You have a lot on your plate when you launch a blog from scratch. Blogging may often feel overwhelming and even intimidating because there is so much new material to process.
And when things are unclear, it’s simple to commit a few major blogging errors that end up costing you time and money.
I’m sharing with you the biggest blogging blunders for beginners in this post to help you save a tonne of your valuable time. I’ll also provide you with simple, doable methods to avoid them going forward.
You will feel more comfortable and productive with your blogging technique after reading this post. When you want to increase the number of visitors to your blog and earn money from blogging,
I’ll show you exactly what NOT to do.
Even if you haven’t started your blog yet, you’ll leave with a tonne of useful blogging advice that will help you stay motivated and focused.
Let’s begin immediately!
In a Hurry?
- You lack a clear strategy
- You lack consistency
- You don’t update your blog posts.
- You’re not sticking to a specific blog topic
- What you ought to do is
- Your expectations are not reasonable
I can tell you’re serious about starting a successful blog and earning money online because you’re reading this right now.
However, I also realise that you are most likely making some of the worst blogging errors that I consistently observe bloggers committing.
In the long run, those errors and blunders can cost you a tonne of time and money. And since I know you’re already busy, you want to make sure you’re not complicating things by forgetting to accomplish even the most basic blogging tasks.
You are absolutely in the right place right now if you are new to blogging. Congratulations on starting!
Blogging itself is very similar to operating any other business, but starting a blog is a huge undertaking. We all make mistakes along the way because there are so many moving parts to keep track of.
But here’s how it works:
The majority of the worst blogging errors are widespread and simple to avoid. A lot of bloggers seem to keep making the same mistakes with their blogs. Yes, even those that are avoidable.
You shouldn’t be one of those blogs, in my opinion!
Don’t make the same blogging blunders I did.
I tell you what.
Not too long ago, I was in your position.
Just like you, I had very little experience and understanding when I launched my first blog. And trust me, I learned a lot about blogging the hard way.
It’s all part of the game, and you can’t possibly be perfect the entire time.
So try to view your tiny accident as a learning opportunity rather than feeling humiliated or being hard on yourself.
Every blogging error you make is an opportunity to get better and manage your site more effectively.
My loving mother constantly warned me not to waste my time by making the same mistakes twice.
As a result, with every error I made, I gained knowledge I could use in future work.
All of the biggest blogging errors listed in this post are ones I’ve personally committed, so I am well aware of how frequent they are.
Each recommendation below will boost your self-assurance and productivity as a blogger. You’ll discover how to start making less blogging errors.
And hey, you’ll know how to fix it if something goes wrong!
1. You lack a clear strategy.
Like completing a marathon without knowing where the finish line is, blogging without a plan is impossible.
How could you possibly know how to reach a goal if you don’t even know what it is?
I suppose you’re prepared to invest a significant amount of time and work if you’re serious about building a successful blog from beginning. However, how would you feel if all of your efforts had been in vain?
The most important thing for each blogger to have is a defined blog plan.
It will be easier for you to stay focused if you know what you want and how to attain it.
Additionally, it will be simpler to monitor your development if you have a clear understanding of your goals.
Here is what you need to do.
Start by responding to the following questions to create a clear, effective blogging plan for yourself:
What makes me want to start a blog?
Whom do I want to reach?
How can I produce informative, valuable material for my audience?
What do I hope to accomplish? In six months, where do I want to be? Or in a year? In two years, perhaps?
It’s time to divide your goals into smaller components after you have a general notion of what they are. Setting yourself a few measurable goals for your journey is the quickest and most practical method to accomplish this.
Start by asking yourself: During my first year of blogging, what do I want to accomplish and learn?
When I start a new blog, I like to divide the first 12 months into 4 quarters, each lasting three months. Then, I choose one primary topic and one secondary topic for each quarter.
Let’s see how this functions in real life.
Blog strategy for a full year: An easy illustration
Planning and strategy, backed up by a TON of research, usually take up my whole first quarter. So that I don’t have to waste time coming up with blog post ideas once I start my site, I use that method to construct a content calendar for the first year.
The second quarter usually involves a lot of hands-on work and content production. I concentrate on creating useful, evergreen material for my specialised audience.
Most of the third quarter is spent on marketing. The moment has come to drive a tonne of traffic to my blog once the material is complete. I therefore start marketing and promoting my blog on social media.
The fourth quarter is all about monetization, to sum up. I currently have a sizable amount of informative articles for my viewers. Additionally, I’ve noticed an uptick in traffic from search engines and social media. That means I can begin using a few different monetization strategies to gradually turn my traffic into money.
How do you come up with your blogging plan? Please share your thoughts about this in the comments area.
2: You lack consistency
Your head is probably filled with fantastic ideas when you first start a blog.
Then, though, life interferes with plans. You gradually become less focused. Additionally, your motivation isn’t what it once was.
