So you are running a blog. You do your best to make your content interesting for your audience and waste hours to produce something really valuable. You work like a beaver but things are not going the way you want. You write post after post but don’t get any attention. People neither leave comments nor share your posts. As a result, traffic doesn’t grow, you feel frustrated and your energy starts to go down the drain. However, the good news is that it is never too late to change everything and improve the performance of your blog.
Let’s talk about the most common blogging mistakes that prevent you from becoming more popular.
Socialnetworks: you want to cover them all
Well, you don’t have to. However, this is a common mistake and even the most professional and experienced bloggers fall into it. Of course, presenting yourself in the most popular social networks is crucial, but you have to realize that this is a serious business that requires a lot of time and effort. Do research to get a clear idea about a particular network your readers are using regularly and pay attention to it. Why should you spend your time on Instagram when your readers are using Facebook?
It is reasonable to use no more than three channels and devote enough time to each of them. Your aim is to build a relationship with your audience, share your ideas and keep in touch with every user who wants to communicate with you. Therefore, you don’t have to bite a larger piece than you can swallow. It is better to be amazing in one or two networks than fail on six of them.
You sweat your guts out to be funny and smart
First of all, you should focus on clarity. Using complicated words for no reason doesn’t make you look smart. Including forced jokes in every third sentence doesn’t make your posts funnier. If your readers don’t have a clear understanding of your content, they won’t stay on your resource for too long. Actually, they will get bored and go away. The Internet is full of other articles and blogs, so they will go and read those that are written to the point, even if they are not too entertaining or clever.
Never use overcomplicated language and forget about clichéd humor. Be simple and drop jokes where they are applicable.
You think that you cannot start selling before you get a certain number of subscribers
It is natural for bloggers to evaluate their success by the number of subscribers they have. However, there is no rule that you cannot sell your content or place ads before you get enough fans. Think about it: when you start making money, you will invest it into creating a website that looks better and attracts more people. Also, you can start hiring people to share your responsibilities or to upgrade your web design and logo.
You still believe that blogging is simple
If you have run a blog for a while and think of it as just a hobby, we have bad news for you. A blog that doesn’t receive enough attention and energy will never become successful. Composing valuable content people want to read and share is complicated.
When you are a blogger, you are responsible for all aspects of your resource. Therefore, you have to overcome difficulties and come up with brilliant ideas on your own. When you fail, you have to pick yourself up again. Blogging involves a lot of things.
You make too many promises and underdeliver
You make eye-catching headers, but do you really deliver what you announce? When you disappoint your readers, you damage your reputation. It is much better to be a reliable source of information than one who talks to the wind. Promise less and deliver more.
You don’t have goals and don’t know how to measure your results
If you want your blogging activity to be profitable, you have to know what will bring you more money and how to analyze your achievements. Make sure that you set your goals clearly to have a sense of direction.
You think that blogging doesn’t require deadlines
It’s great to consider your blogging activity as an enjoyable hobby, but, if you want to make this activity a source of a stable income, you need to change strategy. Writing at a comfortable pace is okay until you want to become really serious about monetizing your work. Stop perceiving your blog as a side project. You have to treat it with responsibility and produce high-quality and creative posts regularly, so make sure to set deadlines.
You don’t write if you’re not in the mood
You shouldn’t wait until inspiration comes. Remember that your readers are waiting for your posts. They will stop visiting your blog, if you don’t provide them with something interesting on a regular basis (at least once a week).
You don’t really care about building a personal brand
There are thousands of blogs published every week and it is hard to stand out from the crowd if you have nothing to offer besides a couple of well-composed articles. You have to make contacts. Knowing people is helpful and you shouldn’t miss this opportunity. Sometimes, networking can be challenging, but it is necessary for a successful business. A good reputation is an integral part of building a strong personal brand.
You think that you know everything about content writing
Here is a situation that might be familiar to every presumptuous blogger: you spend hours writing and polishing an article, post it and wait for likes/shares/comments… but nothing happens. Sometimes it is difficult to accept that your experience and understanding is not enough to define what a good article is. However, your readers will define it in a matter of seconds.
You have to know your audience and understand exactly what they appreciate. You have to be aware of their preferences in writing style and humor as well as anticipate how your posts can help answer their questions
You cannot overcome the writer’s block
Sometimes, your creativity runs dry and you don’t know what to do. It’s okay to experience “writer’s block” and even professional writers cannot avoid it from time to time. Crisis is an integral part of all work. You can’t, however, wait until it goes away. Instead, you need to know how to overcome it.
There is no way you will turn your blog into a revenue source, if you cannot overcome writer’s block. Give yourself breaks when you are tired but get back to writing as soon as possible. Know how to motivate yourself and make it a habit to stay productive.
People make mistakes and there is nothing wrong with that. Just be sure to notice your mistakes before they grow bigger and become habitual. And, keep going no matter what!
My name is Jennifer Pauli. I graduated from Corvinus School of Management and gained MBA degree there and finished the faculty of Journalism at Corvinus University of Budapest. Currently, I’m an editor, business writer, and copywriter, working with EssayWanted.com and other well-known companies, blogs, and personalities. Follow me at Twitter and G+ and read me personal Blogspot.
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