I should start off by saying there really are no “tricks” in blogging, as far as I can tell. My experience has been to work hard, consistently, and allow the quality of my patterns and posts to draw in readers.
However, there are still some guidelines and tips that I have learned along the way. I have compiled the following list of actions/suggestions for the newbie blogger. I still consider myself a newbie! But after six months of blogging I have discovered many resources in this wonderful blogging community and am excited to share them.
Need some more encouragement from a blogger whose blog has just become profitable? Check out my Blog Income and Traffic Reports for the nitty-gritty!
PIN this article to your Pinterest boards for later.
This post may contain affiliate links; view the Hook Yarn Carabiner disclosure policy for details. Affiliate links provide me with a small commission for every purchase you make at no cost to you. These donations allow me to continue to produce free patterns and content on my blog. I am so appreciative of any support you give to me and my small business. Purchasing yarn or products through the links on this page is one way to do that.
START WITH A NICHE
Figure out what you are going to blog about and keep narrowing down the topic until you have found your niche. Make sure it is something you are passionate about to work on everyday. I chose to combine my passion of spending time outdoors with my love of crochet designing. I choose to create content that pairs both of these things and creates a unique blog, compared to the many “mommy bloggers” out there in my industry.
Blogging may seem like passive income, but it takes daily hard work to be successful. If you are creating a hobby blog, you have less to worry about, but if you would like your blog to be profitable it will take research, planning, and time for execution. If your goal is a profitable blog, you will need to decide how you want to make money. There are many different ways, and not everyone chooses the same method. For example, I choose to put up free patterns on my blog to drive more traffic, which results in more money from my ads and affiliate links. What are affiliate links? They are links that connect your audience to products sold by companies who then reward you with a small commission. I also make some money off of Etsy sales of my patterns, but since I offer free patterns as well, I do not rely on Etsy for all of my income. There are many bloggers who do not believe in ads and do not want them on their site. Instead they make money through selling patterns and products directly, instead of promoting content.
Research the community you want to enter and start on your social media (even if your blog is not up yet) to get a feel for who your audience is going to be. Just remember, as prepared as you want to be, at some point you will have to dive in. You do not have to have everything planned and decided upon before you begin. Some things, like your branding and voice, may just come with time. A lot of time.
FIND YOURSELF A HOSTING SITE
At first, you may want to put as little money into your blog as possible – at least that is how I felt. This was a brand new industry for me and something I did not want to go into debt to try out. After researching what other bloggers used, I chose to create a WordPress blog hosted by Bluehost.
First step is choosing your plan: their cheapest plan, and the one I am still currently on, is only $3.95 a month. If you pay for three years in advance – a few hundred dollars. But do not worry, they will refund you anytime you decide to switch hosts or just want to end service with them.
The next step is picking out a domain name: this is your website’s and hopefully your business’ name. I chose Hookyarncarabiner, and it was free! which means no one else was using it yet. Bluehost gives you this domain name for free as a part of their service. Some hosts charge more for domain names, it just depends.
The final step is completing your account: you will finish filling out your personal and billing information as well as choosing between some of their add-ons and extras. I would suggest not choosing any of the extras, until you really need them – you can always add them on later!
So why use Bluehost? Its cheap. Its easy. It works. Will I upgrade in the future? Probably, though Bluehost has many ways to upgrade and so far have provided me with excellent and affordable service.
GET ON THAT SOCIAL MEDIA
Social media is an incredibly important part of promoting your blog. People need ways to find your blog and to understand what it is you are offering! The following social media platforms are essential for creating community, connecting with your audience, and leading people to your blog posts.
Read my viral Pinterest pin post for detailed tips on how to grow your Pinterest account and what it can do for your blogging traffic.
FACEBOOK/INSTAGRAM
I grouped these two together, because I actually just post the exact same content to both at the same time. Since they are linked, through my Instagram business account and my Facebook page, it makes cross-posting incredibly easy. I post daily on Instagram; posting about my newest pattern, my current work-in-progress, and pictures of me wearing my favorite makes outdoors. I find that increased Instagram followers and engagement only spreads so far to my blog. For me, Instagram is about connecting with the community, learning from other bloggers, and getting inspiration.
