I see so many posts about bloggers, and the sort of things we should be doing. But, I hardly ever see posts about what bloggers shouldn’t do. It’s important, especially if you are a new blogger to read, and learn about the rules and things you should be doing to respect other bloggers and run your website successfully. I am no where near a professional at this, but I have seen and made my fair share of blogging mistakes.
It’s so important going into anything for the first time, that you know the rules and what’s expected of you. It’s also important, to have some guidance on what to do and what not to do aswell. When I started blogging, I didn’t really research and listen to advice from other bloggers. And I think thats where I went wrong. I thought I could figure it out alone, and I did but I didn’t learn the most important things about blogging.
For todays post, I want to share the guidance I have. So that you and other bloggers know what to do and what not to do in the blogging community! These are, of course loose rules and advice. What I think is important, might not be to other bloggers and thats okay. We all have different expectations and standards when it comes to writing and blogging.
A huge thank you to the bloggers who helped contribute to this post. Amber Page, Mind Beauty Simplicity and Ami Ireland.
IMITATE OR COPY BLOGGERS
An obvious one, but it seems alot of bloggers don’t know this. Never, ever copy or imitate other bloggers. I will admit, when I first started blogging I thought that being like everyone else will make me popular like them. And obviously, thats not the case at all. Being authentic and true to who you are is so important if you’re a blogger. If you copy people, and make your content the exact same as theirs, people will notice.
I had an instance of this a few months ago, and honestly it was the most upsetting and frustrating thing ever. I really hated it, because I had worked so hard to build my blog and come up with ideas. And this person thought it was okay to just copy everything I did.
Not only will your reputation within the blogging community crumble, you can get in big trouble for copying content. There are laws and regulations we all must abide by. So don’t forget that when the temptation to copy is there.
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POST INCONSISTENTLY
Never, ever post inconsistently. Especially if you are a new blogger. The best foundation you can lay for your blog is to ensure you are posting on a schedule and regularly. I put the growth and success of my blog down to the fact I posted alot when I was just starting out.
Posting inconsistently will not help your site to be noticed, and it won’t help it to grow either. Those who are posting weekly, maybe even a few times a week will notice a far better result than those who post randomly. If you think about it, it makes sense. Having your name and your content posted regularly, gives people more of a chance to see your blog posts.
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NOT SUPPORT OTHER BLOGGERS
Supporting other bloggers and their journeys is so important if you are to be part of the blogging world. So many fail to support and love other bloggers but expect the love on their own. Blogging is just like friendships. It takes both sides to ensure that support continues. Don’t expect other bloggers to support you, if you are not supporting them.
I know life can get in the way, but this is why a blogging schedule is important. Set aside time to comment and support your blogging peers. It might be time consuming, but maybe that comment was one they needed to hear.
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BE SOMEONE YOU ARE NOT
Friends, do not come into blogging trying to be someone you aren’t. As a blogger I can sense whether someone is being authentically them or not. I guess this point links in with the copying point I made earlier on. You should come into blogging being who you are. Don’t try to be someone else, be you. There is room for any type of person in blogging, we don’t discriminate or show hate to one another here. So you have no reason to not be yourself.
It can be hard being a blogger and putting yourself out on the internet. So I get why it would be tempting to try to become a different version of yourself. But from my own past learning experience, people love finding out about you and who you are.
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WORK FOR FREE
I remember when I got my first invite for a collaboration from a brand. I instantly thought that it was fake. I had no idea that someone would want to work with me. One thing I have noticed is that alot of brands don’t take bloggers seriously. They try to get us to work for free, or for a small amount of money. It can be tempting to just accept whatever a brand offers, but remember your worth. You are worth more than that small amount of money a brand wants to pay you.
To figure out how much I should charge, I calculate the UK’s national minimum wage, then add £5 a hour for any photos I have to take. And then I figure out how many hours I think the work will take me. This isn’t the standard way to do it, this is just how I have figured it out. But I encourage you to do the same. Don’t let brands pay you pence for alot of work.
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FAKE ENGAGEMENT & SPAM COMMENTS
So many times I see other bloggers fake spam other bloggers content, or post comments like “Get read” when I know they have not read the post. Personally, I’d rather no engagement than fake engagement. It’s a nice gesture yes, when someone likes your posts. But I’d rather know that my audience is actually reading my content rather than just liking it for the sake of it.
Another thing we should never do as bloggers is spam comment other peoples posts. It happens to me probably every single day. I’ll have comments of people just promoting their own blogs in my comment section on my blog. It really annoys me but I know that they probably don’t know any better, especially if they are new bloggers.
There are the correct channels to go down, to promote your blog on someone else’s blog. See if the blogger has advertising slots on their site first and foremost. Maybe ask to guest post on their website too. If you approach a blogger respectfully, and not just use them for promotion you will get further in this community.
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What are some other things bloggers should never do? Are you guilty of doing any of the things I mentioned?
None of us are perfect, and as I have admitted in this post I have fallen short many times and made blogging mistakes. The important thing we need to take from this, is that we are to learn from them and grow.
Olivia x
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Very interesting Olivia! As a new blogger I am learning as I go, so tips like this are always really helpful and appreciated 😊
So glad you found this post helpful!
Started blogging just one week now. I appreciated your advice. Best wishes.
Some great insights yet again, Olivia. It is a constant challenge and yes, you do need to be the authentic you.
Hi Sean! Hope you are well!
Thanks for reading!
That is some great piece of advice again Olivia! Thanks a ton!
Thanks so much Divi!
Love this post! There are so many good points for new bloggers here. Thanks for including me!
Amber | The Unpredicted Page
Thanks for your input Amber. 🙂
Thank you for these advices Mam. I have started my blog recently and had already made 10 posts total at an interval of 30 days. From now I will follow all of your advices. It’s really very helpful. Once again thank you😊😊
Welcome to the blogging community!
