14 Traps New Bloggers Fall Into And How To Avoid Them
Blogging can be fun and rewarding for sharing your thoughts and ideas. But if you’re not careful, it can also be a quick way to get into hot water.
As a new blogger, it’s essential to understand the potential pitfalls and how to avoid them.
By following these tips and tricks, you’ll be able to grow your audience, build your brand, and avoid the negative consequences that come with careless blogging.
So, let’s dive in and learn how to navigate the world of blogging successfully.
In this article, we’ll look at ten traps new bloggers often fall into – and how to avoid them.
List of Blogging Mistakes for New Bloggers
1. Choosing the Wrong WordPress Theme
One of the traps that new bloggers can fall into is choosing the wrong WordPress theme.
There are thousands of themes, and deciding which is suitable for your blog can be challenging.
One mistake many new bloggers make is choosing a too complicated theme.
A theme with too many features can be overwhelming and make your blog look cluttered. It’s essential to choose a theme that is simple and easy to use.
Another mistake that new bloggers make is choosing a theme that is not mobile-friendly.
With more and more people using smartphones and tablets to access the internet, ensuring your blog can be viewed on these devices is essential.
Choose a responsive theme, meaning it will adjust to any screen size.
Choosing a suitable WordPress theme can be challenging, but it’s essential to take time and find one that is right for you and your blog.
Avoid these common mistakes, and you’ll be on your way to success.
2. Selecting a Bad Hosting Company
There are many hosting companies, and knowing which one to choose isn’t easy. You want to select a reputable company that offers you good customer service.
New bloggers fall into one trap: selecting a hosting company based on price. While it’s essential to find a company that fits your budget, you also want to ensure they offer good value.
Another trap is choosing a hosting company without doing any research. Make sure to read reviews of potential hosting companies before making your decision.
Finally, please don’t choose a hosting company simply because they offer a free domain name. While this may be a nice bonus, it shouldn’t be the deciding factor.
By avoiding these traps, you can select a hosting company that is right for you and your blog.
3. Picking a Difficult-to-Read Domain Name
One of the biggest traps new bloggers fall into is choosing a domain name that is difficult to read or understand.
A domain name is the web address people will use to find your blog, so choosing something easy to remember and the spell is essential.
If you’re struggling with a good domain name, try using a domain names generator tool like Namemesh or Panabee. These tools will help you develop a list of potential domain names based on the keywords you enter.
Once you have a list of potential domain names, take some time to check them against these criteria:
– Is the domain name easy to read? Avoid using abbreviations or slang.
– Is the domain name easy to spell? Avoid using words with multiple spellings (e.g., “color” vs “colour”).
– Is the domain name short and memorable? Longer domain names are more difficult to remember.
– Is the domain name available? Use tool domain availability tools to check if the domain name is available for registration.
4. Using the Wrong Name for Your Blog
One of the first blogging traps new bloggers fall into is using the wrong name for their blog. It’s a common mistake and one that can be easily avoided.
Your blog’s name should be reflective of its content. If you’re writing about fashion, your blog’s name should have something to do with fashion. The same goes for if you’re writing about food, travel, or any other topic.
Your blog’s name should also be easy to pronounce and spell. This will make it easier for people to find your blog when they are searching for it online.
Finally, your blog’s name should be unique. Don’t choose a name that another blogger is already using. You risk confusing your readers and driving away potential followers if you do.
Avoid these mistakes and choose a catchy, unique name for your blog that accurately reflects its content. Doing so will help you attract more readers and followers from the start.
5. Picking the Wrong Niche to Blog About
Getting caught up in the latest trends can be easy when starting as a blogger. However, picking a niche you’re passionate about is essential so you don’t get burned out quickly.
There are a lot of popular blogging niches, such as fashion, beauty, lifestyle, and food. But keeping up with content creation won’t be easy if you’re not genuinely interested in those topics.
It’s also important to consider whether or not there is already a lot of competition in your chosen niche. If there are already a ton of successful bloggers in your space, it can be tough to break through and make a name for yourself.
To avoid getting bogged down by these traps, take some time to think about what topics you’re genuinely passionate about. Once you’ve narrowed it down, research to see if there’s room for another voice in that niche.
If you pick a niche you’re excited about, and there isn’t much competition, you’ll be well on your way to bloggers’ success!
6. Choosing Topics That Readers Aren’t Interested In
Getting caught up in writing about topics you’re passionate about is easy, but your blog won’t be successful if no one is interested in reading about those topics.
Choosing topics your target audience is interested in is crucial so they will keep coming back to your blog.
One way to find out what topics your readers are interested in is to use Google Analytics to see which posts get the most views and comments.
You can also use social media to gauge what topics are popular with your readers. Use these methods to help you choose topics for your blog posts that will be popular with your readers.
7. Writing Without an Outline
One of the new bloggers’ biggest traps is writing without an outline. This can be a huge mistake because it can lead to rambling, unfocused posts that don’t say anything.
Before writing your post, outline what you want to say for a few minutes. This doesn’t have to be fancy – just a few bullet points will do.
An outline will help you stay on track as you write and ensure that your post is concise and to the point.
Another trap new bloggers often fall into is comparisonitis. This is when you compare your blog to others in your niche and feel like yours isn’t good enough.
