the area. And don’t worry if you don’t live a big city – you’d be surprised just how many bloggers are out there in the world!
Chicago Running Bloggers
One of my first ever blogger meet ups!
4. Don’t worry about being judged: Now this is a hard one – I actually had a conversation about this with my friend over the weekend because I was worried about being judged for something I was debating on writing about. She reminded me to just be myself and not spend so much time worrying about what other people thought of me. As long as I believe in myself and I’m living my own truth, that’s all that matters.
5. Remember that it’s just a blog: Continuing from #4 – don’t let your blog consume you. So what if you only have 10 readers? Or aren’t getting any comments? Or someone sent you a rude message? It’s a BLOG. It does not define who you are, and neither do the comments you receive. Your blog should be a part of your life – a creative outlet and a fun hobby – not your whole life. There is so much more to you than your blog, remember that!
If you’re a blogger, do you worry about making big changes, or being judged?
Have you ever met with a blogger or reader that you only knew online?
