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WHAT NOT TO DO WHEN YOU ARE STARTING YOUR BLOG

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WHAT NOT TO DO WHEN YOU ARE STARTING YOUR BLOG

Hello There,

Happy end of the week everybody, I hope that you are all having a great one. Today, I have another post for you and it’s all in the name of blogging. We all know how to start a blog, getting blog post ideas, writing posts and even the promotion of blog posts. Now, let’s go back a bit and go through the basics of whether or not you are doing things right or just hoping for the best when starting your blog or thinking about it. If you’re already blogging for a while then this is not for you, but if you’re still dreading to push the publish button or are yet to even have a domain, then I suggest you go through some of these points. Here are some tips on what not to do when you are starting your blog in my opinion.

WHAT NOT TO DO WHEN YOU ARE STARTING YOUR BLOG

what not to do when you are starting your blog

1. FREE BLOGGING SITE

I know that not everybody has the extra money to pay for a domain but if you are really serious about wanting to blog and making it long-term, I would suggest that you think about spending a bit to get your own domain. Also with free blogging sites, you always have to use their designs and cannot be able to have WordPress and other popular products. Plus if you want to start to monetize your blog and become serious about working with clients and companies, I would suggest getting your own domain to make it look at least professional and not chase away anybody who would like to work with you just because they thought you’re not capable of having your own website.

2. CHOOSING A BAD HOST

This is also another important subject you should think about once you have started your blog, there’s nothing more frustrating than creating your site and making everything look just as you want and then your host starts giving you problems by the site being down or them not responding if you have problems. There are a bunch of new hosting companies nowadays and just choosing the right one makes a huge difference. So make sure to do your research when it comes to the host you choose for your site, know what services they offer and if it suits you best. I use bluehost and so far, I haven’t had any issues. The more the research the better to avoid regrets later.

3. SPENDING TOO MUCH

I know you’re out there screaming at me saying, but you told us not to have a free site, Yes but remember that you are not going to start a blog today and make thousands tomorrow. The saying you have to spend money to make money might have crossed your mind but you are just beginning, don’t pay for everything that comes your way, choose the necessities and think about the rest later once you get a hang of it and start earning. Start making money then invest it back.

4. NOT SPENDING WHERE NEEDED

I am going to go against my previous point above, all because I should at least elaborate more for those who want to know. There are many things that come up that need subscriptions and paying when it comes to blogging. When I say not spending where needed, I mean for your sites’ security and protection, getting rid of spam, mailing services and the list goes on. It’s mostly about the maintenance and what will make your site run smoothly until you reach a point where you would want to spend on new themes and courses. You have to remember this is what not to do when starting your blog keyword here being STARTING, so spend where necessary.

WHAT NOT TO DO WHEN YOU ARE STARTING YOUR BLOG

5. CHOOSING A NICHE FOR THE SAKE OF IT.

When you have a blog, you have to remember that you have to keep on writing regularly and the niche you choose is important for your success. Read on the answers you need when choosing a niche. Don’t choose a niche you are not passionate about or even care less for because you will just be setting yourself up for failure, think about it and be ready to have to simplify them until you find the one that is right for you and your blog. Also, don’t feel the pressure to stick to one specific niche because if you are able to expand it a bit and you like it then do that and it’ll count.

6. STRESSING OVER THE NAME

I see so many people ready to start their blog only to get stuck when it comes to naming it. Yes I know it’s all in the name but if you think about it, the longer it takes you to think of a name, the longer it will be for your blog to exist. You would have done so many things on your blog like having written down posts, decided on the design and many more. If people like your blog at first and then you change your name, it doesn’t mean they will not come back because you changed it. If you have good content, they will always come back. So stop stressing about your blogs’ name and start already, it will come when you get into it.

