Hey there,

When it comes to blogging, I am sure you’ve all heard about evergreen content or maybe have come across it at some point. If I only knew about this the first time I started blogging then it would have made a lot of things easier and I would have avoided some mistakes that I made along the way. I mean you publish fresh content expecting loads of traffic or even just a bit of attention and you get NOTHING. I know the feeling and if you have experienced this then you’re not alone and it’s fine because we tend to learn from our mistakes. 

So what is evergreen content?

Simply put, evergreen content is content that is relevant all year round and can be helpful like forever and ever. Just like the name suggests it stays fresh all year long. Content that is timeless, isn’t for a specific day, season and just brings you back over and over again. Evergreen content should be helpful in January, December and is searchable in years to come too.

Now that you know what evergreen content is, let’s see why you need it for your blog.

1. CONSISTENT TRAFFIC

First and foremost is that you do end up having consistent traffic without worrying whether or not you need to come up with new blog post ideas. If you end up comparing some of your posts maybe a seasonal one compared to an evergreen one, then you will notice that the seasonal peaked during a few months and the evergreen one had a steady flow of traffic without totally stopping.

2. IMPROVES YOUR SEO

Search engine optimisation, when you have evergreen content that is searchable all year long, then Google is likely to pick that up and make it more available for readers. The longer your content stays relevant for the better your search rankings which is a plus and boosts your blog along the way.

3. SHAREABLE ALL YEAR ROUND

Another reason why you need evergreen content is that it’s shareable all year round and that ends up making your content go viral hence increasing your traffic and beneficial to your bounce rate as well. All you need to know is so long as there are no specific dates in your content then it can be shared over and over again.

TYPES OF EVERGREEN CONTENT

• How tos
• Tips
• Tutorials
• Reviews
• Lists
• Checklists
• DIYs

WHAT TO AVOID 

• Specific dates
• Current news and events
• Seasonal content

Where to find evergreen content

When it comes to finding evergreen content, think of what you would want to search for or know all year round. Use search engines and see what stays relevant all year round.  

Updating your content may not really be necessary since it should be that way but it’s always good to go back to them and optimise depending on when you had published them, just the way you go back and update other posts that you have, make sure to revisit them regularly.

That’s it, what evergreen content is and why you need it for your blog. I hope this post was able to help you figure things out and know how to create evergreen content along the way. If your thinking of starting a blog and haven’t yet then here are reasons why you should do it now and how to start one too. Do you find it hard to get content ideas?

The post WHAT IS EVERGREEN CONTENT AND WHY YOU NEED IT FOR YOUR BLOG appeared first on www.jocajic.com.

Having writer’s block?

Well, hey there I hope you’re all having a fabulous end of the week and are ready for the weekend. Talking about writer’s block, we’ve all been there where you know you need to have a post published but you haven’t even written it or have no idea what you are going to write about. You are not alone, happens to the most of us unless you are one of those super people who never run out of ideas and can come up with a year’s worth of content in an hour. If that’s you, then don’t  bother reading this just give me your secret and I will be good. But if you have a hard time coming up with blog posts, then here are 5 simple ways to come up with blog post ideas when you have nothing to write about.

1. KNOW YOUR NICHE

First and foremost, you need to know your niche, coming up with blog posts would be easier if you didn’t have to stick to your niche because there is so much information people want to know and writing wouldn’t be a problem. But for the sake of your readers, know the ins and outs of your niche in order to be able to come up with blog post ideas plus it does make it easier if you are writing about something you are passionate about, know more of and are happy to be doing. More on finding your niche can be found here.

2. ASK YOUR AUDIENCE

If you’ve been blogging for a while now, then you already have an audience and know who reads your posts, it doesn’t have to be the same people but so long as your posts are being read, then you have an opportunity of coming up with blog post ideas easily by just asking them what they would like to read more of, I mean you have nothing to lose and you will not only be helping them but yourself too. So don’t shy away when it comes to asking your readers what they want.

3. DISSECT POPULAR OLDER POSTS

Another simple way is that you don’t have to come up with new content all the time, if you have older posts and they were your most popular, then you can be able to dissect them and come up with two more ideas from them by just stretching the topic a little bit more and going into detail if you didn’t before. Your blog doesn’t have to fail if you already have multiple blog posts, just dissect what you have.

4. READ YOUR COMMENTS

I love this way because I get to see what my readers think and what they have in mind. If you haven’t been reading your comments then you are missing out on many blog post ideas. I am not talking about those comments for “Thank you for sharing” more like the ones that go into details or even end with a question for you to reply back. From that question comes a blog post idea as the answer, so don’t sleep on your comments and be going through them once in a while.

5. USE SOCIAL MEDIA

Now here is where you find a multitude of ideas, if you’re in Facebook or read any threads on there then you definitely see how many questions people ask in a day. You don’t have to answer all of them but so long as they are within your niche and you have answers to what they are asking, then make it into a blog post and help others out. We are all in this together, there are so many things I want to know and learn more of, so reading is where it’s at. Also reading other blogs within your niche can end up giving you ideas on what to write about if you didn’t find what you are looking for. Here are some reasons why I stay to read your blog.

