Five Tips for a New Mom Blogger
A couple of months ago a friend asked me to give her some advice on starting a blog. I didn’t think that I would have much to say, but once I started thinking about it I found a few pieces of advice that I have learned over the past eighteen months that would have greatly helped me when I started Surviving Toddlerhood. So, here are five tips for a new mom blogger:
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1. Have a plan for your blog and know your target reader.
When I started Surviving Toddlerhood I had a toddler and a newborn, now I have a preschooler and a toddler but the posts here are still about surviving toddlerhood. How I’m surviving as a momma, tips on how you can stay out of survival mode during pregnancy and the postpartum period, what I am learning, homeschooling, faith and mothering encouragement, and allergen free recipes.
By creating a plan before you start your blog you will have an idea of where to take it. For example: if you have a blog geared towards crafting, you might not want to post selfies of you sunbathing, whereas selfies of you in a craft store would be more acceptable. On a lifestyle blog you could post pictures of both crafting and gym time and not have people wondering why they are getting posts of your latest favorite workout.
You can always modify your plan as you go, so don’t worry that your plan will hold you in a box.
By identifying your target reader you will have an easier time producing posts that keep your reader coming back for more, and you yourself will have a better writing flow.
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2. Find your community/tribe/support system.
I go into a lot more detail here about finding your best blogging community but it is so, so, so important to find those who can encourage you in your writing, help you to grow as an author, give helpful criticism, etc especially if you are wanting to use your site to minister to others.
3. Have a good profile picture and author bio.
You may remember I used to have a profile picture where I was looking down. I got comments about how my picture was artsy and moody, but now I realize that isn’t the type of profile picture I should have had. Your readers will want to know you are approachable and feel welcomed to your blog. Hiding your face in the profile picture doesn’t really throw out warm and welcoming vibes. If you have a moody, artsy blog then go ahead and use those shots, otherwise stick with a nice headshot.
Your author bio also matters to your readers, it helps them connect with you and see if you have anything in common. It is a good place to share a little bit more about yourself personally I like to drink coffee, support women during pregnancy, labor, and the postpartum period, and run, so I made sure to put that in my bio.
4. Follow other blogs similar to your own.
Comment on their posts and share their content if you like it. By doing this you get your name out there, you build blogging relationships and gain a chance at new readership.
5. Choose two to three social media sites to master at a time.
I have a Facebook page, Instagram account, and Pinterest boards. Keeping my social media accounts to these three allows me to learn more about them and figure out how to manage them to my best advantage.
There are lots of social media sharing sites out there right now, but if you concentrate on two or three at a time and gain success on each one before moving on to another, your blog will get the most out of each social media platform.
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Great advise! How do you showcase your blog on Instagram? It’s all pictures right? I could use a little advise on that.
Hi Kat! To promote posts on Instagram I do a few different things- I share about an upcoming post by sharing a picture that relates, or share a picture from the post on IG once the post is live and tell a little bit about what the post contains, share a picture that relates to a live post and share about the post.
Hope this helps! 🙂
Great tips! I have only been blogging for about eight months, but I have already discovered a lot of these tips to be true–wish I would have known them at the beginning, but I have slowly grown into them. Stopping by from the Peony Project! 🙂
Thanks for coming by Bethany! I’m hoping to share some more in the next couple of weeks, so make sure to come back and check them out!
excellent advice! I like the one about the profile picture, that makes a lot of sense!
Thanks Kate!! 🙂
Great tips Rebekah! I’m still working on #4. There are so many blogs out there, that it feels overwhelming sometimes trying to find others with similar niches.
It can be hard. I just search wordpress for blogs with interests like mine- mothering, parenting, allergen free cooking, etc.
This is all very good advice for someone trying to start their own blog. I would like to add that sometimes blog directions change without you even realizing it. You have to be ready to go with the flow!
Great tip Michelle! Totally agree with that, life changes and we need to be able to change with it.
I just started my blog last week and I am love all the advice! Thank you!
Congrats Joanna! Hopefully these help you out!
