I’ve had my blog for over four years and while it’s always going to be a work in progress in that I believe there’s always room for growth, it has certainly come a long way. When I look back at some of my earlier posts it’s impossible not to cringe. The blogging mistakes I’ve made are truly endless.
I think that there is a common misconception that blogging is easy and does not require much work. We see fashion bloggers frolicking around in coffee shops and pretty city streets in beautiful outfits and think “what an effortless job”. I am here to tell you that it is not easy. It is not effortless. It requires a tremendous amount of research, planning and constant learning. I spend hours behind my computer writing, planning posts and also learning new skills every day. If you’re new to blogging you may have just started realizing what a giant commitment it can be. But don’t worry, I am here to help!
There were several mistakes I made when I first began blogging. It has taken a lot of trial and error to improve over the years. I know how overwhelming it can be when you first start out. There’s this frustrating feeling that makes you wonder “where do I even start?”. I wanted to make it very narrowed and focused for you. Also you’ll find a link to a super useful and super free checklist so you can get aligned on what you need to accomplish before you launch blog. If you’ve already launched your blog this is still super helpful and make show you a few elements your blog is missing!
Here are my top 5 blogging mistakes you should try to avoid as a beginner:
BLOGGING MISTAKE #1: NOT INVESTING IN YOUR DESIGN
Your website design is obviously the first thing readers notice when visiting your blog. If it looks outdated, messy or boring they may think that the content there is the same way. Your design should reflect what you’re blog is about and also who you are. Consider yourself as a brand. What do you want to tell people about you? How do you want people to feel when they see your blog?
For me personally, I love a clean design with pops of color. I also really love structure so I picked a design that combined all of those elements. My previous design was a template I found through wordpress.com and I did not own my domain name. This meant there were a lot of limitations to how I could customize my design. Moving She Smiles All Day to wordpress.org was a huge step for me and made my blog feel more like my own.
I would recommend creating a board on pinterest of images and designs you love to help give you inspiration. If you’re not super tech savvy then reach out to someone on www.fiverr.com who is so you can get some help at an affordable rate. Trust me, if your site is not aesthetically pleasing your audience will not stick around.
BLOGGING MISTAKE #2: POSTING RANDOMLY
If you want your blog to be a place where people return and engage you need to give them something to engage with on a regular basis. Posting randomly every few weeks is not how you build a following. In some cases, even posting randomly every day is not how you build one either. It’s about producing quality content on a predictable schedule. Not only is this great for your reader because they will know when you expect new content from you, but it will save you a lot of stress.
Planning ahead and keeping a content schedule will make your content better. Plain and simple. For example, if you don’t ever look at a calendar and then realize that a major event in your niche just happened (like a release of a new beauty product) you will find yourself doing one of two things. Either you’ll quickly throw together some lame post that doesn’t have any real thought put into it or you’ll just miss that opportunity entirely.
I plan out my content schedule a month in advance and write all of my posts a week in advance. This keeps me feeling organized and in control. I’m able to write about topics that are relevant to what is currently happening in the world. I’m also able to give myself plenty of time to make adjustments as needed. Personally I post 1-2 times a week. I would much rather produce quality content weekly than not so quality content daily. I use my social media accounts to promote these posts and stay active throughout the week.
BLOGGING MISTAKE #3: NOT HAVING AN EMAIL LIST
So you’re producing amazing content that your readers love. Now what? You need to give them a way to subscribe! I’m not just talking about following you on social media. I’m talking about making an even more personal connection: your email list.
Getting someone’s email is a big deal and shows that they really enjoy your content. So much so they want to stay updated with you! This really builds a strong connection and allows you to reach your audience on a more personal level. The people who sign up for your email list are like your BFFs. They’re loyal to you and they care about what you do. If you’re looking to monetize your blog, these are the people who will be buying from you.
You can leverage your email list to let your audience (and potential customers) know of new products, services and brand collaborations you’re involved in. People spend a lot of time scrolling past posts on Instagram. It’s just not as focused and effective when it comes to selling as an email is. You can say everything you want to say in an email because you know you have that person’s full attention. On social media you have to keep it short and sweet and hope that someone is intrigued enough to visit that link in your bio you’re promoting.
Instagram and other social media users will follow you for a variety of different reasons. Some will just enjoy your images, some will follow you because you have a lot of followers and some will follow you because they actually love your blog content. My point is not everyone who follows you on social media will be doing it because they love your blog and want to buy your products.
I can guarantee that the people who join your email list are ten times more invested in you and your brand than your social media followers are.
BLOGGING MISTAKE #4: UNHELPFUL CONTENT
You’ll see a lot of information out there about how important your content itself is. Which is kind of like “duh”. But stay with me. It’s not just about the quality of each post but also the topic of your posts. It’s also important that each topic relates to each other in some way that enhances and reinforces your niche. Some may argue that niches aren’t necessary but having a blog where you just write about anything isn’t really a blog. It’s a diary.
Creating content that helps or inspires your audience in some way is a great way to get them to sign up for your newsletter and follow you on social media. So writing about hanging out with your dog all day may be cute but it’s a little random and probably not the kind of information your audience is looking for when they see that you have a blog about healthy eating. Make your posts meaningful and relevant to your niche. Even posting about your outfit can be of great value if you’re sharing links to the pieces you used and explain how you styled it.
Whether the content you produce is meant to entertain, teach or inform, your readers are going to love scrolling through your posts if they know they can find more of whatever it is that drew them in.
BLOGGING MISTAKE #5: A LACK OF ENGAGEMENT
You would think this one is obvious, seeing as when you put your work out there people have the ability to engage and respond, but it isn’t always. You may post an awesome picture on Instagram that gets a ton of likes and comments but never actually respond to any. Or maybe you get a really cool comment on your blog post and you respond with “thanks!”. This is not engagement or how you create a readership.
People comment because they want to talk to you. You should be flattered! When you’re new to the blogging scene comments tend to be few and far between so when someone does take the time to reach out it’s important that you’re ready to respond. This means answering their questions, asking them questions and sharing a little bit more information you have not included in the post.
Engagement goes both ways. Networking with other bloggers can be extremely beneficial. This can be done by checking out other blog posts, leaving comments and even linking to relevant information on other blogs through your own. This will make other bloggers more inclined to check out your content and also leave some feedback.
Listening to your readers is also huge. This means that if you receive a comment with a suggestion or a request you should take it seriously. As long as it’s serious and makes sense for your niche. Trust me, your readers will love seeing content you wrote just for them.
Have any blogging questions? Email me or leave me a comment! I’m here to help 🙂
sheilasmires@shesmilesallday.com
And don’t forget to snag your free New Blogger Checklist here!
Xoxo,
She
