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Looking for beginner-friendly blogging tips you can use to start or grow your own blog?
We’ve got you covered!
In this post, you’ll learn 33 proven blogging tips for beginners. Use these to improve your strategy and take your blog to the next-level.
You’ll also get pro insights from experienced bloggers and entrepreneurs with years of hands-on blogging experience.
Ready? Let’s get started.
Subscribe to Blogging Wizard to get free access to a PDF version of this post with additional expert insights, and a bunch of extra resources to help your blog thrive.
Contents
1. Focus on a specific niche
When you focus on a niche and write on one topic, those interested in that topic will find all your content relevant and valuable. And you can quickly attract a loyal group of readers, increase your organic search traffic and grow your blog faster.
This is one of the most important blogging tips for beginners.
To pick the right niche for your blog as a new blogger, do your research and answer the following questions:
- Will this topic still appeal to you in a year’s time, or after writing over 60 posts?
- Can you find enough people who’re interested in this topic?
- Is it possible to make money writing about this topic?
2. Identify and learn about your target audience
Before you start writing at all, take steps to identify and understand your target audience.
In case you’re wondering, your target audience is a group of people with similar needs, characteristics and behavior who read your content because they get value from it.
As a newbie blogger, you can identify your target audience when you do thorough research, look at competitor’s audience and create an audience persona or avatar.
You also need to know their age range, gender, geographical location, educational level, marital status, profession or occupation, pain points and so on.
Here at Blogging Wizard, our target audience are new and advanced bloggers, content creators and entrepreneurs who want to turn their passion into a business that thrives.
3. Craft a tagline for your blog
With a catchy tagline, new blog visitors can quickly discover the purpose of your blog and who you serve. A tagline can also catch the attention of your target audience, and convince them to explore and spend more time on your blog.
To create a tagline for your blog, state who you create content for and what you help them to achieve.
For example:
- My blog helps university students who wants to pass their exams with ease
- My blog helps stay at home moms who wants to make money online
4. Use the right blogging platform
There are so many free and paid blogging platforms available such as WordPress, Ghost, Medium, Squarespace and so on.
If you’re serious about growing and making money from your blog, you need a platform that’s SEO friendly, simple and easy to set up, requires no coding skills, has various customization options and can accommodate you as you grow.
For example, WordPress is a blogging platform that’s popular with experienced and new bloggers. It has many SEO features and gives you complete control over your blog.
You can even customize it with thousands of free and paid plugins like contact form plugins, page builder plugins and lots more.
5. Choose a solid web hosting provider
You need web hosting for your blog to go live and some of the best providers include Dreamhost, Kinsta, Cloudways and more.
To choose a solid web host and start blogging, consider your answer to the following:
- What is your budget?
- How quickly can this web host load pages?
- Do they offer several server locations plus a CDN service?
- Can they accommodate traffic fluctuations and spikes?
- Do they provide 24/7 support?
- What level of security do they provide?
Dreamhost is officially recommended by WordPress and is one of the best web hosts for a new blogger. They provide quality and affordable web hosting that ensures your blog loads fast and is always available.
1. There are 4 core components of a successful blog; your Business model, Audience, Content, and Marketing. All these need to be in sync with each other. Use the BACM Framework to develop a blogging strategy that supports growth (instead of hindering it).
2. Don’t try a new tactic/strategy and label it a failure if it doesn’t deliver instant results. These things take time. Understand the why and learn from what doesn’t work.
3. Focus on the fundamentals. They work.
6. Pick the right blog name
Are you aware that your blog name also serves as your domain name online?
Your domain name is the address of your blog on the internet. Once people type your domain name in their browser, they’ll be directed to your blog.
To buy and register your domain name as a newbie blogger, check with a domain name registrar if the name is available. Also confirm the availability on your preferred social media platforms.
You can choose the right blog name when you consider the following:
- What is your blog niche?
- Will your blog name remain relevant if your niche changes?
- Do you want to build your brand around your name?
- Is your blog name easy to type, pronounce and spell?
- Does it read okay written in a domain URL format?
Need help? Check out our post on domain name ideas for 21 catchy and memorable ideas you can use.
Your blog will be easy to navigate when you have four to five blog categories that’re subtopics of your main topic.
With each blog post arranged under relevant categories, people and search engine crawlers will find your blog easy to navigate and understand. And this can drive more traffic to your blog.
For example, Cookie and Kate is a food blog with categories like breakfast, salad, soup, dinner and so on.
8. Identify your monetization strategies
You can make money from your blog when you treat it as a business and identify blog monetization strategies to focus on.
To choose the best ways to monetize your blog, consider your niche, blogging goals, business model and audience needs.
Here are some useful blog monetization ideas:
9. Have an about page
On your about page, new and repeat visitors can learn about you, your brand, the purpose and mission of your blog and everything you have to offer.
You can write an engaging about page when you:
- Introduce yourself and your brand with a summary
- Share how you can help your audience achieve their goals
- Tell stories about your experience, achievements and failures
- End the page with one call to action
Take a look at this about page example from the Enchanting Marketing blog:
10. Optimize for mobile
These days, most people go online using their smartphones, tablets and other mobile devices.
According to Statista, mobile devices (excluding tablets) generated 58.33% of global website traffic in the first quarter of 2023.
Without mobile optimization, your blog won’t show up properly on smartphones and tablets. And this can annoy people and drive them away from your blog.
But when optimized for mobile, content and images will display properly, fonts will be easy to read, images and videos will load fast and visitors will have a great user experience.
1. Don’t try to mimic anyone else because you’ll never stand out from the crowd.
2. Don’t be mediocre on a dozen social media platforms. Instead, be really freakin’ good on ONE! When you’ve mastered it, add another to the mix.
3. Don’t be afraid of artificial intelligence. Embrace it. I work with writers and bloggers every day. Those who don’t embrace AI will, sadly, eventually be replaced by it.
11. Ensure your blog loads quickly
When your blog loads very fast, you can engage and convert more readers, attract repeat visitors and drive more traffic.
According to statistics:
- The average webpage load time is 3.21 seconds
- Sites that load in one second have a conversion rate of 39%. But this reduces to 18% if loading takes up to six seconds
- 82% of consumers confirm that slow page speed impact their purchasing decisions
Aim for a page load time between one and three seconds because the faster your blog page speed, the better.
Your blog can load very fast when you use a quality web host provider, compress images and always check if your hosting plan needs an upgrade or not.
Also:
12. Improve the security of your blog
To improve the security of your blog as a new blogger and protect it from deadly attacks, use a reputable web host with strong security features, create and use strong passwords and install security plugins.
In addition:
- Keep your passwords safe with an excellent password manager
- Update your blog software, themes and plugins promptly
- Install a secure sockets layer (SSL) certificate on your blog
- Use only plugins and themes from reputable sources
- Regularly, backup your blog and do security audits
13. Install Google Analytics
Once your blog goes live, install Google Analytics to track and measure relevant performance metrics.
This will help you stay updated on what’s working or not, quickly identify and resolve challenges and grow your blog faster.
Here are some popular blog performance metrics to measure:
- Sources of traffic
- Number of daily, weekly and monthly blog visitors
- Bounce rate
- Most viewed content or blog pages
- Website speed
Google analytics is a great web analytics tool for new bloggers. Not only is it free, simple and easy to use but it also works with most websites.
However, there are many Google Analytics alternatives such as Clicky Analytics, Matomo, Semrush, Kissmetrics, Hotjar and so on
14. Develop a blog content strategy
Your blog content strategy can give you focus and direction, encourage you to treat your blog as a business and also help you stay on track to achieve your goals.
And it doesn’t have to be complicated or overwhelming.
You can just list out your content goals, arrange them in order of priority and identify the type of blog content you need to create to achieve each goal.
Such content goals can include:
- Create content that rank on the first page on Google
- Create content that attract links
- Create content that engage your audience
- Create content that convert readers to customers
1. To make a living as a blogger, play the long game because it works.
2. Use the first year to learn about blogging, email marketing, affiliate marketing, copywriting and social media. From there, finetune your writing process.
3. And with that covered, start networking and collaborating with other bloggers in your niche.
15. Use an editorial calendar
Also called a content calendar, an editorial calendar can help you plan your blog content, weeks, months or even a year in advance.
You can use it to organize and prioritize blog post ideas. And attach time deadlines to various stages of your content production process, such as writing, editing, creating images, proofreading and publishing.
As a new blogger, all these can help you stay organized and productive, meet deadlines, publish consistently and achieve blogging success faster.
You can find free editorial calendar templates online or create one using tools like Trello, Google Sheets, Google Calendar, Notion and so on.
Here’s a free content calendar template from Trello:
16. Do keyword research & understand search intent
Keyword research is the process of finding relevant keywords your audience uses, so you can create keyword optimized content, boost your search engine ranking and drive more organic traffic.
For example, if you blog about healthy diets, relevant keywords may include:
- Healthy diet plan
- Healthy diet plan for weight loss
- What are healthy diets?
However, search engines will also rank your content on how well it matches search intent.
Put simply, search intent is the reason behind a keyword. Different types of search intent exist and it varies from one keyword to another.
If you can do keyword research to identify relevant keywords, convert them to blog post ideas, create quality content that satisfies search intent, then search engines will likely rank your content high.
You can also use some great keyword research tools like Keyword Tool, Ahrefs, KWFinder, Semrush and so on.
17. Create quality content that provides value
You can start blogging and create quality content when you write longer blog posts that provide:
Your content will also provide value when you get content ideas directly from your readers and also:
- Identify popular content from your Google analytics and create more of such
- Back up your points with relevant data, statistics and research findings
Once you always create and publish valuable content, don’t be surprised if search engines always rank them high.
18. Start with multiple blog posts
Planning to start blogging with only one blog post? That’s okay, although your blog may look scanty for a start.
But when you launch with a minimum of three to five posts:
- Your first set of visitors will have more than one blog post to engage with
- Google and other search engines will have more content to crawl
- Your blog site won’t look so empty or scanty
Launching your blog with a decent number of posts can quickly raise your credibility as a blogger, improve the engagement of your first set of visitors and most likely, boost your search engine ranking
19. Optimize for on page SEO
Also called on-site SEO, on page SEO is a type of search engine optimization (SEO) for blog posts and other pages on your blog. It can increase organic search traffic and your blog’s visibility online.
To optimize for on page SEO, use your target keyword:
- In the first 100 to 150 words of your content
- As close as possible to the beginning of your title
- In your URL and meta description
You should also reduce image and file sizes as necessary and in addition:
- Keep your URLs as short as possible
- Use H1 and H2 tags as appropriate
- Write a description known as Alt Text for all images
Of course, you can use on page SEO tools to handle a lot of these. And for WordPress users, there are SEO plugins that can help you hit the ground running.
20. Craft compelling headlines
Are you aware that 8 out of 10 people will read a headline copy but only 2 out of 10 will read the rest?
Your headline is a one-line statement that quickly communicates your blog post’s value. It’s so powerful that most people choose to read or ignore a blog post based on the headline alone.
To create compelling headlines, here are some popular headline formats:
- Question
- How To
- Guide
- Steps
- Tips
You can generate blog title ideas and even review and improve their quality with headline tools such as SEOPressor blog title generator, CoSchedule Headline analyzer and many others.
1. Define precisely WHO you’ll write your blog for. For example: stressed parents, freelance copywriters, or busy managers.
2. Next, get some real clarity around the “what,” i.e., WHAT it helps them to achieve. A simple template is “My blog helps [audience] to [objective]”.
3. Then try to pin down the WHY, i.e., why should people read your blog instead of more established blogs? What does it offer that’s different?
21. Make your content easy to scan and skim
For over 13 years, research showed that online readers don’t read word for word but only skim and scan.
So, producing content that’s easy to skim and scan for online readers means delivering content in an easy to absorb format.
To achieve this, avoid writing large blocks of text, write short paragraphs and sentences and also:
- Include images and visuals in your content
- Use the right font and font size
- Include headings and subheadings in your content
- Use bullet points and numbered lists
22. Include CTAs in your blog posts
If you want readers to do something specific after reading your blog post, include a call to action(CTA).
In digital marketing, your CTA is a persuasive phrase that invites online readers to do something. Without it, most people will just read your content and leave.
You can write a CTA copy that converts when you keep it short, use power words and action verbs, write in first person and also include words that create a sense of urgency.
Some blog CTA examples include:
- Learn more
- Download now
- Sign up for free
Check out this image at the bottom of our posts here on Blogging Wizard, asking readers to sign up for our newsletter:
23. Add internal and external links
Internal links connect relevant pages and content on your blog to each other. It also guides visitors and search engines to related content.
Without internal links, search engine crawlers may struggle to find some of your blog content.
On the other hand, external links connect your blog post to another blog or website and guide readers to relevant content outside your blog. For best results, avoid linking to irrelevant content, competitors in your niche and non-reputable sites.
When done right, having relevant internal and quality external links in your blog posts can provide more value for readers, increase your blog SEO, boost the authority and credibility of your blog and increase website traffic.
24. Edit and proofread before you hit publish
Your blog posts may contain typos, wrong spellings and bad grammar, if you don’t edit and proofread always. This can reduce your blog quality, irritate and annoy interested readers and cause them to stop reading.
So, create time to edit and proofread more than once, before you hit publish.
For best results, take a break once you finish writing before you start to edit and proofread. This will give you fresh eyes that can spot all the errors and mistakes in your content.
Of course, you can also use grammar checkers like Grammarly, ProWritingAid and so on.
25. Avoid plagiarism at all cost
Plagiarism involves copying and pasting other people’s words, phrases and ideas in your content verbatim, without giving credit to the source.
This can damage your credibility and cause you to lose the trust, respect and loyalty of your audience.
You can avoid plagiarizing when you acknowledge and credit your sources by listing them at the bottom of your content or linking to the content you’re quoting from.
You can also run your content through plagiarism detection tools like Grammarly, Copyscape, ProWritingAid, and so on, before publication.
26. Publish new blog posts consistently
When you publish new blog posts consistently, maybe on a daily, weekly, biweekly or even on a monthly basis, your readers will know what to expect from you
This can help you gain their trust and loyalty faster, attract repeat visitors and increase organic traffic.
To choose the best posting schedule for you, consider your content goals and strategy, your audience and your availability.
Also, try more than one posting schedule to identify your best one. And as your audience grows, consider asking them through surveys and polls.
1. Embrace AI, because it is the future of content.
2. Consider stepping into the role of an AI optimizer(AIO), or hiring an AIO. With AIO, you’re in the driver’s seat of the AI machine, making it better – more personalized, human, and experience-focused.
3. Get lean & profitable in your blogging business. Thanks to AI, savvy bloggers/content creators have more of an opportunity than ever to create a profitable business.
When you recommend related content in your blog posts, readers can quickly find more blog content without searching.
Place such recommendations in the middle or at the end of your posts so interested readers can click those links, read more content and spend more time on your blog.
This is a great way to boost reader engagement.
For example, Livestrong offers healthier lifestyle tips and often recommends three or more related content within their blog posts.
28. Publish different types of content
You can attract and engage members of your audience who enjoy variety, when you publish different content types and blog post ideas that provide value.
For example:
Since over 2 million blog posts are published daily, don’t sit back, fold your arms and wait for people to find your content on their own.
Instead, promote and share your blog posts widely, so more people can discover them faster.
You can share your blog posts with email subscribers and also on relevant:
- Social media channels like Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter, etc.
- Niche social bookmarking sites like Zest, BizSugar, GrowthHacker, etc
- Online communities like Facebook groups, Slack channels, Discord groups, etc.
You can also add a link to your latest blog post in your email signature. And even use content promotion platforms like Sendible, BuzzStream, Outbrain, Taboola, etc.
All these can get more eyes on your content quickly, drive increased traffic and grow your blog faster.
30. Repurpose your blog posts
You can repurpose new and old blog posts when you convert them to another format like an eBook, a video, an infographic, a Facebook post and so on.
For example, we published a blog post titled: How To Stand Out Online – 43 Experts Share Their Top Tips a while back on Blogging Wizard. It had over 5000 visits and 2000 social shares.
Later, it was turned into an infographic and published on another site, which attracted an extra 35,000+ visitors.
Done right, repurposing your blog posts will save you time, energy and resources, help you create a variety of content faster, attract readers, engage more people and increase organic traffic.
With more than half of the world’s population on social media, both new and experienced bloggers need to be active on relevant social media sites.
Different types of social media sites include:
- Traditional social media like Facebook and Twitter
- Image sharing platforms like Instagram and Pinterest
- Video sharing networks like YouTube and TikTok
- Social messaging apps like WhatsApp and Telegram
- Forum style networks like Reddit and Quora
For best results, identify one or two social media channels where your target audience hangs out and sign up. Learn how they work, define your social media marketing strategy and tactics, engage constantly with your audience and followers and track relevant metrics.
Also, add relevant social sharing buttons to all your blog posts so readers can share them on social media. You can even use social media management tools to achieve more.
Being active on social media can advertise your blog widely, drive huge organic traffic, generate leads, promote your content, build backlinks, boost SEO and lots more.
1. Money and popularity only arrive after blogging for a long time. Learn blogging from professional bloggers who specialize in blogging tips. Write detailed, long-form blog posts to gain credibility.
2. Consider writing 500 words offline daily in a Word document, to develop the key mental habit of not being too attached to your writing.
3. Connect with your readers and top bloggers in your niche. Creating, connecting and practicing gives you immense confidence, something all new bloggers need.
32. Build and grow your email list
In digital marketing, an email list is a list of email subscribers who gave you permission to send them emails.
Once you start blogging, also start building your email list because:
- Email marketing is the best way to connect one on one with your audience
- You can segment your email list and provide personalized irresistible offers
- Email marketing has a higher return on investment compared to any other marketing channel
To build and grow your email list, create a valuable lead magnet, have a dedicated landing page, place your opt-in forms on relevant pages and make it super easy for people to sign up.
33. Network and build relationships with others
As the chief marketing officer of your own blog, you can achieve faster blogging success when you collaborate, network and build relationships with other bloggers in your niche, plus even business blogs in related niches.
Whether you’re a new blogger or an experienced blogger, this is one of the most important blogging tips to pay attention to.
Here are some steps you can take:
- Provide useful comments on other blogs in your niche
- Develop a guest blogging strategy, then pitch and write guest posts for other blogs
- Engage with other bloggers on social media
- Mention influencers and successful bloggers in your blog posts and let them know
- Join thriving online communities in your niche
- Interview one or more influencers in your niche and publish an interview blog post
- Become a guest on podcasts in your niche
These relationships can quickly boost your credibility as a new blogger, advertise and promote your content far and wide, drive more traffic and help you grow your audience faster.
Start and grow your blog successfully!
With these blogging tips for beginners and experienced bloggers, you can confidently start your blogging journey and grow a successful blog.
However, don’t expect to make money quickly because it takes time, patience and plenty of work.
Be prepared also to get positive and negative feedback. And don’t let the negative ones discourage or stop you.
In essence, implement these beginner-friendly blogging tips one after the other, remain focused, avoid common blogging mistakes, have fun and enjoy yourself on your blogging journey.
Good luck!
Subscribe to Blogging Wizard to get free access to a PDF version of this post with additional expert insights, and a bunch of extra resources to help your blog thrive.
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