10 must know blogging tips for 2023

hello yall! Every year, there are always new and more ways to gain traction, following, and just improve your blog overall! I know that I always find value in these types of posts, and I hope the same is for you once you read and soak up all the great information in this post! I will be hitting base mainly on post scheduling, tags, writing posts, taking photos, and more! Let’s get into it 🙂

Write like you talk.

Guys, I definitely do this all the time! Like, I wouldn’t have just typed “like” if I was just typing this, for example, like a robot and I would’ve said “I would not have just typed….” or I wouldn’t say “hey hey friends” at the beginning of so many posts, I would’ve said “hello…” or just jump right into it. This is especially important for lifestyle bloggers and/or Instagram influencers/content creators who want to engage your followers and people who are reading your posts. You want them to feel engaged with you, like you are talking directly to them. This makes them feel special that you seem to be giving them your time and attention. 

BE CONSISTENT

Consistency is so so so so soooooo important. You don’t have to post every week if that doesn’t work for you, but have a set in stone schedule that never changes and that your followers can rely on. I get disappointed when there isn’t a new post for 3 months, then they post like, 15 times in one day, but then we don’t hear from them for 3 more months. That isn’t engaging with your audience. And to be honest, DON’T POST EVERY DAY EITHER. That can be sooo annoying sometimes, especially when it’s absolutely pointless. 

Post Scheduling 

Now, let’s also talk about post scheduling. If you have times that are crazy busy, and times that are super boring and empty, post scheduling may be a good idea for you to at least try. You can write all 15 of those blog posts, and instead of posting them all at the same time, schedule them over the time period you won’t be on your blog. This is super helpful for me, since the best time I’ve found to post is Tuesday, and I also go to my homeschool tutorial on Tuesdays. So, the night before, I do the final editing of the post, from my phone or my laptop, add tags and categories (which we’ll talk about in a minute) 

Tags + Categories

Tags are SOOOO important! This is how your posts are found in the WordPress Reader, and how people can find your posts through what they search there. For example, if you did a recipe post about blueberry muffins (check out my blueberry muffins recipe here) , but didn’t specify what recipe it was, it probably won’t show up if someone typed up blueberry muffins recipe. Try to make your tags as specific as possible, and think of what you would search if you were looking for a post like the one you’re writing. I’ve heard from people to put like, only 5 tags, but putting as many as possible, makes it easier to find your posts in the large internet that’s full of other blogs and posts similar to yours. I also add in “the braided vine blog” “the braided vine” and the name of the post in the tags section as well. Categories are similar…and are mainly just for the search widget in your blog, so stick to main topics. 

Jump into the blogging community and don’t be afraid to make friends!!

Especially if you are just starting out blogging, DO THIS NOW. In the reader, look up topics and sites that are similar to yours (ex. teen girl blog, Christian blog, author blog, etc.). Follow them, read posts, comment, get involved! I’m also always here to chat and give out tips, so contact me via my contact page for anything!!

Spread the word! But…never beg for followers. 

Spreading the word through comments, Pinterest posts, and through your friends is super important, but never beg for followers. It doesn’t come across as someone who will be worth following, who’s just begging for people to follow them. It doesn’t sound or shows up good. Instead, contact other bloggers and LET THEM KNOW about you blog. i.e. Hey there (their name)! You have a great blog, and I just started a blog, and thought you may want to check it out. Here is the link : (blog link). Hope you enjoy it! -your name. 

Work Daily

This may seem similar to the tip #1, but it’s just as important. Whether your writing a blog post, responding to comments, reaching out to other bloggers, reaching out to Etsy shops and small biz’s for collab opportunities, brainstorming future posts, etc. always do at least one thing for your blog per day. You don’t have to do this on vacation, or over the holidays, because that’s time for you to relax anyways, but otherwise, be committed to do a little something each day. 

“Overnight success” never really happens overnight

Seriously. I know that it may seem that some social media influencers have overnight success, but either 1) they don’t or 2) they have an agent who is literally hiring people to follow them. You working hard and consistently is what will build you up to the point where it may seem like overnight success. But overnight success isn’t an actual thing. So don’t get discouraged and keep working because you are amazing!!

Focus on finding/taking good photos + creating a quality and good-looking featured image

The featured image is what will be shown with the excerpt of your post on you posts/home page. This image should have your blog title, and a few relevant pictures in a collage, or just one picture by it self. Having good photos overall is important too. It’s the visual image they have, and since all we have it words and photos, make the photos look good and intriguing. Also make sure they fit the color scheme and look cohesive with your home page. And when you use not free images, give credit at the very top or in a. cute “p.s.” statement at the end of your post. 

Make and keep your brand cohesive

This is super important. Your “brand” is your logo, color scheme, and overall feel of your blog. If the accent color for your blog is pink, include some pink in your logo. Then also use mainly pink tones around your blog. Also having a font you consistently use for graphics is important as well. Yet again, ties everything together super cohesively and makes everything flow well. 

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Even though the whole process of creating and starting a blog may seem daunting, it’s actually a great way to get computer skills, make new friends, and have a lot of fun! Sometimes you may feel as if you have to get a ton of supplies and spend a lot of money to start a blog, but you really don’t! 

Some of the things you need are…

-Something to write posts on i.e. iPad, Phone, laptop.

-(if pictures are something you want to do…(they help a lot)) Something to take photos with i.e. phone, iPad, camera

Stuff you don’t need…

-A new laptop, phone, iPad, etc

-Fancy tripods, cameras, lenses, backdrops, etc. 

-Paid subscriptions to canva, pic collage, mail chimp, convert kit, grammerly, etc. Working with the free versions of those have worked very well for me, and its just what you need, especially in the beginning. You also don’t *need* the paid WordPress plans, but that is totally your choice!

And if any of you ever needs help with your blog, don’t be afraid to read out! I love graphic and website design and would love to help you in any way I can :). 

you can enter through my post on wordpress or through my Pinterest! (you can’t enter on both…sorry ;))

-Mayim