blogger Archives - Tammie's Take~

Mistakes All Blogger Make

Reviews · December 18, 2017

There are over 440 million blogs on the internet. Two million posts are published every single day, by people all over the world. Blog niches exist in every subject imaginable, and even large businesses are adding blog sections to their websites as they’ve realized how effective they can be. Bloggers can build trusting relationships with their readers, which allows them to create successful businesses, and more people than ever are proudly listing “blogger” as their profession. A serious blogger can work with huge brands, meet celebrities, get to try some of the best products and earn serious cash.

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In spite of this, new bloggers continue to make the same mistakes. Whether they want to blog as a hobby or turn it into a career, these mistakes can hold them back and hinder their progress. Let’s take a look at these errors and ways to avoid them if you are starting your own blog.

Thinking it’s Easy

This has got to be the number one mistake new bloggers make. They see others running successful blogs and getting great opportunities and assume it’s easy. They imagine that they are constantly getting approached by brands and that they get sent free things. This couldn’t be further from the truth.

These bloggers work for hours every day, writing, taking photographs, editing and publishing their work. They then spend even longer promoting the posts, growing their social media followings and giving the appearance of being online all of the time. To work with brands, they have to put themselves out there and pitch. To do this they need to find the right contacts and initiate relationships, and even then, they may find that most of their pitches are rejected or ignored. When a company send them a product to review, they have to put hours and hours of work into completing this review and claim the worth of the product as earnings on their tax return. Far from getting something for nothing.

The mistake of thinking that it’s easy sees up to 95% percent of bloggers give up within the first year, as soon as they realize that it’s not as simple as they thought.

Thinking People Will Read It

The second mistake, even for those that get past the idea that it’s easy, and are willing to put in the effort, is assuming that people will read what they write. They won’t. Without promotion, you may find that absolutely no one reads your content. Even with constant social media promotion, as well as finding other places, such as forums, to show off your work, you may find that the viewers trickle in and that most of them spend around 15 seconds on your site, without actually reading anything.

It takes time. Don’t stress over your stats. Write well, take your time, enjoy it and eventually, those numbers will start to increase.

Not Having The Right Help

When you first start your blog, you have to choose your platform. This determines how your blog will work, what you’ll need to do, and how much control you’ll have. You can migrate to another service later, but this can be tough, and you may lose some work and more readers. So, it’s a good idea to get it right in the first place. You could blog on Blogger or WordPress, build a website on Wix or start an ecommerce store with Shopify. Click here for more information about website builders, and try to think about what you hope to achieve with your blog and where you want to take it in the future before making your decision.

Not Creating a Brand

Many new bloggers spend the first year constantly changing their Logo, color scheme and theme if they choose one at all. This is one of the main reasons they struggle to grow; people just don’t know who they are. To be taken seriously and get remembered, you need to create an instantly recognizable brand, and it’s worth doing this at the very beginning. Spend some time thinking about how you want your site to look, make sure it fits your niche, style and writing voice and that it clearly defines you. If you struggle with the creative side of things, hire a freelancer to help you.

Writing Like Everyone Else

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It can be very hard to find your voice as a writer. Especially if it’s something that you’ve never done before. Bloggers often start out reading other blogs and trying to write like them. But, it’s important to realize that with millions of blogs, most things that you write, are already out there. What makes your blog different, and your content stand out, is you.

Benefits of Blogging

Reviews · May 3, 2017

We’ve known for a long time that writing has therapeutic value. When you’re dealing with a difficult situation, it can sometimes help to write about your feelings and insecurities. Most people walk away feeling like a load has been lifted, but the words written can often help others in the same situation. It’s nice to feel like you’re not alone and you’re not the only one who has felt those feelings. Writing a blog gives you the opportunity to express and share your thoughts, but that’s not all it can do.

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New Career

Blogging can be a gateway into a new career. When you start writing for yourself, you never know how popular your blogs can become. There are many people who have found that writing just to get something off their chest, has turned into something that’s gone viral. If people like what they’re reading, they’ll come back for more. As the blog’s readership increases you may be able to start making money for it and you might need to figure out how to get a domain name.

