If You Want To Make Money Blogging (Avoid these Blogging Mistakes)

If you want to make money through blogging, steering clear of these common blogging mistakes is crucial. To be completely candid, we occasionally find ourselves making some of these errors on our blog, whether knowingly or inadvertently.

The purpose of this blog post isn’t to turn you into a perfectionist, as striving for perfection can be a blogging mistake in itself, which we’ll discuss in this article. It’s important to recognize that achieving absolute perfection is a lofty goal, especially when you’re just starting your blogging journey.

What truly matters is recognizing when you’ve made a blogging mistake and learning how to rectify it.

Blogging Mistakes To Avoid

For both novice and experienced bloggers, comprehending these blogging mistakes can provide the necessary foundation for a successful blogging endeavour.

1. Not having a clear niche

 Possible Error: Not knowing who you are writing for

What To Do: Define your target audience.

   It’s a common mistake to not have a clearly defined niche. This is essentially not knowing who you are writing for, and it can lead to a lack of focus and direction in your blog. To rectify this, you should take the time to define your target audience. Understand who your ideal readers are, what they are interested in, and how your blog can address their needs.

2. Choosing the wrong blogging platform and hosting provider

 Possible Error: Limited knowledge of how to start a blog

   If you want to create a profitable blog, it’s essential to avoid the temptation of starting your blog on a free platform. Not all blogging platforms are created equal, and unfortunately, many new bloggers fall into the trap of using free services.

What To Do: Pick a blogging platform and hosting provider based on your specific needs.

   To embark on a successful blogging journey, it’s crucial to select the right blogging platform and hosting provider that aligns with your unique requirements. This decision should be based on factors like your technical expertise, budget, and long-term goals for your blog. Avoiding these common mistakes will set you on the path to blogging success.

3. Not treating your blog as a business

 Possible Error: Not setting business goals for your blog

   If you aim to succeed with your blog, it’s crucial to approach it as you would with any other business venture. You’re here to earn money through blogging, right? Failing to adopt a business mindset when starting your blog can delay your chances of success.

   A significant error many new bloggers make is not establishing a clear roadmap for their blog. Often, they underestimate the importance of setting both short and long-term goals for their blogs.

Merely creating a blog around personal interests isn’t sufficient for success.

 Just as traditional businesses require a coherent roadmap and strategy for initiating and growing their ventures, online enterprises like blogs also necessitate a clear roadmap for progression from inception to monetization and scaling.

What To Do: Avoid treating your blog as just a hobby.

   Treating your blog purely as a hobby is a pitfall you should sidestep. Blogging is a serious business, and every decision you make should be thoughtfully considered.  

4. Choosing the wrong name for your Blog

Possible Error: Your Blog name is tied to a particular topic, niche or it is hard to remember

   Your blog’s name holds immense influence over its success or failure. Some bloggers make the mistake of selecting a name that’s restricted to a specific topic or niche. When they exhaust ideas within that niche, it becomes challenging to explore other related subjects.

   Additionally, some opt for names that are challenging to recall or spell.

   What To Do: Choose a blog name conducive to expansion.

   Your blog’s name should resonate with your brand’s vision and be easy to remember. Shorter, brandable names are more memorable and user-friendly compared to longer names.

• Opt for a short, memorable name that resonates with your target audience.
• Consider using your name as your blog’s name.
• If using a lengthy name, ensure it’s easily memorable.

5. Not writing great content

Possible Error: Writing in a hard-to-understand manner

   Numerous blogs suffer from the use of complex language. Avoid the temptation to employ overly complex language just to appear knowledgeable. This can result in stiff, difficult-to-read writing. Blogs attract diverse audiences, ranging from highly educated individuals to those seeking to learn new things.

Crafting content that is either too superficial or complex can drive away your readers.

What To Do: Keep your writing simple and easy to understand.

   Producing exceptional content is pivotal. Consider the following:

• Conduct thorough research before writing.
• Use straightforward language.
• Avoid excessively long sentences.
• Ensure your posts are easily comprehensible.
• Employ appropriate punctuation.
• Edit your posts before publishing.

6. Failing to format your blog post correctly

Possible Error: Publishing hard-to-navigate posts

   Regardless of how excellent your blog content is, neglecting proper formatting can make your posts difficult to read and navigate. If you’ve spent time browsing the web, you might have encountered blogs with poorly formatted content that’s challenging to comprehend and navigate.

