Next month A Savory Feast will be celebrating it’s first anniversary! What started out as a fun hobby turned into a passion and now, a part of my career. I’ve seen so much growth and success in this first year, and can’t wait to see where it takes me in the coming years.
I often get questions from new bloggers or friends about how to start a blog, how I grew my blog so quickly, and how I make money blogging. Today I’m going to be sharing my 10 tips for growing your blog.
What does it take to be successful in the blogging world? First and foremost, it takes work. Lots and lots of hard work. If anyone tells you that blogging is easy, they haven’t tried it! It takes hours of coming up with ideas, writing posts, answering emails, promoting your posts on social media, and so much more.
Whether you are a new blogger or a seasoned pro, here are some ideas to help take your blog to the next level:
1. Start on WordPress! Before I started my blog I did a ton of research. One of the common things I heard was that most bloggers ended up on WordPress eventually. I already had some background using it at a previous job, so my learning curve wasn’t as high. While WordPress is more complicated than Blogger, it’s definitely the way to go if you want to make money with your blog. As far as hosting goes, I recommend using BlueHost. They have a super easy WordPress install that will make getting your blog up and running a breeze.
2. Community is the key to success. The first month or so after I started my blog, I tried to go it alone. My pageviews were lower than low and my social media accounts had only a few followers. Then I discovered the huge community of bloggers and found ways to get plugged in. Once I started building my community, my blog began to take off. If this is an area you need to work on, check out my tips for building your blogging community.
3. Learn about nofollow links! I’m embarrassed to say that this is something I just learned a couple months ago. If you have no idea what I’m talking about, check out this article that explains nofollow links. It will make such a difference in how your posts show up in Google searches! I went back and added nofollow links to older posts and now I get a significant amount of hits from Google searches every day.
4. Great pictures are essential. Pinterest has always been my highest source of traffic. I knew that with better pictures, I could do even better on Pinterest. Take the time to learn some photography skills! I took some food photography classes on Skillshare and paid attention to what other bloggers were doing. I’ve seen a lot of improvement in my pictures, and have been getting even more traffic from Pinterest.
5. Be active and consistent on social media from the start. The second thing you should do after setting up your blog is set up your social media accounts. If possible, use the same handle/username for all accounts. Keep the profile pictures and headers the same, too. Start following other bloggers and sharing their posts. Don’t just share your own blog posts!
6. Be real! People follow blogs when they feel like they connect with the blogger. Have your picture towards the top of your sidebar, put together a great “about me” page, and write the way that you talk. You don’t have to put your whole life story out there or share anything you aren’t comfortable with, but be yourself as much as possible!
7. Giveaways = Growth Giveaways are a great way to grow your social media following. They can also be a great way to collaborate with other bloggers. You can all pitch in to purchase the prize, and show the giveaway on all of your blogs. In order to have a successful giveaway, you will need to put some money into it and giveaway something people will get excited about. I love using Rafflecopter to set up giveaways, they make it so easy!
8. Leave meaningful comments. Comments are a great way to build community and bring new readers to your blog. Take time each day to visit your favorite blogs (and a few new ones) and comment or share the post if you liked it. Write about what you learned from the post, how you related it to something in your life, etc. Don’t just write “great post!” Those comments don’t help you or the other blogger.
9. Set goals and keep track of your progress. A few months ago I decided that I would sit down at the start of each month to review my progress and set goals for the upcoming month. My goals might include a number of page views I want to hit, a skill I want to learn (such as HTML or better photos), a social media account I want to grow, etc. These goals give you something to work toward and focus your time on.
10 Stay true to yourself. When you start your blog, create a mission statement that defines the purpose of your blog and what you want to do with it. Don’t sell out just to get more pageviews! Be thoughtful about what you promote on your blog, which companies you will work with, etc. For example, I offer sponsorships for my blog. One time, a company submitted an ad for my blog. When I visited their site, I found that it was not a company that I wanted to promote. Even though it meant giving up the money, I couldn’t have an ad on my site that didn’t line up with the mission and values I had already determined for my blog.
This post contains some affiliate links. However, these are tips that I actually used to grow my blog, and these companies and products helped me get there.
natalie s. says
these are great! I’m always uncertain how much I actually care about growing my blog intentionally v. organically… but some of these really seem like no-brainers to do! I wish #2 was bigger for me. working on it, working on it…
Jenna Brussee says
Community not only makes a difference in your traffic, but it is also so much fun to connect with other bloggers! I would recommend joining some Facebook groups if you haven’t already.
kristelace says
Great tips! Thanks for sharing.
