My top blogging tips can help you make the most of your blog, whether you are blogging as a business or you are an entrepreneur blogging to promote your business.
I’m an award winning blogger based in the south of England and this year (2022) marks my twentieth blogging anniversary. It has been an incredible journey, and both blogging and I have changed exponentially. Today, in celebration of that milestone, I’m sharing my top blogging tips.
Top Blogging Tips
1. You Can’t Do Everything All By Yourself
This is probably one of the most important top blogging tips. It’s all about collaboration, not competition.
When I first launched my website, I was super protective of everything I did. If someone shared a blog post or recipe that was even vaguely similar to one of mine, I’d spend ages feeling a bit miffed about the whole thing. I didn’t reach out to other bloggers for collaborations because I was afraid it would be detrimental to me. I couldn’t have been more wrong!
You can’t do it all by yourself. Collaboration lifts us all up. Whether it’s a link party that boosts your traffic and expands your reach, a shared promotion, or helping another blogger, author or business owner publicise a book or course they have written, helping others is always a good thing.
Promotions and collaborations have led to many opportunities, opened lots of doors for me, and have sometimes even led to friendships in real life.
2. A Well-Designed Website Is Essential
Your website needs to look professional, reflect your brand personality and function well. But what can you do if you want a beautifully designed website but simply don’t know where to start?
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3. It’s Important To Reinvent Yourself and Your Website Regularly
When I first started out, I was a thirty-something writer, housewife and mom. One of the first mom bloggers, I launched The 21st Century Housewife® to encourage and support other housewives and stay at home moms like myself.
Today, I’m still a writer and a housewife, but now also an entrepreneur and an empty-nester. The blog – now AprilJHarris.com – has evolved into a leading lifestyle website sharing delicious home cooking, travel stories and tips, ideas to help readers make the most of their homes and help them embrace their own unique personal style.
Through 5 redesigns, 2 web designers and 3 hosting companies, both the blog and I have evolved into our best selves. It’s been a fun and challenging journey, and I’m really proud of both of us.
4. Don’t Be Too Quick To Work For Free
In the beginning of my blogging journey, I’d get so excited if a brand wanted to work with me, even if it was just in exchange for product or ‘shares on our social media pages’. I’d put in hours of work, and get virtually nothing back – especially if the brand wasn’t very ethical about crediting or tagging the work.
Creating a social media and sponsored blog posts takes time, and the latter occupies space on my blog. Now, if a brand wants to work with me, they need to have a budget. I worked hard to build my following, and brands can’t expect access to them without compensating me. I may help my colleagues as I mentioned above or do pro bono work for charity, but in general, my time, effort and influence are chargeable. Yours should be too.
5. Good SEO is Vital
It’s important to plan blog posts carefully with keywords and SEO in mind. Keywords are the words that define what your content is about. (For this blog post, the keywords are “Top Blogging Tips.”) SEO is search engine optimisation, a set of practices to improve your site to increase visibility in Google and other search engine results. Don’t ignore SEO because it seems complicated; it’s vital to making sure that your website and blog are seen by your readers and customers.
Need a little help? Check out my Blog Coaching offer.
6. Integrity Is Crucial
When it comes to sharing a product or service, honestly is the only policy. If I don’t use or believe in a brand, I won’t work for them. I do turn down a lot of work, and I’m grateful I have the luxury of doing that.
If I recommend something, I really do believe in it. Your trust means everything to me. That said, we can’t all like the same things, and I can’t guarantee that everyone will love the same products or services I do. However if I say that I use or believe in a product, that is the absolute truth. Definitely one of the most important of my top blogging tips, integrity is crucial.
7. A Mailing List Is Even More Important Than Social Media
This is another one of the favourite top blogging tips. Capricious algorithms can make social media really unreliable. It is important and useful, but you have to think about what would happen if it all disappeared. At that point, all you would have is your mailing list.
Devote a little time and energy to what you are offering your readers in terms of a newsletter and free bonus content. Both are a wonderful way to really connect with your audience and also offers a way of highlighting any paid offers you may have. It can also be a lot of fun. Developing my mini ebook “5 Vintage Family Recipes” was a real pleasure, and I’m working on more offerings to share with you soon.
