My Blogging Mantra

Posted on by Bulbul

As the year comes to an end, it makes us think about the goals which we accomplished and which we didn’t. High fives🙌 to all of us, we did our best. Focusing on the bright side of the life, many of us (including me) started their blogging journey this year which I’m sure has been rewarding to all of us in more ways than we can comprehend. (Yes! you can smile and give yourself a pat on the back for slaying it). 😊

Which brings me to the task at hand, last month one of my fellow blogger requested me to write about what has helped me in making ‘My Bubble’. Before I begin, a disclaimer: I am no expert, I have just started this journey (~4 months back) which means that I am only sharing what has helped me, somethings may work out for you and on other’s you can feel differently. Below is my bag of tricks that I use to blog my way around.

I was very clear about what I wanted to blog about even before I thought of launching a blog. Many experts, do believe that finding a niche is important but that doesn’t mean that I’ve not come across successful bloggers who have given this advice a run for its money. But it is definitely good to be clear about your limits.

I think more than the ‘looks’ it is the accessibility that matters. If our readers are finding it difficult to move around then it’s a mistake we should fix ASAP! I have personally experimented a lot with the free themes that WordPress provides and it took me a long time to settle on this one (which has been appreciated recently).

We have to strive constantly to produce our best every time. I make it a point to proof-read every thing I post, sometimes mistakes do crop up, but I only learn from them and move forward. This is one rule which no serious blogger would want to ignore. Quality is more important than quantity!

I still haven’t found my perfect rhythm when it comes to the frequency of posts, but I usually try to post twice a week. (This week being an exception!) Some are able to produce quality content daily, I salute them!

From the very start, building a community was the one thing which mattered the most for me. Supporting and helping each other is something I believe in and in my opinion, this is how we grow and learn. So, I make it a point to leave thoughtful comments and likes on the posts that I read and also to reply each and everyone who leave few kind words on my work.

While it looks good to have huge numbers, but the catch is to gain serious readers because it is far easy to gain followers (‘You follow me, I follow you’ game is quite rampant on WordPress). I am interested in readers rather than followers, therefore, I follow back selectively which means only following the blogs which I can see myself reading in the future (this is not a comment on the quality of their work but on what interests me and how much time I have).

It is important to promote your blog on the social media platforms to gain traffic but I don’t indulge in that mainly because I am not a social media person, I am hardly active on any platform except for WordPress. I do have a Facebook page for my blog which never really brings in any readership.

Lastly, I would say that the key is to remain honest and respectful to fellow bloggers. Meaning, if you are following someone then you should try to read their post occasionally and consider voicing your honest thoughts because in my opinion that’s how you show your respect and everyone really do appreciates the effort!

This was my mantra, I would love to know if you can relate or if you disagree with some things. Tell me about your mantra of blogging in the comments.

Cheers, Keep Blogging 🙂

Published by Bulbul

A young writer from India who has loved stories since she was able to understand one. Now, she tries weaving them herself.

41 thoughts on “My Blogging Mantra”

    1. I am glad to know that you found it helpful. Although, I think, it is time to update it a bit, it has been a year since I wrote it.
      Thank you so much for the support, Her, means a lot! 🙏🙏

      Liked by 1 person

  4. They follow me follow you games are a social media gimmick haha but sometimes you do get a few good people…

    I still struggle with rhythm but I make it a point to post at least once a week…

    ~B

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Yes you do!
      Me too, no matter how hard I try to stick to a schedule something or the other comes in the way but I update atleast once a week.
      Thanks for joining me and sharing your thoughts with me B, I really appreciate it a lot.
      Cheers 🙂

      Like

  5. i think the last mantra that you wrote is seems like you i mean trust honest respect,
    i find this in your writings too. all the best don’t forget this mantra be the same human being i wish you all the success

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Wow! Thank you so much for your kind words, I am really glad that you think that, means a lot to me.
      I appreciate you reading my work and liking it. I do whatever little I can.
      I wish you the same and more 🙂
      Have a great year ahead!

      Like

    1. I am glad!
      I will only add that sharing links in comment section of other’s post is probably a bad idea. Most bloggers don’t appreciate this (I say this from experience, I’ve had bloggers leaving the links of their posts in my comment section and I’ve removed most of them).
      I wish you all the best in your journey.
      Cheers 🙂

      Like

  7. Thank you for this! 😊 My short story blog is almost a year old, and I am still struggling to increase readership. I know people don’t like reading much these days, so sometimes I feel like I’m flogging a dead donkey. Do you have tips on getting your blog articles more exposure on WordPress? Is it all about the tags you use? Or sharing links in comments?

