COMMENTS
I agree with all these, especially not getting discouraged and monetizing too early. I've been turned off by far too many blogs plastered with ads.
just FYI - you can map your own domain to a TypePad account, and there's also business-level services available. email me if you want to know more!
You're so vain, you probably think this post is about you.
It's not though, only an oblique reference to a misspelling in the article.
#8. Never post lists when there isn't enough content for 10 items.
Oh...and try to make it interesting.
This is all pretty basic stuff that anyone with a half a grey cell will work out fairly quickly. I made a few of these mistakes in my first two blogging months, but worked out the problems in short order.
As regards number 6 (Using a sub-domain (ex: myblog.typepad.com)), Seth Godin's blog - the God of internet marketing himself - still uses a typepad blog, and even his most recent venture kicks off with a typepad domain. I don't agree with Bob on this - it depends what your business and focus is. SOMETIMES you should host your own Wordpress blog, other times it's not so important.
As regards Bob Walsh, I have to say the guy does not impress me. I know he's now a moderator over at Joel's Business of Software forum, and he's got two books under his belt, but I read about half of his first book on Micro ISV's. It was very relevant to me at the time as I was starting my own ISV. About half way through the book he used a product called Whaddidoo as an example of an emerging software product. I'd already downloaded a trial version and come to the conclusion that it was a piece of amateurish trash that would never amount to anything. Even today, months and years later, it's only had 78 downloads from
www.download.com.
The problem I have is that Bob portrayed this guy as an expert, and treated his product in the same way, complete with full page screenshots and words of wisdom. Bob Walsh is a wannabee writer out to make money on the back or recent techie trends - he should not be taken seriously.
If you want to start your own blog - READ OTHER BLOGS! Look at their themes and see with your own eyes why they work. Seth doesn't have any Google ads, or fancy widgets, just rock solid content!
One should blog on a subject that is one's passion. Lack of traffic will not be a concern then.
Ads are sickening. Anyway, no good blog has ads anyway. When I see ads on a blog, I do not take the content seriously and move on.
I immediately escape from blogs that have huge blocks of writing. I need white spaces in order to take an interest in what someone is saying. Huge walls of endless "talking" is a turnoff, not to mention bad for your eyes. Save it for a book, people!
I have avidly followed novels and stories on blogs because they were well-written and posted in smaller chunks that take 5 to 7 minutes maximum to read. I myself sometimes let friends or colleagues know approximately how long a post will take to read (if it's non-fiction), when I send them a link.
Sometimes, breaking a post up into two parts is a good idea.
It never hurts to state the obvious. I did introduce a number of blidgets in my blog. But then I realized my blot was about writing good content. I got rid of them.
Agreed with all what's said in the post. I committed an additional mistake at two of my blogs and that was not updating timely.
I think I have fallen in the "7 Common Mistakes When Beginning Blogging" that you describe. But be shure I´ll be fixing them just from now. Thank you!
Greats site Thanks for your work!
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For mistake #2, do you mean registering the Blog URL hosted on a free blog service if you already have a registered URL for your web site? I didn't think you can register a URL that is a sub-domain. Many thanks! This is helpful information.
There is no bogger turn-off than ads in a BLOG. I used ads in the very begining to no avail. People were probably not reading the blog.
Once I ceased, people visited my website and actually bought product. Don't do it, it's not worth it.
Byrdlegs
One less obvious blog blunder a new blogger can make is not seeking out opinions of readers and then addressing these concerns with other comments, or in future posts. Feel free to end a post wtih: "What do you think?" to make it that much more obvious that you want feedback. Going one step further, do an entire post that asks people what topics within your blog subject are of highest interest. Or send out an email and ask people. I have done all three of these tactics for my blog in the first few months and I learned a lot about what readers liked. --Ken (purethinking.typepad.com)
This is great! I only have about 3 or 4 "dont's"... Usually with other blogs i read there list is different and i get a 9 out of 10 wrong so, what is that called, improvement??
:)
So much to learn, so much to learn!
Although the layout isn't essential, you should still make sure it works on all the major browsers!
