Have you recently started a blog or have you been thinking it’s time to start one? Having a blog is truly a labor of love – it takes lots of time and commitment to see results, but when you do it’s so rewarding. You have the chance to build a community, often focused around something to love – like fashion or design, for example. Once you’re able to really get going with content, you gain followers, you build a community and then it all just starts to flow like a well-oiled machine. But, trust me – there can and will be some bumps along the way. Like all things, it’s a learning experience and often requires some trial (with successes) and error (sometimes major fails). But without trying, you’ll never know – so, putting yourself out there is really the name of the game. If you’re ready to give it a try, here’s a look at some of my tips for what to avoid and set you up for blogging success right from the start.
Blogging Mistakes to Avoid
Don’t try to be someone else. There are SO many blogs out there, you have to be uniquely you to set yourself apart. Emulating another bloggers content really isn’t the path to take – it’s all about building your own community (which may include other bloggers) and having your own voice out there in the world. Bottom line, just do you. Don’t be afraid to create content that you love, that speaks to you and that represents you.
Don’t work on the fly. I mentioned earlier, a blog is a lot of work. But, that’s because you need so much content to keep it flowing. Part of the process includes creating a content calendar and a schedule that keeps the blog going with fresh new content all of the time. Creating a calendar, planning ahead and having a stockpile of blog posts will help you manage that process with ease. No one wants to feel rushed just to get a blog post written. Plan ahead and you’ll be good to go.
Not being fully committed to growing your blog. If you only work on a blog when you have extra time or you don’t give it the respect it deserves as a functioning business, it won’t grow. When you want something to scale and grow, you have to put the work in. And, when you put the work in, you’ll see the rewards. It’s pretty amazing.
Skipping out on including graphics or images. This is so important. Images, video, graphics etc..they all help shape the look and feel of your blog and posts and often times, they are the reason why someone clicks on a post. Always include an engaging image to help draw in more people and broaden your audience. There are so many amazing resources for images out there, but you and your own camera are one of the best sources you have. Don’t doubt yourself in the photo department, get out there and start snapping.
Forgetting to include a way for readers to follow your blog. Whether it’s a sign-up function on your blog to receive posts via email. That works both ways. Your readers get the daily updates and you get to start building an email list, which means you’re growing your network. (hooray!!) Once you have an email list, you have a way to communicate with your readers, perfect for sending weekly roundups, special posts for subscribers, newsletters, etc. etc.
So, what do you think about this post on blogging mistakes? Are you ready to start your blog?
