In the last few years, blogging has changed a lot from what it used to be, and as a blogger, you have to stay abreast of any new development. As the year is about coming to a close, now is the time to plan ahead and think about what the future holds for you in the blogging world. To remain in business, you have to create engaging content for your readers to engage actively in.

In this post, I’ll talk about 10 blogging trends you must follow this coming year to stay ahead in this business.

1. Use a quality hosting company
This is the first step to take in order to success blogging. You need to choose a web hosting which is fast and reliable, as speed will be the keyword here. Using a cheaper hosting will give you bad experiences and probably damage your reputation.

For beginners, be sure to use a hosting company that is specifically crafted for WordPress sites, has faster web services with maximum speed and it must have quick professional customer support.

2. Create Visually Attractive Content
There was a time when blogging was all about writing texts for people to read. The time for more engaging visual contents like pictures, videos, animations, and infographics is here already. Your readers need more visuals they can understand easily and which also involves less reading. 

You can use tools like Canva or Photoshop to create more attractive content that your readers will engage in. The same applies for blog headers and videos. Check this infographic I made below for this post.

3. Engage your readers in conversations
You need to frequently engage with your audience if you want to get more traffic to your website. And I don’t on your blog alone but also on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. You could start by posting useful contents on these platforms and make your presence felt by your readers by answering their questions, writing about solutions to a challenge they might be facing and also thanking them for engaging with your posts.

Letting them know you care will go a long way to gain their trust.

4. Create your Video Channel 
Like I mentioned earlier, when creating attractive contents video should be given top priority. The rate at which videos are being created daily shows how important it is for brands and businesses. It is becoming one of the fastest methods of engaging your audience. If you’ve not started creating video contents for your blog, you are losing part of the traffic it could be generating.

If you’re worried about the kinds of video you should be creating, it could be a short presentation, a video tutorial, a “how to” video or just a combination of pictures with a voice over. Whichever method you decide on, it would really help your blog if you create short videos around any posts you make to attract more visitors to your blog.

One of the most widely used video sites is Youtube. If you haven’t started your Youtube Channel, now is a good time to start now.

5. Start your Email Marketing
The minute you start blogging is the best time to start email marketing. In 2020, its going to make a lot of difference as it already has this year. If you don’t know yet, email marketing is a way of collecting email leads of your readers by giving them a free content like an ebook, recourse or a giveaway.

Normally, this is done by using pop ups in the middle of your posts but recently people use Facebook or Instagram Ads to collect emails  You could do this by offering your readers a specific course or ebook to collect their email address.

6. Use paid Adverts to promote your Content.
To become one of the top bloggers in your niche, you can’t keep relying on organic traffic. You need to promote your blog and posts through paid adverts.

You can use your social media platforms like your Facebook page and Instagram page or Google Adwords to promote your post. For example,  if your blog niche is fashion, it is advisable to use Instagram for your Ads. You could also try setting aside some funds monthly or quarterly for your Ads and spend it wisely on your target audience.

7. Use Call to Actions
Most bloggers write good contents but still make one mistake which I myself am also guilty of. They don’t tell readers what to do after reading their posts. As a result of this, most of them will simply leave your blog after reading. In clear terms you need to tell them what to do using a Call to Action.

This point should be given utmost importance especially if you’re an affiliate marketer. Some of the call to actions you could use could be telling readers to subscribe to your channel, read other related posts, comment below a post or for them go share your content on their different Social Media platforms.

This way you keep them engaged and generate more traffic to your website.

8. Use responsible themes
Responsive themes is a must for all blogs. Your WordPress theme should be compatible on all kinds of device. It has been found that more than half of all internet users make use of a mobile device to get online and read blogs and the average person spends around 3.5 hours on a mobile device daily.

This means that in the year 2020, your blog must be optimized for mobile use as it affects Google ranking. Just make sure you us a paid WordPress theme that is very responsive. Blogging joy recommends Generatepress WordPress Theme as its easy to customize, loads fast and looks stunning.

The blogging trends are changing rapidly and becoming more competitive. You need to keep abreast of the current trends and focus on creating quality contents that your readers are interested in.

Also, learn to network with other bloggers and try connecting with an influencer in your niche to share their content.

You can also share your thoughts in the comments sections and feel free to mention other blogging trends you know. I’ll appreciate it if you share this content on your Social Media Platforms.