7. IGNORING SOCIAL MEDIA

I have said this in my other posts, that social media is taking over and it’s where everybody is nowadays, know that when you are starting your blog, also start being active in social media, if you don’t have accounts then I suggest to create them because for you to have traffic to your blog, you will need to start involving yourself and trying to converse with others who are in your niche and get to know them. This is easier said than done because I still struggle with it and it’s going at such a fast pace to try to keep up. Pick a few accounts you want to be in and start getting active.

8. DON’T GIVE UP

Lastly, you may have started a blog but forgot to think of these tips due to some reason or something else, but guess what, you have learnt something through it all. Stop comparing yourself with a person who has been blogging for ten years and assume that you can never do what they do because you can, don’t give up continue brainstorming ideas and writing posts whatever your niche may be. All you have to do is know what you want, go for it and never give up. There is always a way and remember that comparison is a killer.

 That’s it, I hope the above tips will be able to help anyone out there who is planning or has already decided that they are going to start their blog. If you have any questions or any other suggestions that may also help me, feel free to comment below and share. What are some of the mistakes you did when you were starting your blog for the first time?


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140 Comments

  1. you have indeed to find the right balance between spending too much and not spending where needed. Great tips!

  2. Thank you! This is helpfull advise! How do you find other bloggers in your niche who like to cooperate?

    1. You’re welcome, you need to find where your audience is and as usual social media wins every time be active on social media join groups and ask around for others in your niche am sure you will be able to find them.

  4. This is excellent advice for new bloggers. I didn’t have a manual when I started in 2006 we all just dived in. Thanks for sharing your expertise to the newbies. Much success to you and your blog!

  7. Lovely! My blog is only a month young, and I am still learning everyday. I feel like this post was very detailed and helpful. Thank you!

  8. These are great tips! When I started my first blog I made pretty much all of these errors but seem to be enjoying it more with my second blog as I’m being more selective.

  9. These are great pieces of advice for new bloggers or people thinking about starting a blog. I’ll likely back to this in one of my posts. Thanks for sharing.

    xx,
    Aitza B | petitelypackaged.com

  10. Facebook is the social media tool working for me right now. For the month of April I joined many groups related to my niche where I post links and I have seen major increases in traffic.

    1. Social media always wins nowadays, and once you find groups within your niche, it always works and helps your blog, good for you. Thank you for visiting.

  11. It was a good read and I have an off-topic question what theme are you using. I think we’re using the same thing. I ask because I see that you’re Instagram works at the bottom and for the life of me I cannot get Instagram to show up on my website. I’m using the free version of what you have I think. But all your points are great because it took me some more years to figure out most of what you said in this article and I just started my new blog specifically because I wasn’t passionate about my niche. Took me 2 years to figure that out.

    1. It’s okay, I am using the Olsen theme and if it’s the same one you are using you can tell me and I will be happy to help. I checked out your site and yes you have the same theme as mine, go to appearance just as the way you put your facebook page and on the left read through the widgets available and see if you have the instagram one, then you just place it where you want it and authorise it. Hope that helps

  12. Great advice for bloggers. I am going to pin your post to Pinterest so I can go back and study it later. Thanks for your help:-)

    1. Yes it does, as much as it can be frustrating sometimes, we just have to keep at it and not give up and so long as you’re passionate about what you’re doing then you will find your audience.

  14. Knowing when and where to spend are the best points that I can relate to. There are subscriptions and paid advertising for social media. It can really rack up. It’s insane. In the meantime, I do what I can. Good post.

  15. Awesome tips! I have to admit I have spent a little more than I anticipated but I don’t feel on anything unnecessary thank goodness. I am dying to get a new theme but I am holding off and using the free one from WordPress for the moment but just not completely thrilled with the layout or to be honest any of the layouts on the free themes 🙂 My biggest problem is getting the social media and how best to get it to work for me. I feel I spend more time researching how to reach an audience than writing content so that is a huge goal as well. Thank you so much for the quality content and advice though.

