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in Writing & Blogging · November 16, 2016

The Best Pieces of Blogging Advice That I’ve Ever Received

There are so many bloggers out there and even more pieces of blogging advice. Sometimes it feels like I can’t scroll through Pinterest without seeing post after post with blogging tips. Because of all the information out there, it can be difficult to separate the helpful for the spammy comments out there. In order to help you actually improve as a blogger, I’m sharing the 6 best pieces of blogging advice that I’ve ever received over the course of the 3-4 years that I’ve been blogging.

Trying to sort through the helpful and annoying pieces of blogging advice out there? I'm taking my 3+ years of experience as a blogger and sharing which pieces of advice I've received have actually made a significant different and are worth it!

Don’t compare yourself to others – This is a good piece of advice for everyone, but it’s especially important for bloggers. Every single blog is different, as is every niche, and while it seems like it’s a too-talked about golden nugget, it really is good advice. No one else out there has your voice, and if it seems like they do, either you or them are faking it. So don’t write a certain way because you think that’s what people want to read. You’ll burn out quickly by trying to be someone you’re not, and you won’t have fun doing it. And you don’t stay blogging for years if it isn’t fun at least part of the time!

Write about what interests you, not necessarily what you think would interest your audience – Similar to the previous point, you won’t be able to stay blogging for years if you don’t write about what’s interesting to you. But if you want your blog to grow (like, really grow), you do need to walk the fine line of writing about what interests you in a way that it can help and/or interest your audience. This is why I keep a running list of post ideas in Evernote so that I can find a topic that I’m interested in and I can write it in a way that helps my audience.

It might take longer for you to get the level of success that other bloggers do – I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: every single blogger and blog is different, and everyone has skills different from others. You can use all of the skills and tools that others do and it can still take longer for you to succeed than they did.

Trying to sort out which pieces of blogging advice will actually help you? Check out these 6 items that I've heard and have proven make a difference.

Get your own domain and switch to WordPress – I bought my own domain within the first couple of months of regular blog posting, but I didn’t switch to self-hosted WordPress until 2.5 years later and I wish I switched sooner. The biggest parts of it that I love are the facts that I now own all of my content (Google technically owned it when I was on Blogger) and plugins have completely revamped how I blog. It was so, so worth it.

Write a lot – The meaning of this phrase depends on the person, but the gist of it is the same. Longer posts tend to have higher success with readers so long as its helpful, but it doesn’t make sense to do so unless there is a point. At the same time, if you have long posts, you’re probably not going to have the energy to write long posts multiple times a week. I made the choice to write 2-3 points a week (aiming for 3 obviously) and they’re between 500 and 2,000 words. The exact length depends on the topic and the emphasis of the post, namely that if it’s a picture-heavy post I probably won’t write as much..

Brand yourself and your blog – There are a lot of pros to branding your blog, like you and your work will be visable across the Internet and it will help your readers know who you are. I’m not the best at explaining why this is necessary, though, so hopefully these will help: How To Brand Yourself without Spending Monday and Why You Need a Brand To Be a Successful Blogger.

Use nofollow links and include a disclaimer – I can’t emphasize this enough and I wished that I had listened to this sooner: you need nofollow links. Basically, this piece of advice boils down to you need to state when you can make money from a post, whether it’s affiliate links or a sponsored post or anything in between. I already included disclaimers, but I wasn’t using nofollow links and Google eventually stopped showing my posts in search engine results because I wasn’t using them.

What is the best piece of blogging advice that you’ve received?

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I’m Kate, a millennial living in New England. I’m a writer and an advocate for people with chronic illnesses. Join me on my journey to greatness!