Comparisonitis is a dangerous mindset because it can lead to discouragement and self-doubt. Instead of comparing your blog to others, focus on what makes your blog unique and special. Remember that there is room for everyone in the blogging world!
8. Writing and Publishing Inconsistently
One of the biggest traps new bloggers fall into is writing and publishing inconsistently. It can be tough to stay motivated and keep up with a blog when you don’t have a set schedule or plan.
One way to avoid this trap is to set aside weekly time to write and publish new posts. Whether you block off an hour each day or dedicate a few hours on the weekend, having a set time to work on your blog will help you stay consistent.
Another way to stay consistent is to have an editorial calendar. This can help you plan what you’ll write about in advance, making it easier to sit down and start when it’s time to write.
If you struggle to stay consistent, remember that starting small is okay. Just commit to writing and publishing one post weekly, gradually increasing your frequency as you get more comfortable.
9. Forgetting to Research Topics
Researching your topics before you write about them is essential.
Not only will this help you avoid writing inaccurate information, but it will also help you write more interesting and detailed blog posts.
Readers can tell if you’ve done your research, and they’ll appreciate the effort.
There are a few different ways to research your topics. You can start by doing a simple Google search. This can give you a good overview of what’s already been written on your topic.
You can also check out relevant forums and discussion boards. This is a great way to see what people are talking about and to get ideas for new blog posts.
Finally, don’t forget to consult experts on your topic. If you know someone who is an expert on your topic, contact them and see if they’d be willing to chat with you about it.
This can give you some great insights that you can use in your blog posts.
10. Missing Best SEO Practices
As a new blogger, it’s easy to get caught up in content creation and forget about some of the more technical aspects of blogging, such as search engine optimization (SEO).
However, SEO is essential if you want your blog to be successful. After all, if your content isn’t being found by people searching for it, it will not do you any good.
Here are some common SEO mistakes that new bloggers make and how to avoid them:
1. Not using keywords correctly.
When you’re writing a blog post, be sure to use relevant keywords throughout the text. However, don’t overuse keywords or stuff your posts with them. This will irritate your readers and get you penalized by Google.
2. Not optimizing your images.
Whenever you upload a photo to your blog, include keywords in the file name and fill out the alternate text field with a brief image description. This will help your blog posts show up in image searches.
3. Not promoting your content enough.
Just because you’ve written a great blog post doesn’t mean people will automatically find it. You need to use social media, email newsletters, and other relevant websites to reach a broader audience and increase your blog’s visibility.
11. Forgetting About Social Media Promotion
As a new blogger, getting caught up in writing and forgetting about promoting your content on social media is easy. However, social media promotion is essential to reach a larger audience.
New bloggers often fall into a few traps regarding social media promotion. One trap is forgetting to post regularly. It’s important to post new content on your blog regularly, but promoting it on social media is also essential.
People will forget about your blog if you only promote your content sporadically.
Another trap is failing to interact with other bloggers and social media users. Posting your content is not enough; I hope people will see it.
You must be active on social media, commenting on other people’s posts and engaging in conversations. This will help you attract more attention to your blog.
Finally, don’t underestimate the power of paid advertising on social media. While organic reach is essential, paid ads can help you reach an even wider audience.
Avoid these traps, and you’ll be on your way to successful social media promotion!
13. Forgetting to Track Progress
One of the traps that new bloggers can fall into is forgetting to track their progress. It’s essential to keep track of your metrics to see how your blog is growing and improving over time.
There are a few different metrics that you can track, such as your page views, unique visitors, and subscribers. You can also track people’s time on your site and the number of social media shares and comments.
You can use a simple spreadsheet to track your progress or a more sophisticated tracking tool like Google Analytics.
Whichever method you choose, make sure that you are consistent in tracking your progress so that you can see how your blog is doing.
Another trap new bloggers can fall into is not promoting their blogs enough. Promoting your blog is essential to get people to read it.
You can promote your blogs in several ways, such as through social media, guest blogging, and search engine optimization.
Ensure you promote your blog regularly so that people know it exists and can find it easily. Growing an audience won’t be easy if you don’t promote your blog.
14. Not Learning the More Technical Aspects of Blogging
Learning the more technical aspects of blogging is essential if you want to be successful. Many new bloggers assume they can start writing and everything else will fall into place.
However, there is a lot more to blogging than just writing. You must also learn about search engine optimization (SEO), social media marketing, and email marketing.
If you don’t take the time to learn about these things, you will likely struggle to attract readers to your blog.
Additionally, you won’t be able to monetize your blog effectively if you don’t understand how to drive traffic to your site.
Many resources are available to help you learn the technical aspects of blogging. Take time to read blog posts and articles on these topics to avoid making common mistakes when you start your blog.
Conclusion
In conclusion, starting a blog can be an exciting adventure filled with new opportunities and challenges. However, new bloggers often fall into common traps that can harm their blog’s success.
By following the tips mentioned in this article, such as avoiding plagiarism, not neglecting SEO, promoting your content, and focusing on quality over quantity, you can create a successful blog that resonates with your target audience.
Remember, blogging is a journey, not a destination, and success doesn’t happen overnight. It takes time, dedication, and hard work.
But if you stick with it and avoid these common pitfalls, your blog has the potential to grow into a valuable resource for your readers and a platform for your ideas.
So, stay consistent, be patient, and keep learning, and you’ll be on your way to becoming a successful blogger in no time.