Jenna Brussee says
I hope you found something you can try!
Megan Kubasch says
Great tips Jenna! I wish I would have started with WordPress from the get-go. I lost so much time and so many pageviews from converting my blog from blogger to WP. It was liking starting over from scratch.
Also, which blog planner do you use? I love the layout that yours has (in your photo), and I’m in the market for a new one.
Elizabeth Lund says
Jenna, all of these are great. I must admit that I haven’t done any giveaways I have heard they are a great attraction for others. I also need to learn about nofollow links! Thanks again.
Jenna Brussee says
Thank you! You definitely want to learn about nofollow links if you work with brands. Giveaways are a lot of fun, you should try one soon!
Jenna Brussee says
Thank you Sarah, I hope they are helpful for you!
Jenna Brussee says
Yay for Peony Project! I have been meaning to write a business plan for my blog. I have it in my head, but it would be good to get it out on paper.
Jenna Brussee says
You should definitely look into nofollow links! I used to get maybe one or two hits a day from search engines. Now I get anywhere from 30-50, sometimes more! Every little bit counts, right?
Jenna Brussee says
If you partner with other bloggers, you can do a giveaway for very little money! I have done a few where we were able to give away a prize valued at over $100, but it only cost me $5.
Jenna Brussee says
Thank you! I have seen such a difference since I start setting goals. When I’m trying to decide what to work on each day, I take a look at my goals and try to figure out what I can do to take a step towards reaching them.
Jenna Brussee says
Absolutely! It’s so much fun to work with other bloggers and help each other out. Community is my favorite thing about blogging!
Jenna Brussee says
You should look into them if you do sponsored posts! It really will make such a difference.
Jenna Brussee says
WordPress is definitely the way to go! I use a blog planning printable from Free Boroboleta. I will email you the link! It is super helpful.
Becca Davis says
Thanks for sharing these tips! I just transferred to WordPress and I wish I had done that from the start! I’ve also gotten better about scheduling social media posts and that has helped grow my blog tremendously
Jenna Brussee says
That’s great! You will be so glad you transferred over to WordPress. Scheduling social media posts is a great idea, too. I pretty much only use it for Twitter, but it really does help.
Faith Golden says
Jenna!! Thank you so much for this list!! Loved it! And I had NO idea about the “no follow” thing..I will be checking my post. Is it just for post that you wrote for a company or anytime you use a link?
Jenna Brussee says
You’re welcome! I’m glad they were helpful. Basically, you need to use a nofollow link if you were paid or compensated in some way to write the post (i.e. got a free product in exchange for a review). If you are just giving a shout out to another blogger, you don’t have to use it. I can explain it more thoroughly and give you an idea of a plugin to use (if you are on WordPress) via email if you like. Let me know if you have any questions!
Nicki Lewis says
These are great tips. You gave me some great ideas on things I am not doing right. You might want to add be organized. Usually I am a very organized person, but just feel like I struggle finding the time to devote to the blog like I would want to.
Jenna Brussee says
I may need to do a part 2! Organization was a huge thing for me, too. I started a blogging binder a few months ago with an editorial calendar, list of goals, sponsor info and more. It makes such a difference!
Christy says
These are awesome tips that I am definitely going to start to incorporate. I am a baby blogger so these tips are very helpful! Thank you for sharing your hard earned knowledge!
Jenna Brussee says
I’m so glad to hear they were helpful for you! Blogging is so much fun, you will love it! Incorporating these tips early will make life easier for you.
Michelle Sanders says
Awesome tips! I wish I had your advice when I started, especially #1. I started on Blogger and just one month in, I’m ready to switch.
Jenna Brussee says
Most of these tips were things I learned the hard way, but starting with WordPress is something I am always glad I did! It’s definitely harder to use, but there is so much more you can do with it!
Amanda - The Anti Mom says
These are really great tips! Implementing nofollow links immediately! Did not really know about them. Happy to have found you via tuned in thursday 🙂
Jenna Brussee says
I’m glad you were able to learn about them! Using nofollow links has made such a difference for me, and I hope it does for you, too.
Kim Smith says
I need to learn all I can for this blog business. You experienced ones writing this stuff, and the LTB group help me so much.
Jenna Brussee says
I’m glad I could help! Let me know if you have any questions.
Daisy @ Simplicity Relished says
This is right on Jenna! I’ve only learned most of these lessons recently, but they’re all so true. Definitely going to check out your other posts on blogging!! 🙂
Jenna Brussee says
Thank you! Unfortunately I learned a lot of these lessons the hard way, so I’m hoping to help out newer bloggers by sharing them.
