10 Blog Mistakes You Should Avoid At All Costs

Blog mistakes can lead to blog fatalities. We don’t want either, so be smart and learn from the mishaps of others so that you don’t have to go through the pain of giving up or starting all over again. It’s one thing to do things right, but it’s another to avoid doing things wrong. Get out your pen and notebook. It’s time to get schooled on some of the worst, and the best blog mistakes you can make.

Please don’t misunderstand. This list is not a fully comprehensive list of EVERY blogging mistake you can make. Just some of the worst, and ones I feel are missed by others who speak about the same topic. Our ultimate goal here is to show you how to be a good blogger with these blog mistakes to avoid. Click here for my BLOGGING GUIDE e-book.

10 BLOG MISTAKES YOU SHOULD AVOID AT ALL COSTS:

1. Making it all about you

When people read your content, it’s usually because it’s them that will get something out of it. Knowledge, inspiration, and entertainment are just some of those things. So with that in mind, keep your content directed at the reader. Notice how I’m saying for YOU to keep YOUR content. Rather than what I do with MY content. The reader is the focus. Talk to them about them.

This is one of your beginner blogger mistakes. It took me a while to learn this one. For years, I just treated my blog like a diary, sharing my own thoughts and feelings about stuff. It’s a habit that I had to work on and adapt. Ooops, there I go again, talking about myself.

2. Choosing a wrong blogging platform

Enough research has been done to safely say that most professional bloggers use a self-hosted platform such as WordPress for their websites. It’s highly recommended that you use a platform that gives you the most control and ownership over your blog.

It’s easy to create and host yours on a blogging website, but then you are at the mercy of that platform sticking around and not completely changing the way things are done, which could drastically affect your blog. Although there are many blogging platforms available, I choose WordPress for the most reliability and creative freedom.

3. Spending too much money on unnecessary things

There are plenty of products and services that you can buy to help build your blog, but in reality, you really don’t need them, especially at the beginning of your blogging journey. Save your money to start with, and then only invest in what your blog will actually benefit from. Not just a hyped-up course or so-called ‘traffic boosters’.

For starters, you just need a reliable and inexpensive host to keep your website on. I use Bluehost and can’t recommend them enough. Great service, support, and gets the job done. You could also do with WordPress Theme from Etsy to structure your blog style around, keeping the overall look consistent – People like consistency. Then, lastly, you could get a Tailwind membership if you plan on using Pinterest to drive traffic to your blog – which I do and recommend you do too.

4. Missing the LEGAL pages

This is VERY important, and you do not want to make this blog mistake for business when it comes to the law. As soon as your blog starts making money, you must have legal disclaimers on your site. They vary from country to country, but the need for them is pretty consistent. It’s best to get them in place as soon as you can, so you’re ready when it’s needed.

You can get a very affordable bundle from the blogging lawyer Amira Self Guru. It has all the necessary disclosures you need to have displayed in order to avoid getting into those pesky legal issues that come up from time to time. This Blogging Legal Bundle is what I use and what I recommend to every new blogger I speak to.

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5. Not thinking about user experience

It may sound obvious, but take the time to imagine what it’s like being a visitor of your blog. You might put a lot of thought into each post, but have you thought about how someone gets there? What do they go through once they reach your homepage? How easy is it for them to find what they’re looking for? It’s important to know how your readers feel when browsing your site. If they are confused or frustrated by the mess of your layout, then they won’t stick around long. If the content is hard to read or doesn’t make sense, then the “x” will be clicked instantly.

You can do this yourself, or you can invite others to come have a look and give you feedback. Sometimes we can’t see things from any perspective but our own, especially when it comes to the things we create. So don’t be afraid to bring in some reinforcements to help support the vision. It will help you avoid making blog post mistakes.

6. Copying other people’s content

Another obvious one, and yet still people do it. There are even people out there who will completely copy-paste other people’s content, and call it their own. Come on! Be original, why don’t you!? Sure, you can draw inspiration from those you follow, and ask permission at least, if you want to use someone else’s content as a reference, but don’t go and just copy it.

If you want your blog to be unique and succeed, then you have to be unique to succeed.

Find what works and make it your own. Take the knowledge you learn from others and repurpose it. At least then you can sleep soundly at night knowing you’re not going to wake up to an angry email or LAWSUIT! (Yes, they happen in real life.)

7. Over-exaggerated clickbait titles

This is a difficult one. On the one hand, the fight for attention online is real, and you need titles that can grab that attention. So using eye-catching words and trending phrases gets a big thumbs up. However, when titles start to become misleading and at times downright dishonest, we have a problem.

You’ve seen the kind of titles I’m talking about. ‘This product will get you X in just Y days!’ Or ‘All I did was this thing, and now I’m a millionaire!’. Just a couple of blog mistake examples. The lies can be outrageous sometimes. This ultimately comes down to stating something that just isn’t true, or at least not true for the majority. You can state opinions, by all means. Just don’t go announcing them and calling them facts. Once you’re caught in a lie, it’s game over.

8. Incorrectly using analytics

Some bloggers advise not looking at analytics. I agree, that you shouldn’t focus on the amount of views you’re getting, or how many email subscribers you have. But these are not the only metrics to measure, and it’s ok to look at them if you can interpret the information the right way.

Looking at the analytics of your blog allows you to see what is working and what isn’t. If you’re a fashion news blog and your readers are loving your posts on celebrity outfits, don’t you think it would be a good idea to do more posts about celebrity outfits? Experiment with different things. Check the results and repeat what works.

9. Not being consistent

Consistency is key – you can write that down (twice). This is even more important when it comes to the SEO of your site. Do what you can to maintain your post rate. If you can commit to one post a week, then do one post a week. Don’t go posting 5 one week, 2 the next, then nothing for 2 weeks, and a random one after. Google will not reward you. Better to save 3 of those initial 5, combine them with the following 2, and post two per week for the next foreseeable future.

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10. Missing an action plan

In order to know when you reach your goal, you have to know when you get there. To know when you get there, you need to know where you’re going. In simple terms, set goals! Writing random posts with no intention won’t take you anywhere. Set targets for yourself to reach with your blog. A certain amount of views, page clicks, sales. Anything you can measure.

Having something to aim for will help you progress and keep on track as you move forward. This way, as time goes on, you can look back and see how far you’ve come, and know that you’re moving in the right direction.

There’s your list! Did you learn anything new? I sure hope so. Do you think I missed anything important? Let me know what your biggest takeaways are from this post. I want to create the best, most helpful content for you, so feedback is always welcome. Catch me on Instagram, and I’ll see you there.

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10 Blog Mistakes You Should Avoid At All Costs