As a newbie blogger, there is so much enthusiasm with fear of the unknown when starting your blog. Thus, it’s possible to fall into some common mistakes beginners make.
Though there’s a lot to keep track of, successful bloggers have proven that if you are enthusiastic, willing to learn, and open to experimenting, you can do well in this field.
Blogging is indeed a fantastic way to grow professionally, personally, and financially.
You can write about anything you love, share your opinion about any matter, and help people by giving them tips on your favorite topic.
Every day, there are 7.5 million posts published around the world. So even as I write, there’s a good chance that a new blog is built somewhere.
It means that competition for readers is increasing. And, it’s now more important than ever to create quality content to help you stand out.
However, you could make some errors that can cause you to lose time and money if you neglect to fix them.
So, what are these mistakes, and how can you avoid them?
Today’s post will share some tips to help you avoid falling into common errors newbie bloggers make.
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11 Most Common Newbie Blogger mistakes And How To Fix Them
It’s not a secret that blogging is a great way to make money online. But to make it work, you have to be consistent and persistent.
In addition, you could make tons of mistakes that could cost you your business.
So, whether you are a seasoned blogger or just starting, there are certain things you need to pay attention to if you want your blog to be successful.
Mistake #1 – Not Having An Audience In Mind
The first step in any successful blog is figuring out who your audience is and what content they want.
If you’re appealing to everyone, you’re really addressing no one. So first, you need to find out people interested in what you do.
There are a lot of different ways to do this, but some questions that may help get you started are:
- What am I passionate about?
- What do I have the most expertise in?
- Who would be interested in reading my posts
When you don’t have this information, it’s challenging to figure out your target audience.
How to fix it
Think about your ideal reader and then tailor your content to what they’d like to see.
- Are they serious and professional?
- Fun and quirky?
- Do they want more technical information or more tutorials?
Once you figure out who they are, you can focus on creating content that will appeal to them specifically.
Mistake #2 – Not Having A Specific Niche
The niche you choose for your blog is essential for its success.
Choosing the wrong one can create problems for you later, including the inability to monetize it effectively or attract readers who don’t appreciate your content.
It’s overwhelming to write to a broad audience. Instead of covering too many topics at once, pick a field of interest you are passionate about.
How to fix it
Blog about something that really makes your heart sing. I know this might sound corny, but when you start a blog, make sure you’re writing about something that makes you excited.
We all have our passions, things that make us tick and drive us to create. When you share those passions with the world on your blog, people will notice and want to keep coming back for more.
Therefore, take your time to research and choose the right niche for your blog when starting on this journey. That will give you the chance to become an expert in your field.
Mistake #3 – Not Using A Self-host Blog
Of course, I understand that you want to stay within budget when starting and may wish to use a free hosting service.
Though it’s easy and free to use, the limitations outweigh the benefits. For example, there are limitations to what you can do on your website.
Also, consider that the free platform can shut down suddenly without prior notice. And you won’t be able to transfer your content anywhere, unlike a self-host.
In addition, if you want a website that will rank well on search engines, avoid using free hosting.
How to fix it
- Build your website on a content management system. More than 40% of websites use WordPress, maybe for its flexibility and ease of use.
- Buy your own domain and hosting plan, install WordPress and choose a theme with good reviews. Then add new features using plugins.
However, ensure you register your website with a reliable web host. It can be frustrating when your site has a technical issue, and there’s no way to get your host to fix it except to pay a lot of money.
I had a similar issue last month with my website. Within minutes of contacting my host, they resolve the problem at no extra cost.
And if you are on a tight budget, sign up with affordable web hosts like Bluehost, Cloudways, AccuWeb, etc.
Mistake #4 – Not doing enough research before starting
Research is one of those things that newbie bloggers often neglect in their excitement to start a blog.
You shouldn’t start a blog just because other people have been successful with them.
It’s best to care about your blog, or else all that hard work won’t be worth it in the long run.
Before you start, you need to do at least some basic research on the topic you want to blog about. For example, keyword research helps you find words that will drive traffic to your site from search engines.
It would help if you focus on the following aspects first:
- Your audience (age group, gender, location)
- The best ways to reach your audience (social media platforms)
- Your competitors (what approach they are taking; what’s working for them; what isn’t working for them)
In addition, target using low competition and long-tail keywords. You can use keyword research tools such as Jaaxy, Semrush, Ubbersuggest, Ahrefs, and likes.
Mistake #5 – Not Staying Within Budget
Many new bloggers feel they need to spend a lot on their new blog to make money. That’s not true.
You can have a successful blog and still stay within your budget. All you need is a great idea, willingness to work hard, time, and patience.
You don’t need WordPress premium themes or fancy bells and whistles unless your niche requires it and you have a budget to cover it.
How to fix it
Create a responsive website on a free theme like Astra. It’s a lightweight and responsive theme.