I don't agree that design isn't important - don't underrate the importance of the visual impact - a lot of female readers are impressed by this - we are not all geeks who like gadgets and widgets - good pictures are VERY important to hold interest.
Good article. I particularly like the points #5 & #7. I also wrote something like this a while back.
http://www.derick.in/13/9-must-dos-before-starting-a-blog/
I have to admit I made pretty much all these mistakes when I started out and I wrote about it here:
http://www.jasonslater.co.uk/index.php/2007/09/20/how-am-i-going-to-fix-my-blog/
So your post is very useful advice for new starters (as well as established Bloggers!).
Jas.
http://www.jasonslater.co.uk
How do i Build a Blog Site-Off Line at Home, too my Liking, And Then Post it or Send It In a Secure Line back to you, then Advertise, Obviously, i will Neg terms Conditions and (E.G. 5%), for each transaction through your Paypal line, within my blogger.....This is a small Bussiness of Mine which has been dormant for some time, it is a "Donation", type of bussiness....
1st, Questions.....let me see what you may say about the above mentioned,
Thank you,
Regards,
Mr.Frederik.J.Bezuidenhout.
@...
27793955685@vodamail.co.za
I have been trying to decide if I should start a blog ablut my office furniture business. I'm not sure I can create a daily dose of content for desks and such. Any thoughts are appreciated.
Mira: You don't need to create daily content (or for that matter, even weekly content) just to start a blog.
Frequency helps, but it shouldn't keep you from starting.
Great points. Thanks for the post.
I am new to Blogging. I had no idea there was so much to it. I am looking forward to using it in my marketing tool box.
I think the most important of the points is #5, Not getting discouraged.
Anything that is worthwhile takes time and effort. Some blogs start and are a instant success, others have taken years to gain a following.
The key is to find something you are passionate about, post to your blog consistently with good content and weather the storm.
intestering thought on the sub domain... I have a "regular" site http://www.MarkRyanGroup.com as well as the blog that I have hosted with template provider... wonder it there is any seo that will follow if I move the site? Not a redirect but actually change the dns setting?
Mark: If the URL for a given page does not change (because all you are changing is the DNS setting), I think most of the SEO authority will carry through to the new site.
It's the changing of URLs that requires a 301 redirect.
However, there are some that would argue that Google looks at changes in domain registration info and discount for that a bit. But, if the content is the same, my guess is that this would be minimal.
I guess that - in general - I agree with the first sixth mistakes, but I don't agree with the seventh.
I'm very sure that if the blogger wants to monetize usings ads, he/she should start as early as when launching. That way, there won't be changes in the general look of the blog, and the followers will not be "offended" by the ads.
By the way, there's nothing wrong about monetization, it's neither inmoral, nor ilegal and ALL of the Big Blogs monetize, one way or the other.
Another common mistake is starting a blog that doesn't have a content theme or strategy. When I see a blog that isn't obviously about a particular topic or theme, I move on. To attract and keep readers, a blog must be about something specific. The blogger shouldn't deviate much from the main theme of the blog.
These are all great comments. I'm removing my widgets and ads. Since I started writing blogs, I have found other blog websites listed under my main website on the search engines. Thanks for the encouragement.
Luckily I read "Clear Blogging" and want to echo your praise for it. I haven't made any of the 7 mistakes, though I sure make a lot in wordpress. I cannot envision talking about wind chimes on a regular basis, so I'm incorporating freeware & shareware into the blog, since I'm a software junkie. My blog officially opens the end of March, there will be several articles and you're all invited to visit! windchimesUSAmade.com
Solid advice - am removing ads from my blogs as I write. They are a distraction and I will note improvement in traffic over the next few months. It's still early days and other changes will also enhance and increase my readers' eexperience. Sussing it all out takes a while but the key is to try and stay true to yourself (as you are doing the writing) and your readers.'It is hard going in the beginning but my motto is: if I have nothing to say, then I shut up and don't post anything. I spend a few days mulling over ideas, reading newspapers, surfing the net, etc. I also carry a notepad around with me to write any flashes of inspirations. I often think: 'would this interest my readers? does it interest me?' It can become obsessive but it is very mentally rewarding.
