Do You Make These 7 Mistakes When You Blog?

Very interesting tips. Thought I would share them.

Do You Make These 7 Mistakes When You Blog?
Courtesy of http://virtualphotographystudio.com

This past week I’ve been teaching classes on blogging and becoming web savvy with your marketing. And the questions students asked reminded me of some of the top mistakes bloggers make with their blogs, especially if you’re new to blogging and haven’t really cracked the code of increasing traffic enough to bring in new clients.

After blogging for years, and writing well in excess of 1,000 posts, I have made most of the mistakes top bloggers make – numerous times. And whether you are new to blogging or have done it for years, you can learn from these mistakes, and change the way you approach your own blog.

Mistake #1 You don’t post enough
How often do you post? If you haven’t seen the results yet, chances are you’re not blogging enough. If you’re not posting at least once per week at the bare minimum, you’re probably losing momentum. Frequency is what keeps people interested, and keeps them coming back. The more you post, the more traffic you’ll see. Commit to your frequency, and make sure you do it every week.


Mistake #2 You don’t write to engage your reader
After you’ve written a post, step back and read it one more time. Will people have a reason to comment on it? Did you ask questions? Is there something a little controversial? If not, go back and add a sentence or two that gives people a reason to comment. I love to ask questions along the way, and ask people what their opinions are. Make sure they have a reason to connect with you.


Mistake #3 Your post offers too much content
When people read a post, they usually have a minute or two to spare. Not 30 minutes to read a novel. Try to make your posts a minimum of 200 words for traction within the search engines, yet less than 800 words to make it readable in just a few minutes. I also like to split up my posts into bullet items, tips, or suggestions to make it more readable. And memorable.

Mistake #4 You don’t use comments to start the conversation
Comments are a great way to start up conversations. I usually login once or twice a day to check out my newest comments. I have to approve comments before they live. I do this to make sure spam comments don’t end up on my blog, and also so I can answer questions, make comments, or further clarify things if people have more questions. It’s a great way to further educate your readers on your business.

Mistake #5 Your headline is weak
Want to know what the most important part of your post is? Its your headline. Your headline is what attracts people, makes them want to click and read what you have to say. What can you do to make it exciting? What can you do to make people want to click and read? Using the same title again and again won’t do it. Instead, find ways of adding more to each one.


Mistake #6 Your summary is weak
If people read your title and like what they see, they’ll give you a few more seconds of time. They will read the first few lines and see if that grabs their attention too. After you write your post, head back to the first few lines and find a way to make it more enticing. It will keep people on your site longer, and increase your chances of gaining more clients down the road.


Mistake #7 Your post isn’t branded
What do you normally write about? Photography of course. Yet occasionally do you head way off topic, and write on something that holds little interest in anything your clients want to read? While it is important to develop your own personality, its equally important to give people what they want. Even if you want to talk about something you love, find a way to tie it back into what your clients love too.

http://virtualphotographystudio.com/photographyblog/2011/10/do-you-make-these-7-mistakes-when-you-blog/