Hey there! I hope you’re doing well ❤ Happy Saturday to you! 🙂 In the second attempted draft of this post, haha, I have decided to answer every question I was asked on this post and not just the ones which had answers equaling (in total) over a thousand words. I’d love for this to be short and fun, yet informative and inspiring as well! And fitting it into one post would be great, too 🙂 So, if you had a question for me last week, or you wanted to read an answer to someone else’s question, this is the right place to be! I have some blogging advice to share with you ❤ I hope you learn something and enjoy!
Top 3 Questions + My Answers
Thanks so much to Raf for sharing these amazing questions! ❤
1. How do you grow your blog?
Answer: I have fun conversations with people, pick catchy titles for my posts, and share posts weekly!
2. How many times a week should I be posting?
Answer: I personally love to see 3-4 posts from my favorite bloggers each week, and that’s a great way to stay active in the community.
3. What are the best times to post?
Answer: The morning (usually 8-9AM EST) is when my posts get the most response!
Blog Coaching
Questions + Answers
Lydia: How do you come up with pictures that are relevant to your post and where do you go most to find them?
Answer: Unsplash and Pexels are my best friend! I also love incorporating my own photography into my posts, as well (: It takes some experimenting to figure out which pictures you love pairing with which posts, but by rule of thumb, I’ve found out that nature photos are good for updates/inspirational posts, silhouette photos are great for more personal/insightful posts, and laptop/desk photos are fantastic for blog-related posts!
Lydia: Would you recommend putting a list of your categories on the sidebar?
Answer: Yes! It makes navigating your blog for other readers so much easier. ❤
Lydia: How do you increase blog traffic?
Answer: Do a blog challenge. Browse the Reader for a while and interact with others. Write a post that you know for sure others will want to read. Catch up on reading your friends’ blogs. Basically, put time and effort into keeping your blog updated and your community presence current!
Caz: How’s best in your opinion to showcase your older posts?
Answer: This is a fantastic question, especially for bloggers who have been writing for a long time and have many older posts to share! I’ve personally found that writing a second part to an older post, as well as having blog categories that easily lead back to those awesome posts, is an effective way to draw attention back to older content.
El: Got any tips for when you get bloggers’ block?
Answer: Browse Pinterest for inspiration. Work on the drafts you still have on your dashboard. Create a list of all the ideas of possible blog posts that come to you. Continue working on an old blog series you used to write – anything to keep those creative blogging juices flowing!
SaRitzy: What made you continue to blog?
Answer: On Dreaming of Guatemala, it has definitely been this community. Having the support of others has inspired me every day to keep going! After that, the constant inspiration I have to write about the world around me fuels every blog post, and every comment I leave on others’ blogs makes me happy to know I’m making a difference, if even in the smallest of ways.
Ariana: How would you say to get your blog out there?
Answer: Last winter, I started by browsing the Reader all. the. time! From there, I would branch out to the friends of my friends, participate in blog parties and little competitions – before long, I started showing up in WordPress search results! I think the key to catching people’s attention are GOOD TITLES. I’m not talking about the clickbait-y ones, no – the short, to-the-point, interesting ones. Especially the ones that make people curious!
Kelsey: What’s the best way to bring positive feedback to your blog?
Answer: The one way I know you can do this for sure is by simply being yourself. By this, I mean to share what’s on your heart, let readers know what you’re going through and where you’re coming from – it makes a blogger much more real and easier to relate to. You can picture who’s behind the blog when you know that they’re just as purely human as you are. So, write posts that express what’s on your heart and have true conversations with people – I know they’ll be coming back for more.
Marie: What do you do when your views go down drastically?
Answer: Well first of all, I get discouraged haha, but then I go deeper and analyze why the views have dropped. Usually, it will be because I wrote a less popular post, or it was a holiday weekend, etc. When that happens, I tend to go work on some new post ideas I know readers will like, in the mindset that maybe it was just a down week for everyone.
Shannon: What’s the #1 way to grow your follow count without spamming all your other social media platforms with blog links?
Answer: The one time I saw a huge spike in my stats was when I did the 30-day blogging challenge last May! It took dedication, for sure, but this has proven true every time: blogging daily does something for your stats. Everyone just keeps coming back every day for more, haha!
Lizzy: How do you make your graphics and featured images?
Answer: I use RookieCam (which is free in the app store!)! If I need more filters and effects than what it has to offer, PicLab and Superimpose are awesome, as well.
Thank you so very much for reading! Let me know in the comments below if you learned something new. ❤ And be sure to check out my other Blogging Tips for more inspiration! If you guys want, I can do this blog coaching again next month 🙂
I hope you have a beautiful day!
— Maggie