Zee
Does this include Blogger and WordPress? I have read BlogWild and the author, Andy Wibbels, recommends WordPress. Others say Blogger is better.
Robert: Just to be clear, I'm not saying there's anything wrong with WordPress (I'm actually a fan). Just that you shouldn't host a blog on a sub-domain of WordPress.com.
Having your own domain and using WordPress is just fine.
I'm not sure about your 7th "blunder" not monetarizing too early. What might too early be - first week of publishing or first 100 views? There can be no fixed rule about this. Google adsense, affiliate links and banners cost nothing whether you have high visitor volume or not, so why not invest a little time and add these features at the start? Sure, your content is king, but ads look good, and if your premise were really correct, then I would be keen to contravene it as having ads will be a sure sign to my readership that mine is an established blog! Of course I need to build the content, that id=s the primary function of any blog, but I can only add so many posts per week, so why not spend my spare time working on my ad links too?
Clearly there is no right or wrong here, no hard and fast rule. Quite frankly, not only is my blog a commercial one, but I believe my ad links are a vital RESOURCE for my visitors! So it all depends on your angle, I guess!
What really bugs me is when you have a well presented, well designed blog on a topic of real interest with some quality content posts and then you discover the last post is more than a week old and the blogger only occasionally makes the effort to post. To me, blogging is essentially a busy, up-to-the-minute love affair with your writing and keeping in touch with your readers! A casual "as-and-when" approach can only be rewarded one way: low readership!
And to me, that represents the most terrible blunder of all.
It was really informative.
Just got to be careful how you tell people about it. I have seen some trying to push the messages about their sites down other people's throats, that for me is a turnoff.
As far as blunder 7 goes, I think putting a few ads on your blog does not hurt as long as ads do not dominate your own content. I can not speak for every blog there is on this one.
This is hecka random stuff! It seems a little obvious to me. This doesn't answer the question of user visibility at all. If you have a blog and the average time someone passes over it is less than 60 seconds, then there has to be something that will make people stay there. Know your audience and connect on a human level--it's always about people and not so much about technology.
I like these tips, especially the point about widgets, I found myself trying to sort through the widgets for hours with wordpress, trying to find the right ones to help me, and soon realized I'd just used up so much time, I didn't have time to blog that night. I run a website that is about website hosting, design, SEO etc. I think the best tip for a beginning blogger with SEO aspirations, download a free copy of wordpress (built in RSS features and SEO features). Thats my 2 cents worth.
I've used the Website Grader a bunch of times, but only now noticed the blog. I found this post interesting because I am a newbie at blogging, and I love getting as much tips to promote my blog as possible. Yeah, I made a bunch of the mistakes listed here. In particular items 4 through 7.
I agree initiation is the first hurdle of launching a blog. Good content and promoting is equally tough. I am working on a blog and articles like these (basics) and advanced stuff are appreciated. Thanks
Hi, I agree with most of your points. The last one about the ads, I disagree.
I think you should have your blog how you are going to have it right off the hop. If you don't have ads, and than suddenly you do, you are going to turn a lot of people off. I have built one successful blog and am now on my second, I want to be consistent on presentation, so from day one I have ads on my site. I think linkbacks and advertise is important way to get your blog out there.
Thanks for sharing.
I know this has been said before, but it's very important to find your own voice and to put a spin on the same old information people are used to seeing...make it your own and great things will happen.
7.5 Mistake: Not having anything to say.
You need to define the brand for your Blog - i.e. your promise. You need to define a personality and a purpose and work it through content, opinion and observations. Don't be secular, be expansive and inclusive. see your blog as a starting point not an end slide and you'll get a better perspective of the reader/your consumer. Be relevant.
Devise an editorial policy and strategy to make sure you stay on brand.
If you are going to write a post, make it good. At the very least it should be informative.
http://jacksonvilleseedexchange.wordpress.com
Have a focus. Understand the purpose for the blog (e.g. what do you want to achieve with it?)
Thanks for the tips! It helped me avoid some pitfalls (particlularly points 3, 4 and 5) and finally launch
www.asiaqcblog.com.
