Blogger Tips: Helping you frolic through your blogging life [Personal Edition]

Posted on by Ashleigh

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Hi guys! 

This week, I’m bringing you the start of something new *cue singing to High School Musical*

No, but really. So in recent days, I’ve had quite a few people asking me for blogging tips, or just for general help with their blogs, and when Christine @ WeeReader specifically asked me if I’d write a blog post about it, she gave me the inspiration to create a mini-series of blogging tips (thanks Christine!).

Now, I’ve done blogging tips before. In fact, I wrote this roundup of tips as a guest post on Emmi @ BookWithEms’ blog not too long ago. Now, those tips will be included in this mini-series too, but I’ve thought up a whole lot more since then, and figured it would only be right to share.

So far, I plan for this mini-series to be four posts, with sections on Personal tips (todays), Writing tips, Design tips, and Miscellaneous tips that don’t quite fit into the other categories.

By doing this series, I’m by no means claiming I’m a great blogger. Hell – I’ve been blogging for less than a year! I’m rubbish at technical skills…but I’ve learnt. And now I want to pass on some of the things I’ve learnt from my own experience, because you guys asked for it. And I listen.

So let’s get on with the “personal” tips!

So this section is all about you. Tips on how to help YOU. Not on how to help you write/design/promote. No – that’s all coming later. To kick-start this, I want to give my tips on how to make blogging the best experience for you. Whether it be organizing, motivation, or simply little things that can make blogging a whole lot easier.

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stats

Sure, the statistics page is really damn interesting. I LOVE looking through how many views I’ve gotten, which link they followed, how many likes each post has. But you can’t let yourself become too caught up on those stats. Because one day, one of your posts might not get as many likes as the usual average. Or there might be a week where your views are low. It’s inevitable. But if you focus on it too much, it’ll make you disheartened. You’ll lose your motivation for blogging.

You stats will change constantly. But if they seem lower than usual – even if it lasts for a good month or so – it’ll be fine. People are still reading. Your blog is still great. Trust me on this. 

schedule

This made such a huge difference for me! When I started, I just posted whenever. Whenever I had an idea, I’d post it. Now, considering I have post ideas quite often, this means I was posting nearly every single day…Only then to run out of ideas a month later.

So I made a schedule. Planning ahead means that when it gets to the day, you won’t have the insane “OH MY GOD I HAVEN’T WRITTEN A POST OH MY GOD I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT TO WRITE OH MY GOD!” panic. Because that just means instant through-the-roof stress levels, and no one wants that. Plan your days, and then you know what you need to write, when you need to write it.

And if you’re interested, here’s my schedule:

Mondays – Writing the next week’s blog posts

Wednesdays – Discussion Posts

Fridays – Book Review

Sundays – Any random post, to mix it up a bit

Sometimes I’ll write and schedule posts on the other days of the week too, depending if I have time and motivation. I just make Monday’s my main day because I’ll be prepared for the week then.

photos-in-one-go

So you’ve planned your posts. You have an idea of what you’ll be writing. And so you’ll have an idea of the photographs you’ll want. Now the next step is to take them!

This always feels like a lifesaver for me. I take all my bookstagram photos (about 2/3 weeks worth) and blog photos in one photo shoot session. All your lighting will be the same, you can make a mess during the photoshoot and clear it up after – instead of having to do it every few days, and you’ll have a stockpile of photos ready to use. Writing posts can be made so much quicker if you already took the photos beforehand. And if you ever forget you need a photo, you probably already have one. Sorted!

miss-a-day

Believe it or not, your readers understand that you have a life other than blogging.

Yes, blogging takes dedication. But the majority of us have work of some sort, friends to see, or maybe even surprise emergencies/events to attend to. You might just not feel motivated enough to blog, and don’t want to write something less than your best effort. And sure, the blog stats might go down that day due to missing a post…but then I’m just going to shove you right back to Tip Number 1, Goddit?

Don’t be afraid to miss a day if you need to. I promise you, the world won’t end.

popular

I know it can be tempting to post what you think will give you more views/likes. But again, I’m sending you marching right back to Tip Number 1 and saying NO.

