Thursday, March 13, 2014

How To Be a Better Blogger


Let's just get this truth out in the open: the idea of making money with a blog is very cool. I believe that every blogger is somewhere on a spectrum between "eh, I guess making money with my blog would be nice, but I'm good either way" and "my blog is my business/life/everything". I sit somewhere in the middle, but even from that vantage point, I sometimes have mini-meltdowns about just how much information exists out there on how to be a successful blogger.

I recently listened to this podcast episode from Joy the Baker which really digs into how the blogging industry (if we can even call it an industry) has changed over the last few years. I highly recommend giving it a listen. Apparently in the golden days of blogging, long before my time, bloggers were compensated in accordance with their Clicks Per Minute, or CPM. That means if you had a really viral post that catapulted you into success, or if you developed a devoted following over time, there was a chance that you could be making BANK (or at least some pretty decent money). In today's blogging universe, that is just not the case. CPM is still monitored, but it hardly accounts for anything, and the same is true for most click-based stats. If you have Google AdSense on your website, you know this to be largely the case.

True story on this: My blog first came to be known (by people other than my mom) because of this post I wrote about wedding do-overs. It was shared a lot on Pinterest because I guess people don't want to make mistakes at their weddings, who knows. Anyway, there was one day where my page views just SKYROCKETED. 17,000+ hits in a single day (what the helllll?!). I went to click the "Earnings" tab on my Blogger account, my hands rubbing together like Mr. Burns from the Simpsons, and do you know how much I made from Google that day?

$8.01

That's roughly $0.00047 per click. Definitely not mogul money, but make no mistake, I did buy myself a Big Gulp that evening.

I earned it.

The point is you can get thousands of views in a day, but if you're not leveraging some other side of your business (ad spots, sponsors, affiliate links, product reviews, merchandise), you're not going to make a lot of money. The good news is that there are people out there who are able to make an excellent living off of their blogging earnings. The bad news is that getting to that point can be a colossal pain in the ass.

As someone who has been taking this blogging game pretty seriously over the last year, I've developed a bit of insight (mostly by making mistakes) into what it takes to get readers, keep readers, and yeah, make a little money. No matter where you are in your blogging journey, whether you are Joanna Goddard-level famous or your only follower is your mom (hey, go say thanks to your mom), I believe there are a few key areas we should always be focusing on as people who make stuff for the internet. Some of these pieces of advice may help you grow your readership and some may just help you to see yourself as an artist. Take from it what you will.

Oh, and keep in mind that these are all things at which I've failed, and I probably will again.

#1. Just, like, stop trying so hard.

You know how they say a watched pot never boils? Well, we all know that is garbage. I watched a pot the other day while I was making ramen, and you know what? It boiled. But you know what else? I wasn't any better for having watched it.

That's kind of how blogging works, and probably life, I don't know. Much like the inevitability of water boiling when heated, your blog will grow if you keep at it. It simply will. Unless you don't touch it for months on end, it's likely going to get some traction at some point.

But it takes time, probably more time than you'd like

In the waiting stage, it's so tempting to make desperate moves to get more followers, more likes, more retweets. This is the time where you are most likely to look over into the yards of other, more successful bloggers to try to see what they are doing that you are not. You start making lists, adding more pictures, talking about coffee.

But here's the truth -- readers can smell desperation, and it makes them uneasy. I mean, you know this from personal experience. You've been to that blog before where every post is riddled with cliches and the "About Me" seems like it was written by an alien studying human expression. You didn't stick around long, did you?

Look, I agonized over who was following my blog and how to make it more shareable until one day, I wrote a post that I assumed only my friends would enjoy, and it took off. Things really do happen when you stop trying so hard. Stop obsessively checking your stats, stop using vocabulary you don't really understand, and start writing about the things that matter to you.

#2. Love on other bloggers.

Okay, you're seeing your page views go up, so obviously someone is reading your posts, but no one is leaving any comments. This can be super discouraging. I used to get frustrated when I would post my blog on Facebook, get tons of comments there but no comments on my actual blog. This taught me something, though: social media sites like Facebook and Twitter have an ingrained interactive (social) component. That's not necessarily the case for blogs. If you want people to interact with your content, you have to create a commenting culture. 

