Blogging isn't that much different from other things you do routinely. If you start making a certain mistake, you can keep traveling down the same road for some time without correcting it. The result can be lost readers and prospects that click away before you've even had a real chance with them.
That said, try to avoid these common blogging mistakes
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- Being stuffy. Remember who your target audience is when you’re blogging and that should keep you on the right path. If you were writing a thesis for a university paper, it would be acceptable to use jargon and fill paragraphs with deep intellectual thoughts. For the most part, blogging is about being fun and conversational.
- Bad formatting. You need to watch what you say, how you say it, and even how you present the finished product to your readers. Long paragraphs are out. Bullet points and shorter paragraphs are in. Things aren't only visually appealing when they’re short and sweet, they take less time to read. You need to keep in mind that our attention spans are dwindling so things need to be more captivating.
- Bad writing. Regardless of the subject matter, your blog needs to be grammatically correct to be taken seriously. Stay away from the kind of texting shorthand that spells ‘u r’ for ‘you are’ and you won’t seem unprofessional and illiterate. If possible, it’s good to have another set of eyes look at your blog before you publish it; if not, read the text out loud to yourself to look for any mistakes.
- Bad optimization and links. Here’s the technical side of what you need to look at to be sure your blog is getting the right exposure. While keywords are the right vehicle to attract attention, make sure they represent what you’re trying to sell or say adequately. A little due diligence in the form of research is necessary and the same goes for quality links. You’re only as good as the company you keep when it comes to links so you need to be sure this exchange involves a back and forth with credible relevant sites.
Staying away from shortcuts is basically the whole thing in a nutshell. When you've invested the time into a blog, it doesn't make any sense to look for the easier, softer way.