Your blog is for you. Write what you want. If you start writing for other people, you might just start feeling unmotivated. If you write for YOU, you’ll always be passionate about what you’re saying, and THAT, my friend, is what your readers will want to see!

friends

Blogging is so much greater when you talk to people. Commenting on other people’s posts will make them happy. They might return to yours. Talking enough to make blogger friends is great, especially for the times when you want people to relate to you. Or if you need help. Or just to fangirl in general.

Blogger friends are like an online support squad. And the more you talk to people, the more approachable you look, and the more people will want to check out your blog. It’s all once huge cycle.

ask-for-help

No one is going to think that you’re an incompetent cat pawing away at the keyboard because you asked them for help. Blogging is hard. We all know that! 

For MONTHS I spent most of my blogging time Googling everything. And I mean, EVERYTHING. Absolutely every single thing I’ve done on this blog, I Googled. Because I’m honestly rubbish when it comes to technology, so lord knows what made me think I could run and design a blog.

If you need help – find it! Ask someone who’s blog you admire. Ask someone who you’ve seen do it before. Google it. Do anything you can to make your blog exactly how you want it to be.

blog-hopping

Keeping up with other people’s blogs can be just as difficult – if not more – than keeping up with your own. I mean, there’s just so many! So take some time out every so often to have a blog hopping session.

(If you don’t know what this is, it’s basically just some time out to go through a whole bunch of blogs, liking and commenting on any posts you missed)

I love going on blog hopping sessions. I go through the people who comment and like my posts first, then my timeline, and this pretty much covers whatever I miss. Sometimes I’ll even make a collection on Bloglovin’ and save all the posts there until I have time. But catching up can feel so refreshing, and I’d highly recommend it!

comfort

There’s no need to rush, or make it feel like work.

You’re settling down to write a new blog post? That’s great! Why not make a cup of tea/coffee/hot chocolate before you sit down? Maybe grab some biscuits too? There you are, snacks are sorted. Wait, is it cold out? Maybe grab a blanket or some fuzzy socks? Can’t have the cold leaking in a distracting you. Wrap yourself up on the sofa, or in bed, or build a cushion fort on your desk chair. Blogging is something you do for you, so there’s no need for it feel forced. I honestly make a warm drink and sit somewhere comfy every time I write a post, and it works wonders for me 🙂

change-it

Remember that good ol’ phrase – “Your blog is for YOU” ? Well, make sure to stand by that.

When I started blogging, it took me so many months to get my blog the way I like. The amount of times I changed my theme is a tad ridiculous. But finally…FINALLY I got it the way I want. And it makes me so much more happier to blog, to want to show off my words, to visit this space that is completely me. A place where I can talk about books as much as I damn well like.

But still, I’m constantly changing things. Small things. Just this week I made new graphics for my reviews. Not long ago I came up with a new design for my title images. I remade my banner because it was ever so slightly blurry.

If you don’t like something about your blog, change it. It’ll only bother you. Smaller problems will build up until there’s too much you don’t like. Even if it’s something that will probably go unnoticed and yet will take you hours to do – still, go ahead and change it! This is YOUR space, make it perfect for you!

So there we have it!

Those were my 10 tips on how to make your personal experience in blogging just that little bit easier. I really hope you guys enjoyed this post and that it helped even in the slightest way.

 Next week’s post will be about writing tips, so if you have any particular questions or tips you want to know about when it comes to writing your blog posts, let me know in the comments and I’ll make sure to add them in!

How did you like this tip post? Did you enjoy it? Was it helpful?

Do you follow any of these tips yourself?

Is there anything else you’d like to know about how I organize things? Staying motivated? Anything?

Are there any tips you’d like to know when it comes to writing on your blog?

Let me know in the comments!

Until next time…

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67 thoughts on “Blogger Tips: Helping you frolic through your blogging life [Personal Edition]”

  2. so many great tips!! thank you for this post! I tend to take my pics when I need them but your way totally makes more sense, same lighting, same background ❤ I'll be doing this from now on ❤

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      1. Yes! I completely agree. I actually make certain I schedule my blog posts to all be ready at least a week in advance so I can make time to work on other things. Thank goodness for scheduling blog posts. Plus, I find myself going back and making tweaks as I sit on ideas for a while.