I love to read your posts Mam. Your posts really inspire me. I hope that I will become a successful blogger in future.
A rich post filled with excellent truths about what not to do. I think these pointers apply to new and experienced bloggers alike Olivia. Keep up the good writing!
Thanks so much for reading and commenting! So glad you enjoyed this post!
I think you’ve covered the biggest ones, Olivia. These things are all really annoying and ultimately will hurt your credibility. When I started out, I posted a few times a month, always on different days of the week. Early in 2020, I started posting 3 times a week and I have seen huge growth in my views and followers. It really does matter.
I will always shout it from the rooftops of how important being consistent is, especially if you are wanting to grow your site!
These are all great tips of things not to do. Definitely posting on a schedule really helped me get more views on my blog.
Yes! Schedules are so important!
You mentioned everything I had in my mind very well Olivia. I hate it when other bloggers aren’t genuine, I really want to see the raw and real!♥️ Great post!
Me too, raw and real is what I love about reading other peoples posts!
I’m definitely not a fan of the fake comments. There was one person who used to comment “great post” on everything I posted. Then, when I thanked them, they would reply “please visit my site.” I didn’t appreciate the shamless promotion so I stopped replying to their comments and they stopped commenting 😅
Oh goodness, this has happened to me before. Isn’t it so annoying. It just shows how insincere their comments are! At least they’re gone now🤣
Really awesome tips I must say, I’m happy I read this and I think the schedules are super duper important. Plus, putting value on your work makes people respect you even more so I agree with you 100%
Thanks so much for reading!
True..being genuine, authentic and disciplined are what matter most in any field…
You have made the right observations…
Stay blessed always
Stay safe.
🙏🌹🙏🙏
I so agree on fake engagement one, it irritates me a lot..
I know a blogger who will ask cross questions from these people “like what did you like most?? What did you find great??😅😅” and its fun to see people’s responses 🤣🤣
I wish I could do that,!!!
Haha this is such a great idea! I might start doing it 🤣
I always try to read as much as I am able. There are those who post a lot of quotes or links that sometimes I simply cannot get to. I try to show appreciation that they went to the effort to seek these out and share as I imagine they felt them important, but at times too many in a day gets overwhelming.
Liked this post and the points you shared. It’s best to stay unique and be consistent. Thanks for sharing! 😊
I loved reading this post lovely! I hate it when blogger’s don’t show love and support for others, it winds me up! x
Lucy | http://www.lucymary.co.uk
Thanks a lot for this ❤️
most of that is good and true Olivia
but free is me
see cos this is the one thing i do well
and i will not profit from it
from me to you
literally
have a good day
Thanks for the advice Olivia. Very helpful. Much appreciation to you for giving so generously of yourself/your experience to help others. Cheers, Dee
I’ve seen a lot of these types of posts about blogging do’s and don’ts but I really like the angle you approached it from. The only thing I disagree with is new bloggers not knowing better than to spam comment other peoples blogs with links etc as I’ve been doing this less than a year and I would never have dreamed of doing that to someone. Interestingly I have had it done to me numerous times by both new and established bloggers with big followings!
These are all interesting points you have made, do you have a content schedule planned out in advance?
Thank you Olivia for including my suggestion! I really don’t understand some strategies that bloggers think are okay, like advertising themselves in comments, spam likes. Like I said on Twitter, it is so obvious. Hopefully new bloggers will read your post and take the advice on board! 💚
Totally agree with these points; anyone reading this excellent article should note just how many positive comments are generated.
A great post!! Love that you mentioned this, thank you!
Excellent read. Il have only been going consistently since December so I’m fairly new at this and learning all on my own. I’m only guilty if one that I know and I know I need to engage more with other bloggers. I know I do follow all that follow me and I have found my own to follow but need to read n comment on post more. Never would copy word for word just not right. And what people pay for fake comments. I wouldn’t even feel true to myself, my readers or blog if I did that. Thanks for the awesome post Olivia
Thanks for reading Kerrie!
Good advice for new bloggers like me. Thank you.
I am new to this writing thing! I used to update on my artwork on another blog , but there I could just post pictures and it does express itself. But writing is hard.
I really wish to comment on some good posts I come across, but sometimes I don’t . I fear what if they did not like what I said. I sure need to work on that!.
This is my first ever long comment… yay!
Thanks for the advice again.
You should always share what you think on other bloggers posts, as long as its friendly! Thanks for sharing your thoughts with me!
thank you for this post. this was very helpful 🙂
As a new blogger myself, I appreciate this post. There is a lot to learn!!
Interesting post! I like how you mentioned posting consistently! I’ve seen a lot of other bloggers disagree, but I have to totally agree with you. Having a schedule or at least a minimum upload amount is so necessary, and shows readers you’re dedicated to your blog. Thanks for sharing Olivia!
Alexis| https://cafe-beauty.com
I love this! All of this is fantastic advice for newbie bloggers. I find myself getting approached by small brands on IG and they all look super fake. I don’t want to get scammed or made to work for less than I’m worth. Not sure if I’m ready to work with brands yet anyway. Regardless, a great post!
Great post as usual. Helpful and productive. Thanks.
I’m happy to know, you give priority to blogging and not only the brand promotions. 😀
Such a necessary post! Thanks for sharing <3
Thanks for this! I am new and didn’t realize how important having a set posting schedule is so that’s something I will definitely incorporate!
This is a really great post. I started blogging in 2013 about fashion and beauty and wish I had this article back then to help me get started. Whilst I have now left that space and focus on business, digital marketing and personal development, all of the above is still very relevant.
Very helpful. Thank you. 🙂
Thanks for reading!