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Monday, July 27, 2015

5 Mistakes You Are Making On Your Blog


If you're wondering how to boost traffic and keep readers engaged, here are some tips I've picked up along the way:

1) Writing about things no one cares about
Okay, this may be a bit harsh, but if you're trying to run a blog as part of a business, you need to be aware when you are doing this. A post here and there about how proud you are of your kids or what you did today is fine. Personal essays about either of those things are also great if you're able to hook in the reader and people find themselves relating in some way. Otherwise, unless you're writing a blog just to keep up with family and friends far away, most people aren't super interested in every little thing going on in your life. Posts that bring in the most traffic are either about products or you being helpful to others.

2) Big paragraphs 
This can be a bit tricky, especially when you're writing personal essay type stuff. However, it is a good idea to try and narrow down your paragraphs to three to five sentences and use bold headings during a long blog post. I'm definitely guilty of not doing this, and I know it has turned readers off.

3) Not using a photo 
Not using a photo is a huge mistake. A lot of traffic on blogs comes from Bloglovin' and Stumbleupon where there is a preview of your main photo. Think about it, would you be tempted to click anything on those websites without a photo? Even if it is a stock picture, there is no reason why one shouldn't be included. You can go here and here for two great compilations of pictures you can use free of charge if you don't have a personal one to go with your post. Stokpic is also fabulous and one of my favorites.

4)  Using a default blogger/wordpress theme
This just looks bad and unprofessional and makes it difficult for people to take your blog seriously. You don't need something super fancy, but even shelling out just £20 for a premade template can make all of the difference. Check out some great premade template sites:

Social and Chic
Envye
Designer Blogs
Pip Dig
and doing a search on Etsy for premade templates


5) No social media interaction
If you're not interacting with your audience, you may as well not have a blog. You need to set up a Facebook, Twitter and Bloglovin' AT LEAST so that your audience can follow you and you can interact. Instagram and Pinterest, I think, are a little bit less important, but are nonetheless an important aspect of your blog.

What do you think is the most important for creating a blog people keep coming back to?



YouTube | Twitter | Facebook | Facebook for My Books | Mailing List | Bloglovin'

27 comments:

  1. Christine EverydayJuly 27, 2015 at 11:48 AM

    Social media interaction is huge! I try to get on for a few minutes throughout the day just to respond to a couple tweets...it makes a huge difference!

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  2. Great post! ^^

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  3. Hi Anna! Great post and number one is definitely something I struggle with. There are things I want to educate people about in terms of mental health and personal development, but I don't want to bore them. So I'm trying to come up with relatable examples that bring people into my posts more. Thanks for the great tips! {www.designed-to-thrive.com}

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  4. These are great tips, it's so true!

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  5. Valerie EarnestJuly 27, 2015 at 4:15 PM

    I'm especially working on the paragraph thing. I tend to want to tell stories, but I've learned readers want to easily scan blog posts. Headings, bullet points, etc- make for an easier read. Great tips!

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  6. Brittany LockwoodJuly 27, 2015 at 4:40 PM

    These are fabulous tips! I think the large paragraph mistake definitely depends on the topic you're blogging about, but I know I lose interest if they're just way too long!

    xx. Brittany | Southern Soul

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  7. Great Tips!! I find pinterest to be a great source of traffic as well

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  8. Crysta ParkinsonJuly 27, 2015 at 5:49 PM

    Great tips. I have had a LOT of luck with Instagram!

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  9. Elizabeth RebeccaJuly 27, 2015 at 8:40 PM

    I think that photos are such an important thing to use - I always forget tough which kind of sucks.

    Lizzie Dripping

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  10. Great advice! And yes, agree 100% re: social media interaction. It's just as important to share as it is to listen to what other people are tweeting about.

    Thanks for this; hope you had a great weekend!

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  11. Ashleigh WrightJuly 27, 2015 at 9:07 PM

    These are great tips! I always have them in the back of my mind when working on my blog! Thanks for sharing!!!

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  12. Thanks for the tips! I am still pretty new to the blog world and need to add bloglovin. I definitely agree about the photos! Can you use stumble upon if you are not self hosted?

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    1. Yes you can! x :)

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  • I love your tips- their so true! I'm signed up on Bloglovin' but I have struggled getting followers on it. Any tips for gaining followers?

    Katy
    https://www.alittledailyhappiness.com

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  • These are great tips, I always try to include a photo, if not more. And social media is a great connection to the world!!!

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  • Bethany MagnieJuly 28, 2015 at 3:20 AM

    There's always so much to learn about blogging! Great tips to remember, especially when coming up with new content.

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  • Tinseltown MomJuly 28, 2015 at 3:34 AM

    Thanks for the tips. I always find useful info on your site.

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  • Is Bloglovin a new thing, I had not heard of it up until last week. I signed up earlier today. Love your advice/insight.

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  • Christina BoyerJuly 28, 2015 at 5:13 AM

    Great tips! I love your blog design. I think I'd have to work on the paragraphs. Social media is so important and I've been really trying to stay on top of that.

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  • Chrisy @ HomemadeHooplah.comJuly 28, 2015 at 2:57 PM

    Very good tips for new bloggers! Though I think I'm still guilty of #2 from time to time :D

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  • Alexandra BaileyJuly 28, 2015 at 6:47 PM

    These are great tips! Nothing will make me leave someone's page faster than when they go off on a huge personal story that no one can relate too. Thanks for sharing!

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  • rosemond catesJuly 28, 2015 at 7:39 PM

    Good reminders! Thanks!

    Rosemond
    www.bighairandbooks.com

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  • I'm definitely a rambler. Even my comments on other bloggers' posts are long, chunky paragraphs, usually. I'm working on that. I also really want to interact with my readers and with the bloggers I read, but I'm still not totally comfortable sharing too much with them, but it'll all work out, hopefully!
    Marianne :)

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  • These make sense! Thanks for sharing!

    Rachel x
    thehappybits.blogspot.com

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  • Good tips and I am so guilty of having relatively big paragraphs, need to shorten them for sure now.

    Nashia | MakeupandBeautyMayhem

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  • Thanks for the tips. Videos are important for younger audience too ( I see you have a great YT channel)

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  • I'm so glad I came across this post! I definitely have to work on a couple of these!! Thanks!

    | alittleblogforme.co.uk |

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