advice and etiquette

over the next few days i want to talk about blogging. my 5 year blogiversary is coming up on Monday so i thought it would be fun to share some blogging etiquette, a Q&A about blogging, some of my favorite posts that i've done over the years, and..........

+ + + A GIVEAWAY + + +

(sparks and confetti and streamer and horns, imagine it all people.)

BUT for today:

i'll share more about why i started blogging on monday, but today i wanted to share some blogging and commenting etiquette, and advice on how to find blogs you'll love.

comparing...

it's easy in blog-world to compare your blogs to others. heck, it's easy to do that in life in general. often times, people share the happy side of their life online, and keep their personal life, well, personal. so while it may seem like the grass is greener (they have more sponsors, more comments, more, more, more) keep in mind that they are human just like you. everyone has their own story.

supporting...

if i see a blog post i love, i leave a comment. whether it's a heartfelt story i could relate to, a mutual love for a Starbucks drink, advice on their latest design board... i love supporting fellow bloggers by giving them feedback on their posts. and any time someone comments on my posts? i sure do email them back or reply to their comment to let them know i appreciate them. because i really do.

judging...

sigh. there is SO. MUCH. JUDGING. "she got that for free because she promoted them. she charges way too much for that. she wouldn't be so successful if it weren't for..." really, guys? does it matter? does judging another blogger give you satisfaction? if you truly feel like a blogger doesn't "deserve" support, then don't visit their blog. find someone you can relate to and support them.

pinning...

if you find a blog post you really love- no matter what kind of post it is- pin it. i have a pinterest board called Good To Know where i pin blogging tips and resources. another board called Worth Reading for articles that i want to read again. and of course a recipe board, DIY board, style board, etc. pinterest isn't just for re-pinning y'all. and a bit of advice for pinterest? make sure you're pinning an image directly from that specific post, not from the general "home page". 

make a list...

one of the best ways i stay on top of my blog post is by keeping a list of topics i want to cover. i keep a notepad on my phone of blogging ideas. and if a great intro or a point i really want to stress pops into my head, i go ahead and type it out. then when i'm actually writing the post later, i can refer to my notepad. sometimes, i'll even log into blogger from my phone and start a new post with a title and a few notes in the body of the text and save it as a draft. i can easily edit it later.

giving up...

when you are lacking inspiration and feeling like you have nothing else to blog about - that's OK. you don't have to blog everyday or even every week. take a blogging vacation and give yourself time to become inspired naturally.

fellow bloggers, let's chat! share your best blogging/commenting/advice/etiquette below in the comments!