Or spend some money on a premium one. That will do most of what you want your blog to do for the first few months.
Mistake #6 – Not Having A Realistic mindset
Most new bloggers think they can start making money immediately by starting a blog.
But sorry, it doesn’t work that way unless you are fortunate or have much money to invest in your blog’s growth and promotion.
How to fix it
Think like an entrepreneur – If you want to make money online, you need to be ready for the long haul because it won’t happen overnight.
Blogging is a long-term game, and it takes time, consistency, and patience to succeed with your new blog.
Mistake #7 – Not Having A Consistent Schedule
Consistency is one of the keys to success when you’re trying to grow your blog traffic.
People love consistency, and so do search engines. So you want to make sure you regularly publish so readers know when to expect your next post.
For example, if your readers are used to seeing new posts on Tuesday and Thursday, you should try to publish on those days.
If not, they may stop visiting your blog because they know that there won’t be any fresh content when they visit your website.
How to fix it
- Spend more time in research to publish well-researched and in-depth content on your blog at least twice a week.
- Create evergreen content to get quality backlinks from authority websites.
- Check out the competition and see how you can improve what they have written.
- Then, use a content calendar to organize your blog content.
Mistake #8 – Not Prioritizing Quality Over Quantity
Some newbie bloggers think writing longer posts is a waste of time.
However, long-form content is more likely to rank higher on Google and attract more traffic.
In fact, a study shows that articles with more than 2,000 words get more shares and links on social networks.
It’s important to remember that your main goal is to reach your target audience and give them information that helps.
How to fix it
So think about how you can use your blog to give back to people interested in the same things you are. That way, they’ll want to return again and again.
- Focus on creating content that’s more than just a sales pitch but provides value to customers.
- Remember, it’s not the quantity that matters but the quality and consistency.
Mistake #9 – Not Promoting Your Blog On Social Media
Don’t focus on your website alone. It’s easy for a blog to get lost in all the noise on the internet today.
It’s essential to promote your blog posts on social media channels such as Twitter, Facebook, and Pinterest from time to time.
It’s essential to create awareness for your blog post immediately after publishing a new post.
How to fix it
Promote your published content on your Facebook page, Pinterest, Twitter, Instagram, etc.
Install a post-sharing plugin on your site so readers can share with the post.
Mistake #10 – Non-User-Friendly Website
Writing in a long block of text makes it difficult for readers to follow through.
And like we all know, visitors on a site have a little attention span. So they want to pump in and grab the information they need with ease.
Hence, write in clear sentences to keep readers engaged and have them coming for more.
How to fix it
- Write in short sentences – Make sure all of your posts are well-structured with precise information. A confusing post will not drive traffic or keep readers coming back for more.
- Keep your images clean and legible – make sure they are of high quality. You can create good images on Canva.
- Double-check before publishing – Readers expect you to be an expert about whatever topic you’re writing about, so it’s essential that you get your facts right. Always cross-check information before publishing them on your blog.
- Use a responsive, lightweight theme to prevent a slow site.
- Optimize your content for search engines
- Use internal links to help the search engine understand what your content is about
- Edit and proofread before publishing. You can use Grammar checker tools like Grammarly.
Mistake #11 – Not Having An Email List
Growing your contact list can boost your website traffic, build trust, and help you generate leads.
Email marketing is a great avenue to know more about your audience and encourage them to check out your new posts.
How to fix it
Sign up for an email service provider like Aweber, Convertkit, and MailChimp.
Add the signup form to your website and immediately start building your email list.
Then, give out freebies like ebooks, PDF downloads, a checklist to encourage people to subscribe.
Finally, before starting your blog, plan how you will monetize it. Though making a substantial income from your website takes some time, having a solid plan goes long.
You can sell other people’s products (affiliate marketing), offer freelance services based on your skills and expertise, or even sell your own products.
You can read more about it – How to make money blogging.
Wrapping It Up
There you have it, folks! Blogging isn’t the easiest thing globally, but building your brand into something amazing can be fun.
The key to success is to plan before you start by figuring out your niche and ensuring that you’re ready for what’s to come. With a little bit of preparation, blog content creation will be an exciting and enjoyable experience for you and your readers.
It’s essential to create good content consistently than to create much substandard content. As a blogger, you don’t just write quality articles; it is also necessary to get your articles in front of the right people.
And since the competition is high, you cannot afford to be distracted with your work. Research, read and write for other blogs on your niche.
Don’t be impatient and strive for quantity rather than quality. Instead, it would be best if you aimed to consistently come up with content to build upon your readership and help you become successful.
A lot of small efforts always make a huge difference over time – so don’t give up.
Without being aware of these mistakes, newbie bloggers may become overwhelmed and wonder why their blog is not taking off despite all the time and effort they put into it.
However, avoiding these errors would definitely help your blogging journey be smoother.
If you have any questions, please feel free to drop them in the comment.
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