There are a lot of posts out there packed with some really great advice about blogging. One quick Google search will reveal many articles written for bloggers with tips on writing quality content, increasing blog traffic, promoting posts through social media, monetizing a blog, growing email lists…the list could go on and on. Although these tips are great, and I’ve read and utilized many of them to get my blog to where it is today, I think it’s easy for us to lose sight of what is staring us right in the face. In our efforts to find the newest and most advanced technology at our disposal it can be easy to forget the simple things. Yes, the best piece of blogging advice you’ll ever need really is simple and basic, but since it’s easy to get distracted in the busy world of blogging, I thought I’d take the time today to remind you.
I’d like to start by asking you a question. Don’t worry…this question should be an easy one.
Why did you start blogging?
Was it to share your creative projects, keep up with family and friends, or teach others your craft? Perhaps you started blogging to hold yourself accountable to a goal you were seeking or you desired to work on your writing skills, or maybe you just wanted a way to minister to others through encouragement. There’s no right or wrong answer here, I just want you to think about why you started your blog.
Now I have another question for you.
Are you still blogging for the same reason that you started?
If not, you need to evaluate the reason why. It’s OK if you changed your mind because of your likes and desires, but if you’ve changed your blog focus just to gain more readers, get free products, fit in with other bloggers or get more advertisers, chances are you will not be happy in the long run. Why? Because the best blogging advice you’ll ever need is to always stay true to yourself.
So tell me, when it comes to blogging, have you stayed true to yourself?
Hmmm…that’s something to think about, isn’t it? It is so important to stay true to yourself in the blogging world because it can make the difference between a successful blog and a failed blog.
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So, what is the easiest way to make sure you’re following this powerful advice to always stay true to yourself? Make sure your blog topic is something you enjoy writing about. You really need to be writing about something you’re passionate about in order to produce high quality content for your blog. So what if everyone else is writing about budgeting or writing tutorials on creating projects with polka-dots? If you hate budgeting or hate polka-dots, just say no! It is extremely difficult to write about a subject you are not interested in, and unfortunately your writing will suffer from it. No one wants to read lackluster posts, so write passionately about things you enjoy and others will be drawn to your blog by your enthusiasm.
I told you today’s advice would be simple, didn’t I? I hope you’ll take my advice and remember to always stay true to yourself when blogging. Don’t worry so much about using the latest plugins, covering the latest topics, or comparing your blog stats. Remember that blogging is supposed to be fun and work hard to keep it that way by staying true to yourself and blogging about what you love.
This is an excellent bit of advice, Christie! Gloria and I started blogging to just share our ideas and projects with others and that’s what we’re continuing to do.We love it when someone reads a post and talks about being inspired to make the project themselves. That’s the very best part of blogging. Our blog is a reflection of our homes, so anything we post about is something than one of us loved. Posting the latest trends isn’t something we do unless we love the trend and want it in our homes.
You have some of the very best posts about blogging that I’ve read!
Good advice. It can be hard after a while, when you start to compare your amount of readers. But, that’s not the most important thing…just like you said 🙂
I’m so glad you found this helpful!! 🙂
Sometimes it is hard, if something becomes popular but isn’t your favorite thing, you have to decide how best to spend your time. Thanks for posting. Hello from Totally Terrific Tuesday.
Yes, it can definitely be hard choosing how best to spend your time. Thanks so much for stopping by! 🙂