10 Tips for Brand New Bloggers

My first blog post was published on July 14th. I didn't really know what I was doing/getting myself into when I started a month ago, but I am here to tell you that I'm sure glad I did it. Blogging has opened up to me a brand new community of such happy, outgoing, creative, interesting people.
Having only been blogging for a month, I had to quickly try to catch myself up to other bloggers. Funny thing is, you can't. It's nearly impossible to know exactly what you're doing from the get-go. So don't stress about it!

Since I started my blog I have...

• changed my blog title 3 times
• changed my blog theme 4-5 times
• considered deleting twice
• changed my blog's twitter handle once
• made two different email accounts for the blog

At first, I was totally embarrassed that I kept changing my blog title but hey, you have to find something you love and something that sticks. Kayla Blogs is simple and generic but that's pretty much what this blog is! Simple, for sure. And its content covers a lot of bases (not quite yet, but soon). I needed something that would work with all of my content. Kayla Blogs does just that.

Even though I've only just started this blog, I've already learned QUITE a few things (stemming from mistakes, mostly) and I'd like to share them with you. 

Here we go.

Kayla's 10 Tips for Newbie Bloggers

1. Wait until you have posted at least 2-3 blog entries BEFORE you share your blog. No sense sending people to your blog when you have 1 post titled "About This Blog". If you have more than one it makes you seem like you know what you're doing a little better (even though you probably still have no clue, it's fine).

2. DO YOUR RESEARCH when it comes to hosting, domains, etc. I was a total dumb-dumb and paid for hosting when I realized that I just wanted to use Blogger. Poo. Side note: if you need help switching from yourblogname.blogspot.com to just yourblogname.com without having to switch your host (ex: Blogger to Wordpress) THIS article was super super helpful! The best step-by-step guide I found!

3. Don't worry when you can't think of anything to blog about. Because chances are, you  have a really good idea but you just don't think it's good enough. When in doubt, just start writing! If it ends up being a terrible post, then scrap it! But at least you got some words flowing and maybe a new idea popped into your head while you were writing the not-so-good post.When I'm completely stumped, I browse other blogs for inspiration and Blog Lovin' is a great resource for that which brings me to my next tip...

4. MAKE A BLOG LOVIN ACCOUNT! It makes it SO easy for others to view your blog posts all in one spot! It's also helpful for you, too, so you can keep up with your friends and favorite bloggers.

5. Make a separate Twitter account for your blog. I have a personal twitter, but I know not all my followers care about my blog and want to see me tweeting about my blog posts every 12 seconds. INSTEAD, make a separate Twitter and link them! In the Twitter app, you can click the little button next to the gear on your profile and link two accounts. Some people prefer using two separate apps for their accounts so they don't get mixed up. Personally, I haven't had this problem yet so this works for me! Once your accounts are linked you can tweet your blog posts and use your personal account to RT yourself every once in a while. Advertise your blog's twitter on your personal page a few times to give your friends the option to follow you there as well. If they follow you 1. that means they're an awesome friend and 2. they WANT to see your blog posts all up in their feed. So don't feel bad.

6. On your new blog's Twitter account, follow as many blogs as possible! @FemaleBloggerRT is an amazing account! Tweet your latest blog post and tag them and they'll RT you to all of their followers! I've followed a lot of people because I saw their posts RT'd by @FemaleBloggerRT so it definitely works. Check hashtags such as #lblogger if you're a lifestyle blogger, #bblogger if you're a beauty blogger, etc. Follow people who have those hashtags with their blog posts. You want to make as many friends as possible. That being said...

7. Tweet at people! Don't just post about your blog all the time. Make some friends! It's like the first day of school out there for us newbie bloggers. Nobody wants to be friends with someone who is ME ME ME all the time! If someone tweets a question, answer it! Use smiley faces, people like that. If someone posts a selfie tell them they look cute, compliment them (only if you mean it, of course)! Chances are it will 1. make their day and 2. they'll remember you as that super nice person that said they looked pretty. Also, if you see any Twitter chats going on join them! That's an AMAZING way to meet new bloggers. I haven't joined any yet but I'm looking forward to doing some in the near future.

8. If you're too shy to just tweet at people then thank them for following you! The more blogs YOU follow, the more people that will end up following you. If you see a few new people following you, tweet out a "hey thanks for following!" and chances are they'll appreciate it. Don't DM people, it means a little extra something when you're willing to publicly acknowledge their follow. You know what I mean, right?

9. Add your blog to ALL your social media accounts. Twitter bio, Instagram bio, Pinterest, Linked In (if it's not something totally unprofessional. Having a blog could definitely set you apart from the competition!), YouTube, Facebook...

10. Last tip is make a FB page for your blog and invite everyone on your friends list. Seriously. Almost everyone will be willing to help you out and click "like". Post regularly on it, and thank your "likers" when you reach a milestone!

Phew. This was a lot longer than I expected it would be, but the ideas just kept flowing!
If you're a newbie blogger comment below and I'd love to check out your blog! Also, include your Twitter handles as well I love following new blogs on Twitter!