Do you have thoughts about starting a blog? Or maybe you've already started one and are looking to improve your blog posts.
Blogging can be an enriching career, both financially and personally. As a blogger, you have the opportunity to not only share your unique voice and perspective with the world but also earn a high income by monetizing it.
However, a few blogging mistakes can make you look like a complete novice. These can range from small things like not proofreading your posts to more serious offenses like plagiarism. It can result in embarrassing typos or even factual errors.
There's nothing wrong with making a few mistakes when you start as a blogger. However, avoiding these common pitfalls will help you be more polished and professional.
We've covered nine rookie mistakes that could make you look like a complete novice.
1. Not Proofreading Your Content Before Publishing
Grammatical errors, factual inaccuracies, and typos can make your content look unprofessional and turn off your readers.
If you don't proofread your content before publishing, you're likely to miss out on correcting embarrassing mistakes that could damage your credibility.
Taking the time to proofread your work before you hit publish will help ensure that your content is error-free and help you build a more professional online presence.
When proofreading a blog, it's important to check for grammar, spelling, and punctuation errors to ensure the content is clear and concise.
2. Failing to Credit Your Sources
If you're going to blog about something you read, give credit to your sources. It's good blogging etiquette and shows that you're willing to do your research.
In online publishing, not crediting the sources of images or content pieces is a big no-no. It's not only plagiarism but can also lead to legal trouble if the image is copyrighted. Always credit the source of any images you use, whether you're using them for commercial or non-commercial purposes.
3. Not Prepared To Put In Time and Effort
When it comes to blogging, many people aren't prepared to commit time and effort to creating a successful blog. It often happens because they underestimate the time and effort required to achieve their goals. As a result, they may start in good spirits but quickly become discouraged when they don't see results, leading to them giving up altogether.
Having a realistic understanding of the time and effort required to reach your goals is important. So before you start a blog, ask yourself if you're ready to commit to it.
4. Making Frequent Grammatical Errors
If you're a blogger, beware: making frequent grammatical errors in your blog can harm your credibility. In a world where anyone can start a blog, readers seek reasons to weed out the good from the bad.
If you're making careless mistakes in your posts, you're more likely to get passed over in favor of a blogger who doesn't.
So, if you find yourself making frequent grammatical errors, there are a few things you can do to improve your writing:
- Use grammar checker tools like Grammarly.
- Have someone proofread your blog or use a top plagiarism checker tool, like Copyscape.
- Avoid jargon; keep it simple.
- Improve your grammar by reading books.
- Read your blog aloud before publishing.
5. No Internal Links
If you're running a blog, one of the worst mistakes you can make is neglecting internal links.
Including internal links in your blog makes it easier for readers and search engines to find the information they're looking for. In addition, its SEO advantages make internal linking an important factor in growing your blog.
6. Giving Up Too Early
Life is never so easy, and neither is blogging. Disappointment and failure are a part of it.
It's easy to get discouraged, especially if you do not see desired results. It's a pretty common mistake that bloggers make. They feel like their blog is not getting the attention it deserves, and that's when they lose heart and pull the plug.
Although some blogs might require more attention due to their respective niches, that still doesn't warranty any success. So, what you need is some consistency with a regular dose of patience. Doing this pushes you way ahead of the majority.
Success is just a whisker away. Enjoy the journey.
7. Not Being Consistent
Many things go into being a successful blogger, but consistency is one of the most important.
It can be easy to get caught up in the excitement of creating new content and forget to maintain a regular posting schedule. Still, it's important to remember that consistency is key for blogging.
The readers and even search engines will appreciate knowing when they can expect new content from you. And if you're inconsistent with your posting, they may quickly lose interest.
Rarity lies in consistency. Writing 300 words per day for a week is better than writing the exact 2100 words at once.
8. Not Engaging with Your Audience
Bloggers need to engage with their audience in today's social media age. Many bloggers post one-sided content without engaging with their readers instead of engaging with them.
One can argue that maintaining a regular posting schedule cannot be easy to keep up with readers' comments and questions. However, several simple strategies can help.
For instance, bloggers can ask their readers questions, encourage them to leave comments, and post interesting content that encourages discussion. Bloggers can build a loyal following and create a successful blog by engaging with their audience.
9. Not Promoting Your Blog
This is one mistake even some veteran bloggers find themselves making. And it can be considered a big one.
Content distribution is just as important as content creation. So, why do people not put in much effort here?
You might not want to promote your blog posts for several reasons. Maybe you're not comfortable with self-promotion or worried about coming across as spammy. Maybe you don't know about its importance.
Whatever the reason, if you're not promoting your blog posts, you're missing out on potential traffic. There are many ways to promote your blog, including social media, email marketing, and paid advertising.
You need to be proactive in promoting your blog if you want to generate traffic and build a following. Otherwise, you'll just wait for people to find your blog, which will not happen. It's sad, honestly.
Pro tip: Don't be sad. Let the world know about your awesome content piece.
Conclusion
Blogging has become one of the most popular online activities in recent years. People love sharing their thoughts and experiences and offering advice and information on a particular topic.
Even though anyone can start a blog, it's funny how many people repeat the same mistakes when blogging.
We've all made mistakes from time to time, whether forgetting to proofread a post before publishing or not promoting. Yes, we have.
The good thing is that there's always redemption. But before that, you need to be aware of these mistakes. We've tried to list some mistakes that can make you look like a rookie.
Now, the choice is yours. The ball's in your court.
