Last Updated on May 4, 2020 by ellduclos
My Top 10 Tips to Help Refocus Your Blogging Journey
So, you have a blog? OR maybe you have been thinking about starting a blog but wonder if you’d be able to turn it into something special? You are probably fearful that you won’t be able to turn it into all you dreamed of and more… This is how we all usually start out. Fearing that our blog isn’t going to get seen OR fearing that our words will have no impact.
That’s far from the truth.
Today I am sharing with you 10 tips that I learned that helped me to turn my blog into a thriving career! AND GUESS WHAT… You have the ability to do the EXACT same thing!!! The question is, do you want it bad enough? Turning a blog into a career isn’t for the faint of heart. It takes up a HUGE part of your everyday life. You can read just how full time blogging life is for me – HERE.
Before I jump into the tips let me just remind you of a something…
First: You have to stop comparing yourself to other bloggers. PLEASE. The more you compare, the more discouraged you will become. Everyone’s journey is different.
For example, maybe you see a successful blogger but maybe she doesn’t have children and you do. Of course having children is a blessing but it will take up your time! It’s okay to have things that take your focus away. It’s just all about finding the balance. Work while the kiddos are napping or late at night when they are in bed. You have to find a way to make blogging work with your lifestyle.
Each blogger has their own difficulties & their own distractions. Don’t compare your blog’s success to ANYONE else’s. Stay in your own lane and keep focused! Now onto the tips!
Disclaimer: Affiliate links are used! If you purchase through my link I receive commission at no additional cost to you. Read my full disclosure here.
Tip Number One: START
You must be thinking, well DUH Ell, in order to become a “successful” (whatever success means to you) blogger you need to start! BUT, it’s not that easy. SO many out there have this dream of living the “blogger” lifestyle, working from home, being your own boss, and traveling the world! How many actually have the ability to actually PURSUE this dream full force!? NOT MANY. Many will WANT to, but you have to START. That’s the hardest part! Once you start, DON’T STOP.
So, my advice is to, like Nike would say, “JUST DO IT.”
You can’t create your dream life unless you start going after it. Stop contemplating what you want to name your blog, what your blog is going to be about etc. JUST CREATE IT.
When I first started my blog, I had NO IDEA what the hell I was doing or what I was in for. I taught myself along the way. I spent 5 minutes picking out my blog name. Do I regret it? Hell no. My blog is my baby and I will love my blog no matter what! Just go with your gut instincts and create the damn thing already!
Want to learn how to start a successful blog & launch? Your journey begins HERE.
Tip Number Two: GET ORGANIZED
To be honest, I used to not be very organized at all! But, my lifestyle and career change forced me to become more organized. Staying organized and planning ahead has really helped to transform my blogging career!
I enjoy planning out my blog posts a month in advance! I like to write out my posts in my planner “content schedule”, that way I can really visualize how my month is going to go! Using my planner helps to keep me organized as well. I mean come on, who doesn’t LOVE when they feel as if their life is organized + put together?! It’s like a breath of fresh air!
You should also always keep your space organized. Working in a chaotic, messy space will make it difficult to feel motivated. Having a clear space also keeps your mind clear & focused!
Some ways I like to make sure my space is always clear is:
- Never go to bed with dishes in the sink.
- Invest in Desk Organizers.
- Sweep everyday, vacuum every two days.
- Get rid of/donate items that you haven’t used in 6 months.
- Use essential oils & an oil diffuser to bring clarity to the air you breathe.
For other organization tips & motivation: HERE
Tip Number Three: GET ON TOP OF YOUR E-MAIL LIST
Having an e-mail list is so important! It makes it so that those who are interested in your content are all in one place. You can send out newsletters, updates, news about product launches etc. Your e-mail list is the first to know everything that is going on, and that’s usually because they CARE! Otherwise they wouldn’t have subscribed. (But don’t get discouraged if they unsubscribe. Some just subscribe for your opt-in. WHATEVER.)
Ways to grow your e-mail list would be to create an opt-in “freebie”. This is something you would send your subscribers as a thank you for subscribing!
Once I started offering my 28 day blog challenge as an “opt-in” my e-mail list flourished! (BUT like I said, yes some just subscribe so they can get your freebie. Don’t get discouraged if they unsubscribe after. You only want those who genuinely care, subscribed anyway!)
I recommend using MailerLite as your e-mail list builder! MailerLite is free for up to 1,000 subscribers, and it’s SO EASY to use! Drag & Drop template.
