This is a collaborative post
As with every new undertaking, it’s unreasonable to expect someone to know how to run an excellent blog from the very beginning. However, there are some mistakes that you should seek to correct as quickly as possible. Here, we’re going to look at some of the most common (and sometimes serious) mistakes that brand new bloggers can make, and how to ensure that you never make them again.
Not honing on a strong niche
Now, you might have a very genuine and passionate interest in your chosen subject, whether it’s fashion, travel, finance, gaming, or something else entirely. However, most people who start a blog start off with that, as well. Your niche doesn’t have to be something as specific as one tiny facet of the topic that you love. It can be your perspective, unique ways you engage with topics or even a bit of a post gimmick that you use repeatedly. What’s important is that you find a strong niche early so that it can quickly become associated with your blog above all else.
Not thinking about your blog name before you pick it
Now, it’s very difficult to choose a blog name that is unique, that stands out, and that represents what you are writing about well. However, you should consider carefully what makes a good name as if you choose a name that feels too silly, too limiting, or too wrong at the start, it’s going to become increasingly hard to change it as you get followers and traction. If you don’t like your blog’s name and it’s still early days, however, it might be best to rename, reintroduce, and rebrand. Rip the bandaid off before it gets too painful.
Not writing with clarity
You might want to be stylistic, you might want to show your personality, but you should be careful about writing in a style that is too conversational. What might be easy to follow when talking to face with you can become a lot harder to understand when it’s in clear text form. As such, you should aim to write in a style that is going to be easy to get to grips with. You can always use some online grammar and syntax correction tools to make sure you’re never straying too far from the ideal writing style.
Not hosting your own blog
Next, you need to think about where your blog is going to be. A lot of the site builders out there will offer to host your site for you after you set it up. However, often the costs of hosting on these sites can grow exponentially over time. Choose a dedicated web hosting service that allows your blog to grow cost-effectively. Once you’ve got the monetization and community in place to support it, you can go self-hosted with the blog after.
Not learning about your readers
You should be aiming to keep a hold of your readers long after they’re done with that one piece of content. For one, the better you retain them, the more likely they are to keep reading, sharing, and to help you grow. However, another reason to rely on things like lead capture forms is that you can get some information on who they are, what demographics they fit, and what their lifestyle is. Learning about their age, occupation, where they live and more can help you better shape your content and interactions to keep their interest.
Not considering your reader’s experience
Your content is not the only part of your website. The design, navigation, and how the content is structured all matter greatly to the user experience, but this side of the equation often goes completely ignored by bloggers. With tools like this remote unmoderated usability testing guide, you can find a way to get the perspective you need on your own blog and site. This way, you can use your audience’s insight to make improvements that then make it much easier for them to browse, read, and engage.
Not being consistent with when and how you post
Most blog readers are going to pick up your blog every time you write something that catches their specific interest. Though you will have people who support and believe in you who will stick around for whatever you have to show, so long as you keep up to the same standard of writing. The best way to lose these most loyal supporters is to not be consistent with how often and what time of day you post. Use a blog content scheduling tool if you need to, but just make sure that there is some consistency to your blog.
Not taking the time to market yourself
Your blog, in and of itself, is a discoverability platform. People searching for content like yours are likely to happen upon it through search engines. However, that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t try to increase the discoverability of the blog, yourself. For once, you should get involved with social media marketing for your blog, ensuring that you’re sharing your posts through the net. Search engine optimization can make it all the easier to find. Organic marketing through the blogosphere through guest posts and partnerships can help a great deal, too.
Not listening to other bloggers
Finally, you should always assume that there’s something new for you to learn. There will always be room for improvement with your blog and always some room for error. Always be willing to learn, to assume that you can improve, and ready to receive honest criticism with humility. Aside from reading other bloggers, you can get involved with them, do interviews with them, join groups about blogging, and keep learning. Aside from helping you improve over time, it can help you build a supportive community that can help you grow.
Hopefully, the tips above will help you see the shortcomings of your blogging career so far or, at least, help you avoid some pretty common pitfalls. Blogging is far from a perfected art, but you can at least make sure you’re making the most obvious and worst mistakes.