Blogging can be a bit overwhelming when you’re new to the game.  You’re probably already familiar with many examples of successful blogs and you want to emulate what they’re doing.  It’s only natural.  Blogging has become a terrific way for people and companies to generate lots of free traffic.  As the popularity of blogging has grown, the level of competition has grown harder as well.  How can a new blogger distinguish themselves from the pack?

Let’s take a look at several tips that should help a new blogger.

Customize your blog theme

Either get a full-blown unique design or your blog or purchase an existing template and modify it.  It will cost you extra money up front, but it really does make a difference.  A lot of people will leave their blog theme set to the default.  This is the same thing spammers do.  If people land at your blog and see a theme they already associate with low-quality content, it can’t help your reputation any.  Ditch the plain theme and spruce it up a bit.

Edit your posts thoroughly

If you plan on successfully blogging, you need to learn how to proofread your posts.  Mistakes in grammar and spelling are enough to drive anyone from your straight for your to a competitor’s.  Get in the habit early in your blogging career of taking your time when you write.  Even more importantly, make sure you edit every post with a fine-tooth comb.  You might be surprised at just how many mistakes can be made in a few hundred words.  Google has even begun cracking down on low-quality, poorly worded posts, so keep that in mind.  You want to impress search engines and visitors with your language prowess.   Blogging is a great way to learn how to write better, as long as you constantly check for errors and strive to improve your posts.  Editing is your friend.

Focus on building your credibility

Credibility is more important than ever online.  Bloggers are giving their opinion much like journalists did in the past.  This means credibility is needed.  A blogger should use a real name and have an accessible social media profile.  This is even more important for a business blogger.  You need to establish credibility in your posts as well.  That means you need to link to authoritative sources when stating facts.  Use pictures and videos to help make your argument.  Always place a strong emphasis on establishing and maintaining credibility.

Write comprehensive posts

Short blog posts are out.  These days, visitors expect you to cover the whole topic in a single, authoritative post.  Don’t shortchange visitors.  Give them all the information they need so they’ll trust you as a source they can turn to in the future.   A comprehensive post pulls in as much information as possible, so the surfer really feels they got their money’s worth.  Link to as many sources as you need and include as much material as you feel is appropriate until you’ve thoroughly covered the topic.

Don’t forget to promote your posts!

If you think making a blog post is all there is to it, you’re in for a rude awakening.  Writing your post is only the very beginning.  You also have to get that post out there so people can read it.  You can’t remain passive and expect that people will come to you, just because you’ve updated.  Keep in mind just how many other blogs updated too!  You have to try and stand out and one of the best ways to do that is to use social media marketing to help promote your post to people who might be interested.  Don’t be shy.  Sell that post!

Update often

If you don’t update your blog a lot, especially when you’re new, you won’t stand a chance at getting traffic.  You’ll need lots of posts to get recognized and start driving people to your website.  If your posts are few and far between, so will the visitors be!  It’s not always easy to come up with new material for a blog, but you have to try.  If you get lazy and quit updating, your readers will fall off and find another blog to read.  Being able to blog all the time is really an essential ingredient to succeeding in the blogging game.  Bloggers have to work very hard to attract attention.  Success comes from repeating the process daily.

Develop a system for blogging

If you plan on updating consistently, you should think of creating a system that you can follow to create blog posts.  Make sure to follow a basic ritual that lets you be more productive when it comes to blogging.  You may want to turn off the TV, lock the dog outside, and do some meditation before you start.  It’s up to you.  The point is, get yourself into a mindset that you’re ‘going to work‘ when you sit down to blog.  Blogging is more like a job than a hobby most days, so bring a workmanlike attitude to the task.

Be yourself

Don’t concern yourself with following others.  Blogging is uniquely personal.  You’re better off trying to put as much ‘you’ into your posts as you can and don’t just imitate what you saw someone else do.  Other bloggers have a much different schtick then you do.  You need to learn what works for your blog and its readers.  You’re trying to find an audience and the easiest way for you to do that is to create truly unique content.   Far too many bloggers imitate others, and it shows.  Very few bloggers are trail blazers.  Since you can’t compete with other bloggers based on your history, since you’re new, focus instead on originality.  There are 6 gazillion billion blogs on the world wide web, according to the most recent count.  Think of how hard it really is to make yours stand out!

I hope you’ve enjoyed these 8 tips for new bloggers.  Thanks for stopping by!  If you enjoyed this post, please be so kind as to share it with your friends on the social network of your choice.  Click on any of the social sharing icons in the right sidebar to join us on all the popular social networks.

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