Wanderhoney.com

If you’re new to blogging and not sure where or how to start, this post is for you. I’m sharing some real and honest tips based on my own blogging journey—no fluff, just what actually works (and what doesn’t).

✅ Have a Clear Blog Theme

Let’s get this straight by “theme” I don’t mean your blog design or template. I’m talking about the topic or niche your blog focuses on. For example: travel, reviews, tutorials, fashion & beauty, recipes, lifestyle, and so on.

Sure, you can write about anything you like—it’s your blog! But if you want to grow your traffic and attract readers, your content needs to offer value. Ask yourself: when people don’t know how to do something, where do they go? The internet. So why not make your blog a go-to resource?

Choose a blog theme that solves problems and suits your personality and strengths.

💡 Bonus tip: Don’t just copy what everyone else is writing. Add your own twist! Before I wrote my post on Cameron Highlands, I noticed everyone was sharing basic travel tips. So I took a different angle—I compared the different tea plantations there. That post became one of the most visited on my blog!

Also, unless you’re a celebrity or public figure, no one is dying to know about your daily life. Harsh but true. Most people care more about what helps them, not what you ate for lunch—unless you’re sharing the recipe. 

✅ Don’t Start with the Goal to Make Money

One of the biggest mistakes new bloggers make? Creating a blog just to earn money. I get it—we all love side income, but slow down.

Please don’t flood your blog with ads right from the start. It ruins the reader’s experience. Focus on building your traffic first. Once your blog gets consistent views, brands will come to you for reviews, sponsorships, and paid links.

Fun fact: I didn’t have ads on my blog at all when I started. Even now, I only place ads when someone pays for a sidebar spot—and that’s usually just for 14 to 30 days. Most of my income comes from sponsored reviews and paid backlinks, not random ads.

And yes, it took me almost 2 years to get to this point. So be patient and trust the process. 

✅ You Don’t Have to Join Blogger Clubs or Communities

You’ll see a lot of bloggers joining blogging communities or clubs. If you’re friendly and love networking, go ahead—it might be helpful.

But personally? I’m not into that. I like doing my own thing without being influenced by strangers. I’ve never joined any blogging club. I’m a lone ranger—and proud of it. 😉

My motto: Why follow when I can lead? 

✅ Always Revisit Your Old Blog Posts

The longer you blog, the better your writing becomes. Trust me—when I reread some of my old posts, I cringe. 😅 So I go back and edit them. I still edit even my new posts after publishing when I spot better ways to phrase things.

Set aside time every now and then to review your older posts. Let the “current you” fix what the “past you” wrote. It helps improve your writing AND keeps your content fresh for readers.

✅ Your Experience = Your Content

Let’s be real—you can’t write authentically if you have no knowledge or experience in a topic (unless you’re just copy-pasting someone else’s blog… and if you do that, sorry but… you suck).

Make sure your blog is original. Be inspired, yes. But always write from your own lens.

To improve your writing, read other blogs often. Get familiar with different styles, tones, and ways of storytelling.

Sometimes, it takes time to come up with blog ideas—and that’s perfectly okay! Don’t rush. Writing requires the right mood too. My tip? Pay attention to your daily life. That’s where the best content ideas come from!

Example: Maybe you overheard someone confused about paying their electricity bill online. Boom—that’s a blog post idea right there. Or if you go on a trip, take notes. Save receipts. Jot down prices and tips. It helps when you’re writing your travel recap later.

✍️ Pro tip: Keep your blog’s niche in mind and tailor every idea accordingly. Do your research even if you’re writing from experience—that extra info will level up your post.

Final Thoughts

To blog effectively, you need two things: knowledge and experience. So before you write, make sure you’ve got both.

And remember, blogging isn’t a race. It’s your space to express, educate, and even inspire. So enjoy the journey, grow with your content, and keep showing up—even when it’s hard.

You’ve got this!

Until then… 💻✨
X,
Hani

Coffee helps me write. Support helps me shine. 🥰