There are many different ways to approach writing a blog, whether it be for a specific audience or topic, for your business, or for personal enjoyment. While it may seem simple to discuss a topic casually, many bloggers (rookies and veteran writers alike) can still fall victim to the Seven Deadly Sins of Blogging!
It’s always good to focus on what the goal of your blog is and what you should be doing, but sometimes it can be even more helpful to start with what to avoid. This way you can cross everything off your list and feel more confident with the finished product!
Here are seven most common deadly sins that can plague bloggers:
1. Information Overload
Sometimes you, the blogger, may have such a robust knowledge of your topic, that you tend to go overboard and ramble on and on about EVERYTHING you know. However, the most interesting blogs don’t necessarily contain every single fact on the topic. They should be knowledgeable, but also easy to follow and to the point so you don’t lose your reader.
2. Too Much Emphasis on SEO
Blogs can be a vital part of the SEO process. When used correctly, keywords are very helpful in increasing your blog’s visibility. However, if a reader can clearly tell when you’re keyword-stuffing, they will treat it more like a pop-up ad and click out of it. Make sure to utilize keywords naturally in content!
3. Blogging TOO MUCH
As mentioned above, blogs are a great resource and a helpful part of any SEO strategy, but as the saying goes, too much of anything can be a bad thing. Posting blogs more than once a day can become overkill, and can even make your other content appear less valuable. Don’t post blogs just because, strive for quality over quantity – though it’s an over-used saying, it rings true!
4. Not Blogging ENOUGH
Now this may seem like a contradiction to my point above, however, the opposite can also become a problem. If you post a blog in 2004 and then another in 2009 and then again in 2011 without anything in between, people will stop viewing your blogs and even stop using them as a valid resource at all. If you don’t seem to want to keep up with them, why should your readers? Aim to blog a couple times per week.
5. No Passion for the Topic
Your readers can smell a lack of enthusiasm a mile away, so if they are reading a bland and unmotivated blog post where the writer is lacking any sort of passion for the subject, they will lose interest immediately. Blogs should be interesting and engaging for the reader. If you are bored writing it, imagine how they feel reading it!
6. Not Understanding Your Audience
Every blog should be catered to a certain audience, whether it is broad enough to be an entire gender or specific enough to be an age group within a certain town who likes a certain brand. You want to make sure your message reaches those readers. If your audience is looking for a fun and light piece to entertain but also to educate, you don’t always want to make an overly informational piece loaded with cut and dry facts and no pizzazz. When writing, put yourself in their shoes!
7. Covering Too Many Topics
It’s always very important to stick to one central theme for your blog. If you go off on several different tangents you will not only lose your reader, but also destroy the entire point of the blog. It’s easy to lose sight of this because in many cases, so many things can be tied together. By clearly and concisely discussing one topic per blog, you can save other ideas for later!
And there you have it – the Seven Deadly Sins of Blogging. Hopefully next time you sit down to write you’ll remember what NOT to do!