Here was my problem: I was sharing posts on Facebook with people who were, for the most part, non-bloggers. Non-bloggers usually won't want to leave comments on your blog because it's not a platform with which they are particularly comfortable. They'll read, and then they'll bounce off to something else. 

You know who will want to leave comments on your blog? BLOGGERS! 

But how do you get them to visit your blog? Easy. Leave comments on their blog! The very thing you want, do it for someone else. And do it genuinely. Find some blogs you're really into and leave relevant comments. I say relevant because "Hey cool post follow pls" probably won't cut it. It doesn't for me anyway.

Oh, also, link to these other blogs that you like. Tweet at them. Make them feel like a million bucks, and I promise you, at least a few of them will return the favor.

#3. Express yourself with your design.

A beautiful layout...ah, a blogger's white whale. Like the clothes we wear or the apartment we decorate with throw pillows from IKEA, a blog layout is the world's first impression of what you are all about. I feel like this is an area with which we can get a little too obsessed, but then again, I'm not a design-centric blogger. There are always things that can be improved upon, but as far as I'm concerned, here are the only criteria with which you should judge your blog layout:

Is it eye-catching? Is it acceptably clean? Can I find all the things? Does it reflect me?

If the answer to these questions is yes, then you are golden! Once again, it's about putting your stamp on things. I am positive that there are some people who come to my brightly-colored blog, thinking to themselves that it looks like a muppet just barfed all over their computer screen. But you know what? These clashing colors and giant glasses do a good job of expressing all of the whimsical nonsense I want to share with the world. 

#4. Make it sharable. 

This is a rule you can feel free to break if it doesn’t work with your style, but I believe that graphics are the single most important aspect to any blogging success I’ve had thus far. Back to my wedding do-overs post -- this was the first of my blog posts that I ever pinned. I took a picture from my wedding, slapped a title on it, shared it on Pinterest, and to this day, that post is still spreading like crazy

If I had not created a graphic, maybe someone would have pinned one of my pictures instead, but I genuinely believe that taking 5 minutes to make a title image in Pic Monkey made all of the difference for me. And when I say 5 minutes, it really is that easy, easier even. I just made this picture in exactly 2 minutes and 45 seconds.



Now, not every image you pin is going to go viral, but the point is that images are effective. Don’t assume, however, that graphics are a substitute for quality writing. They are not.

#5. Write what you want and wait for someone to like it.

I may have already said something similar to this (or exactly like this) before, but that’s because it really bears repeating. Writing is a practice that has the power to shape lives, most notably your own. If you are blogging what you love – at best, you will make a career out of it. At worst, you will have a collection of writing that you can be proud of. When you write what you love, you simply cannot lose.


Anyway, for preaching sharable content and graphics, this sure has been a wordy post with very few images. Still, I hope it's at least brought some clarity and hopefully some comfort as well. The main point of all of this, as cliche as it might sound, is to be yourself and allow wonderful things to happen naturally. There really is no good in waiting for that pot to boil. 

Bloggers, I'd love to hear your thoughts on this. What are some of your tips?

34 comments:

  1. I am a fan of this post and completely agree. I compared myself to people I that had this large following that I started writing junk. I ended up hiding those because it's not something I want readers to see.

    Definitely sharing this.
    Five12Studio.blogspot.com

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  2. I love this, Christy! And while I don't have any blogging tips, I do want to say THANK YOU! for making me aware of the goodness that is PicMonkey! I haven't had this much photo-editing fun since Picnik stopped being a thing.

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    1. If you liked picnik it sounds like you need to go to Ribbet because it is pretty much the same exact thing. Pic monkey is really fun too!! But Ribbet is basically the same as picnik. :)

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  3. I love this list! Thanks for sharing, I need to take a lot of this to heart...as for pic monkey? I've tried so many times and I just can't get the hang of that website and I'm a newbie in the freebie photoshop I downloaded so I have a ways to go, haha!