 6. RESEARCH WHAT’S TRENDING (BONUS)

Last but not least, research what’s been trending lately and if you are able to come up with a post to accompany it then you are good to go. Pinterest is quite useful when it comes to knowing what’s trending and all you have to do is type something in the search bar and it will give you ideas, also the content can be evergreen or seasonal it doesn’t matter, if it’s trending then there’s always somebody somewhere who will want to read it. So remember that trends do sell at the end of it all, start researching asap.

There you go, 5 ways for you to come up with blog post ideas without going insane. Also, remember that you don’t have to stress about posting every day or trying to keep up with others. Once you have some ideas just keep writing and it will start flowing. I hope you liked this post and get to try some of these ideas. If you have any questions, do ask in the comments below and until next time see yah. How do YOU usually come up with your blog post ideas? I would love to know.

The post 5 SIMPLE WAYS TO COME UP WITH BLOG POST IDEAS WHEN YOU HAVE NOTHING appeared first on www.jocajic.com.

 Hey there,

I know it’s been a while since I was here and I do apologise, after my recipe series I just stepped back and haven’t really been doing any writing which is wrong by the way since I end up not being productive. This is actually my third year blogging and as much as it’s been wonderful, I’ve had ups and downs which made me realise alot of things and just my life in general. Anyway, I do hope you’ve all been doing great and are ready for this year to come to an end. Talking about blogging, I am here today with 10 easy tips to increase blogging productivity even as a beginner.

If you haven’t started a blog yet, below are some helpful posts

• How to start a blog
• The answers you need when choosing your niche
• Mistakes I made before launching my blog
• What not to do when starting your blog
• What you should include in every blog post
• How to get noticed as a blogger
• How to boost your blog traffic with Pinterest

1. SET GOALS

First and foremost, you have to set goals for your blog, be it long term or short term. What you want to do in a month or where you see your blog in a year. Also how many views are you striving for when you get started and down the line. Having set goals not only gives you motivation but makes you be accountable hence makes you work harder to achieve them.

2. HAVE A TO DO LIST

Write down what you need to do to improve your blog and the activities you will be doing each and everyday. A to do list keeps you organised and helps you tick off all the important tasks you have for the day. This also works well for your life in general and if you’re working and have a blog on the side too, then a to do list will definitely come in handy.

3. HAVE A CONTENT CALENDAR

Another tip to increase blogging productivity is having a content calendar in that it helps you to stay organised, it doesn’t have to be all fancy or anything just one to help you know when to come up with blog posts, when to publish and it’s also great to be able to have months of blog post ideas beforehand. Just as setting goals, this will hold you accountable because if you have to come up with content on a certain day and it’s on your calendar, then you will have to do it.

4. TIME MANAGEMENT

We all know that life happens and you may not be able to do everything when you need to or want to so managing your time well will really help to increase your blogging productivity. Don’t be a slave to your blog and just get glued all day, manage your time and allocate different times for specific tasks. This also makes you be able to work around your day and what you have to do during the day. If you find that you don’t have the two hours you allocated for your blog, then focus on an hour and try and do as much as you can in that hour without stressing out on other things.

5. RESEARCH

There is still so much to learn out there when it comes to blogging so continue researching how to better your blog and what needs to be done. Read other blogs, books and even ask for help if you need any. You will not only increase your productivity but during the research, that’s when blog posts ideas start coming up so it’s killing two birds with one stone which is a win in my book. I try to research everyday and if I knew what I know now in my first year, then I would probably be way ahead. I learnt many lessons in my first year of blogging and don’t regret any of them, do your research people.

6. WRITE EVERYDAY

I used to downplay this and thought it would just get me burned out, but it actually does help. If you stay for a long time without writing anything, you tend to get rusty and I know that happens to me too. So writing everyday sort of sharpens your writing and makes you get better at it, if that doesn’t increase your productivity then I don’t know what to tell you. Writing everyday can either be jotting down ideas, or filling up your content calendar or even updating your old blog posts.

7. CHOOSE YOUR PLATFORMS

In order to increase your blogging productivity, focus only on the social media platforms you are good at and helps your blog too. Don’t just dive in and try to manage all platforms at the same time. If you’re able to do that then good for you but I learnt that there’s no point of trying to tackle all of them at once. Choose the ones that get you the traffic and don’t make them take your whole day, thanks to scheduling apps, they can help you to schedule your content  and posts hence sparing you time to do something else.

8. CONSISTENCY

I am sure you knew that this point was bound to be here, consistency is also another way to increase blogging productivity. Try and be consistent as much as you can be it with your posting days, planning your content calendar, coming up with blog posts, whatever it is consistency is key. I know I should be telling myself this more and that’s why I have to remind myself all the time that the only way I will see results is to stay consistent.

9. TAKE BREAKS

Yes, we all have goals to accomplish but if that means burning yourself out, then there is really no point. Take breaks when necessary and make it worth it. If you want to take the weekend and just be away from your blog then do that and don’t think about it on that day. The break is to clear your mind and blow off some steam as we all say, this will give you back the blogging motivation and won’t affect your productivity once you get back to it.

