I’ve been blogging at lydiaschoch.com for almost eighteen months now. Since I imported all of my old posts over from my previous site, the archives here begin in July of 2010 instead of November of 2016. I’ve been blogging much longer than that, though!
Over the past fifteen years, I’ve had several different blogs. With the exception of PK Stories, none of them still exist to the best of my knowledge, but I’ve still carried the lessons I learned from them forward to my current online home.
Today I thought it would be fun to list fifteen of the things I’ve learned about blogging over the last decade and a half.
1. Never post anything you’d be embarrassed to see plastered on a billboard in front of your home.
This really should go without saying, but I think some people forget just how long a blog post can be passed around online. I’ve shared and I’ve also seen others share thought-provoking posts that are several years old because the information in them is timeless. In a few cases, I’ve seen posts much older than that continue to circulate.
You never know when something might go viral, so I try to always be careful about what I say and how I say it.
2. Ignore the trolls.
Arguing with them never helps in any way from what I’ve observed. The best way I’ve found to encourage them to permanently lose interest in you is to refuse to engage with them at all.
They generally seem to feel bored by the lack of conflict after a while and will wander away on their own accord once they realize that they won’t be getting a response.
Luckily, the vast majority of the people I meet online are friendly and don’t behave this way at all.
3. Don’t use pop-ups.
Pop-up ads or messages are intrusive, annoying, and counter-productive. I automatically leave sites who obstruct my view with pop-ups, and I don’t return to them in the future.
4. Share other people’s work liberally.
Every time I discover a new blog that I plan to start following, I set aside some time to read through their archives after I’ve added that site to my RSS feed. If I love their current posts, chances are excellent that I’ll adore their old stuff, too.
As I browse through their older material, I take note of the entries that were most appealing to me. Those posts are then either added to my Suggestion Saturday lists or tweeted by me at some point in the future. Most of the latter end up being included in the #MondayBlogs hashtag on Twitter due to how popular it is.
Since I enjoyed those posts, folks who follow me might really like them as well.
5. Don’t worry about reciprocation.
When I promote other people’s work, I do it with zero expectations of them returning the favour. There’s no imaginary scorecard in my head or anything like that. While I deeply appreciate everyone who shares links to my posts, I think of those responses as a happy bonus to something I already find rewarding.
I believe in sharing the things that bring me joy with the hope that others will find them just as entertaining.
6. Blogging isn’t a competition.
There’s plenty of room for everyone to shine. In fact, I’ve only seen better opportunities emerge for networking and promotion as more and more bloggers are connecting and collaborating with each other. Think of it as a group of people using cooperation to reach their goals instead of as a competition.
7. It’s smarter to focus on a handful of topics than to write about everything.
In a couple of my previous sites, I blogged about whatever was on my mind on any particular day. I’ve found that it’s much easier for me to think of new things to write about and attract readers if I focused on a handful of topics and explored them deeply instead.
8. Be genuine.
No matter who you are or what you’re into, there are people out there who will connect with your interests, passions, and hobbies. I believe in regularly talking about whatever it is that makes your heart skip a beat without worrying about how popular or SEO-friendly it is.
9. Protect your privacy and the privacy of your loved ones.
There are certain things that just shouldn’t be shared openly online. For example, I shudder when I see buddies publicly sharing details of their itinerary for an upcoming vacation.
I don’t discuss stuff like future plans for safety reasons. If I’m going on a trip, I’ll save any amusing photos and stories about it for after I return home. Talking about it before or as it happens only gives potential burglars or other people who may have nefarious intentions advanced warning that my home will be empty for that period of time or that I’ll be in a specific place at X time.
10. Write down ideas for future posts.
As soon as I get a new idea for a future blog post, I jot it down in a file I created specifically for this purpose. This is something I do even if the idea is partially developed or I’m not sure if I want to use it at all. If only all of you knew how many times I forgot ideas before I started making myself write down all of them!