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  4. I always find its so hard to find a line between stroking a bloggers ego and freaking them out. Because when I really love a blog I LOOOOOVE it (guess who falls under that category) and I smother them with it because I am convinced that we should be best friends. This is the case for all my favorite bloggers but I feel the line between caring and creepy is a thin one.

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  5. Don't mind if I pin this one. I remember starting to blog and not even realizing that you could tell how many people read your blog. It's easy to get caught up in the numbers game, but you have to actually enjoy yourself (or make a million dollars) or you'll never win. I'm always surprised by which posts get views and then when I think I've created something really funny and witty... crickets. Happy Friday!

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  6. I feel like blogging comes down to what you want out of it. If you want to make money, you will do a certain thing. If you want to make friends, you might do other things. If you want to figure out how to dress or take better pictures, then you do those things. Often, I feel like people get hung up on what other people are doing when it might be completely irrelevant because what the other people want out of blogging might be completely different. So, being a "better" blogger is subjective to what you want from blogging. You know what I mean?

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  7. This post came exactly at the right time! "Readers can smell desperation" - oh how very true!
    I've been feeling a bit desperate this week, and it is so very comforting reading that every blogger goes through these emotions.
    It it totally impossible to predict which posts will be successful - I never get it right. I will put something out there that I'm convinced they will love, but only gets a lukewarm reception - and then others that I didn't expect to be are a hit. I've given up trying to predict it and just try to write about whatever I feel like. You are right: When you write what you love, you cannot lose. Love this post! Going up on my pinterest now.

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  8. This is exactly what I needed to read. Thank you! Sometimes I feel like my little blog is just drifting out in space. Whenever I do get the rare comment I almost want to harass that person just to find out how, HOW did they fine little ole me??

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  9. This was a great post to read! I am restarting my blog and these are all things that I need to keep in mind as I go forward with it. Thanks so much!

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  10. You have an incredibly unique view on this that I love. I'm always self conscious about my blog design because it's not a white background, but I love it and I agree with how you said it should express YOU. Lovely read. Thank you.

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  11. Thank you that you are!
    I really need all these tips for blogging.
    Hope your day is amazing as you are! ❤

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  12. Thank you so much for this! I've been blogging for a couple months and I am finally seeing page views increase. I think these tips will help with the growth of my blog so much! Thanks again for the post <3

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  13. Lovely post. I started my new blog very recently (January), and keep needing to remind myself that it will take a bit of time to build up to the level of my old blog! I think your point about loving on other bloggers is great, as well. I love getting comments, so I always try to make a point of leaving comments for other people if I've enjoyed their content. I know it's not necessarily 'adding' that much to the conversation, but for me, even a simple 'I loved this post, thanks for writing it' is nice to receive, so hopefully it's nice to receive too. Sooo... I loved this post, thanks for writing it. :)

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  14. Hi, I totally agree with you It took time to learn how to monetize my blog and it was not adsense the right way Since I don t have it I know exactly now my unique visitors Of course sometime I get upset coz who read doesn t post , but I keep going and still think it s not a waste of time
    thank you

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  15. Haha! The part in commenting with a halfhearted compliment then right away asking for a follow is downright annoying for me! Ugh. But it is also true that a genuine appreciation to a fellow blogger goes a long way. :) Thank you for sharing these thoughts! I have been trying to keep a blog mostly to not to lose touch with my writing skills but I have altogether appreciated the wonderful community the blogging world has given me. These tips will surely help me become better in blogging. Thanks again!

    Anj
    iamlostandfound.wordpress.com

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  16. This has definitely inspired me to get back into my blogging game. My only problem, well not only problem, is my layout and graphics. I'm not good good at making a "professional" looking blog if that is the right word. It just looks like someone was messing around in MS Paint and slapped it on a header. I have Illustrator, so I guess I have potential to make something new, but CSS and HTML are not really my thing.

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  17. Thank you for this! It's encouraging to hear from someone with a little insight into the whole thing. I just barely started blogging, and I think I will find myself coming back to this post again in the future :) I definitely agree with you on authenticity... blogs that feel real and honest are really the most fun to read, and certainly the ones I go back to again and again. And WHY I forgot about PicMonkey's existence I do not know...thanks for the reminder!