10. CELEBRATE YOUR ACHIEVEMENTS

Lastly, be able to celebrate your achievements big or small it doesn’t matter, be proud of what you’ve accomplished even if you didn’t really do it at the specific time you wanted but it’s still something. Putting yourself down will not help you in any way so be proud of yourself and know that you did it. Doing this in any part of your life does your body and mind good so don’t forget that even when it comes to blogging, an increase in your monthly views is definitely something to congratulate yourself on.

There you have it 10 easy tips to increase blogging productivity even as a beginner, I know there are more out there but I use these ones. I would love to here what you do to increase your blogging productivity, if you’re a beginner or a pro I would still love to hear them. Do share your tips in the comments below and let’s help each other out. Thank you for all your support and until next time see yah. How long have you been blogging for?

The post 10 EASY TIPS TO INCREASE BLOGGING PRODUCTIVITY EVEN AS A BEGINNER appeared first on www.jocajic.com.

Hey there,

How was your weekend? I hope it was fine and are ready for yet another week. As bloggers, we all tend to want the same things, a successful blog, to create good content, keep your audience engaged you name it. By doing this, we get to see where to to improve on and what to get good at. For me, trying to keep my audience to stay longer on my blog is key and I am sure that’s also the same for other bloggers, but how can we do that? Here are 7 ways to compel your audience to stay longer on your blog. If you haven’t started a blog yet, I have a simple beginner’s guide for you and to help increase your blog’s page views, then I got you too.

So, what ways can you compel your audience to stay longer?

1. CONTENT

When it comes to blogging, content is always key and without good content then nothing would compel your audience to keep on reading and stay on your blog longer. For you to have great content, you need to stick to your niche and know what it is. If you haven’t figured that out yet, then answer some of these questions to narrow it down for you. Staying within your niche and being consistent when creating great content is bound to keep your audience engaged hence making them stay longer on your blog which is definitely good for your bounce rate too.

2. TITLES

Another way to compel your audience to stay longer on your blog is having catchy titles. A title that will draw them in and make them interested enough to click on your post. I wrote more on this in my what you should include in every blog post. Do your research before creating content and look into keyword research too and find what people are looking for and what they want to read then incorporate what you’ve learnt in your titles and once you have them hooked then comes this next point.

3. INTERLINKING

Once your title has done it’s magic and got them to read your content, then here is where making them stay longer comes in which is in interlinking your posts. There’s no point of having great content, a catchy title then only to have your audience engaged and leave after a few seconds. Interlink your content, which is linking a previous post you had to the current one you are creating and so on. Make sure to be doing this to all your content you create, this will compel your audience to click on another one of your posts and keep on reading making them stay longer which is the whole point.

4. OPEN IN NEW TAB

A mistake I see in some blogs is that they tend to forget to make the links they added to their content to open in a new tab. This is very important because if you don’t do this, it makes the reader go to another post and not be able to come back to what they were reading before which can be frustrating and this usually leads to some exiting your site which is a shame. So remember to tick the box for open in a new tab when you are adding links to your content.

5. IMAGES

Try to utilise some images within your content to break off too much text. At least try and add some images to keep them engaged as they read. I know I enjoy articles with some images in them and makes it feel more readable and not overwhelming.  This will help to compel your audience to stay longer, there are many places to find images, be it you taking some yourself or by using free stock photos.

6. AVOID TOO MANY ADS/ POPUPS

I know we all want to monetise our blogs but when it comes to ads, there is a good amount and then there’s being too excessive. Focus on your content and try to minimise the amount of ads you have within them. Plus some ads tend to make your blog look all clumsy and too busy which is never pleasing to the eye, too many ads will make your audience exit what they were reading which is doing the opposite. If you read my reasons I don’t read your blog post, then you know me and popups, honestly I am not a fan but there is a better way to use them in your content without making your reader go mental. Try and make your popups show after some time and not the minute a page loads.

7. RELATED POST FEATURE

Lastly is by using the related post feature which normally shows at the end of every blog post. Most themes already have this and makes it easier but if your theme doesn’t have the feature then install a plug in which will work well too. The related post feature, compels your audience to click on a related post after reading the current one thus making them keep on reading your content and stay longer.

There you go, 7 ways to compel your audience to stay on your blog longer, I am sure there many more ways and if you have some, I would love to know them too. If you have any questions, do ask in the comments below and if writer’s block is knocking on your door then I have a solution for that. I hope you did like this post and until next time see yah. What keeps you motivated when it comes to blogging?

The post 7 WAYS TO COMPEL YOUR AUDIENCE TO STAY LONGER ON YOUR BLOG appeared first on www.jocajic.com.

Hello There,

Happy end of the week everybody, I hope that you are all having a great one. Today, I have another post for you and it’s all in the name of blogging. We all know how to start a blog, getting blog post ideas, writing posts and even the promotion of blog posts. Now, let’s go back a bit and go through the basics of whether or not you are doing things right or just hoping for the best when starting your blog or thinking about it. If you’re already blogging for a while then this is not for you, but if you’re still dreading to push the publish button or are yet to even have a domain, then I suggest you go through some of these points. Here are some tips on what not to do when you are starting your blog in my opinion.

