Top 8 Blogging Tips

A blog is a place for you to let the world know your thoughts, ideas, and inspirations. If you want to bring in more readers to your blog (and keep them coming back for more), you may want to give it a makeover. I’ve had several people ask me for my favorite blogging tips, and now I’m going to reveal to you the things I’ve learned that have helped GFG get where it is today. 

1 Make your blog look attractive. Viewers will make up their mind about your blog before they even read your posts. The first thing readers see is the color scheme, layout, and graphics. Make your blog look as appealing as the posts you’ve written. It’s also smart to include a relevant image with every post, as people will remember what you wrote more easily if they have a corresponding visual image.

2 Post as often as possible. This probably been my biggest struggle in keeping up with the GFG blog. Writing so many articles is a huge job, but someone has to do it. It helps that I have a great team to contribute as well as many guest writers.

3 Write top-quality posts. There is tons of information on the internet covering every subject, including whatever it is you choose to write about. There isn’t much that you can provide your readers that is completely “new”. How you present it is what makes a difference. If your posts are the most relevant, concise, well-written, and fun, your readers will choose you over any other source.

4 Connect with other bloggers. Commenting on other people’s blogs helps thrust you farther into the wonderful world of blogging, especially if your comments are thoughtful and relevant to the post. (Writing “COOL POST! PLZ CHECK OUT MY BLOGGZ!” does not constitute as thoughtful and relevant.) When people comment on your posts, do your best to reply and thank them for their input.

5 Don’t overdo it. Graphics that are 60% glitter and 40% pink that move, play musical instruments, and make you want to punch a baby are not necessary. Pictures of kittens in pink tutus aren’t relevant to your blog – unless your blog is all about kittens, in which case you are probably going to ignore every bit of advice I give you. Music is also iffy – it can be cool and groovy, but it can also take a lot of time to load if a reader doesn’t have high-speed internet. The same goes for graphics. When it comes to your blog template, most readers prefer two columns – the main column and a single sidebar – because this isn’t too overwhelming. The simplest advice? Declutter, trash the glitterlicious kitten photos, and only feature things relevant to your blog.

6 Find your niche and stick with it. Girls for God covers all kinds of subjects, from makeup to faith, relationships to fashion, and many things in between, but I don’t post articles on the U.S. economy or power tools very often. It’s safe to say that if you want to know how to fix your car’s brakes with just peanut butter and a paper clip, you’re in the wrong place. In short, if your blog is about all about kittens, don’t post a photo of a walrus in a Halloween costume. Your readers won’t come back to your site if they don’t know what it’s about.

7 Never copy someone else’s posts. Plagiarism is stealing. It’s not only illegal, but it also displeases God, and you don’t want to be known for that. Changing a few words is still stealing and is something good bloggers never do. If you admire someone’s work, contact them and ask them if you can put a certain post on your blog. (If you choose to do this, put the person’s name and a link back to their site at the beginning or end of the post.) Give credit where credit is due. (If you’re worried about your content being stolen, check out Copyscape.com.)

8 Accept criticism, but don’t reject your opinions. It’s great when readers give you feedback – good and bad. Listen and learn from it. Just remember that you cannot cater to everyone’s opinion and you cannot make everyone happy. If you’re not stepping on someone’s toes, you might not be moving at all.

Have some tips of your own you’d like to share? Send them to girlsforgodblog@yahoo.com .