New Bloggers: A Helping Hand

~ beetleypete

It seems that a lot of the new bloggers who have arrived on WordPress this year are keen to read about some tips and advice to help them get a start in blogging.

My three recent posts on the subject have received well over 2,300 views in a very short time.

Now we all have different ideas about what makes for good blogging, and also different views on blogging ‘etiquette’. For the new people to become part of any community will take some time of course. Meanwhile, we can all help them along the way with any useful tips and advice that might spring to mind.

I won’t be asking everyone to put up a post on the subject, don’t worry. You are all busy with your own blogs and lives, so another suggestion from me is the last thing you need.

That said, adding a comment to this post won’t take you long. It might help a new blogger, encourage them to continue to blog, and eventually grow this wonderful community that we all enjoy being a part of.

So all I am asking is that if you have any blogging rules you swear by, or some valuable tips that you have yet to share, just add them as a comment below.

The post will stay up, and hopefully be found by many of those new bloggers.

Thanks in advance, and best wishes to everyone. Pete.

97 thoughts on “New Bloggers: A Helping Hand”

  1. Hi everyone, I just recently started blogging and it all seems a little intimidating but I’m trying my best. I would be great if you could check it out. Feedback is always welcome.

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    1. It takes time to get used to being a blogger, and becoming part of a community, Ishita. The main advice is not to expect too much to happen for a least a year, and just keep going with what you enjoy writing about.
      Best wishes, Pete.

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  2. Very nice content.
    And
    I m one of the new blogger here.
    I hope you all guys support and encouragement always with me.
    Please follow me and visit my site guys.

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    1. Everyone is happy to try to help you, but we are also already following a lot of sites.
      It is just impossible to follow every new blogger just because they ask us to. Give it time.
      Besides that, you have no working link to your blog!
      Best wishes, Pete.

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  7. Hi Pete, this is a great post of yours, most useful. I went through some of the comments to gather ideas on improving my blog and came across some of the very useful tips. Thanks a lot for coming up with such an interesting post 👍

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  9. I’m not sure that I have anything to add. I think most bloggers will develop a style and some might try different things before they find a niche. It depends on what they are trying to achieve. Some people might use it as a way to share their experience, their skills, to express themselves… Others might be more interested in the interaction with others and/or find people with similar interests, doing a similar research, with similar hobbies… Others might want to offer very specific content to help or guide others (education blogs, general information…) Finding like-minded people, bloggers and blogs we find interesting, commenting on other people’s blogs, and remaining polite are all great pieces of advice.
    Responding to all the comments, if at all possible, is also a must, and I must admit that I’ve learned a lot from comments and exchanges in the comments’section of blogs I follow.
    Hugh Roberts has a very interesting series of blogging tips on his blog (https://hughsviewsandnews.com/category/blogging/blogging-tips/) but probably the best idea is to see what bloggers we like do, and see what we can learn from them.
    Thanks for doing this, Pete. I’m sure bloggers will find it invaluable.

    Liked by 5 people

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  10. After my recent google experience I suggest to remember that anything you write is public. I think you shouldn’t disclose other peoples’ business, post pictures of other people without their permission and hesitate if you have any misgivings about posting anything.

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    1. Your link works, Ray. I don’t actually use the reader as I have post notification emails sent to me for those I follow. I am not currently following your blog, as I was already following 112 blogs, and that takes up all my spare time. As people drop out, or give up blogging, I add new ones until I get to that maximum number.
      It’s not an intrusion, I assure you.
      Best wishes, Pete.

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      1. Great, glad it works. Will be fun to be a part of this community rather than isolated on an island. No worries on following; I do the same, rigorous trimming keeps insanity at bay (or is that insanity? ;). Thank you, Pete.