Facebook is a platform I am working on growing. There are many things you can do on Facebook more easily than Instagram and I want to tap into those advantages. Facebook is wonderful for hosting Crochet-Alongs (CALs) which always increase engagement with your blog and social media in general. Facebook also allows for longer questions/discussions and more fulfilling engagement. Growing my Facebook is currently next on my to-do list and I will share all I learn!
ETSY/RAVELRY
I sell my patterns on Etsy to supplement the money I make off of ads on my blog. Over the past few months I have learned how important key words are in the titles and descriptions of my patterns on both sites, and have gone back and rewritten each pattern’s listing to reflect that. Though most of my Etsy traffic comes from my own blog, I do find that my patterns show up in organic Etsy searches as well, and using key words has really helped me with that. A couple other tips for Etsy: wait until you have at least ten listings to open your shop, no one likes an empty shop! Make sure you are regularly adding new listings, your listings will be ranked higher their websites searches if you are consistently adding new content and keeping your shop updated.
Ravelry is another platform I am still learning about and working on. I do not find it as intuitive to use as Etsy, but I know there is a huge audience for my niche and it is important I keep both sites up to date.
PAID AND FREE TOOLS THAT I LOVE AND USE DAILY:
Tasty Pins
Once again, if you are going to maximize your Pinterest presence, you are going to need to optimize the images and descriptions that are being pinned from your website. This Tasty Pins plugin is incredible; for a one-time cost of $30 you receive unlimited support, can create a Pinterest description, hide your Pinterest-optimized photo (creating a cleaner blog post), and force users to pin it. This will clean up the pictures being pinned from your site (keeping them uniform and with the details attached that will help your pin shine), while streamlining your search engine optimization (SEO) and your Pinterest pinning process. I bought this plugin in the first couple months of blogging and have never looked back. I have found it was completely worth the investment and makes my posting and pinning schedule so much more efficient.
Tailwind
Tailwind is how I stay sane with how much posting on Pinterest is required for growth. Tailwind is a scheduler app and site that allow you to find pins and schedule them for regular posting (they also now schedule Instagram posts – as a separate paid subscription!). This makes your Pinterest account’s pinning incredibly consistent and allows you to be more efficient with your blog marketing. It also lets you schedule pins out seasonally or monthly, so you do not have to think about them anymore (this is an additional SmartLoop and Tribes functionality that can be purchased through PowerUps)! You can us their free trial to schedule up to 100 Pins. I tried their free trial period about six months ago and was hooked! Plus, Tailwind is a partner of Pinterest and Instagram, so you do not have to worry about your account’s being negatively affected by using the schedule. I also still organically pin every morning because it keeps me engaged in Pinterest and up to date on my account and its activities.
Canva.com
Canva is my “photoshop for dummies/people who can’t afford photoshop.” All of my Pinterest pin graphics I create in Canva and save my template there to be more efficient. Anytime I want to add text or graphics to a photo, I use Canva This resource is invaluable to my small business and I use it daily! Plus it is easy to use! They even offer design webinars and templates to help you create the best graphic possible.
PODCASTS
You would not believe what I have learned from listening to podcasts on my bike rides or long weekend drives! There are an incredible number of podcasts that specifically provide free resources for bloggers. FREE. Though I do encourage you to donate to your favorite podcast for all that they provide. Here are just a few of my favorites, and the shows I regularly listen to:
- Food Blogger Pro– don’t be thrown off by the name! This podcast is for all bloggers and features interviews, how-to’s, discussions and more!
- Online Marketing Made Easy– Amy Porterfield is an incredible resource for bloggers. She has so many podcasts that break down the ins and outs of all aspects of blogging, and she herself has been blogging full-time for years. She has a huge following, and it’s not surprising why!
- Simple Pin Podcast– The Simple Pin Podcast is a show dedicated to using Pinterest to boost your business. Kate Ahl interviews people using Pinterest in creative ways to build their email list and increase revenue. I cannot overstate how important Pinterest is to my business, and this podcast is invaluable for improving my account.
Thanks for reading! I hope you found something useful for your journey to becoming a blogger. I will be regularly updating this page as I continue to learn more and grow as a crochet blogger. Do not hesitate to ask me any questions or to start a discussion!
Follow me on Pinterest for easy to follow, fun crochet patterns for the outdoors!
Follow me on Pinterest @hookyarncarabinerpins