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✨ VISIBLE SIGNS OF MY "INVISIBLE" DISABILITY ✨ ✨ VISIBLE SIGNS OF MY "INVISIBLE" DISABILITY ✨ ⁣
⁣
1️⃣ TENS unit clipped on my jeans to help my foot and ankle pain ⁣
2️⃣ Wearing sneakers because a) they're the only shoes I can really tolerate b) I have an indoors and an outdoors pair c) I have to wear sneakers/can't go barefoot for long because of my foot and ankle pain ⁣
3️⃣ Leaning on my closet door slightly because it's the only way I can really stay still for pictures ⁣
4️⃣ Wearing glasses because I can't wear contacts due to dry eyes, which is a side effect of many of my medications ⁣
5️⃣ Popsocket on my phone because I really can't keep a grasp on it due to my super arthritic hands ⁣
⁣
These are just some visible signs! Just because you don't see these things doesn't mean they aren't there if you look. Invisible disabilities aren't truly invisible. ⁣
⁣
➡ What are visible signs of your invisible disability? ⬅ ⁣
⁣
◾ ⁣
⁣
I'm Kate, a chronic health blogger who blogs to help chronic illness patients and their loved ones. Check out my blog at the link in my bio or go to katethealmostgreat.com.⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣ ⁣
⁣
◾ ⁣
⁣
[Image: Kate stands in front of a mirror on the inside of her closet door, taking a selfie in the mirror., She's a brunette white woman wearing jeans, a blue-and-white top, and round tortoiseshell glasses. She has a TENS unit clipped to her jeans.]
Harley and Piper's new album, coming this fall 😂 ⁣
⁣
Comment below with what you think their album would be named if this was the album cover ⬇ ⁣
⁣
📸 @happydogsboston ⁣
⁣
◾ ⁣
⁣
I'm Kate, a chronic health blogger who blogs to help chronic illness patients and their loved ones. Check out my blog at the link in my bio or go to katethealmostgreat.com.⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣
⁣
◾⁣
⁣
[Image: 2 dogs but from the perspective of down on the ground looking up at them. The dogs are on a brick pathway in Boston and behind them are classic Boston brownstones, trees without leaves, and a cloudy sky. One dog is a red-and-white cavalier King Charles spaniel, and her ears are flying back in the wind. The other is a golden retriever.]
Even once you're done with school, you should neve Even once you're done with school, you should never stop learning. That doesn't mean that you have to take classes! Learning can look however you want. ⁣
⁣
You can take up a new hobby. ⁣
⁣
You can learn a new skill. ⁣
⁣
You can learn about the world by getting your news from different sources. ⁣
⁣
There are so many ways to learn, and one of the great things about not being in school anymore is that you can learn about whatever you want and whatever interests you. ⁣
⁣
What is something you've learned or learned about? ⁣
⁣
◾ ⁣
⁣
I'm Kate, a chronic health blogger who blogs to help chronic illness patients and their loved ones. Follow me for more tips on living an awesome life with chronic illness! ⁣⁣⁣ ⁣⁣
⁣
◾⁣
⁣
[Image: Kate sits in a gray chair, facing the camera. She's a brunette white woman wearing black pants, a white sweater, and round tortoiseshell glasses. She's holding an open book. Behind her on the walls are a couple of round mirrors.]
I've been missing rural Maine these days. While I I've been missing rural Maine these days. While I like being able to see people out and about in Boston, spending most of 2020 in rural Maine really reinforced how much my soul prefers country to the city. ⁣
⁣
I don't know what to do about that short-term, but it is helpful to know that my long-term goal of moving back to Maine (or at least not living long-term in the city) is in fact something that I will love. ⁣
⁣
◾ ⁣
⁣
I'm Kate, a chronic health blogger who blogs to help chronic illness patients and their loved ones. Check out my blog at the link in my bio or go to katethealmostgreat.com.⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣
⁣
◾ ⁣
⁣
[Image: Looking at a lake that has a rock-filled "beach" with rocks going out to a point. The other side of the lake is filled with trees.]
Put on a full face of makeup for a small Easter ce Put on a full face of makeup for a small Easter celebration today. This is your reminder that while it's nice to dress up and look nice, celebrating in small ways is just as good as celebrating in big ones. Also, Jesus doesn't want you to risk your health or the health of others to celebrate. ⁣
⁣
◾ ⁣
⁣
I'm Kate, a chronic health blogger who blogs to help chronic illness patients and their loved ones. Follow me for more tips on living an awesome life with chronic illness! ⁣⁣⁣ ⁣ ⁣