Inspire Yourself

Writing a blog may inspire you to become a writer in different forms. You may have so many ideas that you decide to write a novel and try to get it published. Alternatively, you may decide you want to become a freelance writer where you can work on a variety of different subjects and learn something new every day. It isn’t an easy path to becoming a writer full-time but if you’re passionate about it, it’s worth the hard work.

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Connect with People

Unlike when you publish a book, you can get immediate feedback after posting a blog. You may not always hear what you want to hear, but more often than not, you’ll get to chat with like-minded people who want to hear what you have to say. Just remember to add a comments section to your blog so your readers can join in with the conversation.

Build a Network

Starting a blog is a great way to get people interested in what you’re saying. Whether it’s something that’s been said a million times before, or something completely new, you have to be an expert in the field. Blogs are the perfect way to start business ideas, and if you’re thinking about developing a business from your blog ideas, you’ll already have your customers lined up. Building a network is important when it comes to development, in any way, shape or form.

Helping Others

A lot of blogs tend to start out as a solution to someone’s problem. Mother’s want to vent when parenting is too hard, business owners want a faster way to communicate with and relate to clients and some people just want to get what’s in their heads, out. Blogging can be a fantastic way to help people in the same situation as you know that everything is going to be okay. Some people may need instruction on how to change something and you’re in the perfect position to reach out. Enjoy the opportunity!

Want To Enter The World Of Blogging? Here’s How To Get Started

Reviews · April 20, 2017

Blogging has never been so popular. It’s a way to share your thoughts and interests with the world, explore your passions, and engage with other like-minded people. Whether you’re writing about tech, food, makeup, or movies, blogging is a great platform to express yourself. There are some blogging pitfalls to avoid, however, and setting up a successful blog takes time (and these tips!)…

Where To Start?

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The first place to start with a blog is the big idea. It doesn’t have to be an original interest or hobby but always start with what you want the blog to be about. Most people choose to blog about what they’re passionate about or opinionated about. Before you go live it’s a good idea to come up with some content for your blog. Most viewers are put off by patchy content which isn’t regularly updated. Choose your categories and get creating. Creating is the key word here. If you’re not much of a wordsmith but are a dab hand with a camera, photos can be the main part of your posts. Similarly, artwork, quotes, and any other creative nuggets can be used in place of lengthier content.

Generating Traffic

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For some having a blog is a hobby and they don’t mind about how much exposure they get. Others want to grow their blogs so their opinion reaches more people or they can monetize it. Beginner WordPress SEO is a good place to start if you’re looking to expand. SEO stand for search engine optimization, it’s about creating searchable content that search engines put to the top of their lists. You can do this by using keywords that you think your target audience will be searching for. Another good way to promote your blog is to link to it on other social media platforms. Try and convert your Instagram following, for instance, into a blog following too. The more footfall you get on your site the better.

Key Things To Keep In Mind

You should update your content regularly to keep people coming back. You should also make sure that you write about things which are important to you. Don’t just follow the trends, content which you care about will do much better. Blogging is also supposed to be fun. Try not to become too bogged down with the details. Lots of bloggers find the experience to be cathartic and relaxing, so enjoy what you do first and foremost. Most blogging sites have comment sections, these are a great way to interact with your readers and hear their thoughts. These are the best places to start a dialogue and create interest around a post.

Better Blogging: Becoming A Pro

Reviews · February 14, 2017

Most of us have tried blogging at one stage or another, even if it was only an activity of leisure. However, the industry has become huge business in recent years. If you’re a creative that loves the thought of making money from expressing your views, those online opportunities are amazing.

However, creating a blog for commercial reasons isn’t an easy challenge. It requires a lot of hard work and commitment. Nevertheless, when you get it right, it can become a fantastic side hustle. Or maybe it’ll even become your primary source of income.

Either way, those incentives are massive. Here’s what you can do to accelerate your rise to the top.

