Remember way back when you first started blogging? Remember how everything was brand new? I know when I started I had no idea what I was doing but I happily fumbled along my merry way figuring things out as I went along. Lots of trial and error went into my bog and truth be told, it still does. I firmly believe that if we are doing this blogging thing correctly our blogs will evolve as we learn more, experience more, and become more confident in our own abilities. As bloggers many of us try to share our knowledge with new bloggers. We share tips and tutorials hoping that we can pave the way for someone and save them some time in figuring out how to do something. I think we often forget though that new bloggers have lots they can teach us as well. In becoming a seasoned blogger I think we lose quite a bit in the process and and I think we need to take a step back and relearn things that new bloggers are bringing to their blogs. Today I am sharing what I have seen readily apparent in new bloggers and I myself am trying to keep in mind as I move forward.
5 Things New Bloggers Can (Re)Teach You
Enthusiasm
Think back to how excited you were when you finally decided to take the plunge and start blogging. Remember how pleased you were when your site was up and running? You had your colors picked out and your fonts set. You had a design you were proud of. You loved writing and sharing your thoughts. Heck, there was a time when I even published two posts in one day because I was so excited. Sitting down to write a post was a fun experience. It was a novelty. You didn’t have deadlines looming over your head or that niggling notion that you should publish that post because the blogging world was expecting at least 4 or 5 posts from you.
You just showed up and wrote. And loved it.
Wasn’t that a great feeling? No pressure, no have to’s, no should’s, no musts. Just doing it for the sake of doing it.
The Zest for Trying New Things
I had so many lightbulb moments when I first started blogging. I was amazed at all of the tools readily available for bloggers. I remember trying so many things and weeding through them and finding what ultimately saved me time and streamlined my process.
We easily fall into our routines and stick to what we know. Sure we may try something new every so often but more often than not, we don’t try something because we may have the “If it ain’t broke, why fix it?” mentality. Try branching out and sampling new things!
Be Open to Meeting New People
The blogging world can appear cliquey. I don’t mean that in a mean or harsh way. We are encouraged to find our tribe and to stick with them. When was the last time that you let someone new in your tribe or widened your tribe? I’m all for encouraging and supporting each other and I often rely on my tribe for the same. I think though that we often miss out on meeting new people and venturing outside of our group.
New bloggers enter the blogosphere oftentimes knowing no one. They forge their own paths and gather friends along the way. They are open to new people and blogs and that’s refreshing!
It’s Not About the Hustle
I get it. People spend lots of time on their blogs and want to make a profit from them. I’d be lying if I said that I didn’t get a ping of excitement each time I received money from a blogging venture. The problem becomes when blogging becomes all about the hustle and making money. There’s a fine line between selling your product and your knowledge and becoming a constant infomercial. I want to see blog posts. I want information. I want experiences. I just don’t want another email or post selling me something. At some point you cross the line from blogger to retailer. Let’s keep a good mix between the two ok?
New bloggers show up and share their stories. They share their experiences and they ask for hardly anything in return. They just want to be heard and read. That’s enough for them. Blogging without the intent of selling is something that can be appreciated.
Comments
Remember back in the day when you spent time commenting on other blogs, hoping that they would return the favor and at least visit your new blog? Remember when you responded to all of your comments? Those were the days…..
Seasoned bloggers may have lots of followers and therefore get tons of comments. Responding to comments is not always doable for them. Part of me wants to mention to those bigger bloggers that perhaps they should turn off their comments if they can’t reply to them. If someone takes the time to comment I would hope that they would take the time to reply. Aren’t blogs basically the starting points for conversations? Nobody wants to engage in a one-sided conversation. Where’s the fun in that?
Take the time to show your readers your appreciation. Let them know that their thoughts, opinions and experiences matter. That will go a long way in creating community.
What do you think you can learn from a new blogger?