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  18. This is an encouraging post, thank you girly.

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  19. THERE IS HOPE!!! I've not been blogging for too terribly long and it's definitely nice to know that it's totally normal for things to take off slowly. Oi vey. I plan to keep at it though...writing is something I truly enjoy and hopefully, with time, others will come to read what I want to share.

    Thanks for the tips!
    samsamcherie.blogspot.com

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  20. ps get rid of you "captcha" or whatever it is google has on blogger.com that makes us readers prove we're not robots and you'll get like 10 more comments a day. venustrappedinmars.com has a great tutorial for how to do this!

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    1. Taylor! Thanks so much for this. I didn't even realize it was on! I hate having to prove I'm not a robot, so I'm glad my readers won't have to anymore either. Yet again, you've helped make me be a better blogger, you wonderful woman, you.

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  21. Being a newer blogger, I've been contemplating this a lot lately. This is incredibly helpful, I truly appreciate the thought you've put into this post and I'm so glad I stumbled upon your link-up the other week, you are quickly moving to the top of my to-read list! Thank you!

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  22. I've always admired other bloggers' title graphics but never felt like I was creative enough to make my own. You've inspired me to actually give it a go, so thank you for that :)

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  23. This is just what I needed to read today. I have just started blogging seriously and I find I can obsess over my stats until they make me cranky. Thank you for reminding me that if I write what I love and write it well, the rest will follow.

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  24. Great advice! I've read so many articles by blogs about blogging, like Daily Blog Tips and @ProBlogger, and they're really impersonal and businesslike, and not at all what I wanted to do.

    When I saw the title of this post in my feed reader, I just assumed it was one of those until I got to the part about AdSense and only making a few dollars. Then it was like, "Hold up! Someone's getting real... let's find out who wrote this." Kudos for honesty! I never thought AdSense was this magical, Midas-like solution that so many of the pros make it out to be.

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  25. I always feel like I'm drowning in tips and instructions on how to be a better blogger. This post really broke it down for me, so thank you! I'm currently using iweb (....i know) and I'm thinkin' it might be time to convert to a different platform like Wordpress or Blogger. Any advice on that front?

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  26. This is great! As a new blogger I love to hear other people's insights. Love your perspective on things.

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  27. I truly appreciate your honesty. Writing is the hardest part of blogging for me. I am still trying to find my voice and I know being yourself is key but at the same time, it can be uncomfortable! Especially when I feel like the only people who read my posts are my family.. that makes me more nervous for some reason! This post was very helpful though, you have inspired me to make some changes! Thank you!

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  28. This is a truly great blog. I found you as I was looking for inspiration about a writing space (as in, I need one!) I have a room that isn't very big and I'm attempting to turn it into a haven for writing. Reading your post about your writing space really helped because it made me see that it doesn't really matter!! I'd like somewhere nice to work, and hopefully now I'll make one...so thank you for that. My blog is really new and I'm seeing exactly what you've outlined in this post - relevant, brilliant, thank you again! Maybe you'd like to drop by sometime and visit - emilyjollands.blogger.com :-)

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  29. Hi, it's me again, from the comment on your about me page. I asked what makes you an amazing blogger and you answered here! I definitely feel you on the comments on facebook posts vs. no comments on your actual blog. I love love getting great feedback from everyone on Facebook but get embarrassed when it looks like I have no visitors on my actual blog. Amazing! Thanks!

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  30. Thanks for sharing this post has been helpful. I'm glad I came to check your blog out which I saw mentioned in The Nectar Collective. I haven't heard of PicMonkey but will be checking it out soon.
    MyTransatlanticLife

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  31. All I have to say is that you are awesome Christy. I just discovered you thanks to Melyssa over at The Nectar Collective and am so glad I did! I was having a bit of a "meh" day and your funny, honest and useful posts just cheered me up! I've been blogging for almost two years now and it's true that success takes longer to arrive than expected but because I do it for the love of it, I keep going. Thanks for lifting up my inspiration!

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