A lot of people start blogging without really knowing what they’re doing. This often leads to mistakes that can be easily avoided.
In this blog post, we will discuss 8 common blogging mistakes that you don’t want to make!
Let’s get started!
The Common Blogging Mistakes You Don’t Want to Make
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1) Not having a plan
Before you start a blog, it’s important to have a plan.
Not having a plan is one blogging mistake you don’t want to make. That’s because a plan will help you figure out:
- what kind of content you want to create
- who your target audience is, and
- what your blog’s overall purpose is
Without a plan, it’s easy to get caught up in the day-to-day details of blogging and lose sight of your overarching goals.
Creating a blogging plan doesn’t have to be complicated. Just sit down and answer the following questions:
- What topics do you want to write about?
- Who is your target audience?
- What are your goals for your blog?
Once you have a plan, you can move on to the next step.
Creating content that is interesting and useful to your audience is one of the most important parts of blogging.
If you’re not sure what kind of content to create, think about what topics your target audience would be interested in.
You can also look at other blogs in your niche to see what kinds of content they’re creating.
Here’s a list of some profitable blog niches you can start with.
Remember! When you’re creating content, it’s also important to make sure that your blog posts are well-written and free of grammar and spelling errors.
No one wants to read a poorly written blog post!
2) Not knowing your audience
Another common blogging mistake is not knowing your target audience. It’s important to know who you’re writing for before you start creating content. That way, you can tailor your message and ensure that it resonates with your readers.
If you’re not sure how to identify your blog audience, here’s a guide that comes with a free worksheet to guide you in finding your perfect blog persona.
Not knowing who you’re writing for is a surefire way to fail at blogging. After all, how can you create content that resonates with your readers if you don’t even know who they are?
Do some research and find out what kind of people are most likely to be interested in your blog’s topic. Then, when you sit down to write, keep those people in mind.
What kind of language will they understand? What concerns are they likely to have?
Answering these questions will help you create content that truly speaks to your target audience.
Don’t make the mistake of skipping this crucial step – take the time to get to know your audience, and your blog will be all the better for it.
3) Not being consistent
Anyone who has ever tried to diet knows that consistency is key. The same can be said of blogging.
You need to be posting new content on a regular basis if you want to keep your readers coming back for more. That doesn’t mean you have to post every day, but you should aim for a consistent posting schedule.
If you’re not sure how often you should be posting, start with once or twice a week and see how that goes. You can always increase your frequency if you find that your readers are responding well to your content.
And if you’re stuck, use Jasper or ClosersCopy to help you write that compelling content!
Just like a diet, if you start off by trying to do too much, you’ll quickly get burnt out and give up.
Take it slow and steady!
And soon enough you’ll develop a loyal following of readers who can’t wait to see what you’ve got to say next.
4) Failing to promote your blog
If you’re not promoting your blog, then you might as well be writing in a diary.
Sure, your mom will read it and she’ll be very proud of you, but that’s not really the audience you’re going for, is it?
You want people to read your blog because it’s interesting, witty, and informative, not because they feel like they have to.
How do you promote your blog and get the word out there?
Social media is a great way to start. Share your blog posts on Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, and Instagram. If you have a mailing list, send out an email blast about your latest post with ConvertKit. And don’t forget the power of guest blogging.
Here are some tools you can use to leverage your blog promotion.
- Tailwind: The best automatic pinning tool for Pinterest
- CoSchedule: The best scheduling tool for your blog posts and social media
- QAPop: The best marketing tool to answer questions in Quora
- Postly: The cheapest social media marketing and scheduling tool
Write a killer post for another person’s blog and include a link back to your own site. And Don’t forget to start off with a good blog headline that goes viral!
Promoting your blog takes a little effort, but it’s worth it if you want to reach a larger audience.
Make sure you’re taking advantage of all the channels available to you to get the word out about your blog.
5) Failing to edit your post
Let’s face it: we’ve all had those moments where we hit the publish button a little too quickly…
…only to realize later that our post was full of typos and grammatical errors. Unfortunately, these kinds of careless mistakes can have a serious impact on your blog’s credibility.
After all, if you can’t be bothered to proofread your own work, why should your readers think that you’re taking the time to produce high-quality content?
If you want to maintain a strong reputation as a blogger, it’s important to make sure that your posts are always well-written and free of errors. Fortunately, this is easy enough to do if you take the time to proofread and edit your posts before you hit publish.
Plus, there are so many tools such as Grammarly and ProWriting Aid to help you with it!
It may take a few extra minutes, but it’s well worth the effort.
Make sure you proofread and edit your blog posts before you publish them. After all, a well-written and well-edited blog post will make a much better impression on your readers than a hastily written one.
Take the time to polish your posts before you share them with the world.
6) Using keywords incorrectly
If you’re a blogger, then you probably know the importance of using keywords.
Keywords are essential for helping your blog posts get found by search engines. But if you use them incorrectly, you could end up doing more harm than good.
For example, let’s say you’re writing a post about gardening tips.
You might be tempted to stuff your post full of keywords like “gardening,” “plants,” and “flowers.” But if you do that, your post will not only be difficult to read but will also be flagged by search engines as spam.
Stuffing your keywords in awkwardly or repeating them too often can make your blog posts sound robotic and unreadable. And using the wrong keywords can lead people to your blog who are looking for something else entirely.
So how can you avoid making this mistake?
- First, be sure to do your research to find the right keywords for your post.
- Then, use those keywords sparingly and naturally throughout your post with SurferSEO.
By following these tips, you can ensure that you’re using keywords correctly and help your blog posts get found by the right people.
7) Forgetting about SEO
As a blogger, you always want to make sure you’re giving your readers the best possible experience. But in the quest for flawless content and an aesthetically-pleasing layout, it’s easy to forget about one important element: SEO.
Search engine optimization may not be the most glamorous aspect of blogging, but it’s essential if you want your blog to be seen by a wider audience.
There are a number of simple steps you can take to optimize your blog for search engines, such as using keywords and tagging your posts accordingly.
But if you really want to make sure your blog is being seen by as many people as possible, it’s worth hiring a professional SEO consultant.
An SEO expert can help you identify the best keywords for your blog and ensure that your site is being properly indexed by search engines.
Don’t make the mistake of forgetting about SEO – it could mean the difference between a successful blog and one that gets lost in the shuffle.
8) No images in your posts
When you’re reading a blog post, what’s the first thing that catches your eye?
For most people, it’s the images.
Humans are visual creatures, and we’re naturally drawn to images. That’s why adding pictures to your blog posts can be so effective.
Not to mention, posts with images tend to get more social media shares than those without.
With the use of Canva, you can create engaging graphics for your blog. It’s user-friendly even if you’re a total beginner!
If you’re not using images in your blog posts, then you’re missing out on a valuable opportunity to engage your readers.
So next time you sit down to write a post, be sure to add some images to help tell your story.
Conclusion: Common Blogging Mistakes
Avoiding these eight blogging mistakes will help set you up for success. Blogging is a great way to connect with your audience and build a following for your business. So make sure you’re doing it right by avoiding these common mistakes.
Do you have any other blogging tips to share? Let us know in the comments below!
For more inspiration, check out some of these writing quotations to ignite your blogging passion.
