19 Ridiculously Useful Tips Every Blogger Should Know
Whether you have a blog, have always wanted to start one, or
are one of the greats, these tips will keep your content exciting, your
design fresh, and your readers coming back hungry for more.
Jenny Chang / BuzzFeed
1. Give your blog a layout makeover every so often.
Every once in a while it’s nice to
change up your blog’s layout to keep things fresh. This can mean
completely reformatting the whole thing, or just making little tweaks
here and there. Here are ten blog layout tips to help you freshen up your little corner of the internet.
2. Make sure you have an about page that represents who you are and what you do.
An about page is where your reader
will come to find out more about you and who you are, your business and
skills, and your blog in general. It is important not only to have one
in the first place, but to avoid making common mistakes like not
explaining your business or strengths well. See other common mistakes and how to make your about page better.
3. Organize your blog labels so readers can find the content they are looking for more easily.
Go from this long list of subcategories…
…To this shortened list of main categories.
The longer your blog has been around,
the more labels to describe your content you have probably created.
Think about dividing all of your content into main categories by combing
through all of the subcategories to streamline everything. This will
make labeling less of a headache for you in the future, and your readers
will be able to find the posts they’re looking for, no problem.
4. Don’t let footer space become dead space.
Via mypoppet.com.au
It’s likely that most people visiting
your blog won’t make it down to your footer, but if they do, they’re
probably interested in you and your blog. So give them something to
find, like links to your archives, popular posts, and contact
information. Get even more ideas from this list.
5. Create an editorial calendar to keep track of ideas and post dates.
One of the best blogger tips is to
keep some sort of editorial calendar so as to set up post dates, form
routines in your posting (i.e. a round-up of some sort every Friday),
and keep track of all of your projects and ideas. You can make a
whiteboard calendar like the one above, use post-its in a planner, or
even make a calendar out of corkboard to pin-up your post notes.
Whatever method works for you, an editorial calendar will make you more
organized and keep you up-to-date on your own blog.
6. Avoid blogger burnout.
Via pinchofyum.com
Working from home as a blogger can
sometimes get overwhelming. Set working hours, get a change of scenery
every once in awhile, get in touch with what makes you feel inspired, do not answer emails all day long. Find more tips here.
7. Feel like you’re running out of material? Brainstorm some content-rich topics.
Lots of bloggers have posted lists of blog post ideas, like this one from Elle & Co., or this one from Sometimes Sweet. If you’re feeling particularly inspired, consider writing a list of your own as a post!
8. Make sure readers are commenting on your blog.
Comments are a great way for your
readers to connect with you. You can encourage your readers to comment
by asking questions at the end of your post, or by following any of
these smart tips here.
9. Commenting on other people’s blogs is a great way to engage with someone you respect, and for others to notice you.
BartekSzewczyk / Getty Images / Via thinkstockphotos.com
Not only will the blog writer notice
you in their comments section, but other readers who agree with your
comment may want to click on over to your site because of it. The
blogging community is a strong one, so finding other people through
comments is a really genuine way to make some internet friendships and
bring your blog and someone else’s some love.
10. Learn to use photoshop actions to get that creamy ~blogger glow~ on all of your photos.
Photoshop actions can help you turn a mediocre photo into an amazing one in just a few simple steps. Check out this tutorial and download the Photoshop action you see above for free.
11. Be conscious of your blog photos’ names.
Naming the photos on your blog helps
your photos become recognized in search engines, which gets your posts
seen by more eyes. This also helps for Pinterest, because the
description of the image will automatically come up as the name of the
photo when someone pins from your blog. Follow this simple tutorial for labeling photos on both WordPress and Blogger tips.
12. Know when it’s OK to use someone else’s photo on your blog or social media.
Via designsponge.com
In the way that you would want your
photos to be credited and permission to be asked before one is used, so
would every other blogger. Follow this handy flow chart to figure out
what to do if you’re stumped.
13. And also know how to handle when an image of yours gets stolen.
ABC / Via youtube.com
If someone posts an image of yours without permission, credit, or a link-back, follow these tips to getting the issue resolved and the photo removed.
14. Effectively brand your social media.
Via pinchofyum.com
It is important to think about how
social media can expand your blog and your readership, as well as give
readers an opportunity to see smaller snippets of you every day. Small
things, like maintaining a consistent handle on all platforms, using the
same profile image for each, and writing a bio with your blog’s link
wherever possible are all things to consider. Read more tips here.
15. Set up rich pins to ensure that when photos from your blog are pinned, all of the important information gets pinned with it.
Via hellobrio.com
Like in the photo above, you can get
photos from your blog to come up with all of the SEO data, as well as
your webpage name and link. Use this tutorial for Blogger, and this one for Wordpress.
16. Try offering an email newsletter to your readers to ensure active engagement.
LuminaStock / Getty Images / Via thinkstockphotos.com
Once you’ve built a readership, you
could use a newsletter to update them on what’s been going on, exciting
things that are coming up in the future, and generally just build a
relationship with your readers on a more personal level. If you’re a fan
of Serial try MailChimp (Mail Kimp), or perhaps GetResponse.
17. Figure out how to turn your blogging hobby into a paid job.
There are a number of ways to generate income from your blog including sponsored posts, affiliate programs, and advertising. Learn about these methods and others here.
18. If you make money from your blog in any way, figure out if you should be filing for self-employment taxes.
If you sell e-courses, product,
participate in affiliate programs, or write sponsored posts and make
over $400 net income, you should be filing a tax form for your
self-employed income. Find out whether you should be filing, what to do,
and examples of taxable income and business expenses here, and download a free income tracker here.
19. Take a class to improve your blogging skillz.
There are tons of e-courses online for bloggers, like Blog Life by A Beautiful Mess, that will teach you a variety of skills related to blogging. You can also find more targeted classes on the subjects of photography, turning your blog into a business, designing your blog, and much, much more.