A common misconception about blogging is that it is an easy way to make money. That anyone with ten fingers and a laptop can do it.
People do not understand the brainpower that comes into creating unique content almost daily. It is harder than everyone thinks it is, and like with any job; anyone is bound to make mistakes in the beginning. This is fine; if you are going to make mistakes and learn from them, it is better while you are starting.
However, knowing which beginner mistakes you can avoid now would not hurt. This article will explore common oversights and tips for working around them.
Taking too long to design a website
Some bloggers think hiring a designer from the get-go will increase their chances of getting traffic. While aesthetics does affect traffic and conversion, finding the right designer is time-consuming and can cause delays. Blogging is all about timing since not all topics can be evergreen.
The best solution is using the templates available on Internet registrars like the website builder from the Australian domain registrar Crazy Domains. These premade designs are customizable, search engine optimized, and mobile adaptive. All you need to do is drag and drop features and widgets, upload high-quality photos, and it is good to go.
Not staying on topic.
It is so easy to go off on a tangent when you have a blog. It can look very “out of character,” especially if there are not many posts on your page yet.
Since you are just starting, stick to the topics you have promised to deliver. If you are writing about books, adhere to reviews and updates related to books. If you want to write about other topics like current affairs, you can do so if you already have a solid following.
Robotic writing style
Remember that you are not writing your thesis or preparing a report for your professors. A blog needs to be readable, which means using language your target demographic uses. Even if you tackle serious topics like politics and economics, there is a way to simplify your tongue to not read like a research paper.
Your blog needs to be understood by experts and laypeople in your industry. So do not make things complicated for you and your reader.
Writing about yourself
The hard truth is no one wants to read about you. At least not until your 5th year consistently churning out content. Instead of writing about yourself, show your personality through your writing. You can easily include little tidbits about yourself in your informative article. How you do that is up to you. Some people start with a narrative, while others do it through little language quirks.
Copying content and no linked sources
When you write about a topic somebody else has written before, mention it on your blog post and link it to their page. Nothing is more irritating than a first-time blogger plagiarising and spinning content.
Additionally, it would help if you strived to add value and build upon topics other people have written that interest you. This is called the Skyscraper technique, and it should force you to do more research and improve other people’s content for your benefit.