Writing a blog can be time-consuming and challenging, trying to engage with your audience while pumping out a ton of information is difficult! Below is a list of common blogging mistakes that you will want to avoid at all costs!
The Good the Bad and The Ugly
As a reader, we all want the truth! Don’t attempt to make the blog more positive with untruthful opinions. The audience will be reading your blog wanting pure honesty, if that means you have to write about a bad experience, so be it. Your audience will lose respect for your blogs and ultimately stop reading if they are found to have a completely different experience to the one you had described. However, blogs can be about other subjects, from experiences to fictitious stories- obviously, if this is the case, the world is your oyster. But if your blog is more of an experience or feedback, honesty is the best policy!
It's All About You
Although the reader will want to hear about your experiences or opinions on a subject, they won’t want your life story. Give your audience a small insight into your life to draw in the correct group, for example, if you are a parent-mention it- so other parents can relate, but don’t go overboard. Keep on subject and don’t make it too personal!
Can YOU Relate?
The best blogs are produced when the writer loves the subject they are writing about! If you are enjoying your experience, you’re going to give better information. If you have to research your subject first, you could potentially be giving incorrect information, so make sure you know what you are writing about and it comes from personal experiences!
Quality Not Quantity
Too many bloggers focus on word count, thinking a long blog means a better blog! This couldn’t be further from the truth. Make your points precise and clear, long informative paragraphs become boring to read and your audience will quickly lose interest. Ever heard the phrase ‘actions speak louder than words‘? This is so true, post lots of photos of your experiences, this will make your blog more personal and give credibility to your claims.
The Personal Touch
Let’s be honest, there are thousands of bloggers around, we don’t need to read the same tips and advice but written a little differently. What makes you different? What makes you YOU? Stand out with your blogs, show your unique personality, be different from the rest. Quirks and character are what draws readers back to your blog over someone else’s, make sure you shine through.
Simplicity or Sophistication?
Keep it real, type how you would speak. Using impressively large words may make you think you’re coming across as academic and sophisticated, but to the majority, it will come across as patronizing. Keeping your blogs simple will appeal to everyone, they need to be readable and memorable, this won’t be the case if your audience is having to google the meaning of words!
Platform
Choosing your blogging platform is perhaps the most important step. Make sure you do your research, some companies have strong marketing techniques but will charge you more than you can afford to publish your blog, others will be free but won’t reach a wide audience. Weigh up the pros and cons and choose wisely!
All of us will make blogging mistakes when we are just getting started—and even if you follow guides carefully, you’re probably going to write something you’ll later wish you had written differently. But that’s okay! This article is to help point you in the right direction when it comes to blogging, ultimately just be truthful, be simple and be you.
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