Blogging is more than opening up a text editor, writing incoherent sentences, and bragging about yourself… at least it can be. If you’re interested in being successful of course.
So why do so many people still approach it in the wrong way? I tend to think it’s because they don’t know any better.
Everyone’s always in a hurray to tell new bloggers what they should be doing, but never telling them what they shouldn’t be doing.
Here are some things you should avoid when blogging.
Not Updating
What would you do if you turned on the television every Wednesday to watch and episode of LOST, but one Wednesday it didn’t come on because the network decided they were too busy that day? What if the television network randomly aired the episodes at different times of the day on different days of the week, so you’d have to guess when it was showing?
You’d probably move on to another channel and give up entirely on watching your episodes of LOST, even if they were great episodes when you got the chance to watch them.
In the same way too many people set up a new blog, really excited about making something of it. We see articles being pumped out day after day for weeks, maybe even months. Then it falls back to a new article twice a week, then once, then there is no more posting at all.
If you want to be successful at all with your blog, you have to maintain a posting frequency. Whether that’s once a day or once a week, as long as it’s consistent.
Just like the sun comes up every day consistently, so should your articles be posted consistently.
Rushing A Post
Every blogger has been guilty of rushing a post at least once in their life. Sometimes it’s hard to stop yourself.
You hear a hot new story, or learn of a new item coming out and you want to be the first to write an article about it. But you end up with a sloppy, poorly written post with grammar and spelling mistakes inter-weaved all through it.
Stop! Take a breath. Look things over. Then publish it.
There is no reason an article should be published with any more than 2-3 grammar or spelling mistakes. Publishing a post prematurely won’t get you noticed above anyone else for a hot new topic if it’s laden with spelling mistakes. The reader will simply go elsewhere to read the same story, only this time, he’ll actually understand what’s being said.
Not Being Personal
Blogs are not news stations. You’re blog is about that personal connection. If someone wanted a new story, they’d watch the news, or read it on their local news website.
Readers come to your blog because they want to feel connected. They want your opinions, your fears, your excitement. The want to feel those same feelings that you as the writer have experienced.
It’s like reading a really good novel. You have to use your emotion, and charm to draw the reader in… to keep them coming back for more.
Stealing Someone Else’s Content
The biggest thing that makes your blog stand out among everyone else’s blog is your originality. If you’re not original, readers will go to someone who is. They aren’t interested in hearing the same thing over and over again.
I’m not saying you can’t write about the same things as another blog. But you should make it original by giving your own opions and viewpoints. Write it in your own words, like your English teacher would always say.
Ignoring Your Blog Comments
Bottom line… do not ignore the comments from the readers of your blog. Blogging is not a one-sided activity. If you only wanted a one-sided website, you should’ve created something static that you never expect to update.
When a reader makes a comment on your post, reply back to him, even if it’s simply to say thank you. Sometimes that’s all it takes.
In order for your blog to be successful, you must create a community and in order to create that community there has to be a two-way conversation.
Not Networking With Other Bloggers
The best way to get your blog seen is to talk to other bloggers in your niche. No blogger has ever been successful without being friends with other bloggers.
There are many ways to reach out to other bloggers. Here are just a few:
- Commenting on other blogs
- Participating in forums
- Engaging in social media
The more ways in which you choose to connect with other bloggers in your niche, the faster you’ll become successful
Writing For Search Engines Rather Than People
Ultimately search engines aren’t what make you successful. Having real people who are interested in your blog is what makes you successful.
The search engines haven’t always been there, but people have and they still will be even long after the search engines are gone.
If your writing is so cryptic that you sound like a 2nd grader because you want to maximize your search engine optimization techniques, then normal humans will have trouble understanding you and move on to someone who doesn’t worry about Google.
Blogs in general are already built for the search engines in their design. Search engines care about one thing and that’s relevant and ever-changing, ever-evolving content.
As long as you provide content, you’ll have no problem showing up in a search.
There are many other mistakes you’ll learn about as you make your journey from new blogger to successful blogger, but these are some of the worst and simplest to affect.
What mistakes have you discovered that should be avoided when blogging for success?
Past Articles in the “Building A More Successful Blog In 30 Days” series
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My name is Steven Sanders and I'm a Professional Blogger, Izea Insider, Web Designer, Social Media Enthusiast, Dad, Husband, and Friend.
Great article. Loved the bit about the rushing part and writing for search engines. I’ve seen a lot of people make that mistake.
The se7en deadly blogging sins
Great tips. I need to work on my consistency.
Steven:
These are the literal kiss of death for a blogger. Oh, maybe not today. Maybe not even tomorrow – but eventually.
Good stuff.
George
Great article and very useful, but
whispers: Meaning no disrespect, was using “grammer” instead of “grammar” a spelling joke or a rushing to post joke?
If so, very clever, if not, you proved your point well.
Great tips you have here. I implement all of them. I always believe that to be successful in blogging, one must write good quality content, a little SEO technique and definitely a lot of marketing. A quality content blog site is definitely a plus since readers might do the marketing for you thru word of mouth especially if they liked your content and might catch a link bait from other bloggers as well.
Sometimes we try and rush posts out and it shows. Thanks for the tips!
Great tips. Thanks for sharing.
Creating a community is huge. Most people only have a limited time each day to read posts; I know that the ones I’ll get to first are the ones where I feel like my participation in the comments really matter to the blogger.
Great tips! Thanks!
Well, your participation in the comments here matter, as do everyone’s comments!
I agree with you on all things.. I just realized that Google is successful because the way it works is based on accurate modeling of how visitors interact with a website. So by delivering value to the reader we automatically get search engine traffic.
I am sorry to point out, but there is a spelling mistake in the last point – “If you’re writing is so cryptic that you sound like a 2nd grader because..”. It must be “If your writing is so cryptic that you sound like a 2nd grader because..”. I noticed that many native English writers do very silly mistakes when foreign writers find problems mainly with vocabulary.
Thanks for the catch on the misspelling.
The last one is a often commited “blog crime”. People think that the only way to get traffic is by search engines while in fact it’s those pesky daily/weekly readers that make up most of your community – you need to care for them and write posts that they might enjoy. Even if it means ranking a little lower in search engines.
I had always thought that if I post MORE (like every day), not only would people get tired of hearing what I had to say, but they wouldn’t come visit as much – and not nearly all of my posts. But, then I participated in this online thing where you blog every day for an entire month. EVERY DAY. And, my visitors doubled! Some days my posts were super short and lighthearted, but I know I gained more visitors as well as more loyal readers.