⁣
◾ ⁣
⁣
[Image: Kate takes a selfie. She's a brunette white woman wearing a v-neck ribbed shirt, claddagh necklace, and round tortoiseshell glasses.] ⁣
⁣
#bostonbloggers #bostonian #bostonblogger #proptoit #myunicornlife #makemoments #acolorstory #makeyousmilestyle #liveunscripted #howyouglow #mybeautifulmess #choosejoy #influencehercollective #howiseeit #inspiredwomen #documentyourdays #momentsofmine #myeverydaymagic #darlingdaily #todayslovely #seekmoments #momentslikethese #posttheordinary #thatauthenticfeeling #discoverunder5k #BossGirlBloggers #ChronicIllnessBlogger #bostonma
Like I said on Monday, this has been a busy week. Like I said on Monday, this has been a busy week. But I made it through the week! And you almost have, too. ⁣
⁣
Earlier this week, I published a new blog post with tips for new health bloggers. There are 12 in total! And then today I published a new blog post that is an FAQ for POTS. I'm answering questions that I've gotten a lot in my personal life as well as in my advocate life!⁣
⁣
Check these posts out by clicking the link in my bio or ➡ katethealmostgreat.com. ⁣
⁣
◾ ⁣
⁣
I'm Kate, a chronic health blogger who blogs to help chronic illness patients and their loved ones. Check out my blog at the link in my bio or go to katethealmostgreat.com.⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣
⁣
◾ ⁣
⁣
[Image: Kate sits in a gray chair working on a silver laptop. She's a brunette white woman wearing a gray t-shirt, a lighter gray cardigan, and round tortoiseshell glasses. The t-shirt is mostly covered, but the text on it is CureArthritis.org.]
Piper and Harley want to make sure that you're tak Piper and Harley want to make sure that you're taking care of yourself. If you're not, they're not mad, they're disappointed. ⁣
⁣
In all seriousness, if you're struggling right now, that's okay. We're a year into the pandemic life, and it is 𝘵𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩 some days. Piper and Harley want to give you hugs, but they know that they can't jump through Instagram to make that happen. But know that they want to! ⁣
⁣
📸 @happydogsboston⁣
⁣
◾ ⁣
⁣
I'm Kate, a chronic health blogger who blogs to help chronic illness patients and their loved ones. Follow me for more tips on living an awesome life with chronic illness! ⁣⁣⁣ ⁣
⁣
◾ ⁣
⁣
[Image: 2 dogs sit on a brick pathway. The one in front is a red-and-white cavalier King Charles spaniel. The one in the bag is a golden retriever.]
Happy Monday! I'm heading into a hectic week at wo Happy Monday! I'm heading into a hectic week at work, but then I'm taking a long weekend around Easter. Here are some things I do to power through weeks like this: ⁣
▪ Make sure to get a full night's sleep⁣
▪ Drink lots of water ⁣
▪ Take breaks away from the computer⁣
▪ Take all my meds ⁣
▪ Cut myself some slack when I struggle⁣
⁣
What do you do to ensure that you do what you have to while also not pushing yourself into a flare? ⁣
⁣
◾ ⁣
⁣
I'm Kate, a chronic health blogger who blogs to help chronic illness patients and their loved ones. Follow me for more tips on living an awesome life with chronic illness! ⁣⁣⁣ ⁣
⁣
◾ ⁣
⁣
[Image: Kate sits at a white desk typing on a laptop. She's a brunette white woman wearing a blue-and-white striped dress, large brown glasses, a FitBit, and a silver bracelet.]
What spring walks look like these days! With COVID What spring walks look like these days! With COVID-19 still being a big threat - and my immune system is still suppressed! - it's important to keep wearing masks. I'm not vaccinated yet, but even when I do get it, I'll be wearing masks for a while. ⁣
⁣
As you get your vaccine, remember that it takes a few weeks to be vaccinated. I heard that it takes 2-4 weeks after your last shot for your body to do what it needs to do be vaccinated. So don't get the shot and then immediately take your mask off. I know it has been a hard year, but please keep doing the safe behavior that we need for you!⁣
⁣
✨ What does your spring look like? ✨⁣
⁣
◾⁣
⁣
I'm Kate, a chronic health blogger who blogs to help chronic illness patients and their loved ones. Follow me for more tips on living an awesome life with chronic illness! ⁣⁣⁣
⁣
◾⁣
⁣
[Image: Kate takes a selfie while sitting on steps outside. She's a brunette white woman wearing a teal t-shirt, a blue popover fleece, a Boston Red Sox hat, round tortoiseshell glasses, and a black mask. Her cavalier King Charles spaniel is sitting with her and looking up at her.]
Follow on Instagram