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  4. lots of wonderful great tips here! ‘Don’t just do what you think will be popular’ is one which really applies to me and the ‘stats’ – I always used to get caught into the stats and get disheartened and feel like the post was a failure whenever it didn’t perform like the other posts and I would constantly compare my blog and my writing to other people and you’re right, you get so down and demotivated about your blog. I had moments where I went on hiatus all the time because I didn’t have the blogging bug for a week or so but then I had to tell myself that I do my blogging for me and I should do what I want, I wrote a poetry review for Milk and Honey yesterday and that performed lower than my other posts but it was a book I loved and wanted to share and i’m ok with it not being loved 🙂 This post will definitely help a lot of people and I can’t wait to see what other tips you have in the future, thank you for sharing and being so helpful! ❤

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    1. Thank you so much! 😀 I’m glad this was helpful to you!
      Of course, it’s only natural to feel a bit disheartened when your stats are lower, and because of that want to write post that you think will be popular. But I’ve kind of taken on this attitude where if one day my stats are lower, then sure, I can think “Oh. That’s a shame…” BUT I won’t dwell on it. I’ll shrug my shoulders and hope the next one will be liked more. There’s an endless amount of reasons one post might not do as well as the rest, so just bare that in mind 🙂

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  5. Thank you for these great tips, Ashleigh! Number 1 is especially important. I think it’s a great thing to be reminded about it every once in a while. Sometimes I wrote a post that I ‘thought’ will get people attention and when it didn’t it could be disheartening. Yet, it was the unexpected one that got the most views/comments.
    And thank you for sharing your schedule. I’m trying to follow something like that, but sometimes it’s hard to suppress my excitement and avoid pressing publish button right away. Haha.

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    1. No problem! 🙂
      It always happens. There’s no doubt that you’ll feel disheartened when a post doesn’t do as well as you’d hoped. The trick is just to shrug it off and carry on 🙂
      It can be hard not publishing straight away! I don’t always stick to my schedule…or rather, I DO, but sometimes there’s extra posts too. Or “bonus posts”. These only usually happen if there’s some bookish news/a reveal that’s happened, and I want to share/have a discussion about it the day after, OR if I have more than one review to share that week because by some miracle, I read quicker. I sort of just use my schedule and my “definite” posts, where no matter what they will be up. But I’m not opposed to adding extras if need be 😀

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  8. This post is so spot on !! Most of us found all of these up the hard way haha so I’m glad all new bloggers coming across your post will be aware of them from the beginning 😀
    To be honest, I still feel down about stats sometimes (rarely but still) and I have to remind myself that it IS okay and not the end of the world!
    Also, I’m with you on the designing thing, it took me SO LONG to get it right because I knew Nothing before starting and I had to look up everything, make mistakes, fix the, etc…
    Great post Ashleigh!

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    1. Thank you! And also thanks for sharing on twitter – means a lot! 😀
      I feel down about stats too sometimes, it’s only natural to want to do your best all the time. As long as you don’t dwell on it, then you’re fine.
      And same! I cringe when thinking of what my blog used to look like, or even scrolling back to my first few months of posts *shudders* 😆 Everything I learnt from googling it ahaha!

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  10. I loved this post so much Ashleigh and I can’t wait to read the rest of your blogging series. I feel like reading this really made me remember why I blog, I love it! I need to stop getting myself to focused on stats and how many comments or likes I get!

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    1. Thank you Christine! 😀
      I’m so glad it’s sort of…inspired (? I don’t think that’s the word) you – or rather, rekindled your love for blogging! I feel like everyone needs that bit of a reminder every so often, so I’m happy I managed to do that for you x

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    1. Thank you! And no problem – thank YOU for asking me to write one for you, I really enjoyed it 🙂 I thought it was only fair to mention it in this post too, since they’re so similar. Hopefully it’ll lead some people to your blog too!

