Top Ten Tuesday--- New blogger tips

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by the girls over at The Broke and the Bookish

This weeks TTT is 10 tips for new bloggers. Here are some things I have figured out in the last two years of blogging that I think are handy to know.

1. Make your blog layout stand out:
When I first started blogging, I had found some other bloggers pages and I adored their layouts and it was those blogs I was more likely to remember and visit more often. I picked up different things I liked about their blogs and I added it to mine. I get a lot of compliments on my Harry Potter/Twilight themed blog and have even had people tell me they follow the blog because of that.

I like to use The Cutest Blog on the Block. This site is amazing. It has fantastic layouts, it has lots of "how to" with great instructions as well. This site has saved me loads of time.

2. Don't worry about follower numbers:
Follower numbers really are not a huge deal. I know it feels like that when you first start blogging, but it's just not true. I see lots of blogs that have huge follower numbers but when I view their page and all their posts, they don't really have any comments on any of them. It's better to have smaller follower numbers and actual followers than to just have the higher numbers.

3. If you do worry about follower numbers, host a giveaway during a "hop":
If you just can't get over  the lower numbers and think that having a few more followers will boost your confidence, then find a giveaway hop, and host a giveaway and make sure to say it's a "followers only" giveaway. This will get you lots of followers really fast.

I am a reader, not a writer is a good place to find giveaway hops.

4. Comment, Comment, Comment:
This can not be said enough. Become a really good follower to other people, and they hopefully will become one to you.

5. Find weekly memes and participate:
Finding weekly memes to participate in has gotten me new followers, are really fun, and if they are small enough, they become a sort of community. That's my favorite part honestly.
The two memes I love are this one (TTT) and also My Book Boyfriend hosted by Missie over at The Unread Reader.

6. Make your blog your own:
Don't be afraid to say how you really feel on your blog. Do not think that your reviews always need to be really nice or the other way around. Say how you really feel because the readers will be able to tell when you are lying. Don't be afraid to post about other things every once and a while either.

7. Find a few book friends and have fun:
It can be very easy to get into a big book blogging slump. A good way to avoid this is by getting a few friends that can swap books with you, talk about books with you, go to signings with you. All that. It's loads of fun and will keep you wanting to blog.

8. Make your blog easy to navigate:
Make it as easy as possible for your followers to navigate around your blog. Make a page for your reviews and organize them, make sure to tag all your posts, don't clutter the blog, that sort of thing. The easier your blog is to view, the more likely people will stick around and view it. I know I've stopped going to a few blogs because they were so cluttered I couldn't find anything and I didnt' want to have to spend 30 minutes searching.

9. Create a Goodreads account:
This isn't really a blogging tip, it's just a good booker tip. This site is all kinds of amazing. It keeps you updated with authors, it helps organize your books, gives you recommendations, good place to find an overall rating of a book...ect. This site is a book bloggers dream. Seriously.

10. Use your local library:
You will find that being a book blogger is all kinds of expensive. You will be finding more books you want to read (make sure you keep a list of books you want with you at all times, just fyi) and will probably tell yourself at least once "well, I need this book so I can talk about it on my blog..." and that can add up really fast. This is why I say use your local library. Most likely they carry more books than you think and it will save you lots and lots of money. Do not forget about it!