Twelve Tips for New Bloggers

I have been blogging for six years this July. Almost daily. And my readers grow by  at least five new followers a day. So I have learnt some things and it is time to pass a few of those things on.

Here are ten tips for you. These are only tips mind you. I am not the director, I am a player just like you.

1. Testimonial. Write down what your blog is about. Your objective. Your job description. The challenges you have given yourself.  Be very clear. My blog is developed around three major promises. (a)The blog is about the farm and all the photos are from my own farm. (b)I will tell the truth. (c)It will always be about yesterday so is absolutely current. I do not promise to blog every day – that happened all by itself and i will not accept that as a presssure. My blog sometimes turns into a travel blog but I give you warning.  But the basic premise has continued for these five and a half years. The farm and the food from the farm.

2. Photographs.  Always have an image. Mine are all taken on the farm and are often pretty random. They don’t have to be professional quality. Just follow these few rules. (a) Check your corners. (b)Straighten horizons. (c)Lower or raise yourself to check you have the best Point of View. (d) Give your eye a way out. (e) Make them big. (f)Look for focus. (g) A single simple well presented image has as much power as multiple images. (h) High contrast for small screens.

3. With words Less is Best.  I seldom write more than a thousand words. Don’t say musings or ponderings – get to the point. Cut out extraneous words. Read your words out loud before you publish – your voice is your best editor.

4. Engage your Audience.Talk to your readers  as though they are sitting across the table from you. Then answer them when they talk back.  When I leave a comment on a page and the writer cannot be bothered answering me within a few days, especially when they only have a few comments there – I don’t go back. I conclude that they have no interest in discussion.  I choose to visit the blog writers who will talk to me. (Many blogs are too big with too many comments to answer and I am not talking about those blogs.  They are in a different realm. I also need to say here that in the summer when I am flat out I don’t get to answer all my own comments myself, I read them all and try to answer fast if the internet is co-operating but often fail. So I also understand if you cannot answer my comment every time.  Winter is my favourite blog time because I get to talk to my all my readers then).

5. Go to other blogs and leave comments. Especially when you join that blog. This is the best, and simplest way to find people to have your morning chats with. We are here because we love the community that develops around a blog.

6. Write your words down when they come to you. My blog is daily so everything depends on what happened yesterday but if a sentence comes to me  when I am knee deep in mud at ten in the morning, I jot it down in the notes folder of my phone which I keep in my pocket.  It is shocking how many good ideas fly out the windows of my brain if I don’t write them down.

7. Use social media as a tool. Social media used correctly is an excellent way to get your posts to a wider audience.  But be careful, it can also grab you by the left leg and suck you down. Set a limit on the amount of time you spend on blogging.

8. Honesty is your best policy. Unless you are writing as someone else: Be honest. We can smell stirrers and mongers. Be honest and true and the best you can be.  Using your own voice. This is very attractive in a blog.

9. Relax. Most bloggers are like me – they use their blogs for record keeping and sharing. This is a perfect way to keep track of your recipes, or your farm, or your children’s cute sayings or your art or your travels. But it is not the be-all and end-all of your life. Blogging is like instagram it works WITH your life. So relax, have a good time with it. Blog when YOU want to.  If it is important to you to build a big number of readers then it is a good idea to stay current – maybe once or twice a week. The first thing I check on a blog is the last publication date.  Set yourself doable targets.

10. Develop a rhythm in your postings. I post every morning, early. It gives your readers a handle. I am like my cows – I love a routine. I would encourage you to post on the same day at the same time each week. Use your publication settings. Though many bloggers post whenever they feel like it and we love them.

11. Devices. not everyone reads on a huge screen anymore. Many people will read your blog on a small phone with the tiniest of screens. Keep this in mind when writing titles, choosing the size of your images, paragraph settings and writing your comments.

12. Have fun with it. I know I am repeating myself but there is enough pressure in other areas of your life. Enough hate speech in other corners of the social media world. Enough hammers on our heads. Give yourself permission to relax and have fun with blogging. Engage. Chat. Smile. Be positive. The right word in the right corner of your screen can change someones day. ust like a good waitress can change you dinner to an Occassion. Writing with a smile ensures that you are involved in changes for good.

I bet you have a few other tips to add in the comments! Our Longe of Comments being one of my favourite places to learn.

It is still dark this morning so there must be a good cover of cloud out there. Rain is coming they say.

I hope you have a lovely day.

celi