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  12. Terrific idea, Pete. I will no doubt reiterate much of what has been offered here, but there are a few ways to not only grow your own blog, but to become part of a fascinating and fun online community of new friends:
    1-post regularly. Every day is what I do, but make it regular: a routine gives followers something to look forward to, and it also builds continuity with them as well as you.
    2-share passions. I post stories about food, movies, travel, book, music and pop culture because those are my passions. Hopefully that comes across and engages someone enough to follow along and post their own comments about the stories as well.
    3-engage. Read other bloggers and comment on their work. It’s a vital “two way street” and sends the message that you are interested in more than your own “stats.”
    4-don’t think of this as a moneymaker – Pete has pointed out a proliferation of “buy me a coffee” requests from bloggers who don’t seem interested in much more than getting a few bucks off him. That doesn’t work.
    5-be polite and interesting. Most bloggers don’t post to start fights. Keep the engagement respectful, and offer interesting and articulate points of view.
    Well, not sure if this added to the conversation, but there you have it Pete!

    Liked by 6 people

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  14. Get to know your audience by responding to comments and likes…don’t just expect a like for a like for doing nothing and bear in mind genre’s …I don’t fish or go fishing but the fisherman might also cook and follow me…I will read his blog sometimes and if I can make a valued comment I will but I won’t necessarily follow him…but we converse sometimes he is a lovely man…It is pointless having thousands of followers and nobody with who you communicate with it would also be impossible to read all those blogs if you followed back…

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  16. Thanks Pete and all the bloggers who have posted tips in the comments section. There are relevant, valuable points in each! Being relatively new and only an intermittent blogger, I will be qualified to add my tips a wee later when I’m more seasoned. But yes, unlaboured blogs, short and sweet, on day to day topics, are a joy to read. And if grammar and punctuation not ignored then even more so..
    And yes Pete..Will work on an About page soon!😊

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  17. Take the time to read the blogs that you follow. Don’t be one of those bloggers who like five separate posts in the same minute without reading anything.

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  18. My advice:
    Shorter posts (500-1,000) words) are better than long ones. If you need 3,000 words for your topic, break it up into several shorter posts.
    Always respond to comments.
    Visit the blogs of those who comment on (or even just ‘like’) your posts. Comment on their posts if you have something to say, although even “Great post” is better than nothing. 🙂
    Visit the blogs of those who follow yours, but you don’t necessarily have to follow back.

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    2. Good advice! I have only just started blogging again after a few widely spaced false starts and am determined to keep it going this time. I am an artist and have in my time also been a songwriter and my approach to blogging is the same. I start from the Title and work backwards, pouring the words or the colours out, smearing them all around and then nudging them into some semblance of order. I often ramble, lose track of where I’m going and have to do quite a lot of tidying up; its a kind of stream of consciousness thing. I would love to be more concise and to the point, but the problem is half the time I don’t realise until the end what point I’m trying to make! I’ve only had a few comments so far, so I’m reading lots of other blogs to find out how I could improve.

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  20. As a new blogger myself (so proud of that title:)) I would like to say that I am immensely appreciative and grateful to any and all that provide help and guidance to those of us just starting out. I am have tried to implement most if not all of these into my blogging and it really helps. Love that I have so many friends 🙂

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  21. Cherish your followers. In my eight years here I have met some amazing people. I’ve not been here much of late, but on a recent post I wrote some of the folks who have been there since almost the beginning commented, and it was like the best hug ever. It reminded me why I stay. The folks who are with me have always been the best part of this journey 🙂

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          1. Or in my case years and years to be where I already was, but do you know what , I’m OK with that. Its seen me through some bad times and its given me so many good times that ultimately its been worth it. But you’ll know that yourself and they will too soon 🙂

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  22. Great and kind idea, Pete!

    I have been around a long time back to the days of dial-up BBSes and internet yet I tend to be an infrequent poster. Maybe it’s cuz I’m always wandering around in the woods? ; )

    In addition to the excellent suggestions above, here’s mine:

    — I suggest having a “Follow” page to show folks how they can follow and keep up with your blog, Not everyone is in the WordPress.com ecosphere, so give additional ways to keep up with your new posts (on mine, folks can follow me through RSS, social media, WP.com, email, etc.) You can extend this by…

    — Using Jetpack’s easy-to-use publicize feature to cross-post your blog posts to social media and such. I don’t like social media, but one may as well leverage it (since they leverage you so well! to send readers to your blog.