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    1. Thank you! It’s definitely a thing that needs reminding every so often 🙂
      Feel free to ask your tips now if you want to for the design! I have a notebook where they’re all written, so I’ll make a note of it. If not, you can wait to comment on next week’s post if you wish, as the design one will be up after that 🙂

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  16. This was a really great post! I’m still learning some of these things. I know I need to stop looking at stats so often but it is just one of those things that is difficult to not do. I’m sure it’ll come with time. Looking forward to your other posts in this series! 🙂

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    1. Thank you! It’s okayy to look at stats of course, they’re interesting! It’s just crucial not to let yourself make decisions based on them. So don’t upload a review of a certain genre book, and if the review wasn’t popular, decide never to review from that genre again.

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  17. Great post. This is the sort of thing we all need to hear repeatedly– it’s so hard to keep the critical voice in my brain quiet! Asking for help is critical to my success. I really need to do that more often.
    If you are interested in expanding this series, I’ve really been struggling with taking photos– I’d love some tips and tricks on how to be more effective with those. Thanks in advance if you choose to take that on.

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  19. You are always a fountain of blogger knowledge!! I’d turn to you for any questions I have!
    I find it best to have all my comments and posts of others emailed to me, and then I just go systematically through them. I try to stay at least only a day behind. As more ppl follow, I might have to switch to your method.
    I’m on Bloglovin’ but it says I only have 4 followers…I need to make a Bloglovin’ button but I don’t know how!
    Can you help with advice on that?
    And, in your honest opinion, do you think it’s worth the money to upgrade a blog, or is the free blogging enough?
    That’s all…just popped in my head as I was writing this!!
    Love your posts, Ashleigh!

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    1. Ahaha thank you!
      For the Bloglovin’ one, I’ll tell you that now because it’s pretty rare to be asked. All I did was find a picture with the bloglovin’ logo, add it to my widget and make it link to my bloglovin’ page 🙂
      I’ll save the other question for one of my posts! 😀

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  21. I currently don’t have a schedule but I know I probably should have one – and your post definitely pushed to finally make one! Really great advice 😁

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  23. I admit to mainly using stock pictures on my blog – this takes me long enough, if I had to take photos/make graphics all the time… well, it’s just not my strong suit. And people honestly don’t mind stock photos. (I love stock photos dammit!)

    I think there’s a big feeling that ‘successful’ blogs should look a certain way, and do certain posts. But then you end up with blogs that are basically just variants on each other – so why would anyone look at yours?

    I’m never going to be able to make my blog look like other people’s – I’m too wishy-washy and random to have the patience for all that. But I’m kind of proud of what I’ve managed so far. I see life differently, so why shouldn’t my blog be different?

    Yes, there are tweaks I need to make (guilty as charged!) but I treat it as a ‘as-I-go-along’ type exercise. If I’ve got the time, and know how to fix something, I do. If not, I wait ’til I do. 🙂

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    1. Your blog is yours, so do things however you like! If you want to use stock photos, you do that 🙂 I don’t mind making graphics and taking photos, I like putting them together and having an image in mind to aim for, so that’s what I do. Doesn’t mean other people have to follow that route though!

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    1. No problem! I’m glad you’re enjoying my posts 😀
      And that’s how I see it too! The people who take time to come over to my blog, then like and comment on my posts deserve the same attention from me, so I’ll start with them to be sure I don’t miss anyone out 🙂

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  25. Lovely tips! I agree with all of them. I also have a schedule, but I’ve recently become a little more lax with it. I used to be so strict with it though. I also love your tip of getting comfy while blogging! I try to do that too 🙂 I’m blog hopping right now with a drink and some music playing, it’s important to make it fun.

    Molly @ Molly’s Book Nook

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    1. The amount of times I’ve played music while blogging only for it to turn into a singing session instead is a bit ridiculous 😆 Might take me longer to blog but at least it’s enjoyable!

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  31. I love your tips, even saved the links in my notes haha. After being at home for so long and now having and a job and night school on Wednesdays I feel pretty bumped my blogging is way down. I’ve got less time to write, less energy and less time to read which means my reviews are way down too. Still got some old reviews I could write but they take up time too… right now trying to find ways to get ads on my blog to make some extra cash but that’s so damn difficult… you know anything about adding ads?

    Xoxo
    Thanks for your tips!!

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