Monday, January 11, 2016

5 of the Most Common Blogging Mistakes

Okay, there are a thousand mistakes we can make while blogging. Trust me, there's not just 5. I'm still always learning, but know that there's naturally going to be growing pains no matter how much you learn. You end up learning many things the hard way. So I'm sharing some of my growing pains in hopes that maybe it'll leave you with less growing pains. 



1. Choosing not to write about topics you really want to
"I'm not expert enough to write about that", "Someone else probably wrote it way better already", "People will judge me for that"
I struggled with this so much. I didn't want to appear like a know it all. For example, this topic, blogging? Yeah, I'm no expert. But I figured I would just write about things I learn and sell it that way. Don't pretend you're an expert, address it like, "hey this is what I've learned so far". Your voice might be exactly what someone wants or needs to hear. So what if you're not an expert, your piece of advice is perfect for someone.

2. Writing in a different way than you speak
Sometimes when you read a blog, it feels stiff and cumbersome. Like you're reading a cold email or someone's research paper. Some people try too hard to sound impressive, or sometimes just don't speak in enough of a conscious stream of thought. It ends up awkward. It ends up wordy. It doesn't have a conversational flow. Come on. Make some jokes, make fun of yourself, use some clever metaphors. Blogging is about telling a story, and if you don't sound conversational, people aren't going to want to read what you have to say. Blogging is just unique in that way. (I promise I'm not trying to rhyme)

3. Not posting enough
You can't post once a month and call it good. Once a week or every other week is ideal, if not more! You gain credibility when you're consistent and that way your readers won't feel abandoned. That being said, there's nothing worse than seeing a fellow blogger with a new post that is literally a paragraph long. Lame! Don't disappoint your readers like that. I will say, though, it totally sucks when you work full time and still have to keep up with weekly/biweekly blog posts. I wrote about it here; hope it helps!

4. Ignoring your readers
It's kinda tacky when you bloggers never reply back to their readers' comments. Some sort of listening service needs to be in place. You will lose readers if you ignore them. That simple.

5. Trying to appeal to everyone
If you decide your audience is everyone, it will be no one. People like to feel special and they like to find blogs that speak to them. You want your readers to feel personally connected. So zoom in on who exactly your blog appeals to. Think of age, gender, interests, values. What kind of magazines do they read? What kinds of food do they cook? What kind of clothes do they wear?


9 comments:

  1. Great post! Thank you for sharing on Meetup Monday!

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  2. I love these tips! This time of year seems to bring about an influx of newbie bloggers and these words of wisdom are so helpful!

    Carly June | cinciprep.com

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    1. I didn't know that this was the time of year for newbies! Interesting!

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  3. I'm fairly new to blogging, so I appreciate the tips. Thank you!

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  4. I need to bookmark this page! Im always forgetting to respond to comments!

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    1. Haha it happens! I tend to read comments when I'm busy doing something else and sometimes forget to respond!

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  5. Yes, yes, yes! I am totally pinning this. Thanks for sharing on Meetup Monday!

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