This is my third time ‘launching’ this blog. I know you’re probably thinking whattttt, but it’s the truth. And if I’m being honest, I know exactly why my blog didn’t work in the past. It’s because I made multiple blogging mistakes.
Now, I’m making sure not to do this again. And I also wanted to share these mistakes with you so that you don’t make these same blogging mistakes either!
5 Blogging Mistakes To Prevent As A Beginner Blogger
Focusing on too many social media platforms
If I could go back, this would be the first thing I’d change!
I spent SO much time working on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and more. Probably HOURS a day.
Here’s the thing.
The best technique is to pick one social media platform and master it.
Why?
When you start out blogging, most of your traffic is going to come from social media (if you market it there). It takes a while for SEO to kick in and for Google to index your site, especially on the front page of search engines, which is difficult for even the huge websites.
If you put all your time and effort into mastering one platform rather than multiple, it is going to be much more effective.
Marketing takes a lot of work and technique. If you’re focusing on every social media platform, you’re going to get minimal results as a whole because you just won’t be able to keep up with it.
There was a point when I was spending hours a day on Facebook while also trying to make Pinterest pins, post tweets on Twitter, AND write some blog posts. All as a beginner with no extra help.
It wasn’t working well.
Rather, if you focus all your time and energy on one platform, you’re going to see great results! You’ll be able to get you and your blog out there, master the system, and drive in that traffic!
That leads me into my next mistake, which was…
Not prioritizing Pinterest
Here’s my recommendation: Pinterest.
In my opinion and in the opinion of many other bloggers, Pinterest is the BEST way to market your blog. Sometimes it even gives bloggers thousands of pageviews a day. Crazy right?!
This is because Pinterest pins link directly to your blog posts. Therefore, it’s easy for viewers to quickly get on your blog.
Also, on Pinterest everyone has an equal opportunity to go ‘viral’. If you use the right tactics, you can get just as much traffic as the big bloggers.
Plus it’s free!
I 100% believe that fully investing your time into Pinterest will be a game-changer for your blog.
When I started my blog a while ago, I used Pinterest a little bit. But not much.
When I decided to get my blog back and running and I checked my analytics, I was SHOCKED to see that my blog was getting traffic from Pinterest after all this time. (Even with a few pins!)
Although it can sometimes take a while to get your pins out there, it’s so worth it when they do. Some viral pins can bring thousands of page views each!
Follow me on Pinterest!
Not having a finished website
Ahh, not only did I have an unfinished website, but I also had a pretty ugly website too.
When I used to even look at my website I felt unmotivated. It didn’t look pleasing, and no matter how much I tried to fix it, it just didn’t get better.
This time around I decided to purchase a theme. Let me just say, I think it was one of the BEST investments for my blog and I highly suggest doing it.
Themes can cost a LOT of money.
But…did you know that you can find themes on Etsy?
I did not know that, but when I found out, I ended up buying a beautiful theme for $19 on Etsy. It’s the theme I am currently using and I’m obsessed!
You can check out the theme that I’m using here!
Plus, it’s a one-time payment, easy to install, and has so many unique features!
If you’ve been questioning buying a theme, I couldn’t recommend it more.
Also…
It’s very important that you have a complete website.
Before you publish your website, here are some crucial things that you should have:
- An ‘About Me’ page and section (on a home page or side bar)
- A ‘Contact’ page
- A fully designed website (sidebars, home page, footers)
- Save and share buttons
- Functional subscription boxes
- Social links
- Menus
Not doing enough research
I’ve always said that I believe research is one of the most important things when you are starting out a blog (and in general…I still research all the time!)
There are countless blog posts, eBooks, courses, YouTube videos, and teachers out there who are working to help you learn everything they know about blogging and marketing.
Even some of the most successful bloggers share their tips!
Research will show you not only how to do things, but how to do them effectively and right. This will help you to make the most of your marketing and to write posts that will make your blog successful!
Here’s some areas that I highly recommend researching so that you know exactly how to make your blog successful:
- Google SEO
- Pinterest SEO
- Utilizing Pinterest
- Building email lists
- Optimizing blog posts
- Plugins
- Marketing techniques
- Google Analytics
- Google Search Console
- Affiliate marketing
- Google Adsense
- Pinterest analytics
When I started my blog the first time, I was so excited to get the ball rolling that I pushed research aside and it really showed. Looking back, it seemed like I had no idea what I was doing. (Probably because I didn’t!)
Do yourself a favor and don’t make the same mistake I did. See what works for others and try out different things!
Research is the first step to success!
Spending time on the wrong things
Another one of those rookie blogging mistakes.
When you’re a beginner blogger, it’s hard to know what to prioritize.
For example, I spent so much time on my email list. I tried creating opt-ins, email campaigns, pop-up forms for my website, integrated forms, and many emails.
And you know what?
No one even subscribed.
While it is important to have an email list ready, and possibly even a ‘freebie’ to get your readers to subscribe, I think it’s more important to focus on actually getting the readers to your blog.
This doesn’t only go for email lists. It can apply in countless areas.
Know what you need to prioritize based on where you’re at, and know what you don’t need to prioritize.
I promise, this will save you so much time and will help you to focus on things that are truly important in making your blog successful!
If you’re a beginner blogger, don’t worry!
Blogging is a journey and you will constantly grow along the way.
Hopefully these blogging mistakes that I made help show to you what NOT to do and help to set you up for success! Be sure to comment the name of your blog down below so I can check it out!
-Leah
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