1. FREE BLOGGING SITE

I know that not everybody has the extra money to pay for a domain but if you are really serious about wanting to blog and making it long-term, I would suggest that you think about spending a bit to get your own domain. Also with free blogging sites, you always have to use their designs and cannot be able to have WordPress and other popular products. Plus if you want to start to monetize your blog and become serious about working with clients and companies, I would suggest getting your own domain to make it look at least professional and not chase away anybody who would like to work with you just because they thought you’re not capable of having your own website.

2. CHOOSING A BAD HOST

This is also another important subject you should think about once you have started your blog, there’s nothing more frustrating than creating your site and making everything look just as you want and then your host starts giving you problems by the site being down or them not responding if you have problems. There are a bunch of new hosting companies nowadays and just choosing the right one makes a huge difference. So make sure to do your research when it comes to the host you choose for your site, know what services they offer and if it suits you best. I use bluehost and so far, I haven’t had any issues. The more the research the better to avoid regrets later.

3. SPENDING TOO MUCH

I know you’re out there screaming at me saying, but you told us not to have a free site, Yes but remember that you are not going to start a blog today and make thousands tomorrow. The saying you have to spend money to make money might have crossed your mind but you are just beginning, don’t pay for everything that comes your way, choose the necessities and think about the rest later once you get a hang of it and start earning. Start making money then invest it back.

4. NOT SPENDING WHERE NEEDED

I am going to go against my previous point above, all because I should at least elaborate more for those who want to know. There are many things that come up that need subscriptions and paying when it comes to blogging. When I say not spending where needed, I mean for your sites’ security and protection, getting rid of spam, mailing services and the list goes on. It’s mostly about the maintenance and what will make your site run smoothly until you reach a point where you would want to spend on new themes and courses. You have to remember this is what not to do when starting your blog keyword here being STARTING, so spend where necessary.

5. CHOOSING A NICHE FOR THE SAKE OF IT.

When you have a blog, you have to remember that you have to keep on writing regularly and the niche you choose is important for your success. Read on the answers you need when choosing a niche. Don’t choose a niche you are not passionate about or even care less for because you will just be setting yourself up for failure, think about it and be ready to have to simplify them until you find the one that is right for you and your blog. Also, don’t feel the pressure to stick to one specific niche because if you are able to expand it a bit and you like it then do that and it’ll count.

6. STRESSING OVER THE NAME

I see so many people ready to start their blog only to get stuck when it comes to naming it. Yes I know it’s all in the name but if you think about it, the longer it takes you to think of a name, the longer it will be for your blog to exist. You would have done so many things on your blog like having written down posts, decided on the design and many more. If people like your blog at first and then you change your name, it doesn’t mean they will not come back because you changed it. If you have good content, they will always come back. So stop stressing about your blogs’ name and start already, it will come when you get into it.

7. IGNORING SOCIAL MEDIA

I have said this in my other posts, that social media is taking over and it’s where everybody is nowadays, know that when you are starting your blog, also start being active in social media, if you don’t have accounts then I suggest to create them because for you to have traffic to your blog, you will need to start involving yourself and trying to converse with others who are in your niche and get to know them. This is easier said than done because I still struggle with it and it’s going at such a fast pace to try to keep up. Pick a few accounts you want to be in and start getting active.

8. DON’T GIVE UP

Lastly, you may have started a blog but forgot to think of these tips due to some reason or something else, but guess what, you have learnt something through it all. Stop comparing yourself with a person who has been blogging for ten years and assume that you can never do what they do because you can, don’t give up continue brainstorming ideas and writing posts whatever your niche may be. All you have to do is know what you want, go for it and never give up. There is always a way and remember that comparison is a killer.

 That’s it, I hope the above tips will be able to help anyone out there who is planning or has already decided that they are going to start their blog. If you have any questions or any other suggestions that may also help me, feel free to comment below and share. What are some of the mistakes you did when you were starting your blog for the first time?

The post WHAT NOT TO DO WHEN YOU ARE STARTING YOUR BLOG appeared first on www.jocajic.com.

Hello there,

I hope you had a lovely weekend and are ready to tackle this week head-on. My weekend was the same as all the rest with lockdown keeping us indoors and the weather being very gruesome lately. I am so into routines now that I think I need to find something new and exciting to do. The only thing is that it will have to be either indoors, online or start being crafty in some way. Today I want to tackle ways in which Pinterest can be fun and help you as a blogger. I am going to share with you tips on how to use Pinterest effectively as a beginner.

What is Pinterest?

Unless you have been living under a rock or something, you should know what Pinterest is by now. Pinterest is a platform where you can find a catalogue of ideas from all around the world, from parenting, food recipes, fashion, style ideas, literally everything just like a search engine. The best part is that you can find the ideas you want and save them to come and look at them later. So now that we have elaborated on what it is, let’s see how you can use it effectively. If you are already a blogger or business, jump straight to no.6 and if you want to know how to start a blog then proceed here.

