by Edie Melson
Today I’m going to share the top blogging mistakes authors made in 2013.
Blogging Mistakes
 |
| Don't ignore your audience. |
- Lack of Interaction. When someone takes the time and effort to comment on your blog post, it’s only polite to answer them. Sure there are days when we get busy and really can’t reply, but if you’re known for taking time to answer, those times will be forgiven. After all, look how patient you all are with me!
- Inconsistent Posting. I know I’ve said this at least one hundred times, but it bears repeating. If you expect readers to visit your blog consistently, they have the right to expect you to blog consistently.
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| Don't be a weakling when it comes to blog titles. |
- Weak Blog Post Titles. I know we’re not supposed to judge a book by its cover—or its title. But we all do it. Without compelling titles, blog posts go unread and readers unsubscribe.
- Little or No Formatting. Reading online takes more effort than reading actual ink on paper. Bloggers can overcome that with proper formatting. This includes using a sans-serif font, block formatting, bullet points, and bold subheadings. All these make the page easier to read.
- Too Many Grammatical Errors. I know, I really shouldn’t be the one throwing stones here. You all know I’ve allowed misspelled words, omitted words and grammatical errors into my posts. But I’m referring to numerous errors in almost every single post.
- Lack of Focus. Variation isn’t bad, but don’t go overboard. A blog without a focus is a blog without an audience.
- Posts that are too Long. People today are way more willing to spend time rather than money. Regularly posting things that are more than 500 - 600 words long will cost you readers.
- No Images with Blog Posts. Just like the formatting issue, images help break up the text and provide for easier reading. They also give visual clues to the content.
These are the main mistakes I see consistently. But I want
to dig a little deeper.
I’d love to know what things make you
2. stop reading a blog post.
I’m going to compile a list of everything mentioned in the
comments, and the number of times it’s mentioned. Go ahead and vote for any listed in the post
above. I’d really like to get a good idea of what irritates you all. It will be
interesting to see what we come up with.
Don’t forget to join the conversation!
Blessings,
Edie
Tweetables
Hi Edie! I love this post and I have to admit I am guilty of a couple of them! This post has just become my resolution. Also, I have a hard time reading a post about...nothing. Lack of focus and theme is the one thing that makes me not want to come back. If a post does not make me think about something 1)in a different way 2)deeper 3)new to me, it is hard to read. The same concept is true on FB. I tend to hide people who give EVERY detail of their life ten times a day. There is no focus or theme there either. Great post that helped me so much!
ReplyDeleteErin, we're all guilty of some of these, sometimes! Thanks for sharing your thoughts. BTW, love your blog! Blessings, E
DeleteAgree about FB! Do we HAVE to know that they just parked their car in the first row in the WalMart parking lot?
DeleteGreat advice here and I've been guilty of some of these things~mainly inconsistent posting. I've learned that if I am going to be away for a few days (or longer), it's best to write a post letting readers know that I won't be posting. Or, schedule my posts ahead of time and let them know that it will be a while before I'm able to respond to comments.
ReplyDeleteI unsubscribe from blogs because (1) the content is no longer interesting; (2) if a blogger changes focus and that is no longer interesting to me. What makes me stop reading a post? If it's too lengthy!
Blessing to you and Merry Christmas.
Joan, I'm with you. I hate when a blog changes focus. As a blogger I understand why it's sometimes necessary and even unavoidable, but it's bummer all the same. It's sort of like a favorite coffee shop closing or changing hands. Thanks so much for stopping by, Blessings, E
DeleteEdie - I'll be that "pole" a purposeful poll to see who is reading your blog that far! I stop reading if it is selling something or if I can't relate to the content. I'd subscribed to a few how-to-market blogs, but when their personal marketing became the focus instead of teaching me how to market, I dropped out.
ReplyDeleteDelores, you caught me! I'd love to say I planted that to see who would notice but that would be a total fib. Spelling just isn't my strong suit, especially with homophones! Thanks for adding your thoughts. Blessings, E
DeleteDelores Those are very good points. Selling especially. If I feel that the only reason the blog is there is to be one big commercial, I dump it quickly.
DeleteI unsubscribe when I find the content not valuable to me or if I clearly just plain disagree with it. I stop reading blog posts when they take too long to get to the point, or are just too long in general.
ReplyDeleteConnie, you're so right. I'm a bottom-line-kind-of-gal and posts that have me asking what's the point also having me clicking away. Thanks so much for sharing! Blessings, E
DeleteNo photos, long, long paragraphs with no breaks. Get to the point and ...quickly! Time is valuable and I have so many blogs I enjoy reading.
ReplyDeleteDebbie, I'm with you on these! Thanks for chiming in, Blessings, E
DeleteOkay, my personal blog lacks focus, I guess. I just try to post personal things, fun things, funny, things, and stuff that tickles me. LOL I guess I like to laugh. I may need to have a chat with you about this, Edie. :)
ReplyDeleteAne, humor IS a focus! I love your blog, don't change a thing! Love you, E
DeleteEdie, I'm thankful that you've written about this topic. I've unsubscribed from blogs, as well as stopped reading several, when the author wanders about the topic, unfocused. Sloppy formatting is another issue for me, though lately I've seen an improvement on this angle.