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Make First Impressions Count

Ultimately, it’s the quality of your content that will keep readers coming back for more. Having said that, you’ll never have that chance to impress them unless your website makes an immediate impact. Modern audiences have high expectations regarding design and layout; your blog cannot afford to fall short.

Thanks to modern advancements, you no longer have to be an expert to create a great looking blog. WordPress is a particularly effective platform, especially when you install a professional theme. The best thing about taking this option is that the widgets offer a versatile approach that gives the user complete control.

Given that audiences have a sense of familiarity with the WordPress appearance, it can ease their navigation too.

Add Personality

Let’s face it; you aren’t ever going to beat the news corporations when it comes to breaking the latest stories. So why are online audiences becoming more interested in reading posts from their favorite bloggers? Quite simply, it’s because there is a level of transparency and honesty.

As a blogger, the only way you’ll ever build that connection is by showing your personality. People want to know about you, which is why it’s important to give an insight into your life while developing a writing style too. Ultimately, readers want to feel as though they know the person behind the blog. Once you achieve this response, you’ll have a far better shot at gaining loyalty.

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Besides, your work will become infinitely better when you let your passion shine through. Have fun while working too, and it will feel like a hobby too.

Think Outside The Box Room

If you tend to work solely from your box bedroom, this could be limiting your success. Modern technology makes it possible to create far more exciting content. Don’t be afraid to embrace it.

A photo paints a thousand words, and using a smartphone will allow you to take snaps on the go. Meanwhile, blogging on the go will provide a far greater insight into the personal journey that is your life. Alternatively, a drone can allow you to grab unique video footage from the sky.

Aside from the increased insight, the mixture of different content can go a long way to keeping readers entertained. After all, this should be a leisurely activity for them; easily digested content is king.

Treat It Like A Business

Arguably the worst thing that any blogger can do is fall into the trap of treating it like a casual project. If you want to make money from the blog, you need to employ the same level of professionalism as you would in any other business.

Investing in your business with a domain name can instantly boost credibility. Meanwhile, hiring experts to produce additional content for your blog is a great way to maintain a regular source of work. In truth, a lack of updates is one of the most common problems holding back modern bloggers. Let’s face it; no reader is going to stay loyal if your blog updates only on a sporadic basis.

Conducting your business in a suitable manner now will encourage better habits for when it becomes your primary income. What more incentive could you ever need?

Interact With Customers

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As already mentioned, readers want to know about the person behind the blog. And there’s no better way to generate those positive vibes than by getting to know them too. Learn to interact with them at every given opportunity, and the brand will soar.

Social media is a particularly useful tool for this function. Enter debates and discussions with your readers, ask for their opinions with polls, and let them participate. By playing a more active role, they’ll naturally want to visit your site on a more regular basis. Moreover, their friends and family will see that they are communicating with your blog, which could encourage them to follow suit.

If nothing else, this will help you gain a stronger understanding of what your audience wants from your blog. If that doesn’t point you in a better direction, what will?

Collaborate

It’s only natural for entrepreneurs to believe that it’s them against the world. While the fierce competition can be problematic in many industries, blogging is not one of them.

Frankly, there’s nothing to stop online audiences visiting dozens of blogs on a daily basis. With this in mind, you no longer need to view other blogs as competition. Instead, you can work with each other to produce guest posts, create backlinks, and boost the presence of both projects. Furthermore, you could even team up to run a joint campaign or competition.

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Anything that grows the presence and readership can only be good news, even if it does the same for your partner. Do not underestimate its influence for a second.

Generate Money

As a business, your main goal is to generate money. Advertising is a great starting point, whether it’s through PPC banners or affiliate schemes. However, you shouldn’t let the task end there.

You can make additional money through many different methods. This could involve selling merchandise like phone cases and t-shirts. You might also get paid to create content for external companies and advertising companies.

Essentially, earning a greater level of revenue will only allow your blogging venture to grow at a more rapid rate. And the bigger you become, the more stable the project will be too. Get this right, and you’ll be a professional full-term blogger in no time.