8 Blogging Mistakes I'm Guilty of Making

Blogging is definitely not easy, but there are so many mistakes that are easy to make with each and every post. Like I shared in 5 Things I Learned in My First Year of Blogging, maintaining and growing a blog is a lot of work, and there is always something new to be learning and mastering. As bloggers, we've got to give ourselves a whole lot of grace, and constantly reflect and learn from our mistakes. Here are eight mistakes I'm guilty of making, how I'm learning from them, and how they can be avoided.

 

1. Being Afraid to Promote My Work

From the start, I'd spend time writing a post I was proud of and excited about, but then I would just sit and wait for people to read it. I had a Facebook page, Pinterest account, and Instagram account, but I wasn't using them to promote content regularly. As time has passed, I've had to teach myself that sharing content on social media and asking people to follow along was a good thing. Of course, I want to find a good balance and not over-promote, but I've got to share what I write if I want people to read it. As bloggers, we can't be shy about promoting our work.

 

2. Trying to Post Too Often

It's easy to feel like you're not posting enough when you see lots of fabulous blogger and writers posting multiple times a day. But as someone who works a full time job outside of blogging, it's just not realistic for me to blog more than a few times a week. I've finally landed on about two posts a week, and I think it's consistent enough but also manageable. I also have to give myself grace in the fact that sometimes I may only post once a week. We've got to be flexible and focus on quality over quantity.

3. Forgetting My Audience 

I think there's something so important about being vulnerable and real with our readers. After all, that's the heart of this blog in the first place. At the same time, when sharing personal posts I have to remember that my audience needs to find something of value in my post. Sure, it's fun to follow along and learn a little more about my life, but if the reader doesn't learn something, think in a new way, or find what I say to be valuable, then they won't come back to read more another time. As bloggers, we've got to ensure that we are giving our audience something worth reading.

4. Letting Numbers Determine My Worth

In the world of blogging, it is so, so easy to let numbers and page views and followers seemingly shape your worth. I've found that it's easy to get frustrated or impatient about growth in social media or other types of follows. But you know what? I didn't start blogging because of page views. Sure, I want people to read what I write. But I'm still learning and growing and figuring it all out, and I can't solely determine my success based on a series of digits. If I do, it's easy to doubt myself and feel like I'm too scared to really go all in with blogging. We've got to give ourselves grace and room to grow in this area.

5. Forgetting Vertical Pins

This one is Pinterest specific, but it's so important. I love including lots of great images in my posts, but I often forget to include a vertical image that can easily be pinned and shared on the web. Pinterest loves vertical pins, and I hurt myself for the first year and a half by only sharing horizontal images. I should probably go back and update these images, but I've yet to square away time to do it. Word to the wise, get those vertical images in the first time around! You definitely won't regret it, and will see huge growth in engagement.

6. Considering Others Competition, Instead of Community

I think it's just human nature to constantly compare ourselves (and our success) to others. When it comes to blogging, there are so many others out there that it can make you feel like a total failure on a daily basis. I constantly have to remind myself that other bloggers are knowledgeable, valuable, potential friends who have much to share- and I have much to learn. I've always loved the statement "Don't compare some your beginning to someone else's middle", and it's so true. Just because I've got fewer page likes or Instagram followers doesn't mean I have to be disengaged with or jealous of another blogger. It's much the opposite- that bloggers have to unite and provide community for one another.

7. Neglecting My Newsletter Subscribers 

The struggle with newsletter subscribers is real, y'all! Anyone else feel my pain? I started out promoting my newsletter subscription and getting some people on board, but I honestly have done nothing with it for months and I've totally neglected those who have signed up. I guess I feel like it's just one more thing to do. I know it's important though, so I'm working to be more consistent in this area. Any tips from you bloggers out there?

8. Slacking with SEO Optimization 

Another area where I've really dropped the ball is when it comes to consistent SEO optimization. Sure, I like to think of good titles and the occasional keyword, but I really haven't done a tone of research or focused much on optimization. Although it isn't the end all to blogging, I do recognize that it could help bring readers and success to my blog, and thus I need to dedicate a little more time to it. That's on my list of goals for the next year.

What mistakes are you making in the blogging world? How can you make some changes to bring fresh life and success to your writing? I'm all about learning from others, and would love for you to join in the conversation with a comment below, or on the Currently, Kelsie Facebook page. I'd love to have you follow along! Cheers to community and meeting the needs of our readers with renewed success and excitement.

Currently,
Kelsie