1. GOOD PROFILE

So you have opened an account and finished with that part and now you want to know what to do next. First what I have noticed is most of the people just open the account and don’t write anything about themselves in their profile and so when someone clicks on your profile, it’s just blank and doesn’t really explain what you do if you are a business, blogger and so forth. If you have an account do write a small bio for your profile to make it easier to have people follow you and get to know you a bit more and what you blog or your business is about.

2. NUMBER OF BOARDS

The number of boards you create is totally up to you and if you can pin something in each one of them then that is fine. I would suggest you start with a number that you are okay with and can pin at least a good number of pins in them so that some of your boards don’t remain empty. No point of having 50 boards if you are only able to pin 5 in each so just create some boards you can handle then you can add more boards down the line.

3. BOARD NAMES

Once your account is created and now have several boards, we get to the exciting part which is naming your boards to pin stuff in them. I am not saying that you can’t name your boards whichever way you want, you can if it’s for personal use and if you are just in Pinterest for your own fun and gathering ideas which you use for inspiration. That’s all fine and good.

On the other hand, if you are a blogger, your board names should reflect something around your niche and other boards which may interest you. I might be a beauty blogger but also love architecture, doesn’t mean I can’t save ideas on that. So, I suggest you create and name your boards to be understandable enough and to help others to pin some of your content.

4. NUMBER OF PINS ON YOUR BOARDS

So you’ve come up with your number of boards and named them, let’s now talk about the number of pins on each of your boards. Try having around 20 pins in each board to start with then you can continue adding more as you go on. But if you have time to pin as much as you can in each of your boards, then by all means do. There’s nothing worse than finding a good board only to click on it and seeing three pins only when you really wanted to pin some of the content in that board. So remember, have a good amount of pins in each of your boards, to begin with.

 5. BE CONSISTENT

Once you get on the Pinterest train, it really is addictive and makes you want to continue all day and all night. What I’m trying to say is being active in Pinterest is what will make you get followers and be noticed, don’t pin today then wait till next week to pin again, try and be as active as you can to get the latest pins, trends and get to have some followers. Also, Pinterest loves new pins and fresh content all the time, so be consistent and try to add and create more pins in your boards to garner a good amount which results in followers and outbound links which go to your blog.

6. HAVE A BLOG BOARD

As a blogger, you will need to have a board specifically for your blog posts. This would help if someone finds a pin from your blog and needs to see more of what you write about. It just makes it easier to get more of your content, also make sure that you have pin it buttons installed in your website to make it simple for others to pin your content directly to Pinterest once they visit your site which gets you views at the end. Learn how to boost your blog traffic with Pinterest. This also makes your board organised and you won’t have to worry where to pin your blog’s content.

7. USING TAILWIND

If you don’t know what tailwind is, you will need this if you are on Pinterest. Tailwind helps you schedule your pins all at once and does all the job for you by pinning for you at the right time and at specific times which you may choose or let it allocate the time when most of your readers are online. This saves you time scheming through pins all day on end. You are also able to use the board lists, their scheduler for Instagram and Facebook, join communities and share your content with other bloggers. If you want to give it a whirl, check it out here and get yourself a free trial.

8. JOIN GROUPS

Now that you’re getting a hang of it, you need to reach other pinners and share your content and ideas, all you have to do is join as many group boards as you can but make sure you are joining a group that relates to what your boards are about to be able to contribute and bring something to the table. Also, make sure you follow the group rules in order not to be kicked out just because you became disrespectful and went haywire by spamming.

If you want to find group boards, they are usually a board which on the right-hand corner has two figures to tell you that it is a group and you can check it out and email the creator and ask to be invited to the group. Please remember to be polite when doing this and wait for the response from the admin. You will either get a yes or a no if the group is not taking in any more contributors, don’t worry just find another group and do the same.

There you go, how to use Pinterest effectively as a beginner, I know there are many more but if you’re just getting started then this will help. If you have any more suggestions that might help me too, I will be glad to hear about them and if you have any questions about Pinterest and I can assist, do leave it in the comments below. So do you use Pinterest for blogging, personal use or business?

The post HOW TO USE PINTEREST EFFECTIVELY AS A BEGINNER appeared first on www.jocajic.com.

Hello Everyone,

When I decided to start a blog, I told myself to just focus on the launching part and figure out the rest later on. Little did I know what was ahead of me, I never thought that writing one blog post had so much more entailed than just hitting publish. A blog post has much more entailed than just typing down words and sharing it to your readers, which I did learn along the way after making my share of many mistakes. So what should a blog post have? Every blog post requires certain properties for it to make a good post and here are some points on what you should include in every blog post.

Disclaimer: I am not saying that these are the only things you should include in every blog post because I know there are lots more out there and that we learn as we go. My posts are not perfect and I am just sharing what has worked for me and how I use them in my blog posts.

What makes a good blog post?

• Should have images
• Should be easy to read
• Have good SEO
• Good grammar
• Have headings
• Gets you more traffic

Now that you know what a good blog post is let’s get on with it and see what to include in every blog post.

