Challenges for every blogger {{ Part one }}

Original photo by THE CRAFTED LIFE.

 

Welcome to my new mini series — Challenges for every blogger to work at — I’m hoping by the end of this week we all will have challenged ourselves and improved our blogs.

And let me tell you, the things I will be talking about this week are all things I have to do and work at as well. So don’t think I’m pointing fingers. I’m just trying to help ya’ll (and myself).

I challenge you bloggers out there to push yourselves a little bit in your blogging “careers.” We all can get better, and I think some of these simple pointers might help us all.

{{ Give it your all. }}

Do you only publish a blog when you KNOW it’s your best work?

‘Cause if not, what’s the use? Who wants to read your half-hearted work? I know I wouldn’t. If I see a post that is unedited–you know, those with poor spelling and punctuation?–I never get past the first paragraph. You know those posts that have over-used exclamation points and capital letters? I won’t read those either.

Dark, blurry pictures? I’m done.

Plus, what’s the use of anything if you’re not learning and getting better at it?

{{ Get better at what you do. }}

This is the key to running a great blog (at least I think so): continual improvement.

Write stronger posts. Shoot better photography. (Even if you don’t have a nice camera, there are still plenty of articles out there about how to take amazing pictures with just your iPod!)

Why not give your blog a makeover and learn more about graphic design? I definitely suggest learning the basics of HTML with this post: HTML Cheat Sheer for Beginners. <– Read that post. She lists numerous helpful HTML tags. And there are also many free online classes that can be very informative.

I can’t tell you guys how many times in a day I scroll past helpful articles on Pinterest that are so informative about everything you’d ever need to know about blogging. Pinterest is amazing for bloggers. If you don’t have one… GET ONE. (Just make sure to not get addicted.) Ask me to join my group board “Blogging Motivation.”

What I’m saying is, you have to try to get better. You have to want to get better. Every day I’m learning something new that helps me with my photography, blog design, or writing.

{{ Give it time. }}

Don’t expect an immediate response. It sometimes takes weeks, or usually months, for your followers to notice your improvements. No one becomes an expert in a day. Everyone needs time to improve.

Just because your hard work isn’t noticed right away doesn’t mean it’s not a worthwhile endeavor. Even if your work never gets recognized, you have improved and grown in your experience. Not everything is about impressing others.

Plus, if no one comments on your hard work, it doesn’t mean they don’t realize it.

17 things you should be doing before + after you hit that “publish” button.

^^ That post is very helpful. I definitely advise you to check it out. (She even includes a free printable checklist to help you make a better post.) ^^

I CHALLENGE YOU — DON’T PUBLISH YOUR POST UNTIL IT’S COMPLETELY AND UTTERLY THE BEST YOU CAN GET IT.

And make sure to watch for future posts in this mini series, which will be coming up later in the week.

What are you gonna work at on your blog this month?

♥Hayley