I would recommend sending out a weekly newsletter that rounds up posts that you published to your blog throughout the week! I find that people don’t enjoy getting TONS of e-mails. So having one newsletter go out once a week instead of multiple e-mails will probably have a lower unsubscribe rate!
Also – don’t be afraid to ask your audience what they enjoy receiving from you!! That’s the important part. Finding out what your audience enjoys and continuously sending them what they want.
If you ever have big news to share, you can share it with your e-mail list as well! COUGH COUGH* Product launches!!!
Your e-mail list should be the first ones to know about what’s going on.
If you aren’t self hosted I would recommend getting self hosted That way you can use plug – ins and start growing your e-mail list! Which brings me to my NEXT tip!
Tip Number Four: GET SELF – HOSTED
This is one of my biggest tips! & I am sure some of you are sick and tired of me mentioning it. SHUT UP ALREADY ELL, we know we have to self host!!!
Sometimes you have to invest in the beginning. BUT investing always PAYS OFF!
You are probably wondering what the heck self-hosting is if you are new to my blog. In a simple way it’s using servers to “host” your blog for you, and it makes it so that you have complete ownership over your blog, NO ONE else owns your content.
Sorry to say but if you are on wordpress .com, wix, squarespace, blogger these are NOT self-hosted and you technically don’t have complete ownership over your blog. You have rules to follow and you are limited!
Self-hosting has NO RULES and you can monetize, design, create your blog any which way you want! You are LIMITLESS. You have super awesome plug – ins that take your blog to the next level, and your SEO has the ability to top the charts!
I LOVE self-hosting. When I first started my blog I was on wordpress .com and quickly realized that wasn’t my best option, so I went with Site Ground as my self-host and messaged their LIVE CHAT and asked if they would transfer my site for me so I could self-host.
They were quick to respond and did it all for me! (NO ADDITIONAL COST) one of the may reasons why I LOVE Site Ground. FREE SITE TRANSFERS.
Their support, server speed, and security is phenomenal and they start at $3.95 a month via my link if you are interested in making the switch.
Here’s a more detailed post on the differences between wordpress .com and wordpress .org
Tip Number Five: PINTEREST
In the beginning I didn’t think of Pinterest as being a platform to grow my blog traffic. Before I started my blog I was a Pinterest addict! I would constantly pin! I pinned so much that my monthly Pinterest views became 3.6 million!
Had I known before that Pinterest could drive traffic to my blog, maybe my blog would be further along than it is now. BUT, ever since I DID start utilizing Pinterest strategies my blog views increased from 5k monthly to 30k monthly in LESS than a month! (pretty crazy right!)
I decided to create an AFFORDABLE E-Course sharing these strategies.
I wish I invested in my Pinterest strategies from the start.
Tip Number Six: NETWORK
It’s so important in the beginning to network and collaborate with other bloggers! Participate in Networking Facebook groups! One that I am the creator of is Boss Girl Bloggers and you can find SO MANY amazing bloggers to collaborate with on here! I will post collaboration threads weekly.
Guest posting is key to growing in the beginning! COMMUNITY OVER COMPETITION.
Don’t be a fly on the wall, engage with other bloggers in your niche. Be a friend!! It’s so important to be engaging not only with your audience but with other bloggers too. This will help get your blog out there.
If you’re friendly, others will be friendly back 90% of the time.
Tip Number Seven: PATIENCE
This is one thing that many lack in the beginning. We are so QUICK to lose patience. We start blogging and within a month we expect to see thousands of dollars rolling in. NO. It doesn’t work like that.
Making money blogging comes within time! HECK – I didn’t see my first steady pay of $1,000 until 6 months in (MIND YOU, IT TOOK A LOT OF WORK TOO). I actually wrote a blog post all about it HERE.
It’s true, you CAN make money blogging but it WILL take time and HARD WORK.
You can’t just post a new blog post and expect to see traffic to your site. You need to market that blog post, promote it, share it, and engage with others to grow that traffic!
The beginning is always the hardest, but once you figure out strategies that work, it will become consistent!!
Give yourself time. Patience is ALWAYS rewarded.
Tip Number Eight: TREAT YOUR BLOG LIKE A BIZ
Even if your blog isn’t your business right away, you should still treat it as if it is! You have to take your blog seriously if you want to turn it into your career. (or if you want to see progress).
What do I mean by that?
Well, don’t take long breaks! It’s important to stay consistent. For example: You can’t take month breaks away from your job, so DON’T take month breaks away from your blog either!