There are so many advantages of being a writer, some of which includes the ability to work from home, to work at your own pace and being your own boss. In whatever we do we all need challenges to remain alert and keep us on our feet. Being a writer is no exception. Some challenges are not meant to be tackled alone, that is why its advisable to seek help from people who can be of assistance or have been in such position before.

In this article I’ve listed some major challenges faced by writers and how to tackle them.

1. LACK OF CONFIDENCE – No matter how skilled or experienced a writer you are, it won’t take you as far as you need to go if you’re not confident of what you have to offer.
When you know your worth and are confident about your skills you won’t settle for a low price. You’ll be bold enough to demand your worth because of the results that your work produces.

One of the major factors that brings about lack of confidence is FEAR. Most writer are worried about their services not producing the expected results, about losing a client today if they increase their charge or not getting another source of income that will cover their bills.

In situations like this, I tell myself that there are better opportunities out there and keep increasing on my skills, because the more you accept less than what you’re worth, the farther away you’re placing yourself from better opportunities. So sometimes, all you need to do is have confidence in yourself and believe you’re worth it.

2. FEAR OF SELLING – Some people will say you like money a lot or that you’re broke when they see you selling your services. You already know you can’t change the way people will perceive you so why not become a better marketer of your services and sell properly?
You might not know it but when you share the link to your blog posts so your friends and followers can read your stories, you are selling. When you share your ideas so people can support you, it is also selling. It is not a bad thing to sell when you know that what you’re offering the buyer will improve one aspect of their life.

The best way to overcome this fear of selling is to accept the fact that not everyone is your audience and those who aren’t will always have something negative to say. You have bills to pay and some basic needs to take care of, these can only be possible when you market your services properly and sell to your audience.

3. LOTS OF COMPETITION – As more people become knowledgeable about the internet, the more they realise the opportunities that abounds. There are people who will accept $50 for the same service you offer for $100. This may be as a result of the various living standard in different parts of the world.

You don’t have to see competition as a problem, rather see it as a solution, see it as an opportunity for you to earn more. This is a chance for you to increase the value you have to offer as well as increasing your charges with it. It’s possible that other competitors won’t be able to offer that extra value as you can, in this way you get to remain one step ahead.

4. STYLE OF LIVING – Sometimes when you try to write, you find out that the zeal is just not there. It might look like laziness to others, but in most cases it has to do with your way of life rather than a writers block.
Recently I’ve been battling with waking up early to prepare for my 9-5 job, all the stress that comes with it, getting home tired and then up again in the early hours of the morning to write these articles. But no matter how I try, I still end up not being productive.

Here’s what I did, I decided to rest for a few days, ate good home cooked meals, woke up as early as 6 or 7 am and read my favourite romance novels instead of my books on personal development. After this exercise I was in a better mood to write. You should try this out sometimes and note a difference in your mood.

5. OVERBEARING CLIENTS – No writer can escape at least one experience with an overbearing client, most especially those who are just starting out. Some of them make you work double on the same pay, they could even dampen your spirit and make you doubt the value of your work if you’re not careful.
Whenever a case such as this arise and you know the value of what you bring to the table, increase your charge. They might decide to let you go if they cant afford the new charges but you’ll also earn your respect.

6. LONG PERIODS OF ISOLATION – Being alone for too long is going to put a damper on your social life and if you can no longer connect with your family and friends, you might get emotionally deprived. No matter how important a writing project is, make sure it doesn’t take over your life.
It’s imperative that you remain in close contact with people offline more than you do online to maintain real relationships. It’ll also help if you attend social gatherings, listen to music or go see a movie with friends. Just don’t remain alone for too long.

What other challenges are you experiencing as a writer? Please share with us in the comments section some of these challenges and how you’ve been able to overcome them. 

If you found this post helpful, kindly share it with your friends on your preferred Social media platforms.

We all know that content is King (or Queen). It is the value in your content that drives traffic to your site. It also helps in building your brand awareness.
Here are four helpful tips to help you create engaging contents:

Identify and understand your target audience 
Before you write that amazing article, take a minute to identify who you’re writing it for. You could ask some basic questions like:
Are your target audience College students, Teachers, Business men, Professionals or marketers?What do they need? Create content that will help them. When do they come online? Publish at those times. Where do they hang out, work or live?Why do they come online? To socialize, get entertained or seek a particular information.

