You’ve decided to start a blog; congratulations on your decision. A blog is an essential part of any online business. As your audience grows, monetizing your blog and receiving an income from your published content is possible.
However, it takes time and patience to gain traction in your niche. Many bloggers start their online ventures without researching the requirements for success. Eventually, if you remain consistent with your actions, you’ll achieve success.
Before you publish your first post, read through these common mistakes newbie bloggers make. Implement strategies that overcome these issues, and your blog will be on its way to producing the results you desire.
Inconsistent Publishing Schedules
When bloggers get started with their venture, they burst with enthusiasm. A constant stream of ideas flows through their mind. You’ll most likely start posting your thoughts on your blog daily. Unfortunately, this is your first mistake.
It doesn’t matter how talented or experienced you are in your field; eventually, you’ll run out of things to say. An inconsistent publishing schedule will drive your audience to other platforms for their content fix. Even worse, starting strong and dropping off will show your audience you have few ideas.
The chances are that your blog will take a few months to gain a consistent following. Therefore, save your content ideas for when it matters most. When you start, publish once a week. This strategy will give you ample time to build an audience, and you won’t run out of ideas.
Failing to Engage with Your Audience
Your comments section is the lifeblood of your blog. Treat every comment left by your audience like gold. Engage with your audience and keep the conversation flowing. Request your audience to move the discussion to your social platforms, where you can continue answering their questions. By moving it over to social, you gain more exposure with your target market.
Make sure you audit your comments section regularly. Spammers like to leave links to their offerings to drive traffic to their platforms. Google punishes sites that have comment sections littered with spam links. It reduces the credibility of the site in the eyes of their algorithm.
Failing to Add Social Sharing Options
Does your blog have social sharing links? If not, you’re missing out on the potential for your post to go viral. Make sure every post has a social sharing link to your platforms.
Not Using Analytics
Google Analytics is a powerful platform that provides insight into your site’s traffic sources. You can use analytics to determine what posts are performing, how long each prospect spends on your site, and other critical metrics.
No Images or videos with your Posts
Images sell your posts, and a picture says a thousand words. Add high-quality photos and videos to your posts. Ensure you’re using headers, and insert videos and pictures in the body of your post.
No Preparation for Taxes
When your site receives a regular audience, it’s time to monetize. Unfortunately, many bloggers are unprepared for success. When the money starts rolling in from advertisers, they often don’t consider that they are now earning income.
You will need to report this income on your tax return. As an accountant, help with tax schedules and make sure you give the government their cut.
The Final Thought – Plan for the Future
Blogging is like any other online business; it requires structure and planning to succeed.
Think about how you can use the ideas in this article to grow your blog. Learn from other people’s mistakes and avoid potential pitfalls. Above all, stay committed to your actions and remain consistent in your blogging activity. Success will follow.