The Best Blogging Tips From Longtime Bloggers

We'd like to think that we know a few things about blogging over at This Week in Blogging, but, at the same time, we also recognize that there are certain times when it really makes sense to crowdsource from the blogging community. An article on blogging tips? Well, that seems like it's one of those times.

And that's because each individual blogger has had a unique blogging journey which, by proxy, ensures that their advice will also be unique. We could share all the blogging tips we want, but there's something different and, well, better about propping up the voices of so many experienced bloggers at once.

The more the merrier, as they say.

We thank each and every blogger who took the time to share their expertise.

Our Top Tips from Veteran Bloggers

“After 15 years of writing my blog, the main thing is don't give up. Keep writing. Write through everything. If nothing else, you'll always be able to go back and see how far you've come.” – Casie Stewart of casiestewart

“It's a marathon, success also looks different for different people so don't waste any time comparing yourself or your success to others!” – Megan Indoe of Bobo & ChiChi (read her interview on blogger burnout on our site)

“Be yourself and tell your own story. Be real. Be humble and thankful.” – Gregory George of followsummer

“Focus on one thing at a time! Yes, you need to know about newsletters, Google Analytics, Pinterest, SEO, web design, photography, social media, and so on…but do yourself a favour and pick one thing to really learn and feel confident in before adding more fish into the barrel.” – Tee Mc of Travel with TMc

“Start a newsletter and be relentless about publishing it regularly. My newsletter drives traffic to my site, week in and week out.” – Laura Byrne Parquet from Ottawa Road Trips

“Find your reason for doing it beyond money, fame or free swag. It took me a long time to clear through all the noise and figure out WHY I wanted to keep creating, and if I was doing it to turn a profit or get a certain role, I probably still wouldn’t be at it. Find out why you do it, and it’ll help you find out what sets you apart. But don’t plan to figure it out overnight.” – Casey Palmer of caseypalmer

Rooben Fils of Been Around the Globe agreed with Laura and added, “start a newsletter and don't neglect it! I subscribed to dozens of newsletters of fellow travel bloggers, and very few send emails on a regular basis.”

“You can learn all the strategies but at the end of the day, your self-belief and worth will get you out on top.” – Alice Nettleingham of Teacake Travels

“Be passionate about it. If you’re only blogging because other people are, don’t bother.” – Lisa Vanderpol of The New Bucket List

“Don't compare your success with the success of other bloggers. We are each on a unique journey. Be proud of your accomplishment when you write something you feel good about. That's all that matters and your audience will appreciate your authenticity.” – Lori Bosworth of Torontonicity

“Make sure your ‘why' is part of your brand. If your ‘why' is all about you and what you want — eg. sponsored travel or making money — your brand will have limited appeal. Think about how you can add value, help others, encourage positive change.” – Mariellen Ward of Breathe Dream Go

“Be prepared to pivot. The blog I started in 2009 is not the same as the one I have in 2020. I've changed focus and topics. This is my second piece of advice. You are your brand, be consistent in the name to avoid confusion. I am DownshiftingPRO on everything (TW, IG, FB, TT, Pin) etc.) I choose a moniker rather than my name because if I ever sell the blog exit strategy, they buy the brand not the personal name.” – Margarita Ibbott of DownshiftingPRO

“Be authentic and think big. Believing in yourself is just as important as technical work.” – Christina Riley of NC Tripping

“Brand building is part of SEO and vice versa…I can't emphasise enough that for me, and what we teach, SEO and branding are entwined in holy matrimony forever and ever.” – Gemma Armit of Make Traffic Happen (we interviewed Gemma and her Cofounder, Laura, on SEO best practices)

“Be unique. No one is doing themselves any favors by approaching a topic the same way as a dozen (or hundred) other bloggers who are trying to achieve the same end game.” – My esteemed cofounder, Jeremy Jones.

“Nurture your audience. Get to know them. Learn what they like to read and give them more of it — even if it doesn't pay off financially in an obvious, immediate way.” – Kate McCulley of Adventurous Kate (you may remember her from her interview on Patreon for bloggers last week)

“I keep asking myself,'will this post help my audience….will it provide them with information they didn’t know about.' I guess it’s always a question of ‘why are you writing about this topic?'” – Janice Chung of France Travel Tips

“Be true to yourself in your blogging. When I started, I tried to fit into some box of what I believed a blogger ‘should' be. It wasn't until I took a step back and realized that I needed to embrace who I am (quirks and all). The result? I started seeing a new level of growth. People want to get to know YOU not a manufactured version of who you think that they want to see.” – Britt Kascjak of Shed Happens

“Don't worry about what others are doing. Be confident with who you are and stay true to your voice. Your own light will shine through if you remain honest with yourself.” – Maria Lianos-Carbone of amotherworld

“This one is never very sexy in the blogging world but as someone who's been in the game since 2009… strongly consider keeping a non-blogging day job. Having income outside of one's sites means there's less of a need to compromise, and less panic when the internet landscape has its inevitable ups and downs.” – Lillie Marshall of Around the World L

“Have an exit strategy. This may sound counter-intuitive as a tip to growing your blog, but it was one of the very first things you are supposed to do before starting *any* business. Knowing how you ultimately want to close up shop—selling, succession, shuttering, etc.—is a great starting point for knowing how you want to proceed and also staying on track when distractions inevitably come up.” – Corinne McDermott of Have Baby Will Travel

“Never stop being ethical — both in the way you earn your followers and in the way you share information.” – Andrea Traynor of Mommy Gearest

“Have fun.Learn all you can from photography to writing to SEO. Never stop moving forward.” – Amanda Narcisi of Bold Pittsburgh

The #1 thing is consistency. I used to always be I'll “wing it/I'll figure it out on the spot” but you can't do that with your online content. I'm still working on it and trying to find my own strategy that is going to work for me.” – Jimmy Kim of Remix My Fitness

“Don’t be discouraged! Blogging, and finding your stride takes time. If you maintain your authenticity, and consistency – engagement and community will come!” Christine Panourgias of christinepanourgias

Thanks again to everyone from the blogging community for sharing their blogging tips. If you're interested, kindly note that you're always welcome to join our active Facebook community which is ever so creatively also entitled, This Week in Blogging. We hope this blogging advice and information serves you well on your own blogging path.