10 Things I Learned as a New Blogger

I started my blog back in November 0f 2017.  It really took me a while to get it up and running.  Part of the reason was that I got so caught up in the techy side of things.  I also spent endless hours reading how-to’s by other bloggers and taking courses to learn the ropes so to speak.

Did you know you could make great money blogging?  If I had known earlier in my life that I could make serious money blogging when I was younger, I would have started when I was in my 20’s!

Blogging can be fun but you can really get caught in a rip current effect.  It seems the entire year of 2018 was a series of unfortunate events and despite my continued efforts at blogging, I pretty much flopped because I felt overwhelmed by all of the information I still had to learn before hitting the launch button.

When the new year (2019) arrived, I decided to give it my final push and finally was a able to launch my blog.

10 Things I Learned as a New Blogger

  1)  EASY WAY TO SET UP A BLOG

Blogging was a term I never really knew much about until about 2017.  Come to think about about it, I vaguely recall a friend of mine telling me in the past that she was starting a blog.  I had no idea what that even meant and assumed it was some techy thing on the internet…..I was seriously clueless.  I have a sufficient knowledge about computers because I’ve worked in a law office for so many years but that was the extent of it.  Fast forward, I’ve learned so much about blogging and now know how easy it is to set up if you are a beginner.

When I’m really stressed about life in general, I have a hard time sleeping.  During one of those sleepless nights, I picked up my phone, covered my head with the blanket to create a fort for myself to surf the internet and not wake up my husband with the light of the phone.  I happened to be looking at Pinterest and must have seen a feed about blogging.  That’s when I started poking around the internet to see what blogging was all about.  I mean there are a LOT of blogs out there so there must be something to it that I didn’t know.  So, I created a Pin board on my Pinterest specifically for blogging.  I came to be so fascinated with how many posts there were about starting a blog and how people actually make money full-time blogging.

The more I looked into blogging, the more I became interested in the thought of starting my own blog.  I already have a website related to my cake business, so I thought how hard could it be to set up a blog?  Plus, I really do enjoy writing.

Setting up a blog has been super easy!  My blog (the one you’re visiting now) is what’s called a self-hosted blog.  What that means is it’s my site that I created on WordPress and my information is stored using the platform Bluehost.  There are other companies, but I find that Bluehost has great customer service that you can chat with online 24/7.   Bluehost can help you get your website up and running in a matter of minutes and they also provide a free domain with your service.

Do you already have a name for your blog in mind?  I highly recommend using a .Com as anything else such as a .Net or .Co really isn’t the way you want to go.  If you want to see if your website name is available type your information in the screen below.  If it’s not available, you can see what other options may be a good fit for you.

While you have your site up and running, the next challenge is to build the site to have the feel that you like.  Also, you have to start to add content so your readers have something to read.  By far, Bluehost was the best choice for me.  They offer the service to create your site for you but I wanted to be hands-on.

So, I found out that Bluehost had a service called WordPress Live – BLUE FLASH which seriously took me from 0-60 in less than 30 days.  What I mean is, while I had the shell of my site set up, I had NO CLUE what I was doing.  I got so frustrated with the techy side of things, I really was going to give it up.  I refused to give up so talked to the folks at Bluehost who told me about the service.  For me it was life changing!  It’s really awesome because you literally have someone sharing your computer screen and they annotate and show you how to set up your site.

There are a few options for WordPress Live with Bluehost, however, I felt the monthly charge that enabled live calls and annotations was the best fit for me.  They didn’t require any contracts, so you can go month to month and cancel when you want.  If you need to have that service again later, it’s just a matter of giving them a call.  This service was worth it’s weight in gold for me and really helped me so much.

2) BEST HOW-TO COURSES TO HELP YOU UNDERSTAND

THE INS AND OUTS OF BLOGGING

When I started out blogging, I just thought great, I’ll write some posts about things that I was passionate about or that inspired me and that was the end of that.  Well…if that’s the kind of blog you want, that’s great but you can do that AND make money too!

Pinterest was the best place for me to find good reads about blogging and understanding how it all actually works.  I came across a post by It’s a Lovely Life on Pinterest where the owners, Heather and Pete were discussing their income from blogging.  HELLO!!!! That definitely peeked my interest.  So, I when I saw they offered a FREE 5-day Crash Course, I said GIMME!  The 5-Day Crash Course really does give you a good foundation to start your blog.  Then, if you are really serious and you really want to get down to the nitty-gritty details, like the true nuts and bolts of how blogs work, you can take their Blogging Blastoff course which is jam packed with information.

The Blogging Blastoff course is a 30-day course really gets you involved, inspired and making money!  In addition to the information you get from the course, they really do make it affordable in that you can break up the payments.  I am everyday people, just like you, and sometimes it’s hard to find the extra money to start this new blogging venture, but with Heather & Pete’s course from It’s a Lovely Life, they really make it so that everyone has an opportunity to learn as much as they can in the business of blogging.

