Top Ten Tuesday: Tips for New Bloggers

Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. For more information or to participate, visit here.

Today I'm sharing some of my tips for new bloggers. These are just some things that I have learned over the years and that I wish I knew when I first started blogging. Hopefully someone will learn something new here, although I'm sure some of it will be or has been reinstated elsewhere.

1. Participate in memes and features, but don't go overboard. Memes are a great way to get bloggers interacting with each other. It's a great way to start commenting and find new blogs. However, there shouldn't be more meme post than original content. 
2. Comment Comment Comment. This seems obvious, but I struggled with this. I can't stress this enough. When you leave thoughtful comments on other bloggers notice you. Plus, you love getting comments, right? Share the love!
3. Schedule your posts ahead of time. For those of you who are really busy, this may help. Schedule post a few days ahead. A week ahead. A month ahead. it really doesn't matter. I schedule all my posts for the week during the weekend. I know I get super busy during the week and don't have time for my blog. But, if posting as you go works for you, do whatever you like best. 
4. Interact with other bloggers and book lovers. I can't stress this enough. Talk to other bloggers; make some friends. It makes blogging hundred times worth it. Don't just comment, but talk to other bloggers on Facebook, Twitter, Goodreads, and whatever else is out there. 
5. Make you blog design, if not pretty, than eye-catching. Your blog should look completely unique and not like any other blog. This doesn't mean it has to be pretty pretty, though. I know some blog designs that are a little, for lack of a better word, grungier, and I love them!
6. Create content unique to your blog. On top of reviews and memes, do posts that are specific to you. Create your own feature. Write a discussion post. Rant about whatever made you angry that day. Just set yourself apart from other blogs.
7. Show us yourself. Now, everything I'm about to say are things that I need to work on, too. But show your readers your face. Our minds like being able to connect a face to everything. Do vlogs. Or at the very least, but your picture on your blog. I did a vlog a long time ago, but have yet to do one again. Now, this is more of a lack of the right equipment (video camera), but I still need to work on it.
8. Set aside some time for you blog.  I'm not going to lie. Blogging takes up a lot of time. But set aside some time every day or every few days in which you get done what you need to. It helps to stay organized. Like I said, I schedule all my posts on the weekends.
9. Just have fun with it and make it your own. Why blog if you don't enjoy it? Just do what you feel like doing with your blog. It will be worth it.