Bloggin’ Tips: What Makes An Awesome Blog

It’s G&J’s second monthiversary! And that means it’s time for another blogging tips post.

While I am by no means a blogging expert, blogging has become my favourite hobby. I’ve put so much time and effort into my little corner of the websphere and find it so rewarding. It’s been fun to watch my blog grow, come up with new content and see where I can take G&J.

Today, I wanna talk about what makes an awesome blog.

You’ve probably read thousands of times that a good blog has a clear vision and target audience. But does that even really mean? Let’s get a little more specific.

1. A great blog has a theme.
Back in my avid Tumblr-using days, I quick realised that the blogs that posted one type of images tended to cultivate followers the most quickly. Blogging now-a-days isn’t really much different. While lifestyle blogs can be fun, it’s unlikely that a reader will identify with alllll your content. If a reader comes across your blog because of a weekend workout routine post, it’s more likely that they’ll be more interested in more fitness articles, rather than a lifestyle post about (for example) when you walk your dog. Pick a thing or two you really enjoy (for me, fitness and travel are my great loves) and share everything you know!

2. Find your voice.
I love reading blogs whose authors have unique tones and voices. It’s fun to feel like you know who’s behind each post. The best way to find your voice is to just write how you think (then edit a bit). Using parentheses, punctuation and italics, you can add so much to your narrative (<- ha, see what I did there?).

3. #aesthetic
Bloggers sometimes get a bad rep for doing nothing but taking pretty pictures and posting them. While there’s obviously A LOT more to blogging, aesthetics are a big part. The look of your blog and your content should be somewhat uniform. Choose a colour-scheme and some basic shapes you want to stick to (aka branding). If you need help creating an eye-catching website, you might want to consider contacting an expert web design company such as WebCreationUK. You can even check their reviews here to learn more about the services they offer. When I started G&J, I literally went to a paint store and got colour swatches. I keep the hex codes for the blue, purple and green in the header on a sticky note by my computer.

4. Be consistent!
Nothing makes me sadder than checking a favourite blog that usually posts everyday to find that they’ve taken a week-long break. I usually post every other day to keep my blog active and avoid getting into a blogging slump (it’s a thing!). Even if you post only once a month, try not to go MIA without giving your readers a heads up; if it looks like you’ve abandoned ship, it’s unlikely that readers will come back to check out new stuff. Use that post queue!

While there are so many other components as to what makes an awesome blog, I’d say those are the main ones. But remember, the most important blogging must-do is to love whatever you’re writing about. If you really love what you write about, the post ideas will be endless and your enthusiasm is sure to attract plenty of like-minded readers.

What are your top blogging tips? How often do you post?