Writing and making money while doing so is something that many bloggers dream of. Starting a blog and maintaining a consistent stream of content isn’t easy, however.
Many passionate and ambitious bloggers stumble due to inexperience and a lack of insight about blogging. This wouldn’t be so alarming if the mistakes didn’t reoccur again and again. With that in mind, let’s look at the most common pitfalls that bloggers fall for.
Choosing the wrong CMS
The Content Management System (CMS) you choose will often dictate the type of content you will be able to publish. For example, Tumblr is a very popular blogging CMS that emphasizes multimedia content and visual art.
On the other hand, WordPress is a CMS that is favored by independent writers, companies, and others that write. Choosing the wrong type of CMS from the get-go can make it difficult to transfer everything to another one down the line. Evaluate your goals and content types before settling for a CMS that will suit your needs.
Casting a narrow net
Blogging is all about making your content and train of thought approachable to others. To that end, settling for a niche audience might not be a good idea. Bloggers that want to attract large numbers of followers and become a trending topic need to settle for generalized topics.
Some of the most popular blog types that are generally favored by everyone are cooking, traveling, writing, fashion, pets, etc. Any of these blog types is a very viable and lucrative solution if you want to be seen by as many people as possible.
Not following industry trends
Even opinion pieces need to be grounded in reality and industry trends. No matter which industry you choose to operate in, make sure that you are up to date with the latest developments. Settle for a few news outlets that are genuine and bring quality information to the table.
Use this data to develop your blog’s arguments, back your claims and refer to them at any point during your content development. It will add legibility and professionalism to your argument which would otherwise be nothing more than an online rant or a written essay.
No SEO integration
One of the cardinal sins of blogging is neglecting the need for SEO. Search Engine Optimization (SEO) represents the cornerstone of online content optimization. Without it, your content will be left unseen and (in Google’s eyes) irrelevant to most searches people conduct.
In order to alleviate this mistake, you can refer to some of the top writing services that offer professional writing and SEO optimization. Some of the most notable examples of these tools are Grammarly, Yoast SEO, and Sumo. Should you ever be in the need for academic writing services during your blogging career, you can also check out sites such as Read-able or Sprout. The more time and patience you invest into SEO, the more visible your site will be to people that search for content similar to what you have on offer.
Money over passion
Blog monetization is always mentioned when new blogs pop up. What makes successful blogs stand out from the rest is the passion and vision behind the content. Make sure that you like what you blog about before you think about monetization options.
Don’t fall for the trap of writing about something popular that you hate just to make some money on the side. Stick to what you love and write about the things you are passionate about. The right crowd will approach you and stick by your side no matter how long it takes for your blog to grow.
No social media integration
Social networks have become a predominant part of online interaction in the past several years. With the rising popularity of smartphones and tablet devices, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter (among others) took the lead with an increase in their user bases.
That being said, blogs that don’t utilize social media platforms have no way of growing apart from pure SEO optimization and a stroke of luck. Try creating social media pages for your blog on several outlets and keep them updated with new content.
As long as you keep things active, people will be able to find your main website through social media channels without much effort. Failing to do so will result in a much smaller follower base than you might otherwise garner, so why pass on the opportunity?
No communication with the audience
Lastly, there is no point in running a social platform such as a blog without communicating with the audience. The people that follow your blog take their time to read through your thoughts, opinions and advice on a constant basis. Make sure to reply to every comment, question or appreciation they express for what you do.
Building a healthy relationship with your followers is one of the essential parts of creating a really special blogging platform. If you choose to close yourself off from any expression of emotion or feedback, you will quickly start losing followers and traffic you worked so hard to build up.
A beginner’s journey
The truth is that most blogging mistakes fall down on “learning the ropes”. Some mistakes are simply unavoidable and quite useful to experience firsthand.
Choose the niche you feel comfortable with writing about and let time do the rest. The journey to becoming a successful blogger is far from straightforward. Go with the flow and you will start learning a lot more from your own failures than you would ever be able to from someone else.
