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10 Blog Habits To Take Up In 2017
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10 Blog Habits To Take Up In 2017

12th January 2017

The start of a new year means the opportunity to build better blog habits, and strengthen areas of our life we want to concentrate on. I realise a lot of my readers are bloggers themselves, so I thought it might be handy to create a list of these blog habits I already do myself, or that I plan to work into my routine from now on. These are things which I think are incredibly useful for building up a great blog, but certainly not a ‘rule’ or anything!

I do hope this gives new bloggers a few ideas how they can up their blog game in 2017, or even motivate experienced bloggers to take things up a notch.

Enjoy!

 

1. Schedule tweets everyday

This is by FAR the greatest thing I started doing for my blog. From the moment I started scheduling regular tweets promoting my blog posts, I seen a massive difference in results. My social media followers grow much quicker, my blog gets more hits daily (at least double what they would if I didn’t tweet), and have more of a relationship with my readers through comments and messages. It’s the first thing I’d recommend to any new blogger! I personally use Tweetdeck for this, and I think it’s brilliant.

2. Reply to comments/thank people with tweets

It can feel like shouting out into a huge void if we aren’t getting any feedback on our blog posts; so whenever we do, we should definitely show our appreciation. Replying to comments shows you’re actively engaged with your audience, and tweeting people specifically shows even more thanks for them taking the time to read. It can make a fantastic impression on your audience.

3. Comment on other blogs

Likewise with point 2; this one is about giving back to your existing audience, but also immersing yourself in the blogging community! Getting into a routine of reading other blogs and commenting daily is a great habit to get into this year. You’ll discover new blogs, people, and possibly interests you never knew you had.

4. Edit old blog posts

I’ve talked about this extensively in this post; and it’s definitely one of the best things I’ve started doing this year already. Refreshing old content keeps it relevant and ensures your readers have LOADS of awesome content to binge on.

5. Plan ahead

This is especially key for busy lifestyles, bloggers with kids, full time workers, and people who rely on natural lighting for photos. How good would it feel to KNOW you’re blog schedule is sorted for the next month? Awesome; thats how it’d feel! I can tell you from experience, because I constantly plan ahead for my content and it works really well for me. Use spreadsheets to plan out specific posts, take photos in bulk, schedule tweets ahead of time, and keep notes of blog ideas for future. It all makes a big difference! I’ve spoken about this before in my ‘Keeping My Blog Organised‘ post.

6. Retweeting others

A bloody lovely habit to get into, I reckon. Sometimes just one single retweet of someone’s promotional post on Twitter can make a huge difference to them, and it’s a nice way of ‘sharing audiences’. It costs nothing, takes only a second, and shares the love a little.

7. Promote your favourite bloggers

If you want to do a little more than retweet, for your favourite people; you can help them out by promoting them in a full blown blog post. Perhaps you could do a blog post on your favourite Youtubers/Instagrammers/Lifestyle bloggers? Whatever it is, people would be flattered to be included, and again; it’s awesome to share the love!

8. Ask for affiliate links before shopping

Why the hell not eh! You’re gonna shop for something on Amazon anyway? Then tweet out asking if anyone has an Amazing affiliate link for you to use. This simply means that if you click this link and buy your chosen product, it costs nothing extra to you, but the person who gave you the link will earn a very small amount of money from it. It’s a tiny amount, but it costs you nothing, and supports them!

9. Take photos in bulk

I’ve mentioned this one; but allow me to reiterate here. It is SO HELPFUL to do this. For one thing, it means you’re going to be getting photos while you have good lighting/circumsgtances. But it also frees up your time a little, meaning you can get two/three weeks worth done and taken in under an hour! You might even find yourself experimenting a little more with your photography if you dedicate time to it this way, and possibly improving!

10. Share on multiple platforms

Once that blog post goes live, it’s easy to simply log off and assume the work is done. However if you really want to make sure all your hard work gets noticed, you’ll want to share it across all your socials. WordPress has a feature which means my posts instantly share on Twitter, Facebook and Google+ which is super handy. I then grab my posts link and schedule tweets for the next day or two for it. Remember to save a photograph for Instagram too! Just try to spread out your promotion if possible, because there’s nothing worse than someone spamming every single platform in minutes 🙂

 

I hope this helps! Here’s to the most organised, awesome, blogging year ever!

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  5. Love the ideas, I never know whether or not to reply to all my blog comments, sometimes it just seems fake, whereas sometimes it looks really engaging, and I don’t want to just say Thanks! I am starting to retweet other posts on twitter a lot, and I love your tips about keeping older posts up to date, I need to do this!

    Erin || MakeErinOver

  6. I love all of these ideas! I really need to get better with scheduling tweets. Sometimes I’m so on top of tweet scheduling, and then other times (like right now) I just can’t be bothered, even though I know how beneficial it is.

    And editing old blog posts. YUP! Really need to make a point to do that more this year!

    http://www.justbeingbrooklyn.com

  15. Some great tips 🙂 I’m really trying with the twitter thing, but I just feel like I am spouting into a big empty space. I seem to get no engagement on anything and it’s really starting to knock my confidence!

  25. Hello, Jemma!

    They are the good reminders for us to get straight in our schedule!

    I personally love blog commenting on other blogs… But I lack at replying at my own…

    I need to work on them.

    Thanks for covering it!

    ~ Adeel

  33. A fab post to spur me into action in 2017. In 2016 I was finding my feet with FDJ LDN and now I am ready to build it up. Fab tips and I wouldn’t have thought about the affiliate link shout out! It’s nice to be nice!

    Thanks for sharing!

    Leigh at Fashion Du Jour LDN x
    http://www.fashiondujour.co.uk

  42. This is a great post – loads of great ideas! I’ve been recently trying a new thing where I pick one or two posts or blogs that I’ve read and really enjoyed each day and tweeting them out. I read so many blogs (for my job too!) that I see so many things I love every day but I often just close the tab without telling them, so I’m making a point to make it known now 🙂
    Sian xx Rebel Angel