11 Mistakes New Bloggers Make

11 Mistakes New Bloggers Make

Today’s guest post is about new bloggers and the typical mistakes they make.

The post is written by John Smith, who wants to warn newbies up front in order to avoid failure.
So I’ll let John do the talking.
Enjoy!

There are hundreds of millions of active blogs online right now.

New blogs are still being created every single day.

Unfortunately, most of these new blogs never make it.

Why?

Because new bloggers commonly make the same mistakes time and time again.

Here are the 11 mistakes I’ve seen new bloggers make.

Not knowing what you want to write about
If you want to attract a loyal base of readers, you have to pick a topic to blog about and stick to it. You can’t be blogging about turtles one day and bicycles the next. You’ll lose readers. By focusing your blog on a particular niche, you attract readers who are interested in this subject and who will stick around as long as you continue writing about it.
Copying what everyone else is saying
Don’t be another “me too” blogger. There is already way too many of those. Say something new. Even if you’re covering the same news and topics, you can find a fresh way to approach them. You don’t always have to share the popular opinion. Be yourself, and let people know what you really think.
Using copyrighted images
Images are a great tool for spicing up a blog post, but you have to make sure you obtain the pictures legally. In other words, don’t just rip them off of someone else’s website or blog. Sign up for a free stock photo website where you can legally get all the images you desire.
Not linking out to others
Linking out to others is especially important for new bloggers. Whenever you send out a link, the other blogger is alerted with a trackback. This puts you on their map, because more times than not, they’ll come check out your post to see what you had to say about them. This increases the chances of getting links back from them, and it could present future guest blogging opportunities.
Using the basic template that comes with WordPress
The simple truth is people judge blogs by their design. The design makes your first impression with new visitors. If you use the basic template that comes with the blog, readers will think you’re new and not to be taken seriously. That isn’t to say you have to get a pricey custom design. There are plenty of great free WordPress themes online. You just have to search for them.
Allowing spam comments
One of the first things you should do is activate the plugins in WordPress that block spam comments. There’s nothing that screams “newbie” like a blog filled with spam comments.
Not commenting correctly on other blogs
Blog commenting can be a powerful strategy for increasing name recognition and driving traffic back to your website. But there’s a right way and a wrong way to comment on other blogs. The wrong way is to leave meaningless comments (e.g. Good post!) or spammy comments (e.g. Come check out my blog!). The right way is to leave comments that actually add value to the conversation.
Ignoring the power of guest bloggers
If you’re trying to get the word out about your new blog, one of the best ways to do it is to bring in some guest bloggers. By letting bloggers who already have a following post on your blog, you can attract readers fast. Sign up on My Blog Guest, and post your guest blogging opportunity. You’ll get a lot of responses from people who are eager to post on and promote your blog.
Giving up on blogging too early
We’ve all seen viral videos that seemingly come out of nowhere to get millions and millions of views. Unfortunately, a lot of new bloggers think that’s how it’s going to be for them. They expect instant success with their blog, and when it doesn’t happen, they give up, writing blogging off as a fad that doesn’t get results.
Not proofreading closely enough
Yes, blogs are a little more casual and laid back than say a newspaper or magazine article, but there is still some level of professionalism that’s expected. You can’t have a blog that’s riddled with misspellings and grammatical errors. It undermines your credibility, and it gives cynical readers ammo to take you down.
Trying to do too much too soon
Blogger’s Burnout is a very real condition. This happens when you try doing too much and you just get tired of dealing with it all. Look, there’s nothing wrong with being passionate about your new blog, but pace yourself. There’s no need to work on it 24/7. If you do, you’ll burn yourself out quickly, killing your blog before it has a chance to grow.