Wow, I feel better now. I have only made 6 of the 7 mistakes. You thinks my blog about home business should not have an ad about my home businesses? I do try to keep my content ad free and informative.
Wow, I feel better now. I have only made 6 of the 7 mistakes. You thinks my blog about home business should not have an ad about my home businesses? I do try to keep my content ad free and informative.
I have an invisible blog, apparently. How does websitegrader look for blogs? I have one, with RSS feeds, but my site does not show up as having one. How do I turn off cloaking? -bestoftexas.com
a seriously great blog guys, i can't believe i missed this one. only little thing i dont agree with is the subdomain thing, ok its true for blogspot, wordpress and typepad etc but if its off your own domain like something like http://seo.andykinsey.com then i think this will work to your advantage not disadvantage.
click on my name go to my blog. I started it this year around may.I am getting tremedous response from many people of all ages 14-85.I had so many emails coming to me that people liked it, i had to turn off my email to it.Its called-( info. freaks.). I have no interest making money of the site at all. my concern with people is they go to the same old websites daily and they want more.At one point i was getting, due to my marketing 11,900,000 hits a day.Yes that's 11 million a day.Just go and look and learn something and have some fun.I only update this site every 2-weeks.The nest update is dec13th,08.
As a new blogger, I thank you. How about adding a post on the Blogging 201: what to do next after you've launched your blog. or So You've fixed the first 7 blogging mistakes, now what.
www.captureprofits.com/blog
I know I fall in the 7 commen mistakes. I will be fixing them and telling my other readers.
Thank you
I just found this blog, I just love finding a new blog with such great stuff and reading all of the articles in the side bar.
Most of these I have always felt strongly about. The first and fourth one can be hard; who would you tell about it? This could be an entire article I would read.
I think obeyed each one of these points except the last one. I need to make some money to make up for the website cost even though it isn't much. So hold off on the ads for a while. I'll disable them for about a week, then see what happens.
I absolutely agree with this list. My blog has been slowly gaining speed, and though its only been on the web for less than a month, I do have to keep telling myself that I need to give it time before I'm getting tons of hits a day! At least I am getting ranked very highly on Google and Yahoo!
As a new blogger (began Nov.), this is great info. Was considering ads. . . now won't do it :)
how do you blog without using a subdomain name (Hey, I'm a complete novice!)Are there any sites that are free and simple enough for a technophobe?
Not spending too much time on the design is really important. I spent most of my time the first few months tweaking the design of my blog and, while I'm happy with the way it turned out, that was several months where I was creating almost no content. I think it needs to be a happy medium though. Don't create lots of posts and leave the default theme installed. At least download a theme and install it so that your blog doesn't look like
every other blog. As time permits, edit your theme (or hire someone else to edit it) so you can stand out from the crowd.
Thanks for helpful tips! I'm trying to understand taglines and how to use them. Plus, I probably need to clean up the categories at my Farm Art Blog. We're working to create an audience committed to learn about the ARTS in our Sierra Nevada (CA) Foothill county.
These are good tips.
The most important thing is to decide
What the blog is aiming to do.
Then give valuable content<b/>
in easy to skim read chunks
Why Spend $10 to get a visitor to your site just to send them away for 1c on Adsense? <b/>
Monetize like the pros with ...
re-read this blog to tune up my skills and where im spending my time. pretty focused on building my readership first and slowly figuring out how to monetize in the next couple of months.
I am new to the whole blog concept. Where can I find easy to follow concepts and directions to pull one off? I understand the concept I just cant see the whole picture!
Ninety-eight percent of all blogs are abandoned after the first post. Newbie bloggers need to view blogging as a marathon, not a sprint, and to make a deliberate plan that includes 1) what topic they're going to write about most often, 2) how often they plan to update content, and 3)how much time per day/week they plan to spend doing blogging activities.
Taking these 3 simple steps prevents a lot of wasted time and shattered dreams.
Laura Christianson
co-founder, HeBlogsSheBlogs.com
Business & Corporate Blogging Services
thanks for the article. nice information.
i've been blogging for years and I don't get much traffic. thanks for this post and I learned a lot of things. keep posting!
