There are certain rookie blogging mistakes that you can and should avoid when starting your blog.
If you want to have a successful blog, I have found from my own experience that you can do a whole lot of work on your blog, and nothing happens.
But, on top of everything, one mistake if much bigger than all the rest.
So what’s this big mistake?
The biggest problem with most people trying to make money online is that they don’t have a plan. They try random things hoping that something will work when in reality they could be doing other things much more effectively and end up getting better results!
There are many different ways out there for how someone can go about making money online but what follows once the excitement dies down, is a lot of hard work.
Well, it’s only hard until you know what you’re doing and that takes practice.
1. Don’t have a plan
Some people are capable of simply winging it and finding some success.
But the most successful people have a plan. They sit down and figure out what they want to do, what their goals are, and how they are going to reach them.
And then once they have mastered that, they can just rinse and repeat.
By not having a plan, there is no direction. With no direction, you will end up wasting a lot of time and resources.
Have a plan, get focussed, and work consistently.
2. People don’t use social media correctly
Many people think that they can show up every now and then, write a post, and the customers will come streaming in. They also think that by posting on a platform like Meta they will close sales.
It doesn’t work like that.
When you are starting out, choose one or two platforms only – and make sure these are the ones where your ideal customers are hanging out online – and become good at these.
Facebook operates differently from Instagram. Reddit is different from LinkedIn. Pinterest is different from Tumblr. They all have their place and they all function differently.
Keep up with the social media platforms that you are on.
It’s really hard to keep up and stay current with what is going on in the world, but there are a lot of tools that can help.
For instance: Tweetdeck monitors what’s being said about your industry.
3. Starting too many things at once
I have suffered from this, always worried that I am forgetting something.
My business coach told me that she also things this way and gets too easily distracted trying one thing after another.
If you are starting a blog, trying to set up a Shopify store, and running a membership club, it’s all too much.
Pick one.
Push through and put all of your energy into this one business. When it is up and running and everything is streamlined, then you can add another business to your portfolio.
4. Subscribing to too many newsletters
Limit the number of newsletters you subscribe to.
If you don’t, your inbox is going to be blasted continuously and you will become distracted and your inbox will be stuffed with things you never read, or delete.
This takes time away from what you should be focusing on – increasing your income.
Schedule in time once a week, biweekly, or even once a month to unsubscribe from newsletters that are no longer relevant or don’t provide you with the value that you are looking for.
5. Not knowing who your target audience is
Don’t guess. A lot of people assume who their target audience is, don’t talk to them at all, and then launch their business.
Talk to as many people in your target audience as you can, find out what they like and don’t like about what you are doing.
When you talk to them, be clear about what problem your product or service solves.
This is where some of the best products come from – someone identified a problem that people were having, saw that there were already products but these products were missing the mark.
Just talking to people and adjusting the product to be what the customer wants, you can end up being very successful.
6. Never showing up
Don’t have a blog or online business and then never show up.
Be active on your chosen socials, write blog posts, provide help and advice, educate people, and entertain them.
Showing up builds trust and relationships, and sometimes it is difficult to find a rhythm for this, but it is possible and should be done.
7. Not having an email list
The first thing you should do, possibly even before you’ve launched your website, is get your email database ready. This is one of the biggest blogging mistakes to avoid – even mentioned by very successful people like Pat Flynn.
If you are already talking to people about your product, you can start adding them to your database (follow the laws and get permission first).
If everything else had to go offline, or you get banned from Facebook for example, you can always have your email list and take it with your where ever you go.
8. Spend money when necessary
Don’t waste money, but spend wisely on products, services, and courses that will provide you with value, that can solve a problem, and make sure that you spend according to your marketing plan. What you are doing here is investing in yourself.
Taking a course or purchasing a valuable eBook is an investment in yourself and your business. For example, if you are wanting to start a blog, I personally recommend Blog by Number. It is extremely valuable and will help you get going very quickly, even if this is all brand new to you.
Using the help of professionals like a VA or a video editor is valuable to your promotional outreach.
Don’t think you can do it all alone. Pay money for what you need, and ensure that you get value out of it.
9. Set up Google Analytics
One common mistake that new bloggers make, and this is more for people who are brand new to blogging or working with their own website because they don’t even know it exists, is Google Analytics.
There are many easy-to-follow YouTube videos that can help you get set up and it takes a couple of minutes.
The reason you should have Google Analytics linked to your account is so:
* You can see how many people are visiting your blog
* You will be able to determine if your blog is growing
* You will learn the best traffic sources for you
* You will find out which articles or blog posts perform the best and resonate most with your readers
Avoid making this blogging mistake early on set up Google Analytics and link it to your blog.
To sum up
You need to get started on your blog today if you want to build something absolutely amazing. By avoiding these blogging mistakes from the beginning, you will have a much smoother path to success.
Start with building your email list, then create an offer and start marketing yourself and what you have to offer. Give it a try. Monitor what you are doing, watch to see what works, and what doesn’t work.
It takes dedication and does not happen overnight. Well not often anyway.
If you’re already avoiding these things mentioned above, pat yourself on the back because chances are good that’s why you got results within those first few months! Now keep going strong so success becomes more attainable each day!
