We talk a lot about blogging for business. I know it seems daunting for some of you, but I know that once you start, you’ll find your writer’s voice and you’ll enjoy the connection you make with your followers. And the big pay off is a larger audience, more fans! So how can I encourage you to start blogging? I saved you from some hard lessons by asking local Raleigh bloggers for their expert advice on what they wished they had known before they started blogging. Thanks to Allison Carter of Go Dansker Mom for reaching out to her blogging friends for these valuable tips!
Raleigh Bloggers Inside Tips
1. I wish I had known that blogging would have connected me with people who would later become my closest friends. People I could trust with my words, my heart and my true self, beyond my wildest comprehension.
– Andrea, Good Girl Gone Redneck
2. One of the best things I’ve learned as I’ve been getting started is to be careful about what images you use on your blog, and be sure you can use the images that you do use. Using images correctly is important, and starting off on the right foot can and will save you time and effort later on. I really like www.photopin.com to find images (commercial or non-commercial) that I can use, and it gives me the citation information as well, which makes it easier. Kelly Phillips of Boost Interactive Media has a great article with more information that I’ve found helpful.
– Suzanne, Love and Small Things
3. I started the HinesSight Blog on a whim in January 2011. At the time, I didn’t know the power of social media and how important it is for you to develop contacts and circles where you can help each other with promotion. It’s easy to write, and hit publish, but without outside help then what you write may never reach a reader. Also, it’s OK to ask for a little help. At first, I was embarrassed to ask someone to help me share a post, but truthfully, I’ve learned that people are busy and they may would have shared your post if they had seen it. In today’s busy lifestyles, your wonderful post on your new business product or that new restaurant opening, may have been missed by them. Always remember though that sharing is a two-way street.
– Leigh, Founder of the HinesSight Blog and Luxury Travel Editor for Skimbaco Lifestyle
4. I wish I had known that people other than my family were going to read it. My first posts were so….lacking.
– Erin, A Parenting Production
5. One thing that I learned the hard way is the importance of NOT having a no-reply email. It took me a few months to figure out why I wasn’t hearing back from bloggers when I left comments. I wish more bloggers would understand that blogging is about communicating and building relationships. How can you do that if no one can respond to you?
– Allison, Twingle Mommy
6. I wish I knew the pros and cons of blogger and WordPress. I jumped blindly into Blogger.
– Rachel, Fit Triangle Mom
7. The best advice I would give to new bloggers is to connect with other bloggers. There are some brilliant and funny people on the internet that can become a valuable resource and even a good friend if you take the time to connect.
– Jessica, The B Keeps Us Honest
8. Know right away what your goal is, it will affect the decisions you make, your design, your name, and your track going forward (Are you doing reviews? Talking parenting? Talking fitness? Giving lifestyle tips? Telling stories? Sharing information?) . Nothing is written in stone, of course, and you are always free to change but have a clear sense of your blogging purpose from the start. Knowing that goal, stating that goal, and staying true to it will help readers know who you are, and why they should stick with you!
– Allison, Go Dansker Mom
9. There is no “making it” in blogging. You will grow and then you will have a dry spell. It ebbs and flows and that is not only ok, it’s totally normal. Just hang in there!
– Andrea, Lil-Kid-Things
If you blog, what tips would you give a new blogger?
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