I’ve been writing blogs for several months now. Usually I compose about 10 articles each week between the guest posts I write and my own blogs.
When I first started writing blogs, my writing had some serious flaws. I was able to quickly learn how to improve them and this article outlines those mistakes. If you follow my tips, you can avoid making the same mistakes as well.
Mistake #1 – Spending Too Much Time Over-Analyzing
It is really important that you not do this for several good reasons:
- If you have only limited creative ideas on the subject matter don’t fill your article with fluff or points that are irrelevant. Articles that are about weight loss should focus only on that topic and not veer off on tangents about things like exercise equipment. Go back to your topic and research it further. Save any new ideas you come up with to post on in a different article.
- If your goal is to gain natural backlinks, then make sure that you offer real value to your readers. If you’ve spent too much time over-analyzing, you may become overly dazzled by your own prose and no longer see the chaff. It’s a good idea to get someone to take a look at it before you post it. Another pair of eyes is always valuable.
- Don’t spend time brooding over posts that didn’t generate any views or comments. Not everyone is a gifted novelist. What is most important is to learn from your mistakes. Learn from them and move on. Chalk it up to being part of the learning curve.
Mistake #2 –Writing Formally
When I first started writing blogs, they were very rigid and formal. My style was similar to that of a professor addressing a class of Honor’s students.
It is important to remember that blog readers do not want to be lectured. If your post is about a certain type of diet then tell them about the diet.
Don’t lecture them on why they should try it. Readers want to be involved. This can only be achieved by writing in a conversational way. You will turn your readers off if they feel they are being lectured by you.
My original rigid style removed any possibility of my readers opening up a conversation in the comments section because they felt as if they were reading an academic textbook. Try to remember that you blog is an extension of who you are.
This is reflected in the topics you cover, the tone of “voice” you choose and your writing style. Because your blog is a reflection of you, you want your voice to always make your reader feel comfortable. You want them to feel like they are sitting on your couch with their shoes off and that you are having a conversation.
Mistake #3 – Not Paying Attention to My Blog Post Headlines
Your headline is an extremely important part of your blog. In fact, it can make it or break it. Most bloggers will spend an inordinate amount of time fine tuning their content. By doing so, many neglect their post’s title.
It is important to remember that it is the headline which attracts the reader to click through and proceed to reading the article. Your title is not just important in terms of the click through rate, it must also contain your main keyword’s topic so that the search engines can find and rank it for the keyword you have chosen.
If your blog article is about weight loss be sure you include that keyword in your title. Developing organic traffic will tremendously increase the number of readers you get. Make sure that your headline grabs your reader’s attention while also grabbing the attention of the search engines.
Jane writes on behalf of epc4less.com and certsni.com, two companies that provide promote health, offer green solutions and energy performance certificates in Belfast, Northern Ireland.
Article by JaneSheeba
+Jane is the founder of Problogging Success. She is an expert blogger, consultant, freelance writer and blog designer. Don't forget to get your hands on two FREE Ebooks she offers.
Jane has written 258 awesome posts for Problogging Success.
When my blog was under Jane’s watch, everything was under control.
{ 20 comments… read them below or add one }
Really, The third mistake is ultimate.
Many bloggers do it often. They pay more attention to content and no attention to the headlines.
Its really weird. That’s why to help them I’ve written and article too.
See here. http://www.blogengage.com/blogger/5-crazy-tweaks-to-write-better-blog-post-headlines/
Regards,
Jafar.
Headlines are the gate pass. If they are not enticing enough, the actual post will never get read!
Good thing you pointed some things out about writing articles.
I do infact try to keep my style to be as valuable as possible, without being pointless in some of it.
Headlines are important and you are right when you said, “make it or brake it”. That is crucial for you.
Indeed Sam. Some are very good at writing amazing headlines, but forget the essence of the post lol. Both should go hand in hand in fact.
I also have a weight loss blog niche, and I think my mistakes was the same like you, and one more is I added google adsense ads too soon.
Yes adding ads before having enough useful content is a big mistake too!
Good points you have pointed out here. It was really helpful. The second point i believe is important because here we want to have a engaging communication with the readers. If the tone is a bit harsh, they may not like it. We should always write :
my suggestion
my advice.
and obviously keyword in title is very very important.
Pulkit that’s a good point. There should be enough room for the thought of readers too. If everything is so monotonous, it will all be boring and adamant.
Hi Jane, really great advice. I think offering well-researched articles is of utmost importance. It is the best way to make sure readers will follow your blog and gain valuable information from it.
Right on, all good points Jane. The only other big mistake other bloggers forget that you could add is not adding images as well.. If i land on a blog post without images i usually do not even read it.. I think most others are the same. A good image helps in each post i reckon. Helps keep the reader reading the whole post..
Thank you Jane! This is such a good advice and frankly, I do the third mistake over and over again, I am more focused on the content itself, but not on the title and headlines. I think I will spend more time from now on polishing my content as well as my headlines!
Totally agree with #3. Since a lot of posts on my niche sites are edited versions of merchant supplied articles I probably spend 80% of my time on the subject line, which includes googling the article’s original title and primary keywords to see what else is out there.
Blogging in Formal style regarding weight loss will be a huge mistake because readers look for something inspirational and informational not technical
One should spend at least 15-20 minutes crafting the headline of a blog post, no matter what niche one caters to. Many times, even well-written posts would go unnoticed only due to a poor headline.
Thanks for pointing out these mistakes!
This is a very impressive post. Very insightful and helpful. I know I’ll make sure to NOT make any of these mistakes.
Thank you for this post! 
Nice post, I love it. I now have another task to be done that is correct my errors in my blog. thanks for sharing this good information.
Thanks for sharing these tips. There are many errors in my blog as your tips. Time to refine them.
I never realize but I do commit above listed mistake. I am still learning and correcting myself. I think everyone will improve with time. Thanks for sharing.
Writing about something whether a weight loss blog or what should be informative, true and interesting. Anything you write especially if it is not true may lead your readers to being hurt or injured. Always keep in mind to write based on what you have experienced, if there are any or what you have heard from a friend. It will be more realistic and people will surely look up to you for sharing that blog with them.
I have noticed some of my blogging mistakes. Seems legit, really need to improve them.