Blogging Archives

Blogging Trends of 2016

16645001740_27a0ac1a57_z Just like fashion, slang, and music, the Internet has trends that are constantly changing. Bloggers have to keep up with all the latest developments; you have to appeal to readers’ changing tastes to keep them coming back. But what are the latest trends of 2016 for bloggers? Check out this post by Elizabeth at the Elizabeth K. Bradley for some great new tips:

-Take Pinterest seriously- it will generate a ton of traffic for you. Make sure you include a pinnable image in each post.

-Hook up with some Facebook groups for bloggers

-Create videos and vlogs- be consistent; videos show the real you more than written words ever could.

-Try live streaming- show your creative process as it happens!

Photo Credit: Bernard Goldbach

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Blog Design Mistakes To Avoid

by Shakadoo Leave a Comment

11452221493_8523f98888_z Besides consistently producing great, informative content, all of the successful full time bloggers have one thing in common: a great web design. You don’t have to be a professional graphic artist to pick a classic theme, not overload your reader with too many colors and clickables, and take great photos of your work. For a list of blog design mistakes for beginners (and everyone) to avoid, check out this post by Fran at Freeborboleta:

-Do NOT autoplay videos, music, or anything

-Don’t use more than 3 fonts

-Don’t center align your text

-Don’t make it seem too cluttered, do take advantage of white space so the reader has a clean reading area

-Don’t get crazy with colors- pick a solid palette of 2-3 colors to use. The bulk of your colors should come from your beautiful photos!

Photo Credit: Andrew Turner

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Tips For New Bloggers

by Shakadoo Leave a Comment

148215678_c9e23bd05d_z Starting a blog is a wonderful way of creating some extra, passive income, as well as sharing a bit of your life with the rest of the world. You decided on a theme (are you a cooking blog? A business blog? Do you talk about real estate? Crafting? Being a parent?), picked a name, launched your site, and written a few posts. …Now what? It can be hard for new blogs to get off the ground; that’s why I love this post by The SITS Girls at Massive Sway. Here’s their tips for things that a new blogger MUST do:

-Set goals- know why you’re blogging, and how you’re going to accomplish your goals.

-Create a calendar- what topics are you going to write about, and when? Plan it out.

-Establish a social media presence- set up a Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest page.

-Find a community of other similar bloggers

-Learn some basic photography tricks

-Write great content consistently.

Photo Credit: Jacob Botter

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How To Keep Readers On Your Page

by Shakadoo Leave a Comment

2706931813_79d2e88790_z Attracting visitors to your site is important, but keeping them there is even more essential. This creates dedicated readers who will come back, as well as spend some time reading through your content. But how do you get, and keep, regular readers? Just read this post by Lauren Hooker at Elle and Company Design for tips:

-Archive your posts so readers can access older ones, add a search bar so that visitors can find posts they’re looking for without scrolling through endless pages.

-Add categories and tags so that readers can find more posts relevant to their interests.

-Regularly do round ups of your most popular posts

-Make sure to write and post quality content!

Photo Credit: Richie Graham

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What Not To Do On Facebook

by Kathy T.

Social media is an amazing (free) tool for getting your name out there. It’s especially helpful if you are a work-from-homer, freelancer, independent sales rep, or if you own your own business. However, just like with any other form of marketing, social media comes with its own set of faux pas. In fact, on Facebook or Twitter, blunders can be especially bad- since they are sent everywhere and read instantly. For what to stop doing on social media, read this post by Melissa at Blog Clarity:

-Auto-posting from Facebook to Twitter- disconnect, and give each platform its own link to your content.

-Overusing hashtags- don’t use more than one or two on Twitter/Facebook, no more than five on Instagram, and don’t use ANY on Pinterest.

-Posting too much content at once- stay relevant, but don’t be annoying.

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Apps For People With Poor Time Management

by Kathy T.

