Blogger Series #3: Tips & Guidelines to having a GREAT Blog♥

Buying your own Domain
I didn't purchase my own domain until my blog was a few months old and had some traffic on it.
It's better to have your own domain, instead of the "blogspot" or "wordpress" added it.
It would be your own. You can buy yours on Godaddy for only $1.99 for one year, use the coupon Coder199 You should have a a unique username - it can be your name if you want as well, but I would recommend something that you commonly believe in or use such as thefabsociety, fictionallyflawless, bookwormanna, esmazing, etc. Something that defines you.

Being Active Daily
I started off posting once a week when I first started blogging. As time went on, I started blogging atleast 4-5 times a week. I would recommend atleast 5 times a week, if you want to have a good and a popular blog. People will come back if your blog is updated daily. The real key to having a good blog is simply blogging for a while, the perks automatically come with it afterwards.

Keeping a Journal
This is great for planning ahead of time. I take my blog seriously, and not just for a fun pastime.  I keep a section in my journal of future contest, giveaways, future blog posts, must do posts, sponsored posts, and review posts along with the date I would like them to set. I like being organized and tidy, it gives me more time to think and brainstorm.

Informative and Quality Posts 
Again, I dislike when someone overrates products and books especially when it's something that I have read and used.  Everyone is entitled to their own opinion, but it looks obvious when you're just fake gushing about a particular book just because it's already popular. "OMG the best book/mascara I've read/tried in forever!" then another day, you say the same thing for another product? Be always honest with your reviews, even if the items were sent for free or in exchange for a paid review. There's nothing wrong with constructive criticism, but it shouldn't ever be too negative.


Share blogger tips with others
I find people who share their secrets to success to be quite humble and amazing. It's nice when people share their tips and helpful information with others, instead of one to look for that information on their own. This drives great traffic, and shows what kind of person you are as well. You can show what blogger networks you participate in, your daily blog apps/routines, etc.

Interacting with People & Followers
One of the things I really dislike in the blogosphere or when people have popular instagrams, or youtubes - that they never interact with others, only with other popular people they do. I find that really shallow, because we all started from the bottom. I especially don't like it when someone asks you a question, and you don't reply either. I don't buy that "I'm too busy" excuse. 

If you were genuine, you would always make the time for someone, even if a few days later you replied back. Atleast, try to get to some people. I follow back anyone who asks with blogger, it's better to have an open circle in the blogosphere world. The more you interact with others, the better it is for you and your blog. If you follow people back, you should add at the end of each post "leave your blog links & I will always check out your blog & comment back."

Holding Giveaways
I love giveaways, and I love it when I have the chance to enter one. You can use rafflecopter to hold blog giveaways, it's a free website. This also helps to give your blog MAJOR publicity and a lot of traffic. Depending on the giveaway, you can post about the giveaways on your facebook, goodreads, Instagram, Twitter, other various social medias so people can directly come to your blog. 

What I like to do is create an event that I'm holding a giveaway, and I invite people to RSVP, and direct them on my blog. You can hold events on Facebook and Goodreads(Depending if it includes a book/or book related swag) I held my first giveaway that was requested by a company, and I had about 240 entries :) I don't like to post anything after the giveaway post until three-four days later. I rather have that post stay on the top and not get shut down so fast by other posts. You can also put it a link on your sidebar that leads to that particular post. How long the giveaway should be? It's upto you, but if you want more entries - it should be at least 10 days long. I usually prefer 14 days(2 weeks). When your giveaway is about to end, remind people in your posts and status.

Usually, in the beginning you would have to give your own things away - you should let people earn many entries, instead of the simple one entry. You should include Follow this blog by GFC, Tweet it, Repost it on Instagram, Follow on Goodreads, etc and you should either let them earn 2-3 entries for each thing.  I always give a free entry, and the rest of the steps above are just optional to earn more entries, you wouldn't want people to be force into doing something. International contests are the most popular, but U.S contest are sufficient as well.

Hope this helps x Shukran for reading this! Leave your blog links in the comments & I'll be sure to check them out & follow :) Stay in tuned pretty creatures..

"As he read, I fell in love the way you fall asleep: slowly, and then all at once.” —John Green 

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