When most people get into writing blogs, they start because they have a passion for writing and want to share this passion with a larger community. They see hundreds of successful bloggers posting candid photos and talking about how care-free the awesome blogger life is— and they want that life too.
So, they jump into starting a blog only to find out it’s not as easy as those candid photos made it out to be. How is it that someone could pour their heart and soul into a carefully crafted blog post, only to get a handful of viewers?
The simple answer to the question is this: great blog content is key… but it’s not the only piece to a successful blog. Although there’s not one sure-fire blogging formula that works for everyone, there’s a few mistakes you should NEVER make on your blog.
Ladies and gentlemen, I introduce to you the 7 deadly sins of blogging:
1. Impatience
One of the main causes of quick blogger burn-outs is impatience. People start their blogs with lots of enthusiasm and an eagerness to make a name for themself, but they’re quickly discouraged because they’re not seeing growth as fast as they’d hoped. The truth is that it takes time, and a lot of it, to build a large audience. You have to have patience, and slowly build momentum to get the traffic you’re looking for.
2. Dullness
We all know writer’s block is a real problem, and creativity doesn’t always come as a natural flow. But, don’t let this issue keep you from delivering fantastic content! If your blogs are dull, it will leave a bad taste in your audiences mouth, and they might not want to visit your page again. Don’t let a lack of creativity keep you from having the blog of your dreams! Figure out when your creative juices flow the most, and write then.
3. Irrelevance
In a world where authenticity is preached on social media (as it should be), coming across as a likable and real human being is uber important. it’s understandable that you’d want to write about whatever is the most near and dear to your heart, in order to connect the most with your audience. However, not every audience is going to be interested in samurai sword collecting, and that’s okay. Before starting your blog, think about if the audience is out there for your topic. If the answer is no, consider a way to broaden your niche.
4. Identicality
Let’s revisit the idea of the happy-go-lucky blogger from the candid photos online. It’s easy to see them and want to be like them. The keyword here is “like.” These bloggers have mastered their niche and audience, and clearly have a very strategic algorithm that works. Although it would be smart for you to copy some aspects of their business, you don’t want to mimic it. In order to cultivate your own audience, you need to need to make your own name in the blogging world and have your own voice. Your own personality is just as cool as that blogger’s, I promise.
5. Vanity
A common problem that blogger’s run into later on down the road is vanity. It’s easy to feel like a mini-celebrity in the community that you’ve created around your blog. These people rush to read every new blog or social media post, and are loyal to your brand. Don’t let this give you a big head though. A major turn off for a lot of subscribers is vanity. A lot of bloggers get so wrapped up writing about themselves that they forget about why they started. Don’t forget your roots — people love humility!
6. Disorganization
As mentioned before, having a loyal readership is a lot of hard work. One way to build up this loyalty is to be consistent in your posting. If in the beginning, you post a blog once a week, then after a few weeks post more sporadically, readers will be confused. You have to keep on a timely schedule. Even though a reader may not go to your blog, the second a weekly blog is posted, they’ll expect if to be there when they do eventually get around to it. Don’t let them down! Try organizing your posts in a content scheduler. This way you won’t forget to post.
7. Wordiness
It’s easy to get into an intense writing mode and start writing long, paragraphs with dancing phrasing — we all do it. Although this type of writing may be perfect for a shakespearean literature club, it’s less than ideal for blogging. It’s proven that concise sentences in short paragraphs with white space is the perfect formula for blogging. Internet readers don’t take the time to read long paragraphs, so don’t waste your time writing them. Get to the point, and fast!
Hopefully, becoming aware of these blogging traps will help your blog become more successful. You should keep your writing clear and concise, while maintaining the original creativity that got you blogging in the first place. Remember, don’t get caught up in copying your competitors and be patient in your growth. The followers that come organically will be there for the long haul!
If you need help cleaning up your blogging strategy, feel free to reach out to our team at Tintero Creative!