Bloggers Share The Blogging Advice You Should Ignore
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The internet is full of advice for bloggers. Most of these guides are written by bloggers and amazingly I see more and more guides out there from bloggers who have only been blogging for a few weeks at most themselves.
Needless to say, there is a lot of misinformation out there. There’s also a lot of conflicting views on best practices as a blogger. So what is the blogging advice you should ignore? Read on to find out.
"Write great content and they will come"
I recently read one of these so called new blogger guides and it prompted me to write this blog post. The advice was ‘write great content and they will come’. If by ‘they’ they actually mean tumbleweed might roll by, then they are on to a winner. Of course, you need to write great content. That’s a given. But they most certainly will not come just because you’ve written it. Unfortunately that’s not the way the internet works.
When I set up my first website (an online ecommerce store) I naively thought people would find me on Google and I’d have a ton of website traffic. After a few days of NO traffic, I quickly realised I needed to shout about my website from the rooftops to get people to visit it. It’s exactly the same with my blog today and I’m sure it’s exactly the same for 99% of new bloggers. The other 1% will be masters in SEO and never need to promote as they’ll get so much Google traffic instantly – do these bloggers exist? Perhaps they can give me some training if so.
In my first experience of setting up a new blog, you must promote your blog tirelessly to get traffic. You must be active on several social media channels and post often. You must engage with your readers and the blogging community. It's not easy and it takes a lot of work to be a brilliant blogger without burning out.
You should learn some basic SEO at the very least. But SEO takes time and unless you are very skilled at it, you will unlikely see a lot of traffic from Google for months, if not years, especially in competitive niches.
When I first started blogging, I took part in linkies, commented on other blogs and constantly thought up inventive ways to entice people to my blog.
Tell everyone about your blog so they know it’s there. That’s how ‘they will come’. At first anyway. And yes, once you have enticed them in, if your content is great they will return. Perhaps that’s how they should have worded their advice in the article I read.
Simply building something and expecting people to find it is not realistic. You need to have a strategy to how people will find your website whether that's through social media, SEO or ads. Your website is competing with billions of other websites and thousands of other bloggers who may share the same dream of being a digital nomad or working from home as a full-time blogger, so it needs to have a way of being found. Several traffic sources is a good idea as any traffic source can change and become less effective over time, or sometimes overnight due to changes in algorithms on platforms and search engines.
Also, it's not just the content, but the look, design and feel of your blog. Does your website have a professional looking blog logo? Are the fonts large enough and easy to read? Is the layour user-friendly? You need to optimise your blog content and website to make it easy on the eye, but also professional looking too.
More common blogging advice that new bloggers may want to take with a grain of salt:
"You have to blog every day"
While it's important to be consistent with your blogging schedule, it's not necessary to publish a post every day. Focus on quality content that offers value to your readers rather than quantity.
"You need to be an expert in your niche"
While being knowledgeable in your niche is helpful, it's not a requirement to start a successful blog. You can always learn and grow along the way. Just choose something you are passionate about and want to learn more about.
"You should write long-form content only"
While long-form content can be beneficial, shorter posts can also be effective in conveying your message. Focus on providing value and engaging your audience, regardless of post length. Waffling on just to word stuff and word fill a post is actually harmful to your blog's SEO.
"You have to use SEO to succeed"
While SEO is important for driving traffic to your blog from search engines, it's not the only way to succeed. Some people have great success from Pinterest marketing to get traffic to their blog, for example. Or from email newsletters. Focus on creating quality content that resonates with your audience and promotes engagement. Implement at least some basic SEO for your blog, don't totally neglect it as organic search engine traffic will help to grow your blog, but if you have other ways to get traffic to your blog that you prefer, then go for it!
"You need to have a large social media following"
While having a large social media following can be beneficial, it's not a requirement for success. Focus on building relationships with your audience and providing value through your content.
"You have to pick a profitable niche"
While it's important to consider the potential profitability of a niche, choosing a niche that you're passionate about and enjoy writing about is just as important.
"You have to use a specific platform to succeed"
While some platforms may offer features that align with your blogging goals, there's no one-size-fits-all platform for blogging success. Experiment with different platforms and choose the one that works best for you.
"You have to spend a lot of money to be successful"
While investing in your blog can help improve its quality, you don't have to spend a lot of money to be successful. Focus on creating quality content and building relationships with your audience before investing in expensive tools or services.
"You have to follow a strict blogging formula"
While certain blogging formulas or templates can be helpful, they're not the only way to succeed. Experiment with different formats and find what works best for you and your audience.
"You have to write for everyone"
While it's important to consider your target audience when creating content, trying to appeal to everyone can dilute your message and make it less effective. Focus on creating content that resonates with your specific target audience.
Remember: Every blogger's journey is unique, so take advice with a grain of salt and focus on what works best for you and your blog.
More bloggers share the blogging advice you should ignore
Back in 2017, I decided to ask other bloggers what advice they have read in so called ‘blogging guides’ that they think is a load of rubbish too. Here's what they had to share with me. It all still rings true today.
"Ask other bloggers to retweet you"
Don't annoy other bloggers by randomly asking them to RT your latest blog post to their followers... especially if you don't even follow them in the first place and have never spoken to them before! - scrapbookblog
"Leave your website in every comment box available"
No this isn't a widely appreciated thing as it ends up making your comment look really spammy in my experience. - rtoatsblog
"Free exposure is the best thing going"
It's a fine line between being good and being taken for a ride by companies. Know your worth as a blogger and stick to your guns instead of feeling obliged to say yes to everything - twinderelmo
"Set your fees and stick to them"
Different brands will have different budgets, some more some less - being strict with exactly what your prepared to take can lose you future work, or stop you from getting more money in the first place. The best thing I've done in terms of monetising is be open to a good old haggle. - lifewithboys
"Fake it ‘til you make it"
The "fake it til you make it" mentality with social media, i.e. buying a bunch of followers to boost your numbers and make real people follow you too. It's totally illogical and adds absolutely nothing for potential working relationships or your real readers. Daftest advice I've ever heard. - mightyduxburys
"Be organic as possible"
Utter drivel. Honestly, organic is a vegetable. Get out there, promote yourself as much as possible, but also promote other bloggers. Build each other up but never listen to advice that suggests you should sit back and wait. - tobyandroo
"Find a blog you like and try and emulate it"
Erm, nope, be yourself! Take inspiration sure but don't just copy someone else to try and be something you're not. - pinkpearbear
"Stats aren't everything"
No, but you're not going to make good money without good stats! - monkeyandmouse
"Know your place, wait your turn"
No - work like a dog and work some more. Success is self-made not handed out when you reach a milestone number or timeframe. - hibabyblog
"Just write it down and press publish"
No mention whatsoever of editing, finding appropriate photos or looking for ways to better your post! - fivelittledoves
"Don't plan posts, just go with the flow"
Maybe that works for some but not with big posts which include loads of photos, a day out or a video! That would be seriously stressful doing it all in 24 hours. - tripswithatot
Final word on the blogging advice you should ignore
In conclusion, there is no shortage of advice for bloggers on the internet, but not all of it is useful or applicable to everyone. As a new blogger, it's important to approach blogging advice with a critical eye and take what works for you and your blog.
Avoid taking advice that suggests a one-size-fits-all approach, and instead focus on creating quality content, building relationships with your audience, and promoting your blog through various channels.
Remember that every blogger's journey is unique, and there is no right or wrong way to be successful in the blogging world. Keep an open mind, experiment, and find what works best for you and your blog.
Before you go...
Want to know some more opinions on blogging? Check out this article about whether you should pitch to brands as a blogger 😬
