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10 Mistakes That Will Kill Your Blog 13 points posted over 3 years ago |
Here are some of the most common mistakes that bloggers make and that readers can't stand. |
Many bloggers have learned the tips and tricks for successfully promoting their blogs and capturing readers. However, attracting people to visit your blog is one thing. Getting them to read the blog posts and keep coming back for more is another. Here are some of the most common mistakes that bloggers make and that readers can't stand.
1.Writing for the Money
Sure, lots of people make money from their blogs, but perhaps less than 1% of them actually make more than $100 a month. That's because too many bloggers only write for the money. They don't put their heart into their blogs or show any passion. If you only write for the money, you are bound to fail.
2.Writing for Google
This can be as bad as writing for the money. When you write for Google, you are basically filling your blog with a lot of key words and key phrases to make the blog more search engine-friendly. As a result, such blogs come off as repetitive and boring as hell. Thinking about search engine optimization is a good thing, but people should always come first. Write for your readers, first and foremost of all.
3.Failing to be Personal
Writing about the news of the day is well and good. But, remember, you are not CNN or BBC. You should put your own personal stamp on the news by stating your opinion. After all, that's why people are on your blog in the first place -- to get your point of view. If they wanted the news, there are a lot of other places they can visit that are far better at giving them that than your blog.
4.Failing to be Original
Since people visit your blog to hear what you have to say, you should be honest with yourself and express how you really feel. Don't simply copy what you've seen elsewhere because you think it's cool or interesting. If you share someone else's thoughts, you should express it in your own words to make it yours. Don't be a copycat.
5.Failing to Update
This is one of the most common reasons why a blog fails -- it is not updated regularly. We've all seen this happen. A new blog is launched and, for the first few days or weeks, a number of interesting posts appear and the blog succeeds in capturing people's attention. However, in time, the number of posts begins to drop until the blog isn't updated at all. All the readers the blog has captured quickly turn their attention elsewhere. They will rarely return even when the blog is eventually updated. To counter this, make a commitment to the number of posts you want to make in a day or week. And by all means, stick to the number.
6.Rushing Your Post
All bloggers have probably made this same mistake. It usually happens when something really big or interesting happens and you want to be among the first to express your thoughts and feelings. In your haste, you don't check your post for typographical or grammatical errors. We should all take the time to double or triple check all our posts before publishing them in our blog.
7.Failing to Reply to Comments
Our blog may be our personal journal but it is also a means of communication, and every communication is a two-way street. When a reader makes a comment on your blog, answer them. After all, they took the effort to communicate with you. You don't have to agree with them, but you should at least acknowledge their point of view. A short or even one-word reply like “Ditto!” or “Amen” will suffice.
8.Picking Fights
This is the other extreme of communicating with your readers -- fighting with them. Certainly, not everyone will share your opinion. But that doesn't mean they're your enemy. They are entitled to express their own opinion, just as you are.
9.Failing to Reach Out to Others
One of the most effective ways to have a successful blog is to engage other bloggers who write about the same subject matter. You can do this by simply visiting and commenting on their blogs or quoting some of the best things they say in your blog. Eventually, you may agree to have a link or send trackbacks to other bloggers. It's a great way to expand your community or readers.
10.Promising Too Much
The rule here is simple: don't promise what you can't deliver. Don't say you will address a problem or add a feature on your blog if you're not sure you can't. In blogging, the name of the game is credibility. Don't lose yours.
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