Create attention grabbing headlines
You need to create an important first impression to your readers. You probably have an amazing content but if your headline doesn’t grab your readers attention, they’ll probably scroll through your article without stopping by. There are so many different ways to write an engaging headline, but here are a few tips to get your creative juices flowing:

>Ask questions to make them pause and think : Which don’t style do you prefer on your book cover design? >Use a “How to” headline: How to rank high on Google search using these 3 methods: >Use numbers to let them know what to expect: 5 reasons why you’re not making sales.

Always follow the trends
When creating content, learn to pay attention to current news and trending events. They make it easier for you to think of new ideas. This also means that you already have a audience who are already interested in your content.

Use attractive Visuals
Using visuals is one sure way of creating a great first impression in the minds of your readers. We as humans tend to process visual content faster than written content. Also visuals like pictures, videos, infographics or Gifs tend to be more engaging and memorable.

There are websites like freenaturestock.com, pexels.com, freestockphotos.com and lots of others that provide free stock photos and videos that are very professional. You can log on to these sites and purchase them if you don’t have the skills or equipment to create your own visual content.

Creating engaging content might not as easy as it sounds but the traffic it brings into your website makes it worth your while. Apply these tips to create high engaging contents that your readers will also feel compelled to share.

Most people who overlook the use of punctuation, do so unintentionally. I, myself have been guilty of this myself.
If you can understand the role a mentor plays in your life and how they help direct you on the right path, you’ll forever remain close and avoid straying from them. This is how punctuation marks make your writing more meaningful to you and your readers.
Look at this sentence below

I’m going to the market can I get you anything
Now look at this

I’m going to the market. Can I get you anything?
So we needed an apostrophe, Capital letter, a full stop and a question mark to pass the message clearly.

Punctuation directs your writing voice. It could make you sound authoritative, emphatic or excited. Or make your readers rush on to the next paragraph.
For instance, read this sentence below.

” Your job as a teacher is not just to teach, write lesson plans, grade test papers or set examination questions.”

Here’s an alternative version with more full stops.

“Your job as a teacher is not just to teach.
Your job is not to write lesson plans and notes.
Your job is more than grading papers and setting examination questions.”

Using more full stops makes your works sound more authoritative and inspirational. It allows for more emphasis on each sentence. But be careful how you use it so as not to sound monotonous.

Punctuations allows you to engage with your readers. Remember that your writing is a dialogue between you the writer and your audience. When you share your thoughts try to engage your readers by asking them some questions.

Look at this opening paragraph below.

” Most Youtubers wish they’ll get more subscribers and video views on their channel when they put up a video.
They might do all their possible best to connect with people and share their most valuable tips. But they end up feeling disappointed with the videos performance. If this is the case for you, follow the tips below to get more views and subscribers.”

Here’s the more emphatic version with full stops and question marks.

Ever wondered how you can gain more subscribers and views on your Youtube channel?


You work hard to build connections with people. You share amazing tips. Your video editing is top notch.


But when your video goes up


You feel disappointed.


Why don’t more people hit the subscribe button? Why do they hold back?”

Asking a few questions puts a different soon in the tone of your writing and encourage engagement with your readers.
There are lots of ways to punctuate a sentence, and the decision rests in your hands as long as you pass the message you want across.

The purpose of punctuation is to help the reader understand you and help you make a clear meaning of your writing.

Can you imagine a story with just one character?. Can you imagine as narrator droning on and on, describing what happened and what is going to happen?

Wouldn’t you rather those plots in the story were.played out by different characters?. Each wwith their own part and actions to take?

The roles of dialogues in a story cannot be over emphasised. Below are some of the reasons why..

It develops the characters.
In every good story, at least one of the characters should undergo a change of temperament. For instance, a character in your story might start out being happy on his way to work but return home angry. This change might be due to the events that took place between the time he left for work and the time he returned home. Using dialogues will show these changes such as who the character spoke with or who he related with that day and how these changes came about.

It brings about action
Just imagine reading a story or script where the narrator recites a story line step by step, describing what each character says and does. Obviously, it would be easier if each character had their own lines and act when it’s their turn to do so. Using dialogues will make the story more active and dynamic.

It helps in visualizing a scene
Using dialogues paints a picture of what is happening in a story instead of telling it or narrating it. It brings the characters to life and clearly shows what is happening in the story. A good dialogue in a story captures our attention, helps us imagine a scene better and enables is make our own conclusions about it.

With these few points I’ve made you will see what the effects of dialogues in short stories cannot be over emphasised..