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8 bits of advice for new bloggers

December 28, 2015 by Jill 10 Comments

Ripped Jeans and Bifocals has been online for about 18 months. I’m happy, proud and a little bit in awe of the things I’ve been able to accomplish. I network quite a bit with other bloggers in groups where we share hacks, tips, and tricks and ask questions “behind the scenes” but I don’t often blog about blogging.

I have quite a few readers who are bloggers or who express interest in starting a blog and while I love answering questions when I can, I thought I’d put together a list of my best advice for new bloggers. Some of these are things I wish I’d have known way back when and some are things I’ve learned by screwing them up royally.

I don’t consider myself a blogging expert – for expert advice, I read sites like Blog Clarity, Fabulous Blogging or Living with Batman – but here’s some friend-to-friend advice for new bloggers from me to you.

Here’s some friend-to-friend advice for new bloggers from me to you

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8 bits of advice for new bloggers|Ripped Jeans and Bifocals

1. Buy your domain.

If you think you might just be dabbling in blogging, there are free platforms through Google (Blogspot) and WordPress. These cost you nothing to set up…but this also means that you’re not master of your own domain (tee hee!)

It’s very simple to buy a domain and set it up. If you set up a free version now you can always transfer to self-hosted later but it’s expensive and a little bit of a PITA. Buying a domain and setting up a hosting plan usually isn’t that expensive, so if you try it and don’t stick with it, you probably haven’t lost that much.

What am I talking about?

Rippedjeansandbifocals.blogspot.com: Not my domain. Google’s domain.

Rippedjeansandbifocals.com: My domain.

You can buy a domain pretty inexpensively through Go Daddy or Bluehost and it’s not that hard to set up a self-hosted WordPress site…and if you feel it’s beyond your scope, there are plenty of people out there who will help you set it up without charging you an arm and a leg.  YouTube is a great source of “how-to’s” for blogging.

2. Think long and hard on the name of your blog

I’ll tell you a secret…I named my blog on a whim and I’ve wished a thousand times that I’d have chosen something else.  Ripped Jeans and Bifocals is working for me and I’m branded to the point where changing it (or starting another blog) doesn’t make sense for me right now but really think about what you want your site to be called for the long-term before you buy your domain.

3. Check availability of social media accounts before you buy your domain

If you want to start a blog called “Chin Hair Sucks” take a minute to scope out the availability of social media accounts before you buy it.  Is “Chin Hair Sucks” available on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest?  Something similar?  The last thing you want is to have all sorts of different handles…it makes you hard to find on social media once your blog takes off.

Thinking of starting a blog? Check availability of social media handles before you buy your domain

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4. Have some sort of clue on how to take and edit photos

I’m not suggesting you need to be a pro photographer or graphic designer (I’m certainly not)  but you need pictures to go with your blog posts. Try to get familiar with how to take and edit decent photos before your first post goes live. Don’t think you have to be a photography whiz from the get go but bad pictures are a huge detractor, so start off on the right foot.

Some of my earliest blog posts don’t have images associated with them and that’s a no-no. If you’re going to share a blog post, social media needs a photo to pull. You can take good photos with your smart phone, but if you want to be in it for the long haul, invest in a good camera.

Learn what a royalty-free image is and what photos you can legally use. Just because a photo is on the internet doesn’t mean you have permission to use it. There are plenty of free photo sites out there and plenty of places to buy stock photos if you can afford to buy them. Don’t assume something on Google images is okay to use and read the fine print on what’s required as far as crediting the photographer.

I use PicMonkey to edit photos and make graphics. You can also use Canva. There are a ton of apps available for editing pictures you take with your phone.

5. Read other blogs in your niche

If you’re going to start a parenting blog, read successful parenting blogs. Same deal for cooking and fitness blogs. Get a good idea of what’s out there before jumping in. Check out the way successful bloggers set up their website: where they have their share buttons positioned, how their comment systems are set up and so on.

Networking with other bloggers in your niche is a great thing to do before you start your blog. Subscribe to their blogs, follow (and engage) on their social media. Connecting with a blog similar in nature to what you want yours to be is never a bad thing.

6. Have some goals or expectations for your blog

Do you want to make money? Work with brands? Have your work published on larger websites, such as Scary Mommy or Huffington Post? Just get your words out there?

Think about this before you start your blog. As someone who thought very little about this before buying a domain and publishing content on the internet, I wish I could have a do-over here. I had no expectations and no plan and my first year blogging was all over the place. It was fun, moderately successful and I learned a lot but I felt like I was flying by the seat of my pants. Maybe that’s normal?

7. Find a tribe

You’re going to need blogging friends. Other bloggers are not your competitors. You can learn a ton from your fellow bloggers and you’re going to want support…because your non-blogging friends are probably not going to “get it.” Top Mommy Blogs, the SITS Girls and Bloggy Moms are great places to connect with other bloggers.

8. Consider your family’s privacy before you start writing

This is especially important for parenting bloggers but I think everyone needs to consider this. Will putting your words, your life and maybe even your personal photos on the internet be a problem for your family? Does your partner have a sensitive job or just plain object to being plastered all over the internet? Will you show your kids’ pictures or reveal their true names? These are all things to think about before you share your story online. Privacy may not be important now but it may become important at some point and once it’s out there, you can’t take it back.

