Does setting your blog up leave you feeling a little like this sometimes??
This blog is still new but I am not exactly new to blogging or web creation. I’ve had several blogs on blogspot, vox, etc. so I’m familiar with the whole blogging process and set up. I’ve also created a couple message boards from scratch with a domain name (dot-com) so I didn’t think that it would bee too difficult creating a new blog from scratch with a domain name. So I took on the task myself instead of hiring someone.
Once I got up and running I started reading other blogs to get ideas and I especially paid attention to the ones that gave blogging tips, thankfully there are a lot out there! There is a lot of great advice from those who have been there and done that and it’s been helpful, but at the same time not so helpful because I found myself getting overwhelmed and unable to keep up with some of the technical difficulties that I experienced!
It was a great way for me to put into practice all of the personal development skills that I have been learning for the last decade or two. I’m not entirely sure when I started taking charge of my own personal development, I think it started as early as my preteen years when I would read advice columns from teeny bopper magazines. As I got older my sources of personal development matured and I continue to look for new sources.
But I digress. I found myself highly discouraged due to the technical difficulties that I was experiencing, mostly due to my own errors because I was adding this widget and plugin at an alarming rate. By the time that I had discovered an issue with my blog I had 10 or so new additions and often it wasn’t easy to pin down the real culprit – or two or three which didn’t work together. I must admit that I was tempted to throw in the towel on the whole blogging thing after a couple of really big hiccups that took hours or even days in one case to solve.
I did not allow myself to give in and give up, I am not a quitter! I pressed on, I learned a lot, I came out victorious! Now I want to share some tips that I have learned in hopes of helping other new bloggers!
1. If you have not started your blog yet set yourself up with a WordPress blog! WordPress is definitely the way to go! I wrote about this in another post Why WordPress? (Update: I am working on an ebook teaching you how to set up a WordPress.org blog step-by-step!)
2. Keep the learning curve in mind! The learning curve can be frustrating at the beginning, that is where the most work and learning takes place with the least amount of rewards. When you are learning anything new the beginning is always the most work. If you’ve ever learned a new language, started a new business, etc. you know what I am talking about. Eventually you will get the hang of things and you will be sailing smoothly.
3. Stay patient with the learning process and with yourself! This goes along with the previous point, if you remember which side of the learning curve you are on remember to have patience with yourself and the process. Things WILL get easier!! It WILL all come together!! Hang in there!!
4. One step at a time. Only add one new piece (widget, plugin, etc.) to your blog at a time and then test it before you move on to adding another. This will help prevent not knowing what has caused a glitch in your blog and will save you a lot of time!
5. Know where to find support. When you do run into an issue that you can’t solve yourself you will want to know where you can find support, either through a forum or submitting a trouble ticket. For instance I had a major issue with my RSS feed which took me three days to finally fix. I sought help through the wordpress help forums, the google feedburner board (no replies given), and the comluv.com problem ticket center. Between the wordpress forums and comluv center I was finally able to figure out what my problem was – it was with feedburner! (Speaking of which, if you were one of my blog subscribers you will need to re-fill out the form on the right to receive updates to my blog, it will work this time! Also, if you weren’t one of my previous subscribers please subscribe now so that you can receive all updates!)
6. Learn from other bloggers and blogs. Look around at the other blogs and see what you like and don’t like. There are all kinds of fun features to add (I still have more that I want to add) and you will find a lot of them on other blogs. Also keep an eye out for posts where people share their favorite widgets and plugins. Just remember to install each one separately just in case there is some sort of glitch for you to work out.
7. Never stop learning. Once you get your blog exactly how you like it remember that there will always be new things that you can add that will make it more user-friendly for you and your readers. Also changing things up will keep it more exciting! Variety is the spice of life. Just don’t go overboard!
Do you have more tips for new (or not-so-new) bloggers? Please share by leaving a comment! I would love to hear from you! My next goal is to figure out how to reply directly to the comments that are left.
Did you enjoy this post or think that someone else might find it useful? Please share!
If you are looking for more blogging tips see my other posts on blogging!
Thank you for reading! I'm Stacy, the owner of this blog. You can learn more about me here.
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Hi Stacy!
Thanks for inviting me back to your Blog…it’s always nice seeing you.
You have touched on 7 excellent pointers in your article. The one that really ignited my fuse was Katie’s fast start blogging guide…I followed her instructions & soon after, the fog lifted, then the sun came out & shined over my new blog.
Keep up your fantastic work…your tribal friend Steven Suchar
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Though I’ve had a blog for a while now, I wasn’t “seriously” working with it till a few weeks ago. I’ve learned so much just from watching and reading other bloggers posts and forums. It’s great how everyone seems so willing to share. This post is a good example. Thanks for these tips Stacy!
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I want to start blogging too, what do you think, which blog cms is good for noob?
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Very interesting post. Keep writing!!
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I just recently started a blog and have been looking for some tips and tricks. Thank you for the tips. I look foward to learning more about blogging.
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Hi Stacy,
I credit blogging for the business growth I’ve experienced in the last six months. It’s an amazing medium to attract readers and make new connections without having to go after people. This is especially important if you’re a direct seller/network marketer. #7 is a must not just for blogging but as an entrepreneur, you must continue learning.
Thank you for a great post!
Janette Stoll
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Very nice list Stacy! You are absolutely right. WordPress is the path you should take when it comes to blogging. When you are just starting to blog, it is important that you do research and learn from the more successful bloggers out there. Another good way to increase your popularity is engaging in conversation with the popular bloggers(through blogs) to get your name out there so they can talk about you.
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Even though this article is way to old, I think that these are great blogging tips we should consider and applying it properly.
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Before you start a new blog, it’s essential that you define your goals for it. Your blog has a greater chance of success if you know from the beginning what you hope to accomplish with it.
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