Ready to start your blog? Welcome to the wonderful world of blogging. In this article we will look at 10 things I wish I knew before starting a blog.
This list is made up of some of the areas I struggled in starting my first blog.
My reader-by making you aware of these important areas you will certainly be able to have a successful first blog experience.
If you have been thinking lately about blogging and haven’t made the move now is the time. Let me share some information with you about blogging.
According to internetlivestats.com there are over 1.5 billion websites worldwide. That number continues to climb on a daily basis.
Even though there is already tons of websites in existence, you can still start your very own website and have success.
Getting started today and reaching a large audience is possible, however it will take preparation, planning, and consistent hard work.
Becoming a successful blogger is a mix of a few key ingredients. One of the most important I would say is your ability to consistently produce new content for your readers.
The idea behind blogging is to attract an audience and keep that audience engaged.
If you are inconsistent with posting new content you will find it hard to keep your readers coming back to your website.
In time you will establish yourself as dependable source that your visitors will appreciate.
10 Things I Wish I Knew Before Starting a Blog
So that you hit the ground running we will look at some serious questions and determine if blogging is really something your ready to do.
From my perspective I say go for it! There are a number of personal benefits I have discovered as a blogger.
Among some of the benefits would be a chance to help people using your expertise, and talents.
Jumping into the world of blogging is a great way to express yourself being as creative and engaging as possible. So are you ready to get in the game?
Let’s get it!
1. Before Starting A Blog Ask Your “Why” Why Start A Blog
If you have been thinking about starting a blog for sometime you may have some idea of what your looking to establish with your blog, however it would be advisable to get specific on a few things so that your path is clear and straight forward.
As an example if you are blogging to create an audience or readership what exactly do you want to offer your audience.
In return what type of participation would you want form your readers?
If you have a business or a website and would like to began promoting your products for more awareness, what would be the best methods?
Maybe you want a space to be creative and express your thoughts? There are certainly many reasons for starting a blog, and here you want to be crystal clear when starting out.
2. What Type Of Blog To Create
You will also want to determine what type of blog would best suit your needs? There are various blog platforms available to start a blog that are not all equal in the services they offer.
You can use a free website builder platform that will get your site up and running, however you may find it limiting when it comes to growing your traffic and scaling up.
Get started with the best web hosting for your new website, start your WordPress website on SiteGround plans starting as low as $3.95 per month
Determining the best blog type will be important upfront to ensure you get started on the right platform.
How you define yourself as a blogger will be dependent on your “niche”. What is your topic?
What will you be writing about? The answer to these questions will tell you exactly what type of blogger you will be.
For some ideas on what type of blogger you will be, checkout this list of different types of blogs here.
3. Stand Alone Blog or Adding A Blog To A Website
This will be straight forward but if you are will be blogging as a hobby, or blogging to create a business you will have a separate blog.
If you have a business in place with a website, or you are currently selling products, and services you should consider adding a blog section to your website and use it to promote your brand.
A great way to bring awareness to your brand, or product is by blogging about it.
4. 10 things I wish I knew before starting a blog–Your Brand-Look and Feel
Whats your brand? The look of my website was an area that I struggled with. I would find other websites to take inspiration from but found it hard to create my unique look.
When designing your website you want it to be visually stunning. Consider a design that is easy on the eye and attractive.
Whenever I come to a site that looks busy or cluttered with information I click away and find something else.
When coming up with your brand look consider a proffesional agency to assist you.
There are many to choose from but Fiverr is one platform you can find great creators without spending large amounts of money.
5. Your Niche Specialty
What will you write about? As a blogger you will no doubt here the phrase “whats your niche”?
Depending on what type of writer you are you will want to come up with a specific niche and go a step further and be specific within that niche.
What do i mean by being specific? In your chosen niche you may want to consider becoming an expert on one or two aspects of your niche.
There is always room for a new look, or a fresh perspective on an already written about subject. Remember there is much competition in the blogging world.
You want to stand out-having a new way to look at already discussed topics will help you to attract an audience.
6. Consistency Is The Key To Growth
When it comes to the 10 things I wish I knew before starting a blog, I had no understanding of when to post, and how many times to post new articles.
How often will you post new content? This subject will always be subjective.
You as a writer will have to determine a schedule for releasing your content.
Related Reading: How To Create A Blogging Schedule
If you plan to post new articles one time per week, or two times per week, find a schedule that works for you and stay consistent.