I agree with all 7. Too many people try too much too quickly and fall on their faces.
You are absolutely right about the mistakes that are out there. I've seen people putting up ads the first week after they start the blog. It doesn't really make sense because you need eyeballs for the ads to deliver results... if you have a couple of visits a day - you are wasting your time with ads. The time would be better spent writing content for the blog...
Thanks for a great post!
Narek Gabrielyan
a blog is something other than an adsense penny-making equation mashed together by some clever guy who's revenue comes from selling this "make money blogging" to bloggers who are dumb enough to think he's giving the real scoop on where his revenue is coming from. Let us not be gullible.
I have a blog about the silliest, most bizarre forms of expression contained within my personality. I never truly saw myself until I saw myself reflected in the peculiar content of my blog. I am probably my only fan but maybe one day it'll hook me up with some other weirdos out there just like myself.
I understand a person's blog as a message in a bottle floating in a vast mostly unconquered ocean; since tides are coherent it is bound to reach someone or some place eventually. In the meantime the blog helps me figure out who I am creatively and that's better than money...sometimes.
I agree with most everything except the ads. I think if the content is good, people will overlook the ads as long as they are not too in your face. At least that's what I do!
Don't fill your postings
with lots of off-site links: to me, that says that you can't be bothered to research what you're writing about, and hey, links have been known to vanish! Also, it's cool to be able to summarise what an external author's writing about.
On rule #2, if it is a business blog, is there harm in blogging on a sub-domain of the business website? What are the pros & cons of this?
Thanks for the encouragement, I have recently started blogging and was glad to read that keeping posting content is the key, even though you know not many people are reading the blog - yet!
Steve Brown
http://socialenglishman.wordpress.com/
Like many I am trying to spread the message. Have been posting through my website on various financial planning related topics for my Rockhampton based business for about two years. Have been trying to avoid jargon but realise ... I need to use it for keywords. If anyone has a moment please let me know your thoughts.
Good post. The only one I don't fully agree is design. Most of templates looks good only after a long customization.
Thank you friend i have just created a blog and have some widget and put some ads..
now i m going to remove all...
The blog I have worked long and hard on has just launched. Posts like this and loads of other HubSpot presentations and tools have definitely helped me LOADS along the way. Thank you.
Ah ya the blidget and early monetization - top 2 common mistakes on a blog thats been launched - since most of the others are centered around failure to launch ;)
Minimalistic is the way as far as "blidgets" are concerned. As for monetization - stay away from adsense and the likes untill your blog is well established and you have a steady stream of visitors - I made that mistake with my first 2 blogs - I have over 12 now and never repearted the mistake :)
Thanks for sharing - am going back to the drawing board to rework my new venture!
Thanks so much for sharing. Just the other day I launched a blog on my website with my first post and I know this information is going to help.
Sandra
Just started my blog http://www.kidsshouldbekids.co.uk/blog/ - have no idea what I am doing - but having read the article above and all of the comments I am much wiser. Thank you!
Well, am not gonna say it was a bad post thanks for sharing...lots of people really need this!
I would like to make a note of using the ready templates such as blogger.com templates, You better change the banner or the header used by the template! make your own customize it...ad a slight little stroke frame with photoshop, this well improve your search engine presence, edit the tags if you know about html, u may also find many videos on youtube explaining about seo for your blog!
so I would say I dont agree that much about ignoring the design! it might prevent you from getting a better rank!
and I strongly agree with the content part!
thats the key of success: Good Quality content + patience
Search engines loves fresh posts! so make sure you publish something new frequently! don't turn down your audience even if they are few! work on keeping their loyalty.
so! if you are money collector! let someone focus on the content development and to be concerned and passionate about blogging! and you will get your return later on!
thanks for the nice post and sharing your thoughts and opinions, bless you :))
I find it interesting that you advise against using subdomains. Though I recon that it is your own domain, you do use a sub your self (http://blog.hubspot.comm). That might confuse some.
With that said, even though some commenter's call it very elementary stuff, it's still information useful to many newcomers.
I find to criticize you for posting this advise, is way out of line. Why should others have to go through these kind of errors them selves, when you can help them avoid so. After all your site ( and therefore this blog) has a very attractive rating, and as so very easy to find even for a newbie.
