8 Things I wish I knew before I started Blogging

Are you new to blogging and looking for some tips on how to maintain your blogging mojo? Or are you in the thinking stage of wanting to start your own blog? Regardless of your reason, in this article, we aim to share 8 things you need to know before starting a blog. I aim to share all the things I wish I knew before I started blogging in hopes it helps even one person.

When people find out I am a blogger they often ask 1001 questions about blogging. Some are still under the illusion blogging is a thing that will soon fade and others don’t consider it a job. It is every person’s prerogative to believe what they want, blogging is a great side hustle. If you want to get serious about blogging here are some things you should know about blogging.

8 Things I wish I knew before I started Blogging

We all have our own reasons why we started our blogs, it is up to us to decide if the reasons still stand true. Obviously, over the years we all evolve but the evolution should be towards what makes you happy. Regardless of what that might be, there are certain things one must be aware of to maintain your blog.

Picking a name

When I started blogging I really had on clue what I wanted my blog to be called. I copied other people’s titles and changed it slightly to match my needs but this didn’t last. Why? Well because that really wasn’t me and I was just trying to fit it, understandable but doesn’t last long. This blog in its few months has had 4 name changes {Myrabev’s World, Myrabev against the world, Welcome to my world and Purely by accident}. These were all the names I played around with though Purely by Accident lasted me for a couple of years. It wasn’t until I really started to think about my branding that I decided to pick a name with meaning. A July Dreamer – I was born in July and I am a dreamer through and through, this suited me.

Tip: think about why you want to start blogging and what topics you want to cover. Don't limit yourself to one niche, we all evolve and so do our blogs. Click To Tweet

Set up Social Media with the same name!

I wish I had known this before I started blogging, it makes it so much easier for people to remember. You will notice that my twitter handle {Myrabev} and Instagram {ajulydreamer} do not match. Choosing the same name across the board helps readers to remember you more easily than others.

Tip: Search various social media networks to ensure no one has the same social handle as you. Don’t lose readers because they confuse you for another person with a similar username handle.

Self-hosted

In the blogging world, there is this thing called Domain Authority (DA), A July Dreamer has a DA of 40. If you look at search engines like google they have a DA of a 100 because everyone uses Google all the time. When it comes to blogging you want to start off self-hosted because it’s better to be self-hosted than piggybacking off WordPress or even Blogger. Most brands are more likely to work with you if you’re self-hosted than if you’re not.

Tip: self-hosted is ajulydreamer.com, non-self-hosted would be ajulydreamer.wordpress.com. I use @GoDaddy as my hosting company but you can use other companies too. Click To Tweet

Write an About Me Page

Blogs have always been personal online spaces where people can share a part of their lives. It is a place where you can teach others about your skills or inspire people to be better. One thing about blogs that won’t change is having an about me page, it tells a story about the person behind the blog. Share bits about yourself, what you offer even why you started blogging in the first place.

Tip: As you evolve in your blogging career so should your about page, don’t be afraid to change a few things. Let it be reflective of your current position with your blog and what you offer.

Find support in Fellow Bloggers

One thing you will come to learn about blogging is it can be a lonely world out there. But it can also be an incredible place when you can share with fellow bloggers and learn from each other. When I started blogging my family wasn’t overly keen on the idea of sharing my personal self online. I stuck with it because I believed in what I was doing and fellow bloggers helped me too.

Tip: Join Facebook blogger groups; Bloggers 2 Brands, we have 9k members and are a supportive bunch.

Invest in your blog

Depending on what you want to achieve with your blog, it is important to invest time and money. When it comes to time, you need to be wise about how you allocate time to your blog. As I work 9-5 I often work outside of my regular job and on weekends. When it comes to money you will realise that there are certain things that you’re better off paying for. Things like good themes are important for your blog’s brand and future collaborations.

Tips: Pipdig are professional WordPress theme creators, all my themes are from them.

Don’t Worry about the Numbers

One thing that catches most bloggers is numbers, remember don’t compare your beginning to someone’s middle. You’re just starting out, you might not get the same numbers as other bloggers, focus on your brand. Remember everyone started from nothing and they built their blogs for what they are now.

Tip: focus on developing your brand and interacting with fellow bloggers Click To Tweet

Be Authentic and don’t copy

It is so easy to find a piece of content that you like and feels the need to copy it. This I can guarantee you is a wrong move, there is nothing wrong with taking inspiration, just don’t copy. One thing about the blogging world is it is getting saturated, you need to find ways to stand out.

Tip: Get inspiration from others but never copy, make it your own.

What are some of the tips you wish you knew before you started blogging?