Even if you have a small following, they still matter! They are following you because they care about your blog! So when they notice you aren’t updating anymore, they might begin to think that you have given up. Some will stop following, and this will also make your readers lose trust. It is crucial that your readers can trust you! ESPECIALLY when it comes to making sales.
SO – take your blog seriously, and stay consistent. If you need to take a break (which is necessary), take a weekend off, OR small breaks. I always give myself 5 minute breaks between each hour!
Tip Number Nine: TRACK YOUR PROGRESS
It’s important to never get discouraged if you notice a decrease, (whether it be a decrease in traffic, sales, followers, etc.) Instead of getting discouraged, you should figure out WHY. You can do this by tracking your progress.
Let’s say today your traffic was 100 less than it was yesterday… Did you promote less today than you did yesterday? Or maybe you tried out a new social media platform and it’s just not vibing.
Anytime you share your content, write it down! Track what WORKS and what DOESN’T.
Always work off of what works! Even if you see a post that is more popular than others, create more content that is similar to that post. You already know that it will get attention.
Once I started tracking my progress and all of my analytics, I saw an increase in traffic almost everyday. But, I also have my days that are down more than others and THAT’S OKAY. It happens!
Don’t let your steps back be steps to giving up. Instead let these steps back push you & guide you to your success.
Related: 13 Ways to Boost Your Traffic
Tip Number Ten: PREPARE FOR HATE & LET IT GO
I am not saying hate always happens, but it will happen at one point or another. (who knows when, but being prepared helps)
People are envious, and people like to stir up the drama. The way I would deal with negativity, is cut those out who are bringing negative vibes your way. You don’t need ’em. Surround yourself with those who believe in you, support you, and radiate positive energy.
& if you receive hateful comments, no one is saying you have to keep them! Delete and ignore. It’s not worth your time.
I also know it can be tough when those close to you aren’t supportive. Which is why joining communities dedicated to supporting each other’s blogging journeys is important!
Don’t ever let anyone dull your shine! Sparkle away!
Hope these 10 tips help point you in the right direction & you take that leap of faith and start following your dreams of pursuing a career through your passion!
I always love hearing from you in the comments, so stop by and say hi!!!
Until Next Time,
xx
Ell
Hi ELL, that was wow. This is exactly what I needed to read. I love reading your blogs bec they are authentic. I’m not a blogger yet but it’s my biggest goal this year . I’ve been following Boss gifl bloggers posts and it’s really helpful. Massive thank you. Learning from everyone’s ideas advices and tips. There’s so much to learn and I’m on it.
Your e-course, do I have to be a blogger to sign up ? Or anyone who’s interested?
Em x
Thank you so much for your sweet words and feedback! It means a ton to me! & happy to have you a part of the group! You don’t have to be a blogger to sign up (: it is for whoever wants to purchase it!
Thank you Ell, thanks for your quick response . This is why I love this group because u are really trying your best to engage with other readers and bloggers . It makes a whole lot different. Will sign up with your e-course soon . Keep up the great work . X
Aw thank you so much!! It means a lot when others notice! I hope you enjoy the e-course when you do give it a go!
Loved this post! I feel a little discouraged right now, as I am not sure what I am doing wrong, but just feel like my blog is not getting a lot of traffic. I’ve been trying pinterest, instagram and twitter to promote it. I check my analytics and there was this one day where I had about 300 views, but I usually get 20-50. So that seems like an error to me. I pay a lot of attention to SEO and follow all the yoast recommendations. Not sure what else to do.
Thank you so much! And don’t get discouraged it takes time! But definitely try some of the things I recommended here, and invest in tailwind! It really made a difference!! Best of luck and don’t give up!!
Number 8 is my favorite 😀 when it comes to everything I like to act as if I already have that what I’m trying to achieve. Love this post! Thank you so much for sharing amazing content with us 🙂
right!!! But thank you so much! so glad you loved it (:
I always love your posts Lauren!! The way you write is so inspiring. I am guilty of many of these but it’s mostly because of my career and well the last hiatus was because of the hurricanes. But I’ve come to recognize that, that is part of life. You cannot control somethings even if you want to. Thanks for the tips!
Thank you so much!! & that’s okay, the important part is to not let hiatuses get the best of you! Sometimes they are needed, but just give it your all when you make the comeback (: keep going! we got this!!!
This post was so helpful. I’m brand new to blogging and trying to navigate my way through the start up struggles & this was helpful ( and more straight forward ) than many blogging tips I’ve read recently! ( & I’ve read A LOT, trust me! ) Finally, something I can work with! Thank you for this post.
xx
I am so glad you found it helpful! Thank you so much!!! (: