I haven’t done a post in this series for a while and I wanted to bring it back with something that, well, honestly I wish I would have read when I first started blogging. I’ve made TONS of mistakes since I started this blog (and even well before this blog with other ones) and I’m sure I would have made a lot of those same mistakes even with a list like this just because I’m the kind of person who has to experience things. But this would have reminded me that I wasn’t alone and that things take time to learn. So here are 25 mistakes I made as a new blogger.
- Not learning how to format posts or pictures properly within a post
- Not learning SEO or how important it is
- Not knowing how easy it can be to take decent photos/edit them even without a fancy DSLR or Photoshop
- Wishing I could be like another blogger or have their claim to fame
- Thinking that being a “big” blogger meant more than it actually does
- Blogging about things that were trendy even though I had little to zero interest in them
- Holding myself to everyone else’s rules or standards even though they didn’t work for me
- Not taking the time to know what my voice was or understanding that it’s an ongoing thing
- Offering ad swaps and sponsorships before I really felt comfortable with my own blog
- Thinking that people would read my blog without me dedicating time and effort to marketing it
- Not understanding how important interaction on the blog, email or social media can be for a blog
- Thinking I needed to read every big lifestyle blog to make a name for myself
- Not taking the time (or money) to invest in a solid design for my blog that’s consistent
- Spending my money to advertise on blogs that A) weren’t a good fit for me and B) had little interest in promoting me
- Not protecting my blog from spam comments right away
- Not understanding the importance of an about page or the about blurb in the sidebar
- Commenting on other blogs even when I hardly had anything to say, just so I could comment
- Saying yes to too many things when I should have been focusing on a select amount of things I could do well
- Blogging when I had nothing or very little to say
- Neglecting the importance of post titles
- Focusing on giveaways being a main part of my marketing plan
- Advertising on blogs even though I wasn’t 100% confident with the blog I was advertising
- Focusing on making money with my blog before I was ready for it
- Writing reviews for anyone and everyone that contacted me to do so
- Forgetting that almost everyone truly did start in the same place I did
what are some of the mistakes you made as a new blogger?
I choose solitude over social scenes. Tea and wine over soda and beer. Simplicities over complexities. And chocolate over all of those things any day.
Great post Ash! I feel the same way about all of them, seriously. It’s funny how we evolve, adapt, learn, and then suddenly it all makes sense. I’ve just recently felt like I’ve discovered who I am as a blogger, and found a groove that I know I can stick with. Biggest mistake? Caring too much about the numbers. That is pure poison to a blogger’s soul!
I love this. As a small blog just starting out there are so many things that I know I’ll do wrong (let’s just call it ‘practice’) but reading lists like this from larger blogs helps out so much!
“Blogging about things that were trendy even though I had little to zero interest in them” YES!!! Also… “Thinking I needed to read every big lifestyle blog to make a name for myself” DOUBLE YES!!! I agree 100% and I did both of those, which is why I re-started LnL a few times. One big mistake, that I am still working on, is the fact that I don’t do as much for my sponsors as I can. That is one thing I loathe about depression, is that I can be pumped up one day and down the next. I’ve had months where I feel like a total failure for my sponsors and I hate letting them down. This year I am trying to power through, even when I feel like crap. Because if someone puts their blog and/or shop in my hands, I want to truly make a difference for them, help them shine, ya know?
Hey :) thanks for this post, it’s really helpful. I’ve started a blog recently just because I wanted somewhere I could record memories my husband and I are making. I have memory problems and there are so many precious things I don’t want to forget! But I know zilch about the web really, computers fly way over my head! So I’m learning all of this stuff from scratch :)
One thing I would add is “don’t spend until you earn. start with what you have”. Lots of blogging website give advice on how to build a blog with domain, hosting, design and so on. It wouldn’t be so practical for a totally new blogger who just wants to try out as a hobby. For the first steps, I think a new blogger should just buy a domain for around 10usd/year and use Blogger for free hosting and also take advantage of its blogging community. In the long run, when the blog is developed and (probably starts monetizes), it would be better to think of investing more
This all looks too familiar! I’ve been guilty of some of these as well. Even after a few years, it’s still a learning process. I like your point about using social media. I went some time without using Twitter, Pinterest and Stumbleupon, but when I finally caved in, I wondered why I had waited so long to utilize these channels.
Great list! A lot of these things I just recently learned and it’s making such a difference in how I blog! Sometimes I wish I had known these things from the beginning, but then I realize it’s good to learn from your mistakes!
WOW Ashley! I haven’t stopped by your blog in maybe a year…(sorry!) but I am SO IMPRESSED with how far you’ve come! This is a wonderful list and reflection of how much both you and your little space on the internet have grown! Bravo, chica and I’ll be stopping back for more ;) xo
Great post, I have done at least half of these!
xx
Kelly
Sparkles and Shoes
Thanks for the list Ashley, as a new blogger I really appreciate it. I’ve just started working on a layout that I actually “like” and am realizing how important it is to spend time on the things I enjoy and work at it slowly. I burnt myself out trying to be like the popular bloggers, like I didn’t learn that lesson by trying to be like the popular kids in high school?!
Damn girl… you read my mind. There are SOOOO many things I wish I had known when I started blogging. And a lot of these are mistakes I made.
Yes!! This is such good advice!! Thanks so much for sharing!!
It’s so generous to write these posts, because you have to admit making mistakes, and nobody likes that! But it’s so helpful and informative, I’m hoping to do some ‘lessons learned’ posts this year too. My biggest problems are expectations, impatience and comparing myself to others! Ugh. I’m visiting from Tuesday Tango and happily following on Bloglovin’ now, thanks for reeling me in with this one!
x
Thanks for doing post like this. I feel so alone and lost in the blogging world sometimes. I know I shouldn’t compare myself to other bloggers out there, but I do and it’s such a pain. I appreciate all your posts.
Jamie
Yes quite a few of these apply to me as well! I started my blog a year ago and I’m still working on it, but somewhat inconsistently! I’d say that’s my biggest mistake – sometimes doubting my blog and leaving it idle – even though blogging is something I really enjoy! 2012 was the year of experimenting with new things for me – 2013 is about taking them to the next level!
You know you’re going to have to write another post on the 25 ways you fixed all these mistakes. LOL – I’m curious!
I’m on pinterest and my blog automatically updates to all the social media outlets (facebook, twitter), but I get zero people clicking on anything of mine from twitter. How do you guys interact with social networking to grow your blog?
As I read this, I was nodding along and wishing so badly that I could reach every new blogger to tell them these things! I made so many of these mistakes and wish I had known better!
Thanks for this post!
Perfect! I really need a blog redesign. After four years, you’d think I’d have a pro one, right? Urgh.
Thanks for the tips! I’ll be keeping them in mind :)
x Gi
alibimag.blogspot.com