Madison says
Jenna, these are SUCH amazing tips. Reading through these, I can definitely see how much you have learned and grown in blogging! I would LOOVE to know which plugin you us for the no-follow links. I definitely need to go back through my posts and add that in! I could go on and on about how great this post is!! 🙂
Jenna Brussee says
Thank you so much, Madison! That especially means a lot coming from someone I have learned a great deal from. The plugin I use is called Ultimate Nofollow. It’s super easy because when you click the link icon to add a link, it will now have a check box for “nofollow.” That way, you don’t have to go in and change the code.
Jenna Brussee says
Thank you, Tania! I know how you feel, when I first started my blog I was working full-time, in college full-time and trying to have a life.
My suggestion for you would be to get organized with a blog binder if you haven’t already. Make a checklist of daily activities such as putting together a post, posting to social media, replying to comments, etc. Then set a time each day to work on them. Whenever you start to feel burnt out, take a break. There is no rule that says you HAVE to do everything! Just do as much as you can and have fun with it.
TaniaKnowsBest says
Will do Jenna! Thanks again and have a lovely day! 🙂
TaniaKnowsBest says
Hey Jenna, Tania here again! Guess what I was able to find a great editorial calendar called CoSchedule: http://coschedule.com/r/7901 only downside is it’s for WP only, sorry no Blogger. Free trial is offered too! 🙂
Jenna Brussee says
I use Hootsuite but I have heard lots of great things about CoSchedule! I will probably use it when I am ready to increase my blogging budget.
Jenna Brussee says
I agree! It made such a difference in how quickly my blog grew. But more importantly, it is so much fun! I love being able to connect with other bloggers.
TBChocolaTess says
Thanks for the tips, I am trying to learn as much as I can as I go, and these are really great tips. Some of these I do, but Rome wasn’t built in a day, so I’m continually researching and this post was very helpful! 🙂
Jenna Brussee says
I’m glad to hear it! I hope that you are able to try some of these tips.
Bev F. says
Definitely great tips! I know I have to go back and fix some older posts and put in no-follow links. I always talk about how important community is as well. thanks for sharing, stopping by from #BloggingBetter!
Jenna Brussee says
Thank you! Fixing my older posts made a big difference for me, so I hope it does for you, too.
Paula Kiger says
super helpful thanks!
Jenna Brussee says
I’m so glad to hear it helped you!
Akaleistar says
Wonderful tips! Community is so important.
Jenna Brussee says
Thank you! Yes, building a community is the best thing I ever did for my blog.
Emily @ LovePastaBlog says
What a great post! These tips are all such great reminders for me as I continue to work to grow my blog! Thank you!
Jenna Brussee says
Learning these 10 things made such a difference for me! I hope that they do for you, too.
Girl, Organized says
This is a great post! I need to get better at #8! I comment mostly on my social media accounts but I really need to visit other blogs more!
Jenna Brussee says
I love visiting other blogs because I get a lot of inspiration and ideas! And it is a great way to start building a relationship with other bloggers.
Michelle A. says
Great tips! I definitely need to work on building my blogging community and social media consistency. And no follow links. Thanks for sharing your tips, and congratulations on making huge leaps and bounds in such a short time! That’s HUGE. 😉
Jenna Brussee says
Thank you so much! I am glad I could share these tips. I hope they help you, too. Building a community will make such a difference for your blog, it definitely did for me.
Neatly-Packaged says
Very very helpful. Thank you! 🙂 I jumped over from FB
Jenna Brussee says
I’m glad you found it helpful! Thank you for stopping by.
Jenna Brussee says
I have been there, too. I just started trying some new things and worked on building more connections with other bloggers.
Jenna Brussee says
You’re welcome! I hope you are able to try some of them soon.
Jenna Brussee says
Thank you! I hope they are helpful.
Jenna Brussee says
You should be able to move everything over without losing anything. I have heard some horror stories, but if you are worried, hire someone who has experience with it.
Jenna Brussee says
It’s not everyday I meet another Jenna 🙂 Good luck with growing your blog, I hope these tips make a difference for you.
Jenna Brussee says
If you have a wordpress blog, chances are you already have some sort of hosting! If it’s a wordpress .org blog, it is hosted through wordpress. While that is fine, if you want to have more options for your blog and be able to monetize it, you will want to switch over to a wordpress .com blog. With that, you will need to get hosting from BlueHost or another service.
Jenna Brussee says
I’m glad that this was a reminder for a lot of things you already know! Being organized has made blogging much less stressful for me, and I’m sure it will make a difference for you too.
