4 essential blogging tips I learned at BlogHer16 that will make you a better, happier and more successful blogger.

If you aren’t a blogger, bear with me. I don’t write about blogging very often, but I learned SO freakin’ much about blogging-and life-at the recent BlogHer 2016 conference, that I just have to share the tips I learned at Blogher16. Here’s some of the essential wisdom about the business of creativity and blogging.

A quick explainer, BlogHer is the premiere female blogging conference that happens every year in the U.S. There were blogging and social media superstars dispensing some heavy duty wisdom in the seminars and keynotes at the conference here in LA. (I’ve got pages and pages of notes I’m still poring over and finding even more tips to put to work on my blog and social media platforms. I might have to share even more of these tips later!)

(I was so jazzed to be chosen as one of the 2016 Voices of the Year. A blogging dream come true. Here’s the video the BlogHer folks chose. It’s 23 seconds, about crazy things you do as a forgetful over 40 mom and it made lots of women laugh too!)

But since I can’t share everything, or this would be the longest blog post EVER, I’ve picked just a few of the top tips that I think every blogger needs to know and start putting to use right away.

1. It’s a community, not a competition.

Yes, we’ve all heard this. And we’ve heard it before because it’s true. Blogging is a community, which means when one individual does well, we all do a little bit better. Or as one speaker put it: a rising tide raises all boats.

Give tips to a new blogger. What increased your readership? How do you schedule your posts? Share what’s you’ve learned so far with your fellow bloggers. Don’t be stingy. There’s enough readers/fans/viewers to go around.

Lay down some good karma. Pay it forward.

In blogging, and in life, helping others helps you too. And frankly no one likes a self serving diva/queen anyway.

2. Everyone’s Thought About Quitting.

I was talking to a blogger who’s got like a gagillion more followers than I have, and she spoke about being discouraged. Huge realization for me. If you are a blogger you’ve probably considered quitting when the hours, time and heart your pour into your blog is just not showing up in the numbers, interaction or income you were hoping for.

I’ve told myself I was quitting too many times to count. It was a shock to hear that someone I admired, someone who seemed to have her sh*t together, got down too. Breaking news: everyone feels that way. So feel like crap, own it, wallow and then write another blog post.

Getting discouraged from time to time is a natural part of blogging.

3. You might not be ready, but try it anyway.

One of the themes I heard throughout the conference from successful youtubers and bloggers?

You might not feel ready, but do it anyway.

If you wait to feel “ready”, you’ll never hit publish on that blog post or film your video and share it on youtube. You will never feel ready because you become ready by doing. Not by thinking about doing something, or obsessing about why you’re not ready. 

Your first blog post probably won’t be your best. That’s fine. Your videos might be less than compelling in the beginning. You might even cringe later on when you watch your first attempts. You’re going to get better, but only if you actually make/create/write/edit the damned thing and release it into the world.

(Here’s another post I wrote about another super bad habit that’s totally killing your blog.)

4. Collaborate, collaborate, collaborate.

Blogging is a collaborative medium. Sharing. Working together. Teaming up.

If you think that you are going to succeed without finding a blogging community and collaborating your cute little patootie off you are sorely mistaken.

Write about vegan recipes, parenting, being over 40? There are Facebook groups, Link Parties, Twitter chats, group Pinterest boards for all of them.

Cohost a weekly blog post. Find a Facebook group. Tweet. Pin. Engage your ass off. Meet other bloggers online and form friendships. You’ll learn about blogging and you’ll meet some pretty amazing, bad ass women in the process.

These tips changed the way I view my own blog and my own blogging tribe of over 40 women. I’m going back to my blog with a renewed vision and some major excitement after the conference. 

If you went to BlogHer, I’d love to hear the tips that resonated with you.

And since we are talking about collaboration, are we friends on our social channels?

Here’s where I hang out and waste way too much time looking at cute outfits and puppies.

Facebook

Pinterest

Twitter

Instagram (I’m trying to learn why people love this platform. I’m a newbie here.)

Follow me and  let’s do some collaborating! Hit me up on one of these channels if you’ve got some awesome ideas of how we can work together!

xoxo-Rosie