10 Blogging Mistakes To Avoid
Blogging Mistake #1 - Not Updating
It never fails. Somebody sets up a new blog and is all excited about it. We see a furry of posts for the first few days, maybe even a few weeks, and then the number of posts starts to go down until the blog is hardly updated at all. Nothing kills a blog faster than lack of updates. If you are going to blog, then pick a posting frequency and stick to it. Whether it’s one post per week or 10 posts per day, make a commitment to keep your blog updated. A non-updated blog is a dead blog.
Blogging Mistake #2 - Blogging Only For Money
If you’re blogging only for money, then you’re in for a shock. Yes, you can make good money with a blog, but despite what that National Post story on me said, it takes a lot more than “no effort.” 99% of blogs on the Web cannot make more than $100 a month. John Chow dot Com makes money because I don’t blog for money. If the only reason you’re blogging is to get rich, you will fail.
Blogging Mistake #3 - Rushing a Post
I am sure we have all been guilty of this - I know I have. A hot story comes up and you want to get it out ASAP, but in your rush to get the post published, you forget to proofread and just hit the Publish button. Whenever I’ve done that, there have always been mistakes in the post. Before you hit Publish, take your time to double/triple check the post to make sure it’s free of errors. If you spot an error after the post, correct it immediately.
Blogging Mistake #4 - Not Being Personal
A blog is not CNN or News.com. People read your blog to get your opinion and your point of view. Give it to them.
Blogging Mistake #5 - Being a Copycat
What makes your blog stand out from the millions in the blogshere? Is your blog unique or is it just another copycat? I am certainly not the first blog to write about making money on the Internet, so what makes my blog stand out other than me posting pictures of my dinner?
You can write about the same thing as the next blog, but you need to add your own views to make it unique. Don’t just copy and paste what another blog posted. Give your opinion because that’s what blogging is all about. The most unique thing about your blog is you.
Blogging Mistake #6 - Not Replying To Comments
A blog is a two-way communication tool, but many bloggers forget that. When readers comment in your blog, please answer them. If your readers don’t leave comments then try adding these Two Plugins To Increase Blog Comments.
Blogging Mistake #7 - Not Giving a Full Feed RSS
Unless you make 10+ posts per day, there are really no good reasons for not offering a full feed RSS. Since turning on my full feed RSS, my RSS subscribers has increased steadily. I expected traffic to the blog to go down but to my surprise, it kept going up.
Yes, a RSS feed is harder to monetize than a blog, but many RSS readers will unsubscribe to a feed if it’s not full. Not offering a full feed when you do only a few updates a day (or week) just makes you look cheap.
Blogging Mistake #8 - Not Reaching Out To Other Bloggers
The best way to get your blog noticed is by saying hi to other blogs in your niche. The easiest way to do that is to comment on their blogs. I check the comments on my blog all the time and I visit the commentator’s site. I discovered many great blogs this way. Other ways of reaching out to other bloggers includes linking to them, sending trackbacks and adding yourself to their MyBlogLog community. If you’re really creative and have a bit of money to spend, you can even try sending a Google IM.
Blogging Mistake #9 - Writing For Google Instead Of People
Some of you may recall that I am taking an Internet Marketing and SEO class. During this class, the teacher talks about stuff like key phases, keyword density, making sure your content is Google friendly, etc. The only thing I have to say about that is; write for people, not for Google.
You can have the most perfectly written Google optimized page in the world and still not ranked number 1 because Google follows people. And people won’t read a page written for a search engine because it makes no sense. I do keep an eye on my keywords and key phases when I’m writing a post, but I also keep in mind that the readers come first, Google comes second.
Blogging Mistake #10 – Not Reading John Chow dot Com
I think everyone here will agree that this is the biggest mistake any blogger can make. 
- Posted in Make Money Online, The Net
- 196 comments what's your take?
Yes, yes, biggest mistake is not reading this site. :-p. I like this guide. But, is it wrong to blog for money? I mean, I intend on creating a network of blogs as my means of profit. Does that mean my network won’t be good because I intend on making money from it?
Reply to this commentNothing wrong with blogging for money. But if money is the only reason, then you’re in trouble.
Reply to this commentWell, my passion for the topics I write about is an underlining factor in my posting. I’m a science major, so when I do build my network of science blogs, it’ll be about a topic I am passionate about. But, my intentions are to profit from them so that I can pay for medical school. More is explained in my personal blog.
