I spend a lot of time focusing on what’s being done right in social media and high-fiving others for best practices, but what if we just turn the table for a few minutes and think about the things people do all sorts of jacked up when it comes to blogging.
Some common errors in blogging can often be simple fixes and result in great results. The ROI on investing in optimizing your blog is worth the time it takes reviewing small fixes or additions that could add great value to your readers, and to your brand as a blogger.
Here are 10 Ways To Suck at Blogging
- Don’t cross-promote your blog posts on all your social media networks. Always share your latest content on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, GooglePlus and tailor your updates specifically for that channel. If you use WiseStamp, consider adding your RSS feed updates to your custom email signature.
- Don’t use social share buttons on your blog, thereby making it just another step for readers to share your fabulous content.
- Have zero contact information shared directly (and prominently) on your blog. I do quite a bit of blogger research during my day job and I’m always perplexed by bloggers who embrace social media, yet make you jump through hoops to contact them. (I’ve actually hunted email addresses down on Facebook pages.) Consider posting an email button right next to your social media account icons on your blog sidebar or other prominent place on your home page.
- Don’t have Pinterest friendly images. I used to bemoan the fact that I’m not a foodie or DIY blogger therefore I couldn’t possibly have pinnable images, however you can make great simple Pinnable graphics to illustrate your posts. (Check out this post about how you can go back through old content and make past post images “Pinnable.”)
- Don’t be gracious. Act like a diva. Don’t thank other bloggers for mentioning your posts or reTweeting your updates. Don’t be a good social media neighbor. Don’t promote other bloggers. Don’t network. Don’t properly credit outside sources for mentions. Don’t treat blogging as a professional endeavor.
- Have incorrectly linked social media account buttons. I have run into quite a few blogs that have incorrectly linked Twitter or Facebook icons or worse yet they aren’t hyperlinked at all.
- Don’t update your blog About page. If your kids are now driving and the last time you updated your About page they were still into Dora, then it’s time to update. I update my About page several times a year. Here’s a post I wrote earlier this year about ways to rock your About page.
- Have auto posting turned on for Facebook and Twitter and never post real time updates or engagement. If your Twitter feed is filled with nothing but RSS feed updates, I will assume you are a robot.
- Don’t ever think about what your blog might look like on a tablet, an iPad, a smartphone, etc. On that same note, don’t be consistent with your brand imagery across your social media channels. Use different logos, use low-res logos, and use a profile pic that looks like it was taken by a 4-year-old riding a tricycle down a gravel driveway or use one that looks like a bathroom selfie.
- Write way too much copy. I’m definitely verbose, but when it comes to blogging think brief. If you have a topic that you simply can’t cover in less than 1,000 words, consider breaking your post down into a series of more manageable, bite-size content.
What are some ways bloggers are not just doing an outstanding job? What would you add to my list?
I Love reading blogs just so I can live vicariously through everyone else! No, actually I am a writer and have been since 2009, so I like to see other genres of writing. I do mainly SEO work, so literally I write about everything imaginable.
Just wanted to drop you a like and say thanks for letting me read yours and making it public so I could. Write on my Friend!
Kristina
http://kristinawrites.weebly.com/
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http://www.piddle.me/have-a-good-morning-mom/
Cary Faith Smith
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