There’s always the option to blog anonymously or with a pen name. Many parenting bloggers use nicknames for their kids for their own safety or for privacy’s sake. I’ve been all over the place with my stance on privacy…I can’t say what the right answer is for you but it’s something to consider before you start.

You might also like:

My thoughts on Internet Trolls

I hope this advice for new bloggers is helpful! If you have specific questions, hit me up in the comments and I’ll try to answer or direct you as best I can. My blog was set up and designed by Jen at Beyond Blog Design. Her link always hangs out at the bottom of my homepage and she is worth her weight in gold if you’re looking for a designer, a developer or technical awesomeness.

Social Media 101: Pinterest likes vertical images. Use the “pin it” button to pint this image to one of your blogging or social media boards.

8 bits of advice for new bloggers|Ripped Jeans and Bifocals

Thank you for reading! Please share this post with anyone you think might enjoy it…maybe a new blogger or someone you know who is thinking of starting a blog? Make sure you’re following me on Facebook and Pinterest, too!

Follow Ripped Jeans and Bifocals’s board All things blogging on Pinterest.

If you like what you just read please click to send a quick vote for me on Top Mommy Blogs- The best mommy blog directory featuring top mom bloggers

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Comments

  1. Lauren says

    December 28, 2015 at 9:19 am

    Yes I agree with all of this!! Great tips here!

    Reply
  2. Tricia says

    December 28, 2015 at 10:30 am

    Wonderful advice! I didn’t realize you have only been blogging for 18 months. You seem like such a pro who’s been doing it for years! Pinning this one.
    Tricia recently posted…New Year’s Eve Countdown WorkoutMy Profile

    Reply
  3. Tove Maren says

    December 28, 2015 at 11:49 am

    I love this! I have been contemplating a blog overhaul – does your web-girl do design and all that jazz too?

    Reply
    • Jill says

      December 28, 2015 at 3:34 pm

      She does everything. She transferred my blog to WordPress engine and tweaked the existing design. And she’s so, so nice.

      Reply
  4. Lisa Beach says

    December 28, 2015 at 3:26 pm

    Great tips, Jill. I know I’ve committed a blogging faux pas or two so far, and I’ve only been at it since August. Thanks for sharing your been-there-done-that advice with us newbies. 🙂

    Reply
  5. Ros Emely@stressfreemommies says

    December 28, 2015 at 8:36 pm

    Great tips! Thanks for sharing 🙂

    Reply
  6. Amy Boyington says

    January 1, 2016 at 8:05 am

    These are awesome tips, and as I was reading, I was going “yep, mmhmm” to every one of them, LOL. I’ve had my current blog almost 3 years and I wish I researched my blog name a little more (there are other ones that are very similar) and social media accounts first. I’ve been blogging for 17 years but there are still new things to learn all the time. Every new blogger needs to read this!
    Amy Boyington recently posted…7 Things That Need to Take a Time OutMy Profile

    Reply
    • Jill says

      January 1, 2016 at 10:40 am

      Thanks Amy, that means a lot from a veteran blogger like you! Yep, always learning! Happy, Happy New year to you!!!

      Reply
  7. Wendy Tomlinson says

    February 1, 2016 at 11:43 am

    Great tips that will certainly save some headaches.

    Reply

Trackbacks

  1. What’s up Wednesday? Midlife Blogger Babes | The Long Weekend says:
    January 5, 2016 at 5:21 pm

    […] with that name, even though Jill Robbins of the RJ&B (just made that up – sorry, Jill!) somewhat regrets it.  When I read Katy’s story of how the Midlife Rambler came to be, it was like discovering […]

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All About Jill

Hey there and welcome! My name is Jill Robbins and this is my space on the internet. I’m happy you are here. Just so you know, if this weren’t the internet, I’d be smiling awkwardly and answering simple questions like “how are you today” with gems like “Me too!” and “Great, but I forgot to put on deodorant.” I’m that person.

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This year, I'm keeping everything simple and buying lots of gift cards, for the hard-to-shop-for people on my list and the not-so-hard-to-shop-for peeps. If you say gift cards aren't personal enough, I say WRONG. There are so many different gift cards available at Walmart - look for the giant display near the checkout area - that you'll be able to find something for everyone. to see what the display looks like so you can go right to it when you go to Walmart to do your holiday shopping. 🌲
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You can pair the gift card with your giftee's interest, grab a cute gift card holder or some fun items to pair with it, and BAM. You're done. If you have to have a physical gift to go along with the gift card, you can grab some candy, some fun socks, mittens, or gloves, or a cute Christmas ornament. Y'all know Walmart has it all. 🧦 🍭 🎁
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I snagged this $25 Regal gift card that comes with a special offer: free small drink with large popcorn purchase. Popcorn 🍿
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So proud of my little guys for completing their training program with @san_antonio_roadrunners & completing the Rock n Roll San Antonio 5K this morning. It was a great program, not only for them but for us...it got us up and outdoors every Sunday morning and helped us goal set as a family.
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It just seems like I've been with him forever. We spent a couple of days alone together at the Hyatt Regency Lost Pines Resort & Spa near Bastrop Texas. Like typical parents, we spent most of the weekend talking about our kids and about how much they'd love this resort. 🌲🌲🌲
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While we DID enjoy our time alone and while the IS a great couple's get-a-way, it's amazingly family friendly and the property has a ton of amenities. Plus delicious food. I could go on and on about the breakfast but I'll tell you about that another day. Or, you could go read my full review, which is linked in my profile section. ⬆️
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