Some of these ideas have been sitting there for months, and a few of them are years old. Eventually, I do hope to write about all of them when the time is right. For now they remain safely tucked away in my list until I need some inspiration for an upcoming post. 
11. Use recommendations from your readers as writing fodder.
Every once in a while, one of my favourite bloggers decides to write a follow-up post to a question or comment I or someone else had about something they wrote. There have also been a few times when I’ve gotten blog ideas from people’s comments on my own site.
It’s thrilling every time that happens. I only wish it happened more!
12. Allow comments, but do moderate them.
I filter out all of the spam comments on my site. In the distant past when I had a troll or two lurking around, I immediately deleted their messages as well.
Other than that, I tend to allow just about any sort of comment slip through. I respond to them, too.
13. Leave thoughtful comments on other sites.
Speaking of comments, I’m so glad I got into the habit of responding to other people’s posts. Sometimes the comment section is honestly just as interesting as the original article because of the high quality comments that are left by fans and the site owner. April Munday’s blog is one of the many examples of how beautifully this system can work.
14. Build relationships.
I’ve made several good friends through my years of blogging who are still part of my life to this day, and I’ve gotten to know many other people through this activity as well. If you’re open to it, this is a fantastic way to build a supportive community of likeminded friends who live all over the world.
15. Have fun!
Blogging is a deeply rewarding experience that has improved my life in more ways than I can count. I hope that every blogger finds the same happiness from crafting their posts and sharing them with the world.
What have you learned from blogging?
I’m definitely with you on 9. I’m amazed by people who post things about where they’re going to be and when they’re going to be there. I’ve done this a couple of times, but only because the house isn’t empty when I’m away.
Thank you for mentioning the blog :-). The comments are a lot of fun and I’m often inspired to go and look into something because of them.
You’re welcome.
I’m glad you look after your safety online, too.
Every one of these points is so true, Lydia. I’m especially with you on #4 and #6. Realizing that you are unique (as is every one else) and sharing the work of others is a sure way to grow your own blog.
Right on!
Thank you!
Thanks, Lydia. 15 years is a long time. I looked back to see when I did my first health “blog.” We didn’t call it that. It was 2001! “Strong Women Don’t Starve” published at a site called Cyberpump. I wrote a series of articles for them and a journal called Master Trainer until 2007. All were about nutrition, strength training, and bone health. My husband (health food, nondairy vegetarian and lover of strength and aerobic fitness. There were no articles 2007 – 2009 when I began writing again. New topics.
What a helpful list. #2 & #5 are big for me, but many of them are. The list helps me stay conscious of what I want from blogging and how to stay on track. Bow to you.
Thank you! Do any of your old articles from Cyberpump still exist anywhere online? I think it’s so interesting to see how people’s writing styles evolve over time.
I learned a couple of lessons today, from this post of yours, Lydia!
One of them being, reciprocating. If I enjoy it when a blogger visits my blog, shares my old posts and gives me immense happiness, isn’t that what will make them happy, too? How could I not have realised this?! Guess I had to visit your blog to learn this really simple, yet priceless lesson! 🙂
Thank you so much, Lydia!
You’re welcome. I’m so glad you stopped by.
I shudder to think of some of the things I’ve blogged about being on a billboard outside my house, but you’re right of course. Never make public anything you’d be ashamed to have repeated back to you. I love that you’re a committed, generous blogger, and an engaged reader. I enjoyed this post. Thank you x
You’re welcome. Thank you for your kind words.
I’m currently prepping for a webinar on blogging and found some useful things to consider here.
I’m glad you chose to reshare this post! I probably wouldn’t have found it otherwise, but there’s lots of good nuggets of information here. 🙂 When I was newer to blogging, the best advice I had was write down ideas for future posts, because you think you’ve got plenty of ideas there, but then when you sit down to write, sometimes they all run and hide. xD All great recommendations here!