3) YOU REALLY CAN MAKE MONEY BLOGGING!

I have to say I had no idea that there was an opportunity to make money at blogging.  I mean, I have always dreamed of finding a job that I could do from home but this is waaaaayyyy better than that because this is YOUR business!  It’s your baby…and you know what, no one can take that away from you!  Knowledge is golden and once you have the know-how to make money, it can change your life.

Now, we don’t all start blogging to become wealthy overnight and truth be told, it’s not an overnight thing.  If anyone tells you it is, it’s a crock of you know what!  Yes, you can make money at blogging but you get what you put into it.  Most of the work comes up front when you are building social relationships, adding content and keeping up to date on trends.  Once you’ve established your blog the opportunities to make money is endless.

Just think, how many times have you gone online or even fiddled around on your smart phone and stumbled on some interesting read that lead you to another interesting read and so on.  That is called a funnel.  Some bloggers create funnels to get you to where they want you.  It’s a win-win!  There are so many companies out there offering to pay for your valuable content and the opportunities are so vast that it’s only limited by your time and creativity.

If you refer to Heather & Pete’s link I have listed above you’ll see that they post their income reports.  Hey, nothing like honesty!  They make great money and that’s PER MONTH, way more money than I could have ever dreamed someone could make before I started.

I saw a post recently from a blogger with a check over $50,000 and it was from a company that paid her for what she does best, BLOGGING!  Mind blowing, who knew?  I only wish I had started this many years ago.

4) WHY MAKING SURE YOUR BLOG IS LEGALLY PROTECTED

I have worked in the legal field for over 28 years.  Over this time I have seen people involved in business really get in deep trouble for not following the laws.  Worst yet, is when a small business gets sued and the owner doesn’t know where to turn or what to do next.  In blogging there are legal requirements that conform to Federal Trade Commission (FTC) in the US and The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) European as pertains to internet privacy policies.

It’s beyond important to C-Y-A (cover your A$$) when it comes to legal stuff.  While it may seem like a whole lot of fluff to everyday people, when it’s YOUR business that’s on the line, protecting yourself by having simple yet concise language in the PRIVACY POLICY section of your blog should be one of your top priorities.

You can go out and hire a lawyer to write the necessary language for your privacy policies or you can visit Amira at SelfGuru.com. She’s not only a blogger, but she is an attorney who put together a great Legal Bundle of products for bloggers, including Privacy Policies, Disclaimer Templates, as well as Terms and Conditions Templates.  Amira also offers a template for an Independent Contractor which is a Freelance Contract.  I know from working in the legal field myself, that these templates are a phenomenal value and are far less expensive than hiring a lawyer to do this for you.

 5) WHY GROWING YOUR EMAIL LIST FROM THE VERY BEGINNING

IS SO IMPORTANT

After reading blog after blog the #1 thing that people regretted was not starting to grow their email lists from the very beginning.  Just think, in the time it takes to build your entire site, put yourself out there on social media and connect with people, you could be capturing your email list subscribers.  Ok, no, this doesn’t mean you are going to send it to people who have not specifically asked to subscribe to your page, but genuine people who are interested in your content.

When you first have your blog up and running, you definitely want to invite all your friends on social media to check it out.  I did a “Pre-Launch” of my blog and announced on social that my blog was coming soon.  So, by the time I actually got my blog up and running, I already had some interest from friends.

Once you start your blog, you will want to use some sort of email service like Constant Contact.

The entire process of using Constant Contact is very easy and the customer service reps are great at offering helpful tips and recommendations on how to respond to your new subscribers.  They offer a monthly service fee or you can pay the full year of their service in advance and the best part is you get to try it for FREE!

Another feature that I’ve learned about with Constant Contact is they really help you set up your email campaigns.  They have easy, simple to follow templates that can can edit to have the vibe you want to give off to your readers.

You can create all of your email automation through Constant Contact and once you set the schedule, they’ll send it out automatically.  Voila…it couldn’t be easier!

6) HOW SOCIAL MEDIA CAN REALLY CATAPULT YOUR BLOG

Social Media really is a game changer for bloggers.  Sites like Pinterest, Instagram, Facebook and Twitter are key in building your community.  When I initially set up my blog, I had already been using Pinterest for years.  I almost deleted my account until I realized how many monthly viewers I had.  When I realized I already had 9,000 monthly viewers for a platform that I already used, I was like, wait a minute…don’t recreate the wheel, go with it and increase those viewers!  In a span of about 30 days, my viewers have catapulted from 9,000 monthly to 26,000 monthly and that number is ever increasing with many more clicks, saves and follows as I get the hang of things.  You can see my Pinterest page at <– that link or in the screenshot below.