That’s very natural, too! It’s acceptable to have concerns besides blogging all the time. Just being alive is a blessing!
But believe me, it’s simple to let a few weeks pass without releasing anything new once you fall out of the practise of writing frequently. These weeks quickly grow into months.
It will become harder and harder to pick up the pen and start writing again as time passes. As soon as your readers realise, your blog will slowly die.
Here is what you need to do.
Bloggers frequently lack consistency because they lack an idea for a topic to write about. Many bloggers run into a wall after publishing their first few blogs. Simply put, they run out of options.
Planning is therefore essential for regularly creating new material. You MUST have a clear content strategy in place before you launch a blog.
Therefore, make sure to plan out your content over a long period of time before you begin producing your posts.
Think up concepts, investigate keywords, and discover what your intended audience wants to see.
Planning my content out over a 12-month period in advance is something I usually find useful. But that doesn’t imply I don’t nurture any fresh concepts throughout that time. But I am aware that, if I am unable to, I need not.
I can save a tonne of time this way by not having to worry about what to write about next. When I stick to a thorough content plan, I can use my time much more effectively.
Utilize a WordPress editorial calendar.
Use of an editorial calendar is the simplest method for planning your content. You’ll enjoy the structure it adds to blogging, especially if you’re a visual person.
Using an editorial calendar to plan your content can also help you stay focused. You know, once you’ve thought through your blog categories, it’s simple to develop a “storyline” for each one separately.
I have a category named “Start a Blog,” for instance. In my first year, I intend to write 24 posts in that area. Those are two posts each month.
I already know that I can create a “narrative” out of the 24 parts that make up the process of launching a blog. The subsequent post builds on the one that came before it, giving the postings in that category a cohesive feel.
An editorial calendar can be made on paper or with a spreadsheet, for instance. Use a strategy that works for you.
However, I advise making use of the WordPress editorial calendar plugin. It is very simple to install and use and is completely free. You can view your calendar without leaving WordPress, which also
saves you time.
3: You don’t update your blog posts.
The majority of newbie bloggers are unaware of the fact that you should spend more time revising your posts than writing them.
You can edit your material to ensure that it is coherent, interesting, and valuable. Your blog entries become much easier to read and understand with a little modification.
In other words, people will spend more time on your blog and appreciate reading your content more. Having said that, always keep in mind that editing takes up more time than writing itself!
But the reality is that thorough blog post editing requires a lot of time and care.
How can you ensure that you don’t spend more time editing than is necessary?
Here is what you need to do.
A general guideline is to break up the time you spend producing content into three stages:
Planning and research (40%):
This is the time to generate concepts and create outlines for your blog pieces.
Creation and writing (20%):
When you’re typing furiously, this is when the writing actually happens!
Marketing and editing (40%):
The most important and final step in producing content for your blog.
Yes, I’d estimate that 40% of your time should be spent on editing and marketing. None less!
And you’re undoubtedly wondering if 20% of your time is adequate for the writing process itself.
Believe me, it is.
You’ll write considerably more quickly if you organise your information well and don’t allow any interruptions while you’re writing.
Tips for revising your blog posts in practise
So how exactly should you update your blog posts?
Here are some pointers to get you going:
punctuation and spelling
To fix any spelling and grammar errors, run your material via Grammarly first. There is also a really useful free version available.
Formatting for text
Include headings, white space, lists, and graphics to make the text easier to read.
discerning eye
Don’t be hesitant to remove part of your written words. Always keep in mind that every sentence should be useful. Delete a paragraph if it doesn’t add anything to your readers’ understanding.
Voice and tonality
How would you rate your post’s tone and style? Once more, read it aloud to determine whether the text’s “mood” is consistent.
In conclusion, be careful to create a good habit of editing your content.
Don’t be scared to spend a lot of time on it at first. After you’ve been blogging for a while, you’ll see an improvement in your editing abilities.
What advice do you have for editing? Post a message in the comments section below!
4: You’re not sticking to a specific blog topic
I can completely identify to this one.
While you’re writing a blog post, your ideas often have a mind of their own. You catch yourself considering how you could improve your piece by adding a few more useful details as you write.
A single blog post, however, should only address a very specific area inside your expertise.
Because the information on your blog is helpful to them, readers find it intriguing. They locate your blog when searching for information on social media or search engines.
As a result, they have a single topic on their mind and are solely interested in learning the answer to it.
Consequently, you should only address one issue or question in each post.
The greatest method to keep your attention on your writing is to stick to a defined content plan. Therefore, consider your long-term objectives before starting your blog.
Then, consider how you’d like to accomplish those objectives one by one. That is your long-term blog approach. Your long-term objectives should be a step closer with each blog post that you write.
Here’s a workable remedy
What I do is this:
After careful planning, I jot down the one question my piece will address before I begin writing it. One and only one.
I both type it into the post title field and like writing it down on paper. I am therefore constantly reminded of the reason for that post anytime I look down at my keyboard.