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✨ VISIBLE SIGNS OF MY "INVISIBLE" DISABILITY ✨ ✨ VISIBLE SIGNS OF MY "INVISIBLE" DISABILITY ✨ ⁣
⁣
1️⃣ TENS unit clipped on my jeans to help my foot and ankle pain ⁣
2️⃣ Wearing sneakers because a) they're the only shoes I can really tolerate b) I have an indoors and an outdoors pair c) I have to wear sneakers/can't go barefoot for long because of my foot and ankle pain ⁣
3️⃣ Leaning on my closet door slightly because it's the only way I can really stay still for pictures ⁣
4️⃣ Wearing glasses because I can't wear contacts due to dry eyes, which is a side effect of many of my medications ⁣
5️⃣ Popsocket on my phone because I really can't keep a grasp on it due to my super arthritic hands ⁣
⁣
These are just some visible signs! Just because you don't see these things doesn't mean they aren't there if you look. Invisible disabilities aren't truly invisible. ⁣
⁣
➡ What are visible signs of your invisible disability? ⬅ ⁣
⁣
◾ ⁣
⁣
I'm Kate, a chronic health blogger who blogs to help chronic illness patients and their loved ones. Check out my blog at the link in my bio or go to katethealmostgreat.com.⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣ ⁣
⁣
◾ ⁣
⁣
[Image: Kate stands in front of a mirror on the inside of her closet door, taking a selfie in the mirror., She's a brunette white woman wearing jeans, a blue-and-white top, and round tortoiseshell glasses. She has a TENS unit clipped to her jeans.]
Harley and Piper's new album, coming this fall 😂 ⁣
⁣
Comment below with what you think their album would be named if this was the album cover ⬇ ⁣
⁣
📸 @happydogsboston ⁣
⁣
◾ ⁣
⁣
I'm Kate, a chronic health blogger who blogs to help chronic illness patients and their loved ones. Check out my blog at the link in my bio or go to katethealmostgreat.com.⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣
⁣
◾⁣
⁣
[Image: 2 dogs but from the perspective of down on the ground looking up at them. The dogs are on a brick pathway in Boston and behind them are classic Boston brownstones, trees without leaves, and a cloudy sky. One dog is a red-and-white cavalier King Charles spaniel, and her ears are flying back in the wind. The other is a golden retriever.]
Even once you're done with school, you should neve Even once you're done with school, you should never stop learning. That doesn't mean that you have to take classes! Learning can look however you want. ⁣
⁣
You can take up a new hobby. ⁣
⁣
You can learn a new skill. ⁣
⁣
You can learn about the world by getting your news from different sources. ⁣
⁣
There are so many ways to learn, and one of the great things about not being in school anymore is that you can learn about whatever you want and whatever interests you. ⁣
⁣
What is something you've learned or learned about? ⁣
⁣
◾ ⁣
⁣
I'm Kate, a chronic health blogger who blogs to help chronic illness patients and their loved ones. Follow me for more tips on living an awesome life with chronic illness! ⁣⁣⁣ ⁣⁣
⁣
◾⁣
⁣
[Image: Kate sits in a gray chair, facing the camera. She's a brunette white woman wearing black pants, a white sweater, and round tortoiseshell glasses. She's holding an open book. Behind her on the walls are a couple of round mirrors.]
I've been missing rural Maine these days. While I I've been missing rural Maine these days. While I like being able to see people out and about in Boston, spending most of 2020 in rural Maine really reinforced how much my soul prefers country to the city. ⁣
⁣
I don't know what to do about that short-term, but it is helpful to know that my long-term goal of moving back to Maine (or at least not living long-term in the city) is in fact something that I will love. ⁣
⁣
◾ ⁣
⁣
I'm Kate, a chronic health blogger who blogs to help chronic illness patients and their loved ones. Check out my blog at the link in my bio or go to katethealmostgreat.com.⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣
⁣
◾ ⁣
⁣
[Image: Looking at a lake that has a rock-filled "beach" with rocks going out to a point. The other side of the lake is filled with trees.]
Put on a full face of makeup for a small Easter ce Put on a full face of makeup for a small Easter celebration today. This is your reminder that while it's nice to dress up and look nice, celebrating in small ways is just as good as celebrating in big ones. Also, Jesus doesn't want you to risk your health or the health of others to celebrate. ⁣
⁣
◾ ⁣
⁣
I'm Kate, a chronic health blogger who blogs to help chronic illness patients and their loved ones. Follow me for more tips on living an awesome life with chronic illness! ⁣⁣⁣ ⁣ ⁣