    Liked by 1 person

  10. Really nicely done Bulbul. I agree with everything you said. You made excellent points. I believe the building and supporting community is most important too. I have meet so many talented and interesting artists. It is a blessing for me. Thank you Bulbul and have a wonderful day. Love ❤️ Joni

    Liked by 2 people

    1. Thank you very much 😊😘. It’s nice to know that you agree.
      Having a supportive community is really a blessing, it brightens the day on a daily basis.
      You have a great weekend as well, Joni❤️❤️
      Cheers, B

      Liked by 1 person

  11. Have learnt from this expecially on being clear on what you want to talk about . What more do to gain readers? Like tags and sorts? And how do you do it?.

    Liked by 3 people

    1. Thanks, I am glad that you find this helpful.

      To gain readers there’s only so much you can do, tags are important and should be used wisely and correctly. Some people abuse this and tag incorrectly just to get viewed more, but I don’t think it works.
      For eg: If I write a short story then I would use- short story, fiction, creative writing, indian writer, genre of the story (like horror, romance etc) that’s it. Tags should be relevant.
      Apart from that, what increases your reach is reading other people works (related to your topic of your interest) and leaving likes and comments. This is what benefits me the most, because most of the bloggers do check out the blogs of the people who interacts with them, I do it all the time and if they like what they see then they are bound to come back which is why quality content matters. If your traffic is not coming back then you need to improve or find another set of audience.
      You can try social media, I don’t use it…it surely takes a lot of time. People also worry about SEO and stuff but its very hard to keep up with the frequently changing algorithms of the search engines. So I don’t fret about that either and if you are not looking to set up a business promotion blog then it really doesn’t matter that much.

      I would say networking is one of the ways which have worked for me immensely, and it takes time to build that community who read your work and feels safe to interact with you. You have to put in lot of efforts and time with honesty because everyone can see through it when you are just doing everything for the sake of getting numbers.

      I would say that if you want to start then start writing because that’s the ultimate goal and the rest of the things will happen automatically, yes it will take time. I am still trying to fit in, I have gained a few amazing friends in the process.
      I hope I have answered your question, if not then let me know 😉
      Cheers 🙂

      Liked by 3 people

  13. I am blown away by your maturity and sensibility.

    I agree with all the points especially how to grow your readership (and not just followers).

    I am trying to find that rhythm too in frequency and timing of my posts. I was posting more on a daily basis but recently with the holiday season setting in, haven’t been able to spare much time.

    Liked by 4 people

    1. Thank you! I have had a great company of fellow bloggers like yourself who helped me to figure it out.😉

      Growing a readership does take serious efforts and time but it is immensely satisfying to have especially when it grows into a cherished friendship 🙂

      Me too sister! December has been busy… I also have not been able to write much.

      Thanks, Pallavi, for such thoughtful words. I really appreciate it. 🙂 I hope you are having a wonderful festive season! Cheers, B ❤️❤️

      Liked by 3 people

  14. I appreciate info on how to do all of this, I am very new , maybe two weeks. I have just been able to figure out my theme on my page but still struggle. I am enjoying reading others creations and lots of handy tricks. I have just started interacting with others. I don’t have a mantra quite yet, I knew I wanted to write about the experience (or adventures) of bipolar, plus some creative writing which seems to be going well. I look forward to comments very much and take likes very serious as I try and figure out my audience. Happy Holidays!!

    Liked by 3 people

    1. Thanks so much for your kind words ❤️❤️, they mean a lot to me.

      Getting a theme just right definitely takes time, the best way is to check out other blogs and see if you like how they have set it up. If you find something that will work for you then you can get the same and start customizing. But don’t stress, this process takes time and you will get there. 🙂

      That’s great, interacting with other people is the best part and that’s how you get readers who sometimes also become your friends. 🙂

      Amazing that you have a clear idea of what you want to do, I would say don’t fret about the little things and enjoy the process 🙂

      I wish you the very best on your new journey, it really will be a remarkable experience. I will be more than happy to help you out if you ever need my assistance.
      Thanks again, DitDot. Have a great festive season. Cheers ❤️❤️☺️☺️

      Liked by 1 person

  15. Definitely relatable things to consider when blogging, great mantra to keep in mind!
    I don’t have a mantra but more of a sidestreet performer. I also see myself as that person passing out flowers on the side of the WordPress expressway for whatever reason. A “Like” is enough but I have the greatest satisfaction when I interact with those that stop by because something of mine intrigued them. It’s just my personal preference though.

    Liked by 5 people

    1. Agreed! The interaction is indeed the best part about all of this, apart from the content creation of course. Whenever someone stops by to tell us what they thought about what we they read, it is a pleasure. It’s my personal favourite too. 🙂
      Thanks John, I am glad that you could relate.
      PS: I am sure people are enjoying your flowers, coz I know I am. 🙂
      Cheers

      Liked by 3 people

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