Great tips! I was recently asked what tips I had and couldn’t think of anything. You came up with some good ones.
Thanks Angela! Feel free to share these tips with others!
Great tips! I have been blogging for over 3 years and could still use some tips! lol
Don’t give up Theresa! It can be hard and overwhelming at times, but hard work pays off. 🙂
I would also add don’t be afraid to ask questions when you don’t know how to do something. Joining blogging groups are great for that. Most bloggers will help each other out.
I have a few blogging groups on FB that I love! I’ll be sharing my favorites in a couple of weeks. 🙂
It’s nice when people come to you for help and you have a solid answer. This is a great outline for everyone who wants to start a new blog, or is new at it. 🙂
Thanks Rosey! I’m hoping that theae can help newer bloggers out and encourage them that they are doing the right thing.
Love the tip of creating a tagline.
Thanks. This was one of the biggest things I learned from a blogging class I took.
The tagline is great, I often stumble across a blog with just a title and am not sure what it’s about. Having a tagline conveys the intent of the blog to the reader. These are great tips to get someone started!!
Thanks Sherri!
I find it frustrating as well when there is no about me page to learn about the author. I love to learn more about who writes what I like and what their interests are.
Wonderful advice! I’m going to get started on my tagline…oooops!
🙂 I liked what I seen of your blog today. 🙂
These were all great tips! Thank you! My blog is still a “baby” so it’s good to know these things now 😉
I’m glad that you found some of these tips helpful Ashlyn! My blog isn’t necessarily the biggest yet either. It takes lots of hard work!
Awesome tips. Thank you for sharing! 🙂
You’re welcome! I hope you found something useful here. 🙂
Thanks for the tips, I am brand new to blogging!
You’re welcome! I’m hoping to share more over the next couple of weeks. 🙂
Great tips! I think the novelty of starting a blog can also be a little addicting so I am learning to plan to work at certain prescribed times so that I don’t go overboard. Also, learning one social media site at a time is great advice. Thanks for sharing!
I tend to go overboard at times, there are so many things you can do!
I liked your old pic, but I LOVE your new pic more! You look so adorable!!
Awww. Thanks Brittany! 🙂
I started blogging four months ago and these are all great tips. Another tip I came across from SitsGirls is to make business cards to promote your blog offline! #manicmonday
I hadn’t thought about business cards. Thanks for sharing that with me!
I’m feel like I’m learning something new every day and your advise about concentrating on a few social media platforms is excellent. #ManicMonday
Thank you! It is a big learning process! Like you I’m still learning things, there is so much information out there that can help us better our blogs, writing, etc, it can be a little overwhelming at times. 🙂
Great tips!! I agree on all of them!!! And — yes the tagline IS important!!
Thanks for coming by Aubrey!! 🙂
These are great tips! Just added my bio to my blog at oneanddone.blogspot.com. Thanks for the inspiration!
I’m glad you found these tips helpful Regan!! Thanks for coming by!
These are some great tips! Your post received the 2nd highest number of clicks this week on the Bloggers Brags Pinterest Party and will be featured on next week’s party on all the hosts’s blogs!
I’m so excited!! Thanks Tammy! 🙂
Great tips! The tagline advice is great. I just initially threw one out there, but I think I need to reconsider now that I’m a few months into this.
Yeah…I need to get a picture on my blog.
Haha! There is so much to do when first starting a blog. 🙂
Thanks for the tips! Found you at the mom to mom link-up. 🙂
You’re Welcome! Thanks for stopping by Lynn! 🙂
I found you from Faith ALong the WAy.
I am an 8 month old blogger, and I need so much help still!
All these tips are great. Thank you!
Melinda
You’re welcome! Thanks for coming by and commenting, I’ll be headed over that way soon. 🙂
Great! Thank you!
I’m not a new blogger….been doing it for a long time…now I am committing myself to take it seriously…is it too late to be considered a “new blogger”, like can I start now and build something great? even though I have been posting for years??
You definitely can!! If you have any questions feel free to email me!!