Avoid falling into the same trap if you’re seeking success in the blogging sphere. Poorly formatted posts can be perplexing for your readers. If your content is hard to navigate and comprehend, your visitors might choose to leave your site promptly.

What To Do: Make your post easy to read and navigate.

   Ensuring that your blog posts are easy to navigate is a definite way to serve your readers better and sustain their interest in your content. Employ these techniques to enhance navigability and readability:

• Employ clear headings, sub-headings, and page breaks to structure your content.
• Utilize easily readable fonts and font sizes.
• Break up text with images or videos.
• Use bullet points where appropriate.

7. Not knowing what you want to achieve from writing each blog post

Possible Error: Writing without an end goal in mind

Don’t simply dive into writing blog posts without a clear understanding of your objectives. While writing for your audience, it’s essential to recognize the value each blog post contributes to your blog. Is it merely a post, or does it contribute to achieving your blog’s short and long-term goals?

What To Do: Set clear goals for every blog post.

   Always assess the value each blog post adds to your blog. When considering a topic to write about:

• Verify if it aligns with your blog’s vision.
• Understand the purpose while you are writing.

8. Trying to write a perfect post

Possible Error: Wasting days trying to perfect your post

Cease the futile pursuit of a perfect post. It’s a common misstep for new bloggers to obsess over achieving perfection in their content. Spending excessive time trying to rectify every flaw in your blog post will only hinder your progress.

What To Do: Write, Edit, and Publish. Then Update later.

Know when your editing is adequate. Recognize the right moment to hit the publish button. Spending days pursuing perfection is futile. There’s scarcely a flawless blog post on the web. Typically, your post will always require updates, so why waste time?

• Edit your post without becoming fixated on perfection.
• Know when to publish.
• Release it early and refine it later.

9. Not making use of best SEO practices

Possible Error: Not optimizing your blog post for search engines

   Whether you’re a seasoned or new blogger, understanding search engine optimization (SEO) is crucial. Failing to make your blog search engine-friendly can result in missing out on organic traffic, adversely affecting your blog’s growth.

What To Do: Make every blog post SEO-friendly.

   When crafting each blog post, incorporate target keywords related to your potential readers’ searches:

• Comprehend post-intent.
• Conduct thorough keyword research.
• Understand the intent behind keywords.
• Include your target keyword in meta descriptions, sub-headings, alt-tags, etc.
• Interlink with internal and external blog posts.

10. Not editing your post before uploading (proofreading)

Possible Error: Not proofreading your content for mistakes

   It’s tempting to assume your writing is error-free, but spotting our own mistakes can be challenging. Publishing your blog post without proofreading can lead to a clutter of low-quality posts, tarnishing your blog’s reputation. Avoid the unprofessional appearance of your blog.

What To Do: Always proofread your content before publishing.

 Before releasing your blog post, check for mistakes and grammatical errors. Editing is a crucial phase, ensuring your writing is polished and error-free. Don’t be overly confident in your writing; even professional writers make numerous errors.

Steps to consider:

• Utilize an editor.
• Employ spell-check tools like Grammarly or Reverso.

Remember, the goal isn’t to achieve 100% correctness but to eliminate glaring mistakes before publishing. Avoid fixating on perfection; instead, focus on enhancing the quality of your content.

11. Not Publishing frequently

Possible Error: Not having an editorial content calendar

Consistency in blog posting is essential for your blog’s success. Simply posting once in a while won’t yield substantial results. However, it’s vital not to create low-quality posts just for the sake of being consistent.

What To Do: Plan your blog posts using an editorial content calendar.

Consistent publication of new content aids search engines in finding and ranking your posts, boosting your blog’s traffic and reader engagement. To accomplish this:

• Develop an editorial content calendar.
• Consider hiring writers for your blog.

12. Not building an email list early enough

Possible Error: Not aware of the power of email marketing

Blogging involves more than publishing posts and attracting traffic. Waiting to build an email list until later stages can hinder your blog’s potential growth. Some mistakenly believe that only larger blogs require an email list and delay setting it up until their blog gains high traffic. This strategy should be avoided.

What To Do: Use email subscription forms to start building your email list.

   An email list is a potent tool for accelerating your blog’s success. Don’t delay:

• Select the appropriate email provider for your blog’s needs.
• Commence building an email list from day one.

13. Relying only on one source of traffic

Possible Error: Unaware of the potential risk involved

Solely relying on one traffic source is not just risky but can impede growth. Depending entirely on a single source of traffic, poses a risk to your blog’s stability and outreach.

