Tuesday, January 26

Things Iv Learnt about blogging: 'start as you mean to go on'


 Iv been blogging for a few years now and boy do I wish I knew then what I knew now. I could have saved myself some sleepless nights and trouble if only I followed the simple guidelines below.
Whether you are knew to blogging, thinking of starting up or just taking a step back here are my simple tips to save you some tantrums and tears.

One of the main things I have learnt over the last four (nearly five) years of blogging is to 'start as you mean to go on'. Your blog name is the very first thing people see when they look at your blog and defines what people think and how they continue to read it. It (should) be your URL and stamp on the internet. 

I started blogging when I was 17, a young free teen living with my parents with the whole world in front of me. I sit here now 22, living in my own flat with baby and partner and a few fur baby's. These two lives are very different and so is my thoughts and feelings towards subjects. I started off believing in doing a beauty blog, i'm now lifestyle and free to roam all channels of reviews and life. If I had stuck to doing beauty I would have landed up in an unhappy rut and out of ideas. The choice to let myself out of a narrow field helped my inspiration to flow and enjoy writing again.
I was lucky my original blog name 'My Make Up Life' can be taken to show case what I have to 'make up' my life, others however are not so lucky.

My blog www.mymakeuplife.co.uk did not start off with that URL. Its only recently iv came to my senses to have my own domain. I'm paying for that currently in DA (domain authority) as over the years my links have changed so much. Not only this all previous link backs are broken as iv jumped username over the .blogspot.co.uk system from crystaldark, klayerd, mymakeuplife and umberphoenix. These can be reused by other members leading your hard earned traffic to them. So if you ditch a URL remember to redirect.

Social media is so important these days and in its hand is having a recognisable brand. Everything you write should come under one header so that any fans or company's looking at your work can find you with ease. In my case when I started out everything was mixed under childish usernames which frankly looks unprofessional. Ditch the internet lingo and link up your accounts, even better if you use the same on every place so all '@username' leads to your account across the board. Cant get the same username? Create your own personal #hashtag.
  
My Top Tips are;
  •  Don't Be afraid to let your blog breathe over time, allow for expansion.
  • Purchase a domain from the beginning - even if its just a vanity one and stick with it
  • Don't tie yourself down to a niche unless you are 110% that's what you will focus on.  
  • Keep it professional, fans and potential business are not interested in a childish username.
  • Link your accounts for easier searching

Stay tuned for the rest of my "pre-blogging" series where I will be tackling making yourself visible, Image plus much more. Hit subscribe down below so you never miss the next post.


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30 comments:

  1. I totally agree about the domain thing, I was quite lucky and bought my domain before I started blogging properly but it's such a heartache to see all your hard work go back down to 0 when you get your own domain x

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  2. Same here! I wish I knew then, what I know now, too. I never realised how much hard work blogging can be at times, although it is just a hobby for me. Although I am yet to purchase a domain. That's my next target to meet when it comes to blogging.

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  3. My biggest tip is to blog for yourself an not others and find your own voice and use it and not be a sheep x

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  4. I brought my own domain I think 2 months into blogging (I have been blogging six months now) and it looked so much more professional without Wix in the name!

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  5. Agreed on the professionalism point. If you always behave as a professional people will remember you!

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  6. These are great tips for new bloggers! I started blogging quite young too, and it took a while to figure out what I was doing.
    Emily from http://emilyunderworld.co.uk

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  7. Grat tips! I should agree on the point of getting a domain; it will give more features and thus, allowing your blog to be exposed more.

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  8. Different things work for different people and that's totally okay!

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  9. I wish I knew some of these before I started, especially the Domain one. I lost a lot of views that I had built up over nearly a year when I eventually moved to my own domain. Oh well, live and learn!

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  10. Some good tips on what to do when you start. I've been blogging for almost a year now and started with consistent account names on all platforms and a self hosted blog (wanted to learn more about css). It's a slow build up but an enjoyable project. Now working on improving! :)

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  11. Great tips. I've been blogging for many many years now in various guises and would definitely agree with all your tips!

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  12. these are some great tips, i have only just started blogging so these have come in handy. thanks

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  13. Some really good tips here, and this is a blog I would have loved to have read when I first started out. Linking up social media is really crucial nowadays and brings such great engagement :) x

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  14. Great tips - I have been blogging for two years and am encouraging my 16yo daughter to start one. It is the name for it that is proving hardest! Kaz x

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  15. Great tips! I wish I'd read this before I'd started!! x

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  16. Really good tips, I could of done with these a few months ago too but they're still relevant as I'm currently reevaluating my blog as well X

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  17. Great advice! There are always so many learnings that come with any venture, especially blogging and this will be helpful to both beginners and regulars. I made the mistake of starting with a free Wordpress and then having to convert it.

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  18. Great tips. I bought my domain from the start thankfully.

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  19. Great tips Umber!!!
    I started off on Tumblr then moved to Blogger then went all in with Wordpress.
    I wish I had started on Wordpress from the beginning BUT I guess its all a learning experience.
    Thanks for sharing hun
    Charlotte x

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  20. You've written some fantastic tips here, thank you for sharing. I started under blogspot too, but DA on your own domain builds up eventually. Persevere. :)

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  21. Your DA does eventually catch up with you, when you transfer to your own domain. But yes, much easier to buy it from the start.

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  22. Purchasing the domain name is one of the first things I did after being advised to do it once I had decided on a name x

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  23. I think I was blogging about 6 months when I bought my own domain and changed name, a blog with baby in it wasn't going to last very long when my daughter grew up! Great tips!

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  24. It's surprising how much you learn while blogging, I've been blogging almost six years and I'm always learning new things. Great tips.

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  25. Great tips lovely! I agree, social media is SO important!

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  26. It's so hard to do everything right from the beginning. I know I started out just goofing around and killing time. I had NO idea what would happen later.

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  27. I totally agree, it's only recently that I've moved away from trying to pin myself to a 'niche' and putting out posts that felt too rigid and forced so that they fit with my theme. I now post things that I think are genuine and grow from ideas in my head. I'm prouder of my blog now and feel like it's taking shape and becoming something. I loved reading your tips, and I can't wait for part two!

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  28. great tips. I agree with these points. I really don't have a niche. Its all about life and i do so much it kind of is here there and everywhere but..its what people seem to like about the blog so i'll stick to that method!

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  29. Some great tips here that will certainly help anyone who wants to start blogging

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  30. great tips. I agree that once you have decide on a blog name, to stick with it and check that all social media networks have your name available

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