Keep Your Resolutions!

Happy new year! New years mean new years resolutions, and if you’ve got a few blogging related ones on your list, it might be a little difficult to know where to start. Below are a few that you might have put on your list, with some links that you might find useful – grab your laptop and a cup of tea, you’ve got the whole day to read up on how to do this today!

I will leave more comments on other blogs
Leaving comments on other blogs means that you will (probably!) get more comments on your blog. Comments are ace – it’s something we’ve said every time with the comment challenges (How did you do with last months one?). Make sure you’re making it as easily as possible for others to comment on your blog and that you’re not leaving generic comments though – you probably already know that seeing a “nice dress! xoxo [blog link] [twitter link] [interesting buzz feed link]” comment isn’t as exciting as a specific to you, thought out comment!

I will go to more blogger meet-ups / I want to meet more bloggers!
The biggest complaint in the various hashtag chats is that there aren’t enough events outside of London. Most of the time, many bloggers will hear about an event the day before it actually happens – so if you’re organising one, why not use our event calendar to list the details so others can find out in time. If you’re too eager to get involved, or you just fancy finding new people to meet up with in your local town, you must check out the UK bloggers map, list yourself and find other bloggers to chat to!

I want to blog more often
If you’re looking for a fun DIY to do, the blog ideas jar is a simple way to keep ideas together, and randomly choose them. There are some blog ideas over here to help you and regular features which can help you keep to a schedule

I want to improve my website
From buying a domain (which can really help you attract PR opportunities!) to finding a good blog host to finding the perfect blog designer – however you want to improve your blog, we’ve got you covered (just search for it in the sidebar!)

I want to make some money from my blog
How do you want to make money from your blog? Do you want to offer adverts for sale – there are a few different ways to do that, including Nuffnang UK, Passionfruit Ads and the Viral Ad Network, and don’t forget these helpful tips on attracting advertisers to your blog

Affiliate linking is a popular way to make money from products you would be talking about anyway – learn the basics of affiliate linking, then check out Skimlinks or rewardStyle and their new product that will help you monetise your Instagram

I want to use social media more efficiently / I want to learn how to use social media!
Twitter is probably the most popular social media network for bloggers, so you might want to check out these posts about attracting new followers, making your profile more interesting and a few other tips that you might not have considered. Using apps like <a href=http://www.bonjourblogger.com/social-media/what-is-buffer/”>Buffer to keep your social media posting while you can’t is a great way to keep things ticking over while you’re out – and it can help drive traffic to old (but still awesome) posts.
If you haven’t already done it, set up a Facebook page for your blog and then tell your likers (what are they called, anyway?) to make sure they see your Page updates with a few clicks. If, like us, you’re still not sure about Google +, spend a few minutes setting up a G+ page for your blog – we’ll be talking about this more in the upcoming weeks!

I want to become more organised with my blog
Spending an hour or so each weekend to plan out what you’re going to do on your blog mens you don’t feel pressured to get things done at the last minute. Why not try using an editorial calendar to plan when things are going to publish, and if you can, write a few posts when you’ve got the time and schedule them to publish on a regular basis (to avoid those bursts of blogging inspiration followed by the quiet times) Consider creating a media kit so that when brands and PR people get in contact, it doesn’t take you long to send out details of your prices, etc, and use canned responses to reply to emails quickly – a little extra work means that you look super organised to others without any effort!

Now you’ve got no excuse to not keep your blogging resolutions!