1. USING HEADINGS

Have you ever got on a page and all you see are just long paragraphs that never seem to finish? Not pleasing I know. That’s what am talking about, using headings to at least separate some of those paragraphs makes it easy to understand and doesn’t make the reader think that they are never going to reach the end of your article. When you use headings, it makes the reader get your topic even more and makes it easy for reading which takes me to my second point.

2. MAKE IT EASY TO READ

I am not telling you not to use good vocabulary and all which I know you already do but make sure your posts have a flow to them to make it easy to be understood. Make the reader not to have to go back and repeat a sentence again all because they never really got what you were talking about the first time, that’s why having good grammar in your content is really crucial and thanks to technology you can use spell checkers. People just want to reach to the solution instead of waiting for it. Be straight to the point without beating around the bush.

3. INTERLINKING

When you are writing about a particular topic and you know you have another post that will interest the reader or would be related to it, then that’s where interlinking get involved. Let’s say you have just decided that you want to start a blog and have no idea where to begin, well this simple beginners guide will definitely be of help. See what I did there? Interlink in a way that seems natural and help the reader get to more of your content thus boosting your pageviews at the same time.

4. IMAGES

Almost everyone is usually attracted to anything that is visually appealing and is the same when it comes to blog posts. Good images are ideal and if you are in pinterest and need to pin your images, they need to be appealing and just not dull looking images. I usually create two to four images for each blog post in order to pin them at separate times and without being too repetitive. Also make sure that the images you use in your blog posts are also relatable to what your blog post is about. Like a recipe requires a picture of what you made, but you can still get away with random pictures sometimes if you know how to edit them. If you’re a beginner when it comes to Pinterest, use it effectively with these simple tips.

5. OPTIMISE FOR SEARCH ENGINES

This is where good SEO comes to work, If you want your post to be able to be found in google then learning more about SEO is really important. I am also still learning more about it and once you get a hang on that, we know what that means, more traffic to your site which is a plus when it comes to boosting your pageviews. When I started, I never knew about SEO but just some basics like this wordpress SEO by Yoast which is what I use. Also SEO just doesn’t stop there but has much more from keyword research and how you come up with blog posts. Once you install it, it will tell you all the steps to do in order to optimise your blog post.

6. AFFILIATE LINKS

Now if you’re just getting started, then you can skip this part and go to the next but if you’re already involved with some affiliate companies then this is also another point to add to what you should include in every blog post. If you’re reviewing some products or have something you’re talking about that would benefit your reader and you are an affiliate, then adding some links to the products is also good and you may end up making some pocket change too if done correctly. Make sure to also add links tastefully and not bombard your readers with too many links for no reason.

7. CALL TO ACTION

Lastly, don’t forget to make your audience want to come back to your blog for more by either saying what your next post would be or ask them what they thought about it and if they have any questions, better yet ask them a question because, why not? Never hurts to try.

So there you have it, what you should include in every blog post. If you’re just getting started with blogging then these points are definitely good to start with. Also do check out why you need evergreen content and how it helps your blog traffic. I hope that you do get to use some of these tips and that they make your blogging journey easier, after all you just have to tick off one by one from the list. Any other tips you would like to share with me? Feel free to comment below.

The post WHAT YOU SHOULD INCLUDE IN EVERY BLOG POST appeared first on www.jocajic.com.

Hi Everyone,

How is everyone doing? I hope you had a great start of the year. I don’t even know where to begin since it’s been a while since I came on here and wrote something. A little update about my life, so we moved house and still have stuff in boxes, I am yet to put up curtains and drill holes. My son had to change schools and the closest one is apparently out of spaces left. My school runs are not as exciting as before but he will still have to change schools again come next school year. Anyway, it’s been a lot and I have literally not felt like writing anything nor have I recorded any recipes. So, since February is here, I decided to give you reasons why you should start a blog today.

1. AS A HOBBY

This is a good first reason to start a blog because not everyone would want to risk there day jobs and go all in. So if you would like to figure out if it’s for you and begin doing some writing then starting a blog as a hobby is definitely something you can do. Also as a heads up, here are some of the mistakes I did before launching mine.

2. SHARE YOUR STORY

Everyone has a story be it traumatic, sad you name it. You can also make it like a journey you are starting, most people do weight loss journeys which you may already have seen online. Sharing your story can also be able to impact other people’s lives if they have gone through what you have hence helping them out in some sort of way and just providing comfort in the process. If you have a story to share, then I urge you to make it one of the reasons you should start a blog.

3. DEVELOP CREATIVITY

You will be shocked how starting a blog will tap into creativity you never thought you had. It really does help you to figure out what you have in you and definitely makes you realise that you are able to do more than you thought you could and once you see people interested in your content, it makes you more motivated to push through and continue doing it even if you end up making mistakes, just go ahead and give it a go.

4. STRESS RELIEF

Stress relief is also one of the reasons you should start a blog, we all know life happens and it can get the best of us but if you feel like releasing all that stress, then a blog is a good way to do so. I mean you could see a therapist and keep on answering how you feel all day but I think just writing it down does make you feel better, and yes I know you could do this in a journal too but I think a blog would be exciting.