Great post – Now two years old and still get comments! This post is really an evergreen :)
Starting off a blog must stand on solid ground, a foundation based on content. In reality, posting interval versus content is a very challenging part of blogging. Most great contents are not written daily, it requires research unless somebody can afford to hire ghost bloggers to do the job on a daily basis. Placing ads on a blog is never wrong as long as it doesn't intervene with the site's loading time since too many graphics does slows down page loading and people don't have the entire day to wait for your page to load just to read your content. Make the ads as minimal and relevant as possible. Blidgets are fine, again depending on the relevancy it brings to your blog. For example, if you use Feedjit, make sure that the readers are diverse, if it's just your flag that people will be able to look at, then most likely you've fallen on your own trap as they will think that it's just you who keeps on reading, refreshing and reloading the page over and over.
Feedburner feed count is a strong pitfall, don't use it if you have meager number of readers, else, it won't do you any good as people will know, nobody even reads your blog so why they should. Use it when you have had enough numbers.
I couldn't agree more with having your own domain in starting off a blog, a few dollars can buy you a decent domain, after all there are some decent free hosting sites that can serve your purpose, then create good content. When the time comes that your blog reaches its peak, then you can find or transfer, or even consider paid hosting. I think having a blog on a subdomain can be a great place to start off a blog but once you are well learned enough, that's when the time you can move on a domain you wanted.
One other thing though, design is important because if the colors of the blog's background only matters to yourself-liking, then create a private blog! If a blog is meant for a wider audience, then consider the many. Know what you want, your motive and your purpose and be prepared to face the challenge. A good blog is not made overnight and neither a good blogger is created in a snap. Even sleepless nights do count. If your up to it. Like I do. Then go for it.
Great article. I'm pretty new to blogging and I would love to get more followers or better back and forth communication.
Great article. I love what you say about focus on content. Yes, blogging is about deliver great content to your audience. Once you do it right, everyone will love and thank for it.
The rest can be done later on. Step by step.
Great article. I love what you say about focus on content. Yes, blogging is about deliver great content to your audience. Once you do it right, everyone will love and thank for it.
The rest can be done later on. Step by step.
Great article. I love what you say about focus on content. Yes, blogging is about deliver great content to your audience. Once you do it right, everyone will love and thank for it.
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Great article. I love what you say about focus on content. Yes, blogging is about deliver great content o your audience. Once you do it right, everyone will love and thank for it.
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Great article. I love what you say about focus on content. Yes, blogging is about deliver great content to your audienc. Once you do it right, everyone will love and thank for it.
Also not moderating comments like you didn't on the 5 comments above :)
Thanks, I love all the 7 tips.
There are so many pitfalls in the early stages of learning to marketing effectively on the internet. So many can be avoided by doing even minimal research on highly rated websites like this one.
There are also great websites out there that offer terrific
marketing tips for very little to zero dollars upfront cost.
There are so many pitfalls to be wary of when we started our blog at elisesanchez.com. I think at some point we were prey to 1-7 of your warnings. I think we thought about starting a blog a year before we actually did. Oh how that year was lost. #3 was dangerous for us. We spent a lot of time overdesigning before we decided to go simple and let the blog speak for itself.
This is so true. I've just started getting into the blogging world I'm yet to have any content yet.. I have a lot of pre-planning done and done a bit of setting up but no content as of yet. I am striving to do well though.
Thanks for the tips!
Interesting post.
One of the biggest mistakes I made during my early blogging days was
not telling anybody! I didn't realize how valuable human networking was until pretty late in the game.
Thanks for this!
One silly mistake I see blogs making is... they're trying to sell a product and they have Google AdSense. Why would someone want to go to the trouble of attracting traffic and then turn around and give their potential customer away!?
What about Wordpress?
thanks
x2virginblogger here. Thanks for the article. Great help.
Can you please advise how to go about registering your own domain and not using the sub domain name when using free blog sites like wordpress etc. ?
As a new blogger I think I committed all of these sins. Now, I think the most important thing to remember is blog about your passion and blog often
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