What To Do: Make use of different traffic sources.

Diversifying traffic sources is crucial for a successful blog:

• Implement search engine optimization.
• Utilize email marketing.
• Leverage social media.
• Drive direct searches.
• Consider guest blogging.
• Explore creating e-books & video courses, and more.

14. Not promoting your blog posts

Possible Error: Believing in the wrong advice

Some misconceptions suggest that quality content alone attracts traffic. However, successful marketing is pivotal in the blogosphere, just as it is in any business. Neglecting to promote your blog can limit its visibility and growth.

What To Do: Frequently promote your blog posts using various strategies.

   Blog promotion is vital for increasing traffic and visibility. Some strategies to consider:

• Produce content worth sharing.
• Employ effective search engine optimization.
• Share new posts with your email subscribers.
• Encourage readers to share your content.
• Incorporate social share buttons.
• Engage in guest blogging and more.

15. Failing to update old content

Possible Error: Not revisiting your old blog posts

Blogs are informational hubs, and it’s crucial to maintain the accuracy and relevancy of your posts over time. Regularly updating content ensures it remains valuable for readers and signals to search engines that your post is current.

What To Do: Update your old blog posts periodically with new content.

Revisit old posts periodically to ensure they’re up-to-date and relevant:

• Set reminders to review old posts throughout the year.
• Monitor analytics for posts receiving lower traffic to identify areas for improvement.

16. No CTA

 Possible Error: Unaware of the importance of “call to action”

Each blog post should include a clear call to action (CTA) to direct your readers. Neglecting to incorporate CTAs can hinder your blog’s growth.

What To Do: Use clear call-to-action statements.

CTAs can significantly enhance your blog’s success and facilitate reader conversion.

• Craft your content to guide readers in taking specific actions.
• Revisit older posts to introduce new strategies for prompting reader action.
• Monitor and analyze the effectiveness of your call-to-action strategies.

17. Not linking to other content

Possible Error: Not having a linking strategy

When crafting a blog post, it’s crucial to link to other relevant content within or outside your blog. Many blogs miss the opportunity to guide readers to related content, impacting user experience and engagement.

What To Do: Strategically place valuable links within your content for a seamless user experience.

   Employ a linking strategy to connect users to more valuable content, within your blog or externally.

• Strategically embed relevant links within your posts.
• Review older posts to identify areas where additional valuable content can be linked.

18. Not using Inspiring Blog titles

Possible Error: Unaware of the importance of captivating blog titles

Engaging blog titles are pivotal as they communicate your post’s essence to readers. Yet, many blogs overlook the significance of crafting compelling titles, leading to uninteresting titles that may impact click-through rates and search engine rankings.

What To Do: Allocate time for crafting compelling blog titles before publishing.

Consider these factors when creating blog titles:

• Craft clear, concise, attention-grabbing titles.
• Incorporate relevant keywords for search optimization.
• Keep title length within 60 characters for better readability.

19. Not tracking your results

Possible Error: Failing to make use of analytics software

Monitoring and analyzing your blog’s performance are often overlooked. Tracking activities on your site is crucial for making informed business decisions and ensuring blog growth.

What To Do: Install analytics software to monitor site activity.

Utilize tools like Google Analytics to comprehensively track and analyze your website’s performance.

20. Failing to optimize your images

Possible Error: Not making use of image-compressing tools

Large, uncompressed images can impede your blog’s loading time, potentially affecting user experience, particularly for visitors in areas with slow network speeds.

What To Do: Compress images to reduce their sizes before uploading.

Utilize image compression tools to decrease image sizes before incorporating them into your blog. Numerous free online tools are available for commercial use.

21. Failing to respond to comments

Possible Error: Not regarding feedback

Comments serve as valuable feedback channels for your audience. Ignoring or neglecting to respond to comments may alienate readers and hinder engagement.

What To Do: Be active in your comments section.

Engage and reply to user comments promptly. Value feedback and use it to improve your blog’s performance and reader experience.

22. Not backing up your content

 Possible Error: Not aware of the dangers of not backing up your data.

Failing to back up your data poses a significant risk, especially in the event of website issues or data loss due to hacking.

What To Do: Employ regular data backups from your hosting provider.

Regularly back up your data through your web host to ensure quick recovery in case of any site-related issues. Automatic backups by the host offer a reliable solution for data protection.