SIMPLE CHANGES THAT WILL IMPROVE YOUR BLOG

HOW TO IMPROVE YOUR BLOG; 6 SIMPLE CHANGES YOU CAN MAKE NOW

As a driven person, I’m always looking at ways to better myself, improve, grow to the next level, and generally be the biggest success I can be. My drive means I’m passionate, motivated and super enthusiastic. It also means I’m often under pressure, stressed and probably a bit too hard on myself.  This drive is something I most certainly channel into my blog … in fact in many ways It explains how a hobby turned into a full time occupation (which I do alongside a full time career). I love blogging, I really do, I love to read blogs, write my own blogs, I love to come up with ideas, shoot photographs, write features based on all the mumble jumble going on in my head.

I am always looking to improve my blog, to help it grow, to let it flourish. I pour all my energy into making it the best it can be. And in that, I know I’m not alone.

Over the last 4.5 years I’ve learnt an awful lot about myself. And an awful lot about blogging too, and so today I wanted to share some of the most pertinent things I’ve learnt, and the things that in fact I believe have not only improved my own blog, but could improve yours too.

STOP COMPARING YOURSELF TO OTHERS

Learning not to compare yourself to others isn’t easy. There’s some sadistic part of ourselves that always wants to knock us down, make us believe we’re not good enough or not able to achieve the things we strive for. We all have this voice, but the sooner you learn to knock it back down when it decides to raise it’s ugly head the better. The truth is, the moment you stop thinking about others, the more energy you’ll channel into yourself. And this couldn’t be more important than when it comes to blogging (not least because originality and personality are what makes individual blogs shine).

There are so many bloggers out there, some with success we couldn’t even dream of, and so it’s not hard to understand why we find ourselves comparing our blog and our blog successes to that of others. But ultimately this doesn’t help, it creatives a negative mindset & often means you lose sight of what matters. And that’s you, your own blog and your own goals and ambitions.

If there’s one change that will really improve your blog, it’s learning to focus your energy and efforts on your game, and not on other peoples. Read more:

WHY YOU SHOULD STOP COMPARING YOURSELF TO OTHERS .FORGET THE PRESSURE & MAKE BLOGGING FUN AGAIN .HOW TO TURN YOUR BLOGGING DOUBTS INTO POSITIVE ACTIONS

TRY NEW THINGS

It’s easy in life to do what we know. If we find a routine that works, we stick to it, we stick to it so rigidly we almost start to fear change. And that’s no good. Change is good (for many reasons) and actually embracing new things in your life can bring far more opportunity than you may realise.

The blogging industry is growing and changing so rapidly, what works today might not work tomorrow, and so always thinking about new ways to evolve your blog and your offering is key to staying ahead. Don’t be afraid to try new things, to test and learn and adapt your strategy. It’s this agility that’ll help you grow.

For the first few years of blogging I posted an outfit every single day, back then it worked, people loved it, but as the blogging industry grew, a simple outfit no longer ‘cut it’. One day I decided to write about how I was feeling about all this change, and write tips posts to help myself on this journey … and before I knew it these tips posts massively grew my blog, and now they’re by far my most popular posts. The point is, trying new things often reaps great rewards, so don’t be afraid to test the water. Fancy getting a little creative? Check out these posts for a little creative inspiration:

. HOW TO BOOST YOUR CREATIVITY . GET MORE BLOG IDEAS & TURN THEM INTO REAL CONTENT .HOW TO TURN YOUR IDEAS INTO POSTS.

DEFINE YOUR OWN SCHEDULE

I truly believe there is absolutely no right or wrong way to blog. Some bloggers post weekly and have huge success, others post at 7pm three times a week, I personally blog everyday and post in the mornings. The point is it doesn’t matter. What really matters is that you do what you want to do, when you want to do it, and how you see fit to do it.

There is no point forcing a schedule on yourself because you think it’s the right way of doing it, you’ll find yourself drowned in pressure, and even worse feeling as though it’as a chore. Whilst it sounds simple, creating a schedule that works for you will actually have a hugely positive impact on your blog, not only will your energy and passion show (because you’re blogging when you actually want to) but it can also help boost the quality of your features, and in this game we all know how important quality over quantity is.

Find a routine that works for you & don’t worry about anything else (and if you do, go back to point 1). Want to read more about creating your own schedule & tips for running your blog, check out these posts:

. HOW TO MASTER BLOG SCHEDULING .HOW TO JUGGLE WORK & BLOGGING MORE EFFECTIVELY . 5 TIPS TO MAKE BLOGGING & WORKING EASIER . HOW TO CREATE A BLOGGING SPACE AT HOME .

BE MOBILE FRIENDLY

When I started blogging desktop was the channel of choice, I (much like other bloggers) focused my energy on creating the best desktop blog design I could, I barely thought about mobile or tablet. Fast forward nearly 5 years and a significant proportion of my traffic comes from mobile (and tablet) devices. The point is people are consuming your blog and your content differently, and so making sure it’s easily readable, findable and usable across multiple platforms is sort of a necessity.

There’s no right or wrong way for blogs to look on mobile, but being sure to adapt your design so that it’s mobile friendly is a simple way to improve your blog in the long term & make things a little more enjoyable for your readers. The last thing you want is people not bothering to read anymore because it doesn’t show properly on mobile. And it’s not just about aesthetics … the ‘behind the scenes’ matter too, everything from mastering SEO to site load speed.

Keeping your blog design original, unique to your brand & fresh is also important, you can read my tips on how to give your blog a refresh & simple design ideas to inspire you.

STOP SHOOTING ON AUTO

When I look at my blog over the years it’s clear to what changes have made the biggest difference. Lots of changes make a small impact and that’s fine, but the one change that really step changed the quality and growth of my blog was my photography. The moment I taught myself how to shoot properly on a DSLR was the moment my blog step changed. This isn’t about having the best kit in the world and a full time photographer on hand to capture every moment perfectly, no no no, this is about learning to USE your camera. Learning the difference between ISO, Aperture and shutter speed, and more importantly learning how they work together. Once you know how to use your kit, what you can create with it can be magical.

If you need a little help, read these photography tips posts:

. MASTERING PHOTOGRAPHY AND YOUR DSLR .TOP 5 PHOTOGRAPHY TIPS . HOW TO PREPARE A BLOG SHOOT . 5 PHOTO EDITING TIPS . HOW TO TAKE GREAT PHOTOS PART I & PART II . HOW TO GET THE MOST OUT OF YOUR DSLR .

LEARN HOW TO USE GOOGLE ANALYTICS’S

If you want to improve your blog, then you need to understand what’s working and what’s not. And there’s no better way to start that journey than google analytics. I’ve shared an entire feature on how to use google analytics which is worth a read if you want to learn more, but it’s fair to say being able to measure your performance is critical if you’re looking to improve things.

The important thing is setting yourself personal goals, and measuring the impact through your blogs data (and social too). Check out these posts to find out more;

. HOW TO MEASURE SUCCESS . WHAT IS BLOG SUCCESS . WHAT MAKES A BLOG SUCCESSFUL .

Did you find this post helpful? I’d love to know if you give any of these tips a go? If you fancy any more tips on improving your blog, I recommend checking out these: how to improve your blog, 6 ways to make your content better & how to grow your blog.