The monthly viewers on Pinterest goes up and down based on their algorithms…I’m still trying to learn the ins and outs of that.  It’s always a work in progress.

So you can see from the info in the screenshot what my page view is now.  I look forward to growing all my social media for sure but Pinterest is the biggest go-to when people are searching for ideas, recipes or inspiration, so it only makes sense to expand your presence in Pinterest and all social media platforms.

7) WHY CARRYING A NOTE PAD IS SO IMPORTANT

YOU NEVER KNOW WHEN INSPIRATION WILL STRIKE! That is the absolute main reason.  It’s crazy how many times a brilliant idea pops into our heads but how often do we forget what inspiring idea we had?  Happens to me more often than I care to admit.  That’s why I carry a note pad where ever I go.  There are also great apps for your smart phone including Evernote where you really have some great features at your finger tips.  I have even recorded myself while in my car so I can keep my thoughts handy.  Whether it’s at night, while you’re taking a break from your daily routine or whatever it is for you, be sure to keep a note pad handy for those Ah-Ha moments.

In addition to carrying a note pad, it’s important to have a planner for your blog post schedule.  I found this really cool blogging and editorial planner.

This planner is super awesome and helps you set out an entire year of blogging.  The reason why this is helpful is when you are having writer’s block, you have everything already written down.  It also helps you establish your goals and really focusing in on key aspects of your blog.

If you take a peek at the the inside of this planner, you’ll see all of the helpful information it provides.  And trust me, for a new blogger, it can be a life saver.

Another goal mine of information for bloggers is this book:

It even offers mini business plans and helps you stay focused on improving your blog.

 8) WHY INSTAGRAM FEEDS PLAY THE FOLLOW/UNFOLLOW GAME

Ok, this is by far one of my greatest pet peeves!  I have gotten so excited at growing my Instagram following recently.  Admittedly I didn’t use this social platform at all and decided to check it out when I started blogging.  I have started to grow my following but it’s not easy.  One day I get all excited to see I had so many followers and the next day their gone!  Aghrrrrrr so frustrating.

I have to tell myself that I don’t need those people anyway.  Those people who play the follow/unfollow game on Instagram are becoming more transparent to me.  First, some of them hire companies just to boost their followers and turn around and unfollow you which is such a sucky thing to do!  Sorry, not to be rude but sharing is caring!!!

You can follow my Instagram @bloggingthesweetlife.  I have no shame to ask for you to please follow me, LOL 🙂

The tip to using Instagram is you want your followers to be organic.  What that means is you want them to be genuinely interested in your IG feed.  You don’t want to waste your time with people who really don’t care to follow you or share a follow.  Why, because they are self-centered and all they are concerned about is how they can increase their following thereby increasing their exposure to gain potential $$$.

When you get a “Follow” on Insta, go to that person’s profile.  Look at how many followers they have vs. how many people they actually follow.  You may be surprised to see some of them have 30k or more followers but they only follow like 400 people.  WHY you ask, because they do not give crap about your feed at all.  Chances are unless you really connect with them, they will unfollow you as soon as you follow them.  And if you are not clever enough to look into who is following you, you’ll never be the wiser.

You’ll lose some people but when it’s like 100 in one day, you kinda get your feelings hurt….but try not to.  Just think, did you need them anyway?  I think not.

 9) WHY IT’S IMPORTANT TO RESEARCH OTHER BLOGGERS IN YOUR NICHE

I’m always keenly aware of other bloggers in my niche.  I try to seek them out to do a recon of sorts.  Not to copy them at all, but 1) they’re already in my niche so I’m interested in their content and 2) I like to see what other bloggers in my niche are doing.  Most bloggers are very helpful and happy to answer questions.  If you find those within your niche, you can learn a lot from each other.

10) SOME OF THE BEST WEBSITES AND APPS TO HELP YOU CREATE

GREAT GRAPHICS

This is one of my fav’s to share with you!  I am going to list some of the websites and apps that I have found to be so helpful and they are my go-to’s when creating any kind of content for my blog.  Whether it’s graphics or insightful info for blogging, the list below are the ones I use the most:

• Canva – used to create graphics
• Bluehost – used to create your website
• Pixabay – used to get free stock photos
• Fastsave – used to copy an IG link and repost to your feed
• Lightroom – used to edit photos
• WordSwag – used to create printables and graphics
• Videoshop – used to edit videos
• Evernote – used to keep notes
• Constant Contact – email campaigns and automation
• SelfGuru – used to get all the legal language you need for your blog
• It’s a Lovely Life– such a jam-packed site and they have so much helpful information that I cannot say enough about them

These are just a few of my Fav’s and Go-To’s!

I truly hope you enjoyed this read.  If you did, please don’t forget to subscribe, like and share!