8. Have Some Fun
These were the last words of advice in my late Dad’s speech at my wedding, and his advice is also one of my top blogging tips. While blogging has changed exponentially over the last twenty years, it should still be fulfilling personally and professionally – whether you blog as a business or blog to promote your business. Most of all, it should be fun.
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Comments & Reviews
Liberty says
Congratulations on your blogiversary!! One of the things I appreciate in my short time blogging is learning new things. Blogworld is rewarding in so many ways. It was good reading what you have learned!
Liberty @ B4andAfters.com
April Harris says
Thank you so much, Liberty!
Christina Morley says
Congratulations on your blogiversary! I saw your photo on Friendship Friday and decided to pop on over for a visit. I’m so glad that I did! I also RTed this post. It’s always nice connecting on Instagram too. Take care!
Tina
April Harris says
Thank you so much, Tina! And thank you for sharing too 🙂 Have a lovely weekend! xo
Suzan | It's My Sustainable Life says
Many congratulations on your blogiversary!! As I am coming up on a first-year anniversary in a few days, this really resonated with me. Thank you for being such a generous & kind blogger! One whom I want to be like when I “grow” up 🙂
April Harris says
Thank you so much, Suzan! What a lovely compliment! xo
Rebecca Hastings says
These are such good things to consider! Blogging is hard work, and it’s changing (all.the.time) We need to be willing to change with it, but use wisdom to see what works best for us.
Thank you for sharing some of your journey!
April Harris says
Thank you so much, Rebecca! Keeping up with the changes can be challenging, that is for sure!
Melissa says
April,
Congrats on your blogiversary! I am glad to see the social media vs. email list point. I had read that in several places before I started my blog in February of this year. I have focused on the email list almost exclusively. Social media can get quite nasty I have heard.
Looking forward to many more years!
Melissa | Little Frugal Homestead
April Harris says
Thank you, Melissa!
Social media is very useful, but the email list is definitely more important. It’s worth exploring if social media can help as well though, even if you just choose one platform. Also, it isn’t social media and I didn’t mention it in the article but Pinterest has been a great traffic driver for me, so you might want to consider it if you haven’t already.
mjskitchen says
Congratulations on 17 years!!! WOW! That’s amazing as is your blog! Thanks for the list. I’ll be referring back to this list again.
April Harris says
Thank you so much, MJ! What a lovely compliment!
Pauline Wiles says
What a wonderful milestone. I’m sure your advice will be no less valuable in the year 2036 (17 years hence)!
April Harris says
Thank you so much, Pauline! I wonder what blogging will be like in 17 years… 🙂
Michelle says
Very interesting observations! I am coming up on my one year blogging anniversary (although I have an old quilting blog that has been neglected since about 2010). I agree with you about cooperation vs competition. As far as integrity, I have affiliated myself only with companies I actually purchase from, and as far as Amazon, I only mention items I have actually purchased from them and like. We will see if it is enough to keep them from booting me out of their program. But my blog is a labor of love first and foremost. And I realize that I am fortunate enough to have that option.
April Harris says
Thank you so much, Michelle! 🙂
Angela Johnson says
April, thank you so much for sharing all these great tips. I absolutely learned some things by reading your post. Saved to my blogging Pinterest board!
April Harris says
I’m so glad you enjoyed the post, Angela, and that it was helpful. I appreciate you pinning it too, thank you 🙂
Lisa notes says
Thanks for sharing these tips, April. I’ve been blogging for 14 years, which is a lot in blogging years. lol. But 20 is quite amazing! Congratulations!
April Harris says
Fourteen years is a long time too, Lisa! I’m glad you enjoyed the tips, and thank you!
Barbara Harper says
Congratulations on 20 years of blogging! And thank you for these tips.
April Harris says
Thank you, Barbara! I’m so glad you liked them 🙂
laura says
HI April
Love this list. I added you to my feedly account so I must have found you via a blog hop!
Congratulations on your blogaversary. laura in Colorado
April Harris says
Thank you so much, Laura! I’m so glad you liked it 🙂
Linda Kinsman @ My WAHM Plan says
Congratulations on this milestone blogversary! I’ve been a part time blogger for 12.5 years and can attest to the changing climate in the industry and how now more than ever collaboration is important.
April Harris says
Thank you so much, Linda! It’s true, working together can bring great rewards.