If you have the greatest content in the world but don’t post with consistency you won’t build up an audience.
You must give your readers the confidence that you will be there for them and deliver on a regular basis.
7. Your Writing Voice
Finding your voice is an important part of having a blog. As a writer you need to establish your self with your audience so that they are attracted to your writing, and feel confident in what you produce.
Having an audience that believe’s in you and even looks forward to learning from you is a goal to strive for. How will you discover your writing voice?
I believe writing a blog is like having a conversation with a friend. Your usually informal in your conversations with friends and you connect on a human level.
When talking with friends your more enthusiastic or into the conversation, using this approach to your writing will be important when it comes to connecting with your audience.
People will connect with you when they see authenticity. I’m not a journalist but as far as my writing I like to be factual and keep things simple and plain.
Related Reading: Easy Tips To Writing Blog Posts
I don’t worry to much about what group of people may or may not agree with how I say something. My goal is always to be upfront and sincere as I present my content.
In the age we live in there are so many other choices readers have and for someone to take time to read any of my work I am humbled and great-full for their time.
PRO TIP
Interacting with readers is the best way to build your audience. When you see comments on your posts make sure to reply genuinely and make the reader feel your passion.
Social media is a great way to build your audience outside of your blog because you are able to get into short but meaningful discussions with your followers and further establish yourself in the online world.
8. Your Writing Team
When I started my first website I had no idea about the concept of hiring someone to write for your website. This may be an idea you will want to consider when setting up your blog.
This will be a huge time saver and allow you to be productive if other areas. The main thing to determine is your budget. How much will this outsourcing cost you?
You will also want to be clear with an outside writer about your message. Having a good relationship with your outside writer will insure your vision is communicated to your readers.
9. Get Social To Promote Your Blog
Starting my first blog I knew nothing at all about SEO, SERP’s, or had any clue as to how Google identified blog posts to show in search results.
As I started to learn about SEO and what it takes to be successful on Google, I decided to look into other ways to promote my content.
While waiting for Google to pick up your articles, how else do you build traffic?
You can use social media. Twitter, Facebook, and Pinterest are just a few examples of social sites to build up traffic. Pinterest is a favorite for many bloggers.
As a blogger you want make sure your content is found and read by your audience.
Start posting your blog URL on all your social media platforms, your emails, and even on your business cards.
Most bloggers spend lots of time on the look and feel of their website, and rightfully so, but don’t realize the amount of time required in promoting.
How my website looked was very important to me but I quickly learned no matter how nice or stylish my website was, nobody new who I was.
I had no online presence and that became a major factor in my overall strategy.
How will I get the word out?
How will I attract readers to my unknown, little startup website?
These are questions you will need to ask your self before launching your blog. You will need the best marketing strategies to have a chance at getting your website noticed.
Get ready for the real work-in the beginning marketing and promoting can be an all the time thing.
Get on a schedule, this will help so that you can be effective with the time your putting into your promoting efforts.
You may find yourself overwhelmed at times but it will be super important to stay consistent and promote, promote, promote!
10. Know Your Numbers
Track your website traffic to determine your most effective strategies. You can use Google Analytics and monitor your sites daily, weekly, and monthly traffic.
You can find what part of the world your audience is, and even identify your most popular blog posts with your audience.
Google analytics is a free tool that’s perfect for tracking all aspects of your website.
Related Reading: How To Install Google Analytics on Your Website
Related Reading: Understanding Google Analytics Metrics
Now over to you
I’m curious-for those of you with a blog what would you add to our list of 10 things I wish I knew before starting a blog? Join the conversation leave comments below.
If you haven’t started your blog yet, and are looking to get started-
Enroll in our go at your own pace FREE course that will take you from blog startup to a completed blog ready to launch. Here’s the link to get started for FREE!
85 Responses
This is so helpful for new bloggers. As a blogger I certainly agree! I do appreciate the step of having a writing team. I hope to implement that one day with my own blog. Thank you!
Thanks for reading Hannah!
These are very useful tips! I started my blog a few years and still to this day I’m learning new things 🙂
Thanks for stopping by Kristina it seems like a constant learning game
I think mine would be not to waste time on the small stuff. It’s so easy to get caught up on minor cosmetic details instead of focusing on content!
Hey Tahryn yes that is for sure. Not knowing what’s most important in the beginning can lead to waisted time
These are all very useful tips to learn as a new blogger. Many bloggers think that blogging is something that could be done single-handedly (great if you don’t blog for profit), but in reality it’s impossible to do it all. As for #8, I’ve only just started hiring freelancers to help me out with certain things and it’s perhaps one of the best decision I have made a blogger. I realised I’m not a genius so I hired people smarter than me instead of moping around.
Yes Corinne that’s me for sure..not a genius on all things so find people who are and add them to your team
Thanks for the tips! I’m still new to blogging and have a lot to learn.
Thanks for reading Lexi glad they helped
I loved reading this post! I’ll definitely be using some of your tips to help me improve my blog. Thanks!
Thank you Sarah I’m happy this was able to help out
These are all super important ideas to consider, and a lot of people don’t! I must say that blogging is not exactly what I thought it would be- especially if I want any traffic. Thanks for the helpful post!
Hey Karin thanks for stopping by..yes we seem to get this reality check once we get started..Glad you found this helpful
Very helpful blog tips. I think I knew 4 of them before I started, but did not really know the all of it.
Thanks for reading Lois..Hope you found some ideas for your blog journey
Very useful tips, all new and aspiring bloggers definitely need a good blue print. I started many unsuccessful blogs over the years and I wish I knew these things prior! Needless to say I did all my research and finally did things the right way.
Jo | http://www.theweddedmillennial.com
Thanks for reading Jo..What’s great about your story is you have so much experience and know how.starting a blog there’s lots to learn and sounds like you’re at a great place in your blog journey
I was just telling my husband last night that blogging requires so much more outside of writing than I ever would have thought! Just trying to get my blog out there has been a lot of work – I enjoy it, I just wasn’t expecting it!
Yes Nicole same thoughts..your willingness to make it happen is because you really enjoy the process
The one point you made about the writing voice hits hard and love all of the points you made. These are extremely helpful as I navigate the blog life as a newbie. 🙂 Great blog and post! Thank you.
Thank you Carolyn for reading. Glad to hear this was helpful to you in your blog journey
Great post! I’m still struggling with consistency but I’ve created a schedule and am doing my best to stick to it this summer. Another thing about the writing team is utilizing people who want to do guest posts.
Yes consistency is a challenge for many of us and we just have to figure out that schedule as you have done. Much success and thanks for stopping by
Very helpful blogging tips!! I’m slowly but surely learning these things but that’s the process of blogging you learn something new everyday!
Sooo true Natalie, it’s definitely new insights daily and the key is to keep plugging away at it
Very helpful for people who are just starting out! Great tips I will pass along! 🙂
Thanks Amanda glad you stopped by!
Thank you for these tips! I started my blog a few months ago, and I’ve been trying to learn as much as I can.
Awesome Jenn! Glad your on your way in your blog journey
All of these are definitely very important things to be mindful about as bloggers!
Thanks for reading Emily!
I wish that I had seen a post like this before I started blogging. I struggled with the concept of choosing a niche at first, starting a blog that talked about EVERYTHING and wondering why I was struggling to stand out. It’s not that my content wasn’t good – but with SOOO many different topics all in one place, it was impossible to target an audience and grow. This time around I have been much more aware of my niche and target market, and it’s paying off!
These are great things to consider. If I were to add one thing, it would be that not everyone will appreciate or like your blog! It’s just not possible to please everyone, and it’s okay if someone disagrees with your view on things.
Blogging in enjoyable, but it absolutely takes work!
Thanks Charlene! I think I was trying to say that but didn’t find the words…so I’m gonna go back and edit..definitely not possible to please everybody and that’s just a part of what we deal with especially as bloggers
Thank you for this post it is very useful, I am still new to the blogging world so learning as much as I can.
Takara
Awesome Takara thanks for reading. Yes soak up as much as possible..everyday will be a learning experience
One thing I greatly underestimated as a new blogger is Pinterest. I had no idea how effective as a marketing tool it could be. Now that is where a good deal of my traffic comes from. Thank you for sharing. ❤
Thanks for reading Valerie. That’s great to hear and reaffirming as well
I already have my blog, so too late for me 😀 But great stuff! Thanks for sharing 🙂
Anna thanks for reading. Good to know your blog is doing well!
Love this! I never knew how much work the social media of it would take. I feel like I’m constantly doing social! Thanks for sharing.
Thanks Amanda. Yes we get in and hit with so much all in the name of growing
Wow, great help for the bloggers 🙂
Thanks for sharing.
Yes Sana looking to help where I can..thanks for stopping by and reading
Great tips, I’ve been blogging for a while but it always helps to consider new suggestions and ideas for growth. Thanks for your awesome recommendations! C
Awesome thanks for your perspective Cheryl I appreciate you stopping by!
These are some interesting things to know ahead of time. You’re right they ALL matter! I think you’ve given a new blogger valuable stuff to keep in mind as they start their blog. I wish I had known some of these things too when I started.
Yes Crystal it’s a bunch all at once when your new but it helps to have a bit of guidance..thanks for reading I appreciate you stopping by!
I’ve found all of these tips to be very true since I’ve started blogging. I especially agree with the idea that it’s important to engage with readers in the comment section to grow your audience.
Yes Gretchen so many things learned blogging..thanks for stopping by
Yes! All of these are SO important. I first started my blog 2 years ago and I had NO idea what I was doing. It took me 2 years to finally figure out the purpose of my blog. Thanks for sharing!!
This is so helpful!
Thanks for reading!
Consistency! Ah that one gets me! I get so sucked into the business of blogging that I don’t blog! ??
Haha Louise yes I wrote that one especially for me
Consistency really is the key! I have to be better at engaging more with my readers. <3
Still growing in that area too..Thanks for stopping by!
These are some really important points one should consider if you want to start a blog, especially, “ask your why you want to start a blog” because blogging requires a lot of patience. Thanks for sharing the important points.
After years of blogging, I totally agree with you! Branding is hard but consistency and finding a voice is the hardest when it comes to blogging, new bloggers find it difficult to consistently put out quality content regularly, and that is why most new bloggers fail to succeed in blogging.
I also agree that creating a schedule and sticking to it is the way to go but repurposing content can also help with the consistency of content generation. Promoting on social media can be very lucrative, not only can one create quality backlinks but also build new relationships, increase engagements, and sales.
Thank you so much for sharing and your blog is awesome!
Thank you Erika for sharing! I’m glad you stopped by and offered your prospective on my post it is truly appreciated!!
So many good points!! Before blogging I had absolutely no clue what Pinterest was, and then I saw lots of other bloggers discussing how great it was. I think I’m on my 2nd month of blogging, and I wish I knew beforehand as now Pinterest is one of my biggest sources of traffic! I think it’s really easy to try and just swoop right in there and get stuck in without really looking into anything! Thank you for sharing these x
Thank you Rachael..same I had no idea about using Pinterest as a blogger..thanks for stopping by
Nice recommendations.. Thank you for sharing!
Thank you for reading
This is so helpful for people who wants to start their blogs and also to improve who already have started … good read ?
Thank you Divya for stopping by !
Some excellent and helpful, well laid out tips! Thank you for the post!
Thank you Jasmine for stopping by!!
So many great tips. We started our blog this year and will apply what works. Especially liked hiring a writer.
Glad you found something useful here!
I love this list because these are some of the things that I wish I’d known too! I’m sometimes worried that the internet is filled with too many bloggers. How can I make a difference? But I don’t think we generally look at how big the world is. Thanks for the great info!
Thanks for these 10 tips you shared. I think when one first starts to blog, they have no idea of how much work and energy it takes to maintain. Consistency is key. Thanks for sharing.
So true Beth. It’s a learning experience for sure
I wish I knew that launching my blog with only one blog post was not ideal
Yes Daynia I know what you mean..I’m on blog number 3 and have learned so much..
Good post. I have to admit I don’t think I did any of these points. All I wanted to do was talk about things that interested me. I knew nothing about SEO, niches or anything. But I plodded on and am.proving month by month.
Knowing these things would have made my blogging career so.much easier
Thank you for sharing these tips! I’m still in the early stages of my blog and the idea of consistently publishing posts is helpful.
Awesome glad this helped Michelle!
I can relate to everything you shared. I really had no idea at the beginning how much effort it would take to promote my blog. For some reason I believed that “if I write it, they will come”. Lol
Haha Carri we would get a good chuckle together on that one for sure.Lol
I started my blog just over a month ago so I’m a complete newbie! But I am having fun and enjoying it. I will make sure to take into account these 10 things so that I don’t wish I knew them down the line!
Good luck on your blog journey..Let’s make success happen!
These are great tips! Thank you so much 🙂
Thank you Sara for reading!