El-The Beauty Isle says
This is such a helpful post! Thanks for the information for no follow links. I get the reasoning behind them, but why did adding them to your older sponsored posts increase your google search hits??
Jenna Brussee says
When you have sponsored posts without nofollow links, Google somehow knows it and penalizes your page rank for all posts. By fixing my older posts, I was able to improve my page rank, meaning that my posts (old and new) show up higher in search results.
Food Bloggers of Canada says
Glad our post on no-follow links we helpful to you – it’s definitely something that new bloggers can easily miss!
Jenna Brussee says
It explained it so well! I’m glad I was able to share it with my readers. It made such a difference when I started using nofollow links.
Jenna Brussee says
I’m glad to be able to share what I have learned so far! I hope these tips make a difference for you.
Monique Muro says
I thought I’d heard it all, but you’ve completely opened up my eyes in terms of the no-follow stuff. I’m getting on that now! Thank you so much!
Jenna Brussee says
I’m glad to be able to share what I’ve learned. I hope adding the no-follow links helps you.
Stephanie @ Whole Health Dork says
Thanks so much for the thoughtful tips! I’m about to hit the one year mark and though I’m not where I thought I would be (life got in the way and that’s okay!), I still love blogging when I can. I’ve heard so much about BlueHost–I think that’s where I need to head to next. I have done a few giveaways, but those don’t seem to get much traffic. I would think they would end up on those sweepstakes websites I’ve seen before, but I’m also not sure if that’s the kind of traffic I want-people only visiting my site once in order to win a prize, whatever it is. What do you think?
Jenna Brussee says
I would definitely recommend BlueHost. If you have any questions about them, let me know.
For your giveaways, have you been doing them by yourself or with other bloggers? I have found that I get way more entries and traffic to my giveaway when I collaborate with other bloggers so we can give away a bigger prize. I’ve found that a lot of people do visit just to enter, but I rarely see people take the time to unfollow on social media after the giveaway, so I’m fine with it.
Stephanie @ Whole Health Dork says
I ended up doing it over the weekend! Still trying to figure out how to migrate my blog, but I’ll get there.
Great idea about collaborating and good point about unfollowing on social media. I hadn’t thought of that angle (I usually just have people leave a comment).
Oui In France says
Great tips, especially the last one on staying true to yourself. I just expanded my blog’s focus to include healthy living abroad and not just expat topics so I’ll absolutely keep your tips in mind as I go forward. Excellent post!
Jenna Brussee says
That’s great! I always keep that point in mind when brands contact me about reviewing products or writing posts. If it doesn’t match my blog’s purpose, I say no.
Katie--GlamGirlGlow says
I LOVE that blog planner in your picture. That is exactly what I’ve been looking for. Is that something you made yourself or did you get it somewhere? Would you mind sharing the link?
Jenna Brussee says
It’s awesome! It took me forever to find a blog planner that worked for me. Here’s the link: http://www.freeborboleta.com/2014/01/blog-planning/
Katie--GlamGirlGlow says
Thank you so much!
Jenna Brussee says
I found it difficult at first, too. The best place to start is by commenting on other blogs. Find a couple to comment on consistently, and they will start to notice you! Try to join some blogging groups on Facebook, too.
Jenna Brussee says
I’ve hosted a few giveaways and the key is to be organized! Try starting small and learn the ropes first.
Lisa O'Driscoll says
Great post! I’ve been at this for about 8 months and know nothing about no-follow links so I will check that out.
I saw somewhere that you’re from Sarasota (which is why I clicked through to your blog). We just moved here last August and love it! I’m glad I found your blog too…I’m always looking for great new recipes!
Lisa @ Fun Money Mom
Jenna Brussee says
You should definitely check out no-follow links. There is a plugin you can install if you have wordpress that will make it super easy. It really made a big difference in my hits from search engines.
Welcome to Sarasota! It’s not very often I hear of other bloggers in my area. I’ve been here my whole life and it’s the best!
Mary says
Great list! I had forgotten about nofollow links. Thanks for the reminder! I went to the link you suggested, and it was really helpful. Thanks again.
Jenna Owens (@aSavoryFeast) says
I’m glad to hear this was helpful for you! Nofollow links are so important when monetizing a blog.
Jenna Owens (@aSavoryFeast) says
Thanks Rachel! I hope they help you as much as they helped me.
PlumDSweet says
GREAT tips! I am new to this, I must admit I’m a bit nervous to be just getting started, but I’m definitely looking forward to it!
Jenna Owens (@aSavoryFeast) says
I hope these are helpful! Best of luck with your new blog.