I constantly come up with fresh thoughts and questions as I’m writing that I could address in the post. But I don’t put them in the post unless they are simple and quick to respond to.
Most of the time, every new question merits its own blog entry.
You won’t run out of topics for blog posts if you stick to this plan and stay focused. You’ll have inquiries for a whole year’s worth of answers before you realise it!
Inadequate use of a self-hosted blogging platform is mistake number five.
Long-term costs of using a free blogging platform can be high.
I’m referring to free platforms like:
WordPress.com
Blogger
Tumblr
All of these are excellent for hobby bloggers, but you cannot establish a reliable, respectable business using them.
You have no control over your content or blog traffic while using free blogging services.
If the business is sold, for example, your blog could be shut down at any time. To put it another way, you might lose your content without warning. Ouch!
Imagine putting in hundreds of hours to create useful material, increase blog traffic, and engage readers.
What would you do if all of your hard work was for nothing?
You MUST choose a self-hosted blogging platform if you want to build a profitable site and earn money blogging. Two things are meant by self-hosting:
You must register with a blog host:
Choose a host, then get a hosting package. By providing you with space on their web server to store your blog, the provider will make your blog accessible to your viewers.
You must register a domain name for your blog:
Find a good domain name to register, like my own bloggingexplorer.com. The simplest way to register a domain is to do it concurrently with your blog hosting application.
In summary, blog hosting refers to making your blog publicly accessible. You can choose the name you want for your blog by using a domain.
Don’t worry if this sounds a little technical. It only takes ten minutes to sign up for blog hosting and a domain name for your site.
I advise using Bluehost, like I do, if you’re new to blogging.
5: What you ought to do is
Set up your blog on a self-hosted platform if you’re serious about blogging—which I know you are! Utilizing the WordPress.org blogging platform is something I constantly advise.
A piece of software called WordPress makes it simple for you to administer your blog. After you have enrolled in a blog hosting plan with Bluehost, for instance, you can install it with only one click.
Then, you can immediately begin creating your first blog post by logging into your WordPress dashboard.
If you’re not familiar with WordPress, be sure to read my detailed explanation of the differences between WordPress.org and WordPress.com.
Make sure you get the best blog hosting available when you create your blog. In this manner, your blog will be set up correctly from the start and you won’t have any technical issues that could cause it to completely crash.
Join me and tens of thousands of other content bloggers on Bluehost if you desire a professional technical setup without any bother, unnecessary stress, or aggravation.
You can set up your blog with them in less than 10 minutes, and their setup is absurdly simple. Additionally, their hosting options are incredibly inexpensive, offering excellent value.
Visit my step-by-step tutorial on how to launch a WordPress blog on Bluehost in 10 minutes whenever you’re ready to get started. There, I’ll see you!
6: Your expectations are not reasonable
I completely understand how you’re feeling when you launch your first blog! Oh, the anticipation!
Right, you want to build a successful blog from scratch as soon as you can.
I’ll tell you this right now: You’ll succeed. At some point, your blog will gain popularity.
But it will take some time to become successful at blogging. While some bloggers see results and start making money within the first few weeks, others must wait several months before they see any money come in.
To succeed at blogging, you must have reasonable expectations for yourself.
You want to prevent disappointment at all costs, I assure you. Let’s examine what you should do to maintain your motivation levels because setting your goals too high is the quickest way to feel disappointed.
How to make objectives and expectations that are reasonable
Make sure you feel like you’re progressing if you want to stay on top of your game. Making a step-by-step strategy for yourself is the fastest and most effective approach to do it.
Once you’ve identified the ideal blog niche and are prepared to launch, spend some time developing a sound blogging approach.
The greatest method to keep your attention on the task at hand is to have a long-term plan. In the long run, it will also be simpler for you to maintain your desire and motivation.
What are your long-range objectives?
How do you hope to accomplish your objectives?
Just consider your goals for the next three months, six months, or two years. At regular intervals, give yourself measurable goals to work toward.
Remember to take a minute to yourself as the weeks and months pass to assess where you are.
Are you succeeding in your immediate objectives?
Are you making good progress toward your long-term goals?
Reduce your expectations if you think they are a little too high.
You do realise that you just have yourself to answer to? In order to feel like you’re moving forward as your own boss, make sure you offer yourself the freedom and flexibility you require.
Conclusion: The biggest blogging errors beginners should avoid, and solutions.
I’m hoping you’re still here. Did the list of ideas above contain any useful advice for you? Any advice you may offer regarding your own blogging experience? Please share in the comments section.
Using the advice in this article when starting a blog from scratch will help you save hundreds of hours of labour.
Just keep in mind that proper planning should come before you begin your route to blogging success. You can’t fail when you have a sound plan to follow that includes precise stages toward your objectives. You are always aware of your progress and what has to be done to advance toward your long-term objectives.