If you have decided to start a blog you are among many that do this every day. Some will see success and some will see failure. The main reason that blogs fail is because the blogger makes a number of mistakes that could have easily been avoided. Success comes with being able to avoid those mistakes and create something that others want to read. As you begin the process of blogging you want to familiarize yourself with the five most common mistakes that bloggers tend to make. They also happen to be the easiest to avoid if you know ahead of time.
The Copycat Blog
Many people see a successful blog and decide they want the same thing. Only they decide to do the exact same thing. The problem with this is that there is no originality. Readers have already seen the successful one and liked it. Why would they want to read and visit a blog that was identical in nature and content? You need to create your own idea. This is the only way you will see true success. Otherwise you will be another failed attempt to copy an idea that has already been done.
Lack of Knowledge
Just because an idea is popular does not mean you should write about it. You wouldn’t want parenting advice from an adult with no children, right? The same is true for many blog topics. Stick to topics that you know and understand. Those who see the most success are those that share their expertise and experience through their blog.
Inconsistency
A few bloggers have made it big with blogs that combine a little bit of everything. They are rare. Most people have to have a theme and general topic that they stick with. If you are inconsistent with what can be found on the blog then readers will come and go. They will have nothing to stay around for because they have no idea what you will be talking about next. Stick to your topic and always be consistent. This brings in steady readers for you that will stay around.
Irregular Posting
Again, if you want to retain readers you have to give them a reason to stay. This means posting on some sort of set schedule. Most bloggers should post at least three to five times a week. Often it is best to post daily. Never post less than three times a week if you want to see success. On the same token, do not post too often. Unless you are a specialty blog, such as deals type of blog, that must post as things come in you will not want to post multiple times a day.
Failure to Listen
The biggest way to fail in blogging is to not listen to your readers. They will give you clues about what they want and expect. Take them seriously and follow their cues. This will let them know they are important and give you ideas on how to improve your site.
To Hit Blogging Success You Need Consistent Production
Why You Should Set A Posting Schedule
How Can You Make a Living Out of Blogging?
Are You Sharing Your Expertise With Your Blog?
Why Most Bloggers Fail To Make Money With Their Blog
How To Rise As A Professional Blogger
Using Popular Sites To Get Content For Your Blog
Oh man, I can’t even tell you how many times I’ve started a blog that fails. It’s like New Years Resolutions; they never last more than a few days or weeks, and eventually you forget about them. This is a really good article for anyone to read before they take up internet space with a blog that will just end up collecting dust…
Something like 75% of New Years Resolutions aren’t kept. I don’t even make them any more. I think it’s too much pressure. If someone is really serious about changing things in their life, they don’t need a whole new year to do that.
How funny would that be, a blog about parenting written by someone without children?? What’s ridiculous is that people actually do that!! They write a blog or an e-book about marriage without being married themselves! No credibility.
It’s very true about consistency, it’s the same as branding yourself. People want to know what to expect, they read blogs for knowledge about particular things. If you’re all over the place and inconsistent, then how can you expect to have a consistent following? Good post.
We are on the exact same page here; if you don’t have anything interesting to say, don’t start a blog. You will be wasting everyone’s time, including yours. I’m glad you write these posts cautioning people about this, it really is helpful. Thank you for protecting the world from useless and boring blogs, and educating people to be creative and useful.
Oh man, no one likes copycat blogs. We all know and love what the person is trying to copy, what do they think they will gain? The answer is Nothing.
I think this is a wonderful list, not only for beginning bloggers, but for the current ones as well. Sometimes we need reminding, that these are not good tactics. I especially like the one about listening. The readers are always right!
It’s true! lists like these always help me to remember what to focus on, and to take a step back and look at what I’m doing and make sure I’m staying true to myself and my goals.
Regular posting doesn’t sound like a big deal but it really is, I’m glad it made it onto the list. If people read one post and become interested, and then it’s days and days until the next one, you’re going to lose their interest. Same thing applies for posting two or three times a day, it’s too much, and will over whelm your reader; let them breathe!
Ha ha ha that’s definitely true, you don’t want to smother them. That never works out, because they will never be able to catch up. It’s all about finding that perfect balance.