5. IMPROVE YOUR WRITING SKILLS

When I started my blog, I never thought of how I could just continue writing and even come up with a blog post. I mean I am not perfect at all and there are some awesome writers out there but if you would like to improve your writing skills, then starting a blog won’t hurt at all and you never know you might like it and want to keep going and get noticed in the process.

6. INSPIRE/ HELP

Everyone has some knowledge on something be it, food, lifestyle, fashion just everything. If you know you have a skill that will help others, then start a blog and inspire others and assist them with some tips along the way. If you’ve been praised about your cooking, share your food, if you love design and your home is perfect then there’s also need for that. I am a sucker for great tips and DIYS and I like trying them out too. If you can help someone with the information you have, don’t let it die with you.

7. MEET NEW PEOPLE

Another reason you should start a blog is to meet new people. Yes I know blogging makes you such an introvert it can be crazy but there are many events out there and meetups that if you’re interested in attending, then you end up meeting new people and creating long term friendships around it too. This may not be for everyone but it does help for some.

8. GAIN CONFIDENCE

We are not all born with confidence and it’s something that ends up developing in you. When you start a blog and just get that first view or comment, it does boost your confidence a bit and the more you continue doing it, then you do end up developing a level of confidence in you. It doesn’t hurt to try right?

9. GET OUT OF YOUR BUBBLE

Sometimes you are generally an introvert and maybe you need to get out of your bubble to just see what you can be able to achieve so before you throw yourself out there, you could try by starting a blog first even anonymously and just proceed from there plus it will give you something to look forward to when you start your day, making you get out of your bubble one blog post at a time.

10. SHARE YOUR TALENT

Last but not least, you will not believe how many people have talent out there but just end up not letting it out or even showing it. Don’t let your gift go unnoticed so go ahead and own it. It can be anything and once you tap into it, you will definitely know it’s what you should be doing by the way that you feel. So if you have some talent, you should start a blog and share it with the world, remember there is more than enough room for you too.

There you go, 10 reasons why you should start a blog. I also know that blogging is not for everyone but for those who would love to give it a try, I don’t see why not and it is profitable if done right. I hope you enjoyed this post today and as I try to get things on track, I do wish you a lovely month. If you missed my previous posts, do remind yourself by stopping by here. Until then see yah and do tell me how’s 2020 working out for you?

The post CHECK OUT THESE 10 REASONS WHY YOU SHOULD START A BLOG appeared first on www.jocajic.com.

 Hi,

It’s been quite a while since I came on here and it actually does feel wierd a bit, hopefully I gain momentum and be more consistent in the weeks to come. How you all doing? How was your Summer? I hope you had a great one, mine was okay, we travelled to visit friends and family and now back at it again with school runs and meal prepping, basically back to reality lol. So today’s post is all about motivation, we’ve all heard about writer’s block but what about what to do when you don’t have blogging motivation anymore? I thought I would write a bit about that and tell you what I normally do when it happens to me.

1. TAKE A BREAK

This is definitely the obvious one, first things first just take a break and try as much as you can not to be bothered by it. I could tell you to stop thinking about it but that’s exactly what you will be doing if I tell you. How long the break should be will be determined with the rest of the points I have for you. I mean people take breaks like a week or two but mainly that can usually be from writer’s block which we’ve all had and if you haven’t then I would love your tips, check this post here if you’re finding it hard to come up with blog posts.

2. DO SOMETHING NEW

If you’re used to going straight to your computer everyday and still nothing comes to mind, then here is where this steps in. Find something other than writing to do and makes you happy when doing it, the best thing is to find something that will destruct you from the blogging world. It should not be online but more of an activity, walk, workout, clean, organise, just to give your brain a break and remember it should be something you like. Don’t force yourself to do something you don’t want to do, It would just add onto your frustration, feel happier now with this post here.

3. SELF CARE

Now that you’ve done the first two, let’s get into my best part which is self care, take time to pamper yourself, create a home spa, do the whole thing mani, pedis, try that face mask you haven’t used yet or meditate which is really good way to put you in a good mood and just feel free. If a spa is not your kind of thing then bake something and enjoy eating it or call a friend you haven’t talked to in a while and just have a good conversation better yet meet him/her and have a coffee together. There are so many things to do when it comes to self care so find one you prefer and just do it, a nap is also great.

4. ANALYSE THE SITUATION

I am sure that after the three above, you will now be itching to figure out what to do and that’s where this comes in. You need to analyse the situation, what made you lose your motivation? Were you comparing yourself to others? Do you love doing it? If you can just do that, you are one step closer to getting back at it. Try and create a realistic plan on what YOU can do, not what other people have said you should do, it’s your blog so you decide. Also there’s no rush here, take your time with this step because I know there plenty more questions you would end up having to ask yourself and after you’ve answered all of them, then comes the next point.

