What I Wish I’d Known When I Started Blogging. | Guest Post

My name is Dani and I run a travel and lifestyle blog, www.worldmeetdani.blog. I love to travel, and use my blog to document my travels as well as talk about life as a student nurse. I started my blog several years ago to claim my own little corner of the internet and to use as an outlet. It has very much remained a hobby blog, since I am also at university, but I have managed to build a small following and work with some brands.

When I first started blogging I had no idea what I was doing, I simply wanted to write. Now, I have a long term plan for how I want my blog to look and what I want to do with it. I wanted to share some of the basics I have picked up on since starting my blog, so hopefully you can improve yours.

Branding:

The most important thing for any blog is the brand. Your blog is yours, it should be as unique as you are! Create a logo, header, and blog title that reflects what you write about. Having a strong brand makes your blog stand out from the crowd, and gives it a unique selling point. People won’t want to read your blog or work with you if you copy others, so embrace your own little slice of the internet.

Check for broken links:

Broken links, or links that no longer lead to the products or web page you intended them to, can really put readers off. It can be a bit daunting to check through old posts and alter or delete old links, but it makes such a difference to the reader’s experience on your blog.

Checking for broken links is particularly important on posts which link to wish lists or seasonal sales, as sellers will regularly update their websites to reflect stock.

Quality over quantity:

Focus on quality over quantity. This applies both to posts, and photographs. I would rather read a high quality post that was posted a few weeks after your last post, than click on several low quality blog posts. The same rule applies to Instagram and other social network sites – I’m much more likely to click like or share high quality posts. 

You don’t have to keep up with a particular posting schedule; remember your blog is yours! Don’t feel pressured to post just because it’s been a while, or you usually upload weekly.

Interact with others:

Interacting with other blogs, and other bloggers’ social media will draw traffic to your blog. Plus, it’s a lovely way to make friends and support others in the same field! 

I love taking part in blog comment swaps on Twitter, and I regularly retweet posts from others that I love. Commenting on others’ blog posts will also help draw traffic to your blog, as your comment will link back to your blog. Just make sure any comments are relevant and not simply “great post” or “great, check out my blog”. Not only are short, irrelevant comments proof that you haven’t read the post, they are also more likely to get flagged by spam filters.

Don’t limit yourself:

I’ve read so many “blogging for beginners” posts that tell you to pick a niche and stick to it rigidly. I respectfully disagree! Don’t limit yourself – as I said, your blog is yours! Write about whatever you want to write about.

Sticking rigidly to a niche is one way to create serious writing burnout. If you do want to pick a niche, you can branch out from that niche. For example, if you write about skincare and you’re suffering from writers block, why not write about makeup or clothing? It still fits with your brand, but it gives you more of a creative scope. 

What do you wish you had known when you started blogging? Feel free to share your ideas in the comments!