12 Blogging Mistakes you Need to Avoid in order to be Profitable

It’s inevitable that you will make some blogging mistakes as you begin to grow a blogging business.

I have made a ton of them over the six years that I have been blogging!  

How I see it, you have two choices. You can either beat yourself up over mistakes and allow them to keep you from moving forward or you can view them as proof that you are trying and learning. To be successful, you will need to adopt the second way of thinking. You will make blogging mistakes as a growing blogger.

Lots of them.

But the good news is that you can save yourself a ton of time and effort. You can start learning from the trial and error of others who have come before you.

In this post, I am breaking down 12 common blogging mistakes that I see new bloggers make. We’ll discuss how to avoid them so that you can save time and grow a profitable blog long-term.

This post may contain affiliate links.  Please see my disclosure page for more info

12 Common Blogging Mistakes to Avoid as a New Blogger

Blogging Mistake #1 – Choosing the wrong blogging platform

I did this a few times when I was trying to turn my hobby blog into a profitable business and it cost me SO MUCH TIME and GROWTH.

If you want to build a profitable blogging business then WordPress.org is hands-down where you want to be!

When you self-host your own website with WordPress.org, you have total control over your online presence, customization options, and how you monetize your blog. You have the final say on how your blog looks and what the user experience is like. No one else gets to decide what happens on your blog or with your business.

To learn more about the pros and cons of the most popular blogging platforms check out my post, The Ultimate Guide to Choosing the Best Website Platform for your Business.

Then when you are ready, access my free step-by-step video tutorial for setting up your WordPress Blog.

Blogging Mistake #2 – Choosing the wrong host

Having helped a lot of new bloggers start their blogs and having designed several websites for clients, I have seen first-hand the repercussions of choosing the wrong hosting company.

It can be tempting to opt for the cheapest hosting you can find when you are first starting out, but you need to know that all hosts are NOT created equal.

Choosing the wrong one can lead to slow site performance, security risks and lack of tech support.

The host that I recommend for beginning bloggers is Bluehost.

• Bluehost is a trusted host and has great support for those just starting out
• They offer a low, affordable price for a beginner’s budget
• Bluehost gives you a free domain for your first year when you sign up

Check out my free step-by-step video tutorial for setting up your WordPress Blog with the hosting provider Bluehost.

Siteground is another popular hosting provider that is a great choice.

Blogging Mistake #3 – Picking a niche just because it’s profitable

It can be tempting to want to jump into a lucrative niche like finance or weight loss. If you don’t have the knowledge in these areas or find enjoyment in them though, it’s definitely gonna come across in your writing and how you show up for your audience.

You really need to enjoy what you are talking about and be knowledgeable in what you are discussing because you are going to have to do it A LOT!  

For example, if you hate working out and you decide to start a weight loss blog based on losing weight through cardio exercises then your business isn’t going to go very far. 

If you do not have an interest in the business you are building your blog around, trust me you are not going to be motivated to put in the hard work and dedication that is required to build a profitable online business. Your audience will also realize that you are not being authentic, which is a sure-fire way for them to lose trust in you and stop reading your content.

Blogging Mistake #4 – Not niching down enough

Most new bloggers start a blog that covers a bunch of different topics. They have trouble narrowing down their interests and decide that they will create a blog that will appeal to all different interests – Parenting, fitness, nutrition, beauty, making and saving money, etc.)

The thinking is that a large range of topics draws in a larger number of people, which leads to the largest possible return. If this is currently your thought as well, let me give you some tough love.  

When you speak to everyone, you speak to no one.  

A “Lifestyle” blog will not cut it in 2021 if you want to make money and grow and profitable blogging business.  Blogs about anything and everything just end up confusing your reader. In addition, they will drain your energy and motivation because of all the different areas you will need to focus on.

So what should you do instead?

You want to be as specific as possible when choosing your niche. The more focused you are, the more effective you will be at explaining what you do and how you can help your ideal customer.

Check out my post, 175+ Blog Niche Ideas that People are Actually Searching for, for more inspiration

Blogging Mistake #5 – Jumping in without doing market research

If you want to have a blogging business and not just a hobby, you need to make sure that there is actually a profitable need for what you have to offer before you create an entire business around the topic.  

This means you will need to do some market research. You need to find out what your ideal customer’s pain points are and if they are significant enough for them to want to spend money on them.  

Reach out to family and friends that fall into your ideal audience and ask if they would be willing to do a 15-minute call with you.  Go into FB groups for your specific niche to see what questions people are asking.  Research other competitors in your niche for inspiration.  Are there any? 

Competition is actually a good thing!  If there aren’t any others blogging in your niche, this could be a sign that there really isn’t a market for what you have to offer.  

 

Blogging Mistake #6 – Choosing perfection over messy action

Want to save yourself from a slow and hard journey to success? Then you must embrace messy action and a “good enough attitude when it comes to your blog.

This isn’t to say that you throw quality to the wind by any means. If however, you are waiting for the “right time” to start or are constantly tweaking your blog design or posts before sharing them with the world, it’s time to stop!

Analysis paralysis is a real thing and it prevents so many bloggers from ever getting started!

There’s so much to think about. I’ll start my blog next month when I have more time

Once I design my logo and figure out my fonts, I will share my blog with the world.

I need to make sure my blog post is perfect before I hit publish.

