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After blogging for a few years or more it’s easy to look back and see what mistakes we made a new bloggers! But, even a blogger with several years under their belt can continue to make mistakes! Here are a few of mine. You can also think of these “mistakes” as tips for new bloggers. I know everyone has different viewpoints and approaches blogging in different ways, these are just some mistakes I have done, and continue to work on today!
Mistake #1: Not carving out time to blog!
When do you blog? Before work? After dinner? Or all.day.long like me? I try to blog during naptime, but let’s be honest, I am also using this time to catch up on other things (like Game of Thrones) and not putting my full effort into blogging. So, I end up blogging while watching TV, checking Facebook and here and there throughout the day. It can take me 5 hours to write one small post in this manner!
Like anything else, I should carve out specific time for blogging. “Office Hours,” if you will. Turn off the TV, sit down at the table and just blog. Whether it be 10 minutes, or an hour, give yourself specific time each day, or even on certain days to blog with undivided attention. This will lead to more productivity and better blogging.
Mistake #2: Forgetting to promote blog post!
Most days I put up my posts and it automatically is posted to Facebook through the bloglovin app. Usually I will try to pin my post as well, and link it up with one or two groups in Facebook. But that’s usually as far as it goes! If you want to maximize your engagement it’s important to self promote. And don’t think of it as bothering people! Think about this- when you go on Facebook or Twitter how many posts a day do you see from one person or one page you follow? Not that many. If you only post to your social media accounts in the morning, you are missing out on the lunch and afternoon crowd! Don’t forget to promote!
Mistake #3: Ignoring Twitter!
I have to admit, with so many social media options available, Twitter has really taken a back burner for me. Maybe this is true of other bloggers, too? I think it’s a mistake to ignore twitter because it’s such an easy platform to interact with people! I should try to work harder to retweet other bloggers, respond to tweets and just tweet more in general for more engagement!
Mistake #4: Not being self-hosted!
A very common mistake, and one I am still working on, is not being a “self hosted” blogger. This has to do with ownership of content. On some platforms, you are borrowing the space and therefore don’t have fun ownership of your content. Your blog can be removed at any time and all your content lost! (a good reason to always back up your blog!) However, if you are self hosted you have the ability to own your content and your blog! As a new blogger I didn’t really care about this because I was only writing about my life, but not that I am becoming more involved as a blogger I see the importance of making this switch!
Mistake #5: Not being consistent!
When I first started blogging I would blog randomly here and there. My posting schedule had no consistency and my post topics were so varied! My topics are still varied today, and I like it that way, however the variation is a lot more limited. I try to keep my topics to: family, kids activities, travel, fashion and recipes. That seems like a lot, but it’s a lot more narrowed down than my blog used to be! I also try to keep a consistent schedule of blogging, especially with certain topics such as my Time for Mom hop on Tuesdays. Being consistent helps your readers know what to expect and narrowing down your “niche” will help build your readership in that niche and lead to more engaging comments!
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