    — Do have an “About” you page even if it’s sparse. Lots of folks appreciate knowing a bit more about the person behind the words they are reading. Which leads to…

    — Think of blogging not as a solo silo but as part of a community, esp. on WordPress.com thanks to its Reader. You are not alone.

    — Be real. Remove your filters and write freely. Your blog really is for you and no one else. Do not bend to the whims of others.

    And most of all… Make sure blogging is not a task but something you enjoy!

    Ray

    Liked by 5 people

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    1. Oh, forgot one — if you do have an About page add an oldy yet goody feature to the bottom of it — put the words GUEST BOOK down there and turn on comments for that page. Ask folks to introduce themselves. Get to know your readers!

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  23. I took several WordPress online courses during the first year or two, and I learnt a lot.
    One thing that sticks to me now is to keep the language without adjectives. The subject of the blog post should create the story in the reader’s imagination. 
    I am not writing in my native language, so the app Grammarly has helped me a lot. To grow an audience, it’s essential to comment and engage in other bloggers’ posts.

    Liked by 4 people

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      1. To me, as a foreigner, I have become dependant on it. There is a free version of it, but I have the Premium version. 
        Unfortunately, it doesn’t match the Block Editor, so I have to test the sentences in an email draft. 

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    2. Maria, you do exceptionally well in a foreign language. I have always had so much respect for anyone blogging in a language that is not their own. (I couldn’t do it in French, I’m sure.)
      Best wishes, Pete.

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      1. 30 or so years ago I met a teacher who had four rules for her as a teacher: be there, be on time, don’t get involved, and eat your vegetables. Since that was advice she gave to others, I recalled it when I read your request for suggestions. I guess 30 years is retro. Warmest regards,Theo

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  29. As one of the years new intake of bloggers I’ve found a lot of help from more seasoned posters. All the above points contain sound advice. I would add to that write about what you know and write with a passion about the subject. If you don’t have it or you waffle people will soon stop reading. However , I think the one point that I would hold above all others is, “Less is more” anything more than a two minute read will put people off.

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  31. I love this post!!! Thank you 😊

    My blogging commandments:

    1. Never hit publish if you’re angry wait til the next day
    2. Write in your language. Yes spelling, grammar etc but be your voice
    3. Marketing emails are a pain in the ass but if you want that freebie, just accept it for what it is
    4. Try to have a plan/schedule/timetable but don’t beat yourself up if you miss a set time.
    5. Remember you’re only human
    6. Be confident, not arrogant
    7. Engage
    8. Stay humble
    9. Never stop developing your style, find what works and strive to improve it
    10. Refer to number 5

    X

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  32. The big fundamental error I originally made with my old blog was applying too many tags (ie: not reading the info!) therefore my posts often didn’t appear in Reader. No wonder I didn’t get many views! Or was it just that I was writing about cricket?!

    As others have pointed out, good grammar and proof reading etc. I probably overdo this but of course there’s still the odd mistake.

    I’m a big fan of people using their own images. I’ve always said about my blogs, “They might be rubbish but at least it’s my rubbish!”.

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  33. Write content that gives your reader a sense of who you are. The blogs I follow and the bloggers I connect with I feel like I know. I understand a bit about them, their culture and their experiences based on what they have written. Everyone has a story. Tell yours.

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  35. Ok three pieces of advice from a seasoned blogger:
    1. Don’t waffle. Be clear and concise and don’t say in 2000 words what can be said in 500
    2. Be grammatical. Nothing puts me off reading a blog more than poor spelling and punctuation.
    3. Respect and value your readers, appreciate likes and respond to comments
    Hope that doesn’t sound too intimidating. It’s a learning process so enjoy it

    Liked by 13 people

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