⁣
◾ ⁣
⁣
[Image: Kate takes a selfie. She's a brunette white woman wearing a v-neck ribbed shirt, claddagh necklace, and round tortoiseshell glasses.] ⁣
⁣
#bostonbloggers #bostonian #bostonblogger #proptoit #myunicornlife #makemoments #acolorstory #makeyousmilestyle #liveunscripted #howyouglow #mybeautifulmess #choosejoy #influencehercollective #howiseeit #inspiredwomen #documentyourdays #momentsofmine #myeverydaymagic #darlingdaily #todayslovely #seekmoments #momentslikethese #posttheordinary #thatauthenticfeeling #discoverunder5k #BossGirlBloggers #ChronicIllnessBlogger #bostonma
Like I said on Monday, this has been a busy week. Like I said on Monday, this has been a busy week. But I made it through the week! And you almost have, too. ⁣
⁣
Earlier this week, I published a new blog post with tips for new health bloggers. There are 12 in total! And then today I published a new blog post that is an FAQ for POTS. I'm answering questions that I've gotten a lot in my personal life as well as in my advocate life!⁣
⁣
Check these posts out by clicking the link in my bio or ➡ katethealmostgreat.com. ⁣
⁣
◾ ⁣
⁣
I'm Kate, a chronic health blogger who blogs to help chronic illness patients and their loved ones. Check out my blog at the link in my bio or go to katethealmostgreat.com.⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣
⁣
◾ ⁣
⁣
[Image: Kate sits in a gray chair working on a silver laptop. She's a brunette white woman wearing a gray t-shirt, a lighter gray cardigan, and round tortoiseshell glasses. The t-shirt is mostly covered, but the text on it is CureArthritis.org.]
Piper and Harley want to make sure that you're tak Piper and Harley want to make sure that you're taking care of yourself. If you're not, they're not mad, they're disappointed. ⁣
⁣
In all seriousness, if you're struggling right now, that's okay. We're a year into the pandemic life, and it is 𝘵𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩 some days. Piper and Harley want to give you hugs, but they know that they can't jump through Instagram to make that happen. But know that they want to! ⁣
⁣
📸 @happydogsboston⁣
⁣
◾ ⁣
⁣
I'm Kate, a chronic health blogger who blogs to help chronic illness patients and their loved ones. Follow me for more tips on living an awesome life with chronic illness! ⁣⁣⁣ ⁣
⁣
◾ ⁣
⁣
[Image: 2 dogs sit on a brick pathway. The one in front is a red-and-white cavalier King Charles spaniel. The one in the bag is a golden retriever.]
Happy Monday! I'm heading into a hectic week at wo Happy Monday! I'm heading into a hectic week at work, but then I'm taking a long weekend around Easter. Here are some things I do to power through weeks like this: ⁣
▪ Make sure to get a full night's sleep⁣
▪ Drink lots of water ⁣
▪ Take breaks away from the computer⁣
▪ Take all my meds ⁣
▪ Cut myself some slack when I struggle⁣
⁣
What do you do to ensure that you do what you have to while also not pushing yourself into a flare? ⁣
⁣
◾ ⁣
⁣
I'm Kate, a chronic health blogger who blogs to help chronic illness patients and their loved ones. Follow me for more tips on living an awesome life with chronic illness! ⁣⁣⁣ ⁣
⁣
◾ ⁣
⁣
[Image: Kate sits at a white desk typing on a laptop. She's a brunette white woman wearing a blue-and-white striped dress, large brown glasses, a FitBit, and a silver bracelet.]
What spring walks look like these days! With COVID What spring walks look like these days! With COVID-19 still being a big threat - and my immune system is still suppressed! - it's important to keep wearing masks. I'm not vaccinated yet, but even when I do get it, I'll be wearing masks for a while. ⁣
⁣
As you get your vaccine, remember that it takes a few weeks to be vaccinated. I heard that it takes 2-4 weeks after your last shot for your body to do what it needs to do be vaccinated. So don't get the shot and then immediately take your mask off. I know it has been a hard year, but please keep doing the safe behavior that we need for you!⁣
⁣
✨ What does your spring look like? ✨⁣
⁣
◾⁣
⁣
I'm Kate, a chronic health blogger who blogs to help chronic illness patients and their loved ones. Follow me for more tips on living an awesome life with chronic illness! ⁣⁣⁣
⁣
◾⁣
⁣
[Image: Kate takes a selfie while sitting on steps outside. She's a brunette white woman wearing a teal t-shirt, a blue popover fleece, a Boston Red Sox hat, round tortoiseshell glasses, and a black mask. Her cavalier King Charles spaniel is sitting with her and looking up at her.]
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