    1. You’re welcome, so long as you know what you are paying for is really necessary then you haven’t wasted anything and until you decide when you need to change your theme then you are doing pretty well. The blogging world does make one think that they are not doing enough sometimes so we tend to do lots of comparisons and less of the writing. You know you can do this so just start getting the content out and you will learn along the way without wasting any time. Thank you for stopping by.

  16. Totally new to blogging, and your tips here are very helpful. Thanks for the encouragement! It can get super overwhelming sometimes… and I find myself wanting to quit more often than not. Social media is my biggest challenge… who’s got the time?! LOL

    1. Don’t give up it will surely pay off and it is overwhelming from planning content then figuring out what platforms to use in social media which to be honest I am still trying to get a hang on Instagram, but we can do it.

  17. When I started a blog I made so many mistakes it’s hard to think about looking back lol. This is super helpful for newbies!

  18. Great tips. I’m fairly new to blogging and I still have a lot to learn. I’m currently researching how exactly to switch to a different domain.

  19. I think also struggled with not focusing on one specific topic, instead of wanting to write about everything under the sun. Great beginner tips!

  20. I really enjoyed reading this. The tips you listed out are all so important and has served as a great reminder to me. Thanks.

    1. Thank you, it can be distracting when you obsess over it, but the best thing is just to keep on going and correct it later on.

  23. Great tips. I often see others who just go straight to a free blog site and after a few posts, they give up. If someone wants to take their blog seriously, they should invest in it a bit.

  25. This is great advice for new bloggers! Especially the part about balancing where you spend. It is easy to try and avoid paying money when you aren’t earning any yet, but many of the paid elements are what really boost you into the paying league. Thanks for sharing!

  27. I struggled with getting on Social Media in the beginning. It was just too much for me. Yet, now I have come to use it for my blog and for meeting others and it is helpful. However, when it starts to eat up my time, I move away for a short block of time. My brain needs it. Thanks for the post and sharing.

    1. You’re welcome, social media can totally stress me out sometimes and just becomes too much, so I also unplug once in a while to stay sane.

  29. I started mutiple free blogs before I finally decided to start taking things seriously with my current blog. So far it has lasted a lot longer than my previous blogs and I don’t plan on giving up on it either. Great tips!

  30. This was an awesome read! I started my blog in July and It has been an amazing experience. I choose to write about nail care being that I am a nail tech in training. As I am learning in school I realized that there was a lot of information that the public has no idea about. Important information that has the potential save them from being susceptible to infections in nails salons they frequent.As I learn my readers will learn and be more educated about what is proper procedures and improper procedures in the nail salons.

    1. Congratulations on starting your blog, and I like that you give useful and important information because there many things I don’t even know about nails in salons and that’s why I avoid getting them done. Happy blogging and enjoy the ride.

  31. I’ve been trying to help someone get a blog started but I don’t think it will be successful. She doesn’t put in the time to work on her social media at all. That’s a super important part of blogging. I need to print out your post and tell her to put it on her peg board for a reminder.

    1. If she wants to be successful from the get go, she needs to use social media and not ignore it, I wrote in my other post on the mistakes I did before launching my blog and the main one included not using social media early and it’s requires a lot of work.

  32. im just into my fourth month of blogging and i find this quite helpful especially the last tip, sometimes i feel discouraged when i see my number fluctuating but then i try to focus to make more interesting content instead of feeling bad

    1. I know, there are those times where your numbers can decrease and would make you feel discouraged and it happens but as you said keep creating good content and it will be back up and start increasing.

  33. This is really good advice for new bloggers. I’ve been blogging for a few years but still get discouraged sometimes. It’s important to stay down to earth and not compare yourself to others. It’s still though 🙂

  34. Those are nice tips for beginners at blogging. My best advice to new bloggers would be to write about what they are passionate about.

  36. I understand wanting a blog and taking it serious. When I started blogging 6 weeks ago, my goal was to share a bit of me on my little corner of the internet. Since then I learned so much and these you mentioned I’m sharing with my friend who are considering blogging.

