Answering Questions I Had As a New Blogger

Hey guys! Welcome back to LTBL! It’s Liz here!!

It seems like forever since i’ve been on here! 😂

So, I started my blog, Above the Clouds, in September. Before that I had TONS of questions, even when I started my blog it took a while to learn all (well, not all) the tips and tricks.

Right before and right after i started blogging I made a list of my questions in my blogging notebook. Today i’ll be taking a look at them and answering them! A couple of them were ideas from D. So thank you!!

1. How long does it take to design a blog?

A while! It took me about 3 days my last blog update. It depends on your theme and how long you work each day on it. You can get help here with designing.

2. How many drafts do you have at a time?

I usually have 2-4 on the WordPress site/app. I know bloggers who limit to 1 and others who have 20. It all depends on your creativity at the moment or what you like.

3. Where do you write your posts?

I actually split them up. Sometimes at night i’ll get inspiration and write it in my notebook. Then i’ll type it up on my computer the next day. The other half of the time i’ll type it onto my computer or use my phone if i don’t have access. I’ve also used Voice Memos a couple of times.

4. How long does take to write a post?

It depends on the post. On average 30-45 minutes. Sometimes it’ll be spaced out between a couple days. Other times it takes 5 minutes. Others 3 hours!

5. How often should I post?

I don’t have a schedule but i try to post 1-3 times a week. You can change it up if you’re busy or do it more often if you have more time. Tip: if you write a lot at one time try scheduling some of them for busy times. That way you don’t just disappear.

6. Do I need to open up comments?

YES! Well, no. Personally I love commenting and responding to comments. I know lots of people like to know what people say. You can also make sure you have to approve comments before they hit the blog. Tip: If you add comments make sure to check the spam. Sometimes comments with links will go there.

7. Should i have any pages besides the blog page?

An about page. As the owner of a private blog when someone requests access to my blog the first thing i do is check their about page. It’s also a good way for readers to know who you are. I also have a contact page, in case anyone wants to do a collab post or guest post. Even a giveaway. A home page is nice for looks. A blog button page is really nice to point bloggers to other bloggers (see question 12 for more about blog buttons) Tip: Contact the LTBL design team to help make those pages.

8. Should my blog be private or public?

If you are blogging for views/followers/likes/money then public. If you are blogging for fun and you don’t mind the whole world seeing you then public. Go for private and you’ll be more safe, no random people can go look at your posts. Especially if you post personalish information. Now, if it’s private you won’t get as many followers but it is much safer. I feel way safer with my blog on private. It just depends on your comfort level and what you post.

9. What category should i post in?

I can’t tell you that! You can mix it up. You can have a baking blog or a DIY blog. I’m part of this blog which is a blogger help (?? i think ??) blog. I’m also part of a devotional/faith blog. My personal blog is all over the place!

10. Should I start with a collab blog or personal one?

Starting off i’m gonna say personal. The think is, with a collab blog things can get confusing, you might not have the same limitations or theme that you would have with your personal one. I wouldn’t join a collab until you get the basics of blogging and blog for a little while. Of course, there are some people who can jump right into a collab blog. So find what’s best for you.

11. What’s a ping back?

Oh boy! A ping back is when somebody adds the link from your blog post onto one of theirs (not a reblog). In the comment section it will give a link to the ping back (basically pings it back 😂). If I didn’t explain that well enough here’s with WordPress Support says: “A pingback is a type of comment that’s created when you link to another blog post where pingbacks are enabled. The best way to think about pingbacks is as remote comments: Person A posts something on his blog. Person B posts on her own blog, linking to Person A’s post.”. WARNING: If your blog is private it will not do this. Tip: This can be useful to know which posts are popular.

12. What’s a blog button? How do i get one?

The big question! Here’s an example of a blog button:

It’s a square or circular image that has the name, tag line, and/or link of/to your blog on it. You can design it in any way. (again the design team will help you with this). A blog button is kid of like the logo of your blog. Then you ask other bloggers to “swap”. “Swapping” is where you put their blog button on your blog and they will yours on their blog. Quite simple actually. Most bloggers have a page dedicated to this but some add it onto the About page or another one.

I hope this answers some of your questions! If you have anymore you’d like answered please comment them. If i get enough then i’ll do a part 2 if not i’ll just add them into another post!

Thanks for reading everyone! Have a great day!