5. READ BLOGS IN YOUR NICHE

Reading has always made me be able to just remember why I started blogging in the first place, so I would suggest reading blogs within your niche and see what others are up to or writing about, don’t read while comparing their blogs to yours, read to enjoy what they are writing about and just to see how many bloggers are doing what you are too. Also I found that browsing through Pinterest did bring back the motivation and just made me want to continue trying. If you’re still figuring out your niche, then this post here will be of help too.

6. START SLOW

Motivation is not something you switch on just like that, it’s more like an up hill climb but once you get half way, it get’s easier and finally you’re at the top. Now is when you can start slowly by reading your old posts, start jotting down any ideas that come to mind just as a rough copy and then find the posts that sparked joy in you when you were writing them, it may be some or all of them, just reading them again will definitely help you get your blogging motivation right back.

7. DON’T GIVE UP

Lastly don’t give up, even when you think that it’s never going to get better, just be patient and push through. You started blogging for a reason and yes you may have thought it’s was going to be easy but it’s not. Lots of planning, research and learning is all involved and you owe it yourself to at least give it your best until you have exhausted all your options. You can do it no matter how long it will take you to get back just don’t give up.

That’s it, I have told you exactly what steps I follow when it comes to what to do when you don’t have blogging motivation anymore. I hope it does help anyone out there. So stop comparing take your time and you got this. In case you missed my previous posts, do check them out here and here and tell me what you think in the comments below, until next time see yah. Do you ever lack motivation when it comes to blogging?

The post WHAT TO DO WHEN YOU DON’T HAVE BLOGGING MOTIVATION ANYMORE appeared first on www.jocajic.com.

So,

I already shared with you how you can promote your blog posts effectively in my previous posts and today I am back to tell you where you can be able to do that in order to get the most traffic to your site. Honestly, when I first started, I wrote my posts, published them and did nothing else, I guess I thought that I would get organic traffic instantly without doing anything which was so naive of me to even think like that, I needed to share my posts and share them in different platforms in order to get the best outcome and  increase my blog’s traffic. So today I am here to share with you where to promote your blog posts once you’ve published them.

1. Facebook

This is really self-explanatory, all you have to do is start sharing through your account or page if you have created one. Even better, join blogger groups in Facebook and start sharing like nobody’s business, just remember to follow the rules of each group to avoid being penalised by being removed from the group.

2. Google +

I have been sharing to G+ for some time now, it doesn’t give me that much traffic but I will take any that I can get so it’s good to give it a try and check it out. What do you have to lose?

3. Twitter

Twitter is always a great place to promote your blog posts and you can do it multiple times during the day and get people to notice your posts and drop in by your blog.

4. Pinterest

Now if you don’t already know by now that Pinterest can really be a good source of traffic for you then I have no idea where you’ve been, but it’s all good because you still have time. All you have to do is learn how to use it effectively and how it can also boost your traffic then go straight to work and make it happen. I promise you, it will not disappoint if done right.

5. Tumblr

I used to use Tumblr a long time ago but then stopped using my account and now I see how useful it can be. If you have an account don’t forget to share your posts there too.

6. Reddit

I just opened an account on Reddit and honestly, I have been hearing great things about promoting blog posts on it and how it can get you loads of traffic but I am still getting into grips with it on how it works and what the rules are before I go crazy and drop my links there. Also, I read that one cannot spam with so many posts since it can decide to remove you or block you. Anyway, once I am sure of how my posts will do there then I will come back and give you my opinion.

7. Instagram

We all know how insta is doing great and how if you really leverage it, then you can have all the traffic you desire. I am still not there yet but I know my problem is consistency and I’m working on that. If you have a great following, don’t forget to share your blog posts with them too.

8. Mix

Formerly known as Stumbleupon, this is a great place to promote your blog posts. Plus the best part is you get to put down the category your post falls in or even narrow it down to your specific niche and wait for your traffic to start rolling in. I need to get back on this, it’s been a while.

9. Youtube

I just created a  channel and started posting on Youtube but it’s mostly on the food side of my blog, so all the homecooked meals I prepare can be found there, do check it out and subscribe. Youtube is a great place to share your blog posts and if you have many subscribers then there is your traffic, so long as you post what your audience would love to read and watch.

10. Email list

Your email list is also another place where you can be able to promote your blog posts since if you send your subscribers a newsletter or something else every week or monthly, then that’s where you can be able to tell them what’s new and what blog posts are up on your blog thus getting more traffic.

11. Linkedin

This is one of the recent places I have seen that you actually can promote your blog posts once you have published them. We all know that Linkedin has businesses on there, bloggers and many entrepreneurs. This can not only get you sponsored posts but also traffic from other like-minded people and bloggers within your niche.

12. Medium

I do tend to forget sometimes that I have an account in medium but I end up coming back to it and posting my blog posts there. It has brought me tons of traffic and I will be continuing promoting on there. The best part about medium is that you can actually just write your posts straight away there or copy-paste your article from your blog.

That’s it, everyone, those are some of the places I know you can promote your blog posts once you’ve published them, I know there are loads more that I have not discovered yet or don’t know much about like Quora but if you do know more places, do tell me in the comments below and help me out too. If you haven’t started a blog yet, check this step by step post out and get you going with it. So, until next time, tell me where do you often promote your blog posts?

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