Big Blog Mistakes - Stop Making Them

Maybe Your Blog Isn’t Doing So Good Because Your Making One Or More Of These Big Blog Mistakes

If your were  like me, you could be wondering why other get tons more traffic to their blogs than you do. Well here are a few things you should definitely be doing to alleviate that problem.

Are you trying to build your blog?

Does it feel like an uphill battle?

When you consider how to best market your business, there aren’t many options better than blogging.

But, yet there’s no doubt about it. Building a successful business blog can be a challenge.

While a blog provides an inexpensive way to share your expertise, diving in without a plan is a recipe for disaster.

From the most basic mistakes to those that hurt your site, avoiding common pitfalls is critical.

In this article I share some of the mistakes you might be making and how to fix them.

Ready to expand your reach, drive more traffic and improve your blog results? Let’s get started!

Blog Mistakes You Should STOP

 

  1. Not Setting Goals

If I asked you what your blog purpose is, could you tell me? Could you sum up in a few words what your overall goals are?

Too often, defined goals are overlooked. Bloggers become scattered, lacking vision and a purpose.

Did you dive into blogging without a plan? If so, don’t worry. It happens to the best of us.

The good news is this. Setting goals and clearly defining your purpose can happen today.

Want to better understand who you are as a blogger?

ASK YOURSELF A FEW QUESTIONS: 

• Why do you write?


• What purpose does it serve?


• How will your blog support your overall marketing goals?


• How does a blog integrate into your offline marketing efforts?


• What type of writer are you?  Are you funny, quick-witted and social or are you serious, to the point and eager to educate?


• How will you use your blog to better connect with your target audience?

If you don’t identify why you’re blogging, success will always feel out of reach. Take time to spell out what blogging affords your business.

It’s a noisy online world. Simply creating a blog and pushing out content won’t get you noticed.

If you’re already knee-deep into blogging, this is a perfect time to take a step back. Analyze, brainstorm and reinvigorate your blogging with a strategic plan.

Lisa Stauber of Blog Elevated has a simple way to help you get started:

“Having short and long-term goals is key for your blogging success.  Break down your yearly goals into monthly and quarterly goals.  As you are planning your calendar and schedule for the year, include these smaller attainable goals.  Yearly goals are the big picture, quarterly goals are measures through the year to achieve the yearly goals, and monthly goals are breakdowns of the quarterly goals.”

  2. Not Blogging Consistently

Blogging inconsistently hurts you in multiple ways. Not only does it make it difficult for your audience to find you, but also the search engines.

Think about it. When was the last time you revisited a blog that wasn’t recently updated? Probably never.

Likewise, why would anyone return to your blog if you post sporadically? Create a schedule and a blog post calendar to keep you focused and on track.

Use a content calendar like the one below from HubSpot. If you’ve already been blogging for a while, dive into your Google Analytics to identify your top posts. What topics can you expand upon or update?

Also look for the top keywords and phrases your audience is using to find you. That’s valuable insight you don’t want to overlook.

3. Not Writing for Your Audience

Take a look at your latest blog posts. Is your blog about you or your audience? Are you solving potential client problems or simply pontificating?

While it’s important to infuse your thoughts and expertise into your writing, make sure you use that knowledge to help, not shout at potential clients.

FILL IN THE BLANKS BELOW

1. My target audience is __________. (Hint: Be specific. “Everybody” is not your market).

For example:

• Past clients


• Potential customers


• Industry experts


• Existing social media connections

2. My audience top characteristics and traits are ___________.

3.When my target market lands on my blog, the content they’re looking for is __________.

 

4. Promoting Rather than Writing

5. Expecting Your Readers to Find You

6. Not Installing (or reviewing) Google Analytics

7. Forgetting How Powerful Your Blog Title Is

Discover the details about these mistakes and more at the source article

 

Blogs are powerful tools, you need to invest the time and become a blogging master.

 

Big Blog Mistakes - Stop Making Them