There will always be an excuse for why your blog isn’t ready for the world to see. You need to embrace imperfect action because you will never make the quick blogging progress you want with a perfectionist mindset

Clarity is gained through taking action, so just start getting your content out there! You can always readjust and tweak as you grow.

Blogging Mistake #7 – Writing blog posts without a content strategy

Building a profitable blogging business involves so much more than just blogging.

Yes, you need good content in order to grow a profitable blog, BUT…

• Are you providing the right content for your ideal customer?
• Do you have a way to keep in touch with the people reading your blog posts?
• Are people even able to find the blog posts you have worked really hard on? How are you driving traffic to your site? Do you have an SEO strategy?
• Does the opt-in and content you create relate to the products/services you plan to offer?

These are just a few of the elements that need to be in place before you can expect to make any money with your blog.

Check out my planner to help you turn your blog into a money-making business

Blogging Mistake #8 – Not producing content on a consistent basis

Content is the heart of your blogging business. The more content you create, the more traffic you will receive and the faster you will grow.

But coming up with content ideas and creating it takes time and is hard work. It is incredibly easy to put off writing a blog post or recording a video for your blog. It’s why so many new bloggers fail.

You need to be showing up for your audience on a regular basis. It’s how you build trust and credibility.  No one wants to follow someone who is inconsistent!  

Create a blogging schedule and commit to it. I recommend producing content once a week if possible.  Having built two blogging businesses though, I know that when you are first starting out there is a lot that you are juggling. Start with twice a month when you are first starting out if you want to ensure consistency. Then move to once a week as soon as you possibly can.  

Take some time to seriously evaluate your schedule and come up with a realistic plan for yourself. Then stick with it.  Consistency is how you build trust.

Blogging Mistake #9 – Lacking a traffic strategy

You put a lot of time and effort into creating those amazing blog posts and pieces of content.  You know they can help so many people around the world, but does anyone know about them?

They may physically exist out there on the world wide web, but is anyone reading it besides your mom and best friend? If not, then it doesn’t exist in the mind of your ideal reader/customer and this is what counts!

You need a solid marketing strategy.  There are a number of strategies to implement for getting traffic to your site, but the truth is they take time or money. 

When you are first starting out, I don’t recommend spending money on ads.  You need to make sure your messaging is on point with your audience first. Plus if you are not selling any products or services yet, (which you shouldn’t be until you know what your audience really wants) then you won’t be able to regain that ad spend.  

Some marketing strategies that bring in organic traffic, but take time to work include:

Search engine optimization (SEO) – the practice of increasing the quantity and quality of traffic to your website through organic search engine results.

Social Media Platforms – Pinterest (my favorite to drive traffic), YouTube,  Facebook, Twitter

Getting in front of other people’s audiences – Building relationships with other bloggers and entrepreneurs and pitching yourself to be on their podcasts, doing guest posts, etc.

Blogging Mistake #10 – Not capturing leads

Typically 75% of your blog’s visitors will never return! (Blogging Wizard)

There are a number of contributing factors to this, but it illustrates the importance of capturing your reader’s contact information before they leave your site.

Email communication is what takes your blogging efforts to the next level!

You need to have a way to collect your reader’s email addresses so that you can build a know, like, and trust factor with them. This is done by providing valuable information to them and eventually offering your products/courses/services to help them even further.  

You want to offer your reader something of value. Essentially you are giving them a free gift in exchange for their email address.  The gift doesn’t have to be elaborate or complicated.  You want to think of something that is going to give your audience a quick win.  Something that will move them forward, but is not going to require a lot of effort on your or their part.  

You will also need a bulk email marketing provider to allow you to collect and send emails to people. I highly recommend ConvertKit. It is who I have used a loved for over 4 years. They also now have an amazing free plan for beginners!

Blogging Mistake #11 – Expecting Results Overnight

I often have people reaching out to me saying that they want to start a blog because they are broke.

Ugh.

First, I need to stress that a blog doesn’t equal money.

It is very important to understand that blogging is a long game. It is not a get-rich-quick scheme. 

Blogging will take time, hard work, and at least a small investment on your part to drive traffic to your site, build an audience via email marketing, and consistently provide valuable content that helps your ideal reader. A strategic plan and an audience are what leads to money in the bank and a profitable business down the line.

Second, the amount of time it takes to build up your blog and following depends on your niche, your blogging strategies, and the amount of valuable content you are creating consistently on your blog.

Blogging Mistake #12 – Not investing in yourself

How much is your time worth?

What is your hourly rate?

Are you really saving money when you choose to spend hours upon hours of your time piecing together strategies from the Internet? Trying to figure out how to actually build a profitable blog all on your own?

What if you could speed up the process by weeks, months, and maybe even years?

Business owners grow much more quickly by investing in themselves and their businesses to save time and money. Fast track your success by investing in private coaching and or DIY courses that will guide you step-by-step.

Then as your blogging business grows, start investing your profit back into the business. Start building a team to help you, so that you can focus on the activities only you can do. Then figure out where to best invest to help you scale- ads, software, etc.

Want to work together? Check out how you can work with me to grow your blogging business faster with proven strategies to take your blog to the next level!

Are you making any of these common blogging mistakes?

It is super easy to make one or many of these blogging mistakes when first starting out. I hope that this list helps you become more aware of what makes and breaks blogging businesses. You can begin to recognize them when they come up or even better, avoid them all together.

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