ReplyDeleteI can only hope--and I do pray each week--that my own viewers find heart in my blog pieces and guests. You've been a great example of a very well done blog with solid structure and great topics. Thanks!
Christmas blessings.
Elaine, you definitely succeed. I love your blog! Thanks for sharing your thoughts, Blessings, E
DeleteThanks, Edie.
DeleteThanks for this valuable list, Edie. As you well know, I'm guilty of some of them some of the time. Thanks for always pointing me back to what I need to do.
ReplyDeleteAs far as what stops me from reading a post...it's become an issue of time and concern. With so many friends having so many great blogs, I'm way over my head and can't possibly read even half of them a day. Then I worry about hurting people if I promote one and not another. It really makes it hard to be fair and supportive to each one. Other than making an actual schedule of whose I'll read on what days, I don't know what else to do. But just the process of making the schedule would be unbelievably time consuming!
As the library/bookstore saying goes: So many books (great blogs) and so little time!
Vonda, so true. But sharing blog posts is about YOUR audience, not about being fair to friends. When you come at it from that angle, it gets a tad bit easier. Not easy, but easier. Thanks for stopping by, Blessings, E
DeleteFocus is my problem, too. It's something I'm really grappling with right now. While I don't really wander, I have a hard time deciding what to blog about other than the repetitive posts I do, such as new releases and reviews. The blogs I actually read all pertain to writing (or are by friends).
ReplyDeleteI use a reader, and I don't unsubscribe. But if the title doesn't interest me, I skip reading it.
Sandra, readers do make it easier to skip over and not unsubscribe. Those of us who get notification our inboxes are more likely to unsubscribe. Thanks for sharing, E
DeleteBad grammar sets my teeth on edge! But even worse is a blog that is hard to read. I have little patience with fancy fonts and weird colors...
ReplyDeleteCarol, both of those are biggies on my list. There are several blogs I've just given up on because they're too hard to read. Thanks for stopping by, Blessing, E
DeleteMy biggest issue is consistency. Often I don't know what to write about, but when I get an idea, I talk myself out of it, believing no one would be interested. Either way, I don't post anything.
ReplyDeleteAs far as not reading to the end of a post, there's two things that do it for me. First, if the post is too long. My eyes get tired after spending too much time on the computer, so that's an important one for me. The second thing, which often makes me unsubscribe to a blog, is when someone's trying to sell me something. I'm not looking to buy anything when get on someone's blog.
Ellen, we can often be our own worst enemies. But I've discovered that as long as I'm trying and sincere, my audience is patient. Yours will be too. Quit talking yourself out of posting. Thanks for sharing your thoughts! Blessings, E
DeleteHmm . . . sometimes I unsubscribe because, like Vonda, I just can't read them all. The ones I keep must have a consistent take away to make it worth my time. That sounds kind of consumerish, but when your time is limited, you have to use it efficiently. I agree with Erin that I appreciate posts that have a fresh take on familiar information, especially spiritual topics. Cliches are a sign of shallow, lazy writing -- something I have to watch myself. Crazy fonts and ugly backgrounds are challenging. No one's mentioned the font size yet. It's gotten better, but every now and then I find a blog that's still posting in a small font, and I almost always click off. The editor in me finds it hard to take a blog seriously that has consistent grammatical and spelling errors. With that said, however, if the message is great, I chalk it up to the same learning curve I'm on :)
ReplyDeleteLori, I'm with you all the way. Thanks so much for stopping by, Blessings, E
DeleteEdie, good advice! I am definitely going to do a better job blogging in 2014! Being connected with you will certainly encourage this resolution. Hugs.
ReplyDeleteElva, thank you for the encouragement! Blessings, E
DeleteEdie, one thing that causes me to stop reading a post (or unsubscribe from a blog) is a poor word choice, especially a foul word, on the part of a blogger.
ReplyDeleteBarbara, I agree. Thanks so much for dropping by, Blessings, E
DeleteBecause my time is so limited, posts that are too long discourage me from reading. Even if the content is great, I'm worn out before I start.
ReplyDeleteSusan, I know what you mean. If I do find a long post I'm willing to commit to, I still usually scan it because of the time it takes. I recommend bloggers divide long posts into two or three continued entries. Blessings, E
DeleteEdie, I try to read EVERYTHING...and it's my downfall. Most of the time, if I unsubscribe, it's because most of the subject matter is over my head. It's good, but I have to acknowledge that I'm just not ready for it yet. Another reason would be the opposite...I don't learn anything from it. The same holds true for why I quit reading a particular blog. If I feel the author is being repetitious, or isn't really saying anything, I'll go on. I'm finding my time too short to hang in there....
ReplyDeleteThat being said, I plan on re-examining my own blog in the next few weeks, and chart a better course. Sometimes I am guilty of repetition, and don't want to lose the readers I have gained this year.
Tanks for this post. Great advice, as always!
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