That would be me. I’m a terrible procrastinator, and tend to find a million ways to be super un-productive for my entire day. I did just get a new app called Habitica, which is great for forming new habits and kicking bad ones (like meeting deadlines, working out, quitting smoking, or literally anything you want to achieve). I like it because it’s set up as a video game. Every time you check off something from your to-do list or your good habits list, you get experience points and can level up. It’s super fun (and free on the App Store)! If that’s not your style, check out this post by Laura at I Heart Planners for more apps that will keep you organized:

Cozi (free)- It has a calendar, journal, to do lists, and shopping lists.

iTrackmyTime (free). This is a very simple, clean, and well designed app for tracking your time.

Any.DO (free). This to do app is amazing! I’ve tried a lot of to do apps and this is the best free one.

30/30 (free). This is really great app to help you stay focused and on task

Photo Credit: Mark Morgan

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Best Apps For Bloggers

by Kathy T.

Technology makes our lives so much easier- especially our smartphones. Nothing is more convenient than walking around with a mini computer in your pocket. And, if you’re a freelance writer or blogger, phones can be an absolute godsend. There are tons of helpful apps out there for writers; my must-haves are WordPress, Plaintext, and social media apps like Facebook and Instagram. For more useful apps for bloggers, check out this post by Becca at My Crazy Good Life:

-Feedly or Bloglovin- organize blogs you follow and see a constant feed

-Pinterst- extremely helpful for finding other bloggers and post inspiration

-Your blog- make an icon on your phone that instantly takes you to your blog- extremely helpful!

-Google Analytics- see all the visitors and stats for your blog in realtime

-Google Adsense- keep track of your daily earnings with this app.

Photo Credit: PhotoAtelier

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Pinterest For Freelancers

by Kathy T.

Pinterest is a great tool for professionals to promote themselves, get their name out, and connect with potential clients. I follow Realtors, bloggers, crafters, cooks, makeup artists, interior designers, writers, and photographers and see their work (and their names) every day. If you are a freelance worker, you can grow your business significantly by using Pinterest the right way. Check out these tips by Gina Horkey at Horkey Handbook:

-Set up a Pinterest business account (separate from personal accounts)

-Follow as many like-minded individuals as you can- reach out to others in the same line of work as you, your Pinterest network will be a hub of important information

-Create boards and join collaborative ones

-Pin, pin, pin

-Cold pitch to others- email other pinners/businesses (bloggers) an example of your work, and ask if you can do some freelance work for them. The worst they can say is no.

Photo Credit: Bernard Goldbach

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Time Management For Writers

by Kathy T.

I’m a writer, both professionally and just for fun. I know that some writers are extremely disciplined- they schedule a time for writing every day, edit as they go, and meet certain word count quotas. MOST writers, however, are the opposite (including me). We write when inspiration strikes. Sometimes, we write pages and pages at once. Other times, we go weeks without a word. Procrastination and laziness are demons that writers must conquer, and it’s hard for creative minds. If you are a blogger, freelance writer, or aspiring author, read these productivity tips by Ali Luke at The Write Life:

-Turn off your internet connection

-Write down your intention before you begin, eg- “I will finish chapter 3 of my novel,” or “I will update the About section on my blog”.

-Sit quietly for three minutes before starting

-Set a timer and write, without stopping, until it goes off.

-Take (SCHEDULED) breaks

Photo Credit: Eelke

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Why You Need A Blogging Schedule

by Kathy T.

If you are serious about earning an income as a blogger and working from home, you need a blogging schedule. Putting up a random post every week or two is simply not going to cut it. You actually have to sit down, come up with a post schedule, and stick to your writing days. Check out this post by Sarah White at The SITS Girls for how she does it:

-Come up with a big picture plan: What kinds of posts do you enjoy writing? Which ones have been your most popular? How often do you want to post?

-Get it on the calendar: Have a system in place, whether it’s a digital calendar or a hand written one.

-Plan daily: Create a daily task list and weekly task list, and stick to them.

Photo Credit: gjbell

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