  37. Great blogging tips and advises for all newbies. This tips are really helpful for beginners who wants to start up their first blog.

    1. Thank you, yes once you start on a free site, you end up wanting to change your mind down the line. So I think it’s better to research first even before starting.

  39. Ignoring the social media is the worst ever! Social media has been really helpful in boosting my posts as well as generating more followers and readers. Also, stick to the niche that you love. Don’t be a bandwagon. Do what you are passionate about.

  41. I just started blogging two months ago. I agree with your advice, especially to stick with it. I sometimes see how many subscribers other bloggers have, and it feels like I’ll never reach those numbers. But it takes time. I continue to tweak and search for the winning formula. But I can’t succeed if I give up. Thanks for the advice!

    1. You’re welcome, I was also used to comparing myself until I told myself that my journey is totally different to another so I just focus on what I do and all will be fine.

  42. These are all great tips. My favorite is the free site. And yet so many people still use it. I guess it’s a good option when you are just starting out and not really worrying about monetizing.

    1. That’s what everyone does, because you never think ahead until you notice that it’s time to get serious and make it something big, then everything changes.

  43. These is a great list of advice for those who vlog and blog. I’ve been struggling so I really needed to see this post today! Thank you 🙂

  44. The first 7 I believe are applicable to those who are just starting or those who are yet to start a blog. The last one is for all. I have been blogging for more than 5 years now and not giving up is a thought I should always keep. Passion must come first too.

  46. These are solid tips. I actually love how you kept going back and forth with the money thing, haha, because it really does reflect the reality of blogging. Not giving up is an important one too.

  47. I wish I followed these tips when I first started blogging. I stupidly was so against monetizing my blog – clearly super dumb- but at the same time it was so daunting at the time. I’m glad this is out there for feature bloggers.

    A Beauty and The Business

  50. Great post! I would add is not having a backup app. I accidentally lost all my customization for my blog and I start all over. Biggest headache ever!

  51. Thank you for your tips! I must remember that Rome was not built in a day and that I must be patient. I haven’t found my audience yet but I know that I will if I keep at it! Thanks again!

  55. I definitely made a few of these mistakes! Getting a good, paid host is key in the beginning so you don’t have to switch it over later.

  56. And I think it’s also important to stick to your own style and not compare yourself with others!

  59. im quite new to blogging and i agree on your last point ! it is sometimes challenging when everything is so fast and instant this days! but then i havent even been a year so i have to be patient! by the way, i must say you profile shot is very attractive!

  61. Great tips! I think a lot of people give up when they realise how hard it can be to make a living from blogging. I always say blog because you love it and the rest is just a bonus!

  63. By all means don’t give up. If at first you don’t succeed. Try, try again. A blog is more then just running. You laud out a great foundation for newbies to follow.

  65. I’ve been blogging for nearly 2 years now, and I have learnt a lot of these lessons along the way – I just wish I knew them before I started, as it would have been a lot more helpful lol x

  66. wow these are some really great tips… I wish I had these tips when I started my blog… I would definitely share this with my followers 🙂

  68. Even though I’m several months in of blogging, these are great tips to still look at.

  69. I do agree with most of the points here, specially not starting a free blog. Social media cannot be ignored. It is of vital essence. I hate some of these people who call themselves bloggers but have no website or blogs but just an instagram page

  71. Should have found that before starting out! 🙂 Very helpful tips. I spent way too much time worrying:(

  72. You have a very great tips overall and very good job. I think one of the important things you have mentioned is about choosing your blog niche. Some people might be looking for the top profitable niche just to be able to make money while later on they strive on finding topics to write about because they are not experts in that field. If I would add to these tips I will add not having a post schedule. You need to schedule your posts ahead. Keep at least two posts ready to be published in future. Just in case when you don’t have any content or any idea for blog posts.

  73. A mistake many bloggers make is not optimizing for mobile. Pop-ups, ads, and long comment chains turn away many readers.