Reply to this commentIf there is an opportunity to profit from something you love (i.e. science), I think you can be successful at it providing you have the right direction, work ethic and support network. I don’t know many people that wouldn’t want to get paid to do something they loved.
Reply to this commentI blog for money, but also because i like it.
Reply to this commentOne of my first driving factors to start blogging was to blog for money, but I had to choose a topic I was mildly interested in Writing daily about something you have no interest in can be extremely tiresome in the long run.
Reply to this commentYou nailed it on the head. Many MFA (made for adsense) blogs do badly (both in terms of traffic and in revenue) because they were created SOLELY for making money. The long-term value of any blog is the amount of PASSION the owner puts into his online property. This passion translates to 1) finding blog-relevant news daily and commenting on it 2) networking with ‘trusted sites’ and ‘experts’ in his blog’s area of expertise and 3) becoming a de facto resource and reference material for his blog’s subject matter. Greed, acting alone, cannot produce these. Passion and dedication are what’s needed.
Reply to this commentThanks for your comment on my site John!
I definitely agree with point #9 in your post….how do you tell when a blogger has just learned about SEO? You can’t understand a word they’ve written!
Kumiko
Reply to this commentPoint number 10 sounds hillarious. =D
thanks jhon. nice article
Reply to this commentHeh heh. Number 10 is by far the most important
Reply to this commentGreat post, I agree that if you are blogging for adwords, i guess you call it “BFA” blogging for adwords than you are doomed, just have fun, relax, try to build traffic and the money will eventually come, its just a matter of time if you work hard and stay consistant.
Reply to this commentI agree this is a useful post. In addition, I think what adds value to a blog is how each person has a chance to distinguish him or herself in creative expression. Each of us has the power to inspire, empower and enable other people to gain insights and learn. This to me is part of how I would define the success of a blog.
Reply to this commentGreat post, John. It’s digg-worthy, but unfortunately we know the story behind that. :-\
Reply to this commentEver think of taking up a different persona John to submit some stuff on Digg(different computer and IP address ofcoarse)? That might be below you though…not sure that you need to.
Reply to this commentJust saying hi! I figure lurking for too long is rude.
Seriously though, great list. Not writing in lists should be mistake number 11. Crowds seem to like them.
Reply to this comment#9 is huge. Many people are guilty of writing headlines that are full of keywords and don’t make any sense.
A tip for bloggers that do want to incorporate as many keywords as they can into their permalinks, but still want a headline that is written for human beings is to use the slug editting feature found in WordPress. You can pump the slug full of keywords so the URL is keyword rich, while the actual headline reads normally.
I’ve also been guilty of #3 a few times because I was too anxious to publish (for no good reason).
Another excellent post John!
Reply to this comment“many RSS readers won’t subscribe unless your feed is full”
Reply to this commentHow does anyone know what kind of feed is offered on the blog unless they subscribe to it first?
I think saying that many RSS readers would unsubscribe if the feed is partial would be more appropriate.
You are right, and I have corrected the article. Thank you.
Reply to this commentYou’re welcome
Reply to this commenthello john.. thats a nice post.. i too hope i will make blogging a habit.. im a medical student. I have poor technical knowledge. hope i get sometime to learn some html and do some blogging in my field.
Reply to this commentYour originality is the key to your success.
Nice writing.
Great list of mistakes, I agree with all of them. Especially number 10
Reply to this commentthat was a very interesting and inspiring “how to do it” in blogging. this will clear anything about blogging, the interesting part is you can do blogging by yourself with a unique distinction of what’s inside you as a blogger.
thank you john for being a leader at hand.
Reply to this commentWhen you said “reply to comments,” do you mean replying through this comment section or through emails?
thanks
Reply to this comment#11 - Getting banned by Digg
Reply to this commentHaha, you’ve got him there
However, I don’t think Digg has a very big impact on the amount of returning visitors, most Digg-users don’t even return to your website (neither do I most of the time).
Reply to this commentthank you for your very interesting and inspiring topics about blogging. it learned me so much about the importance of “how to do it” blogging. the importance about it is how to express oneself as a unique blogger different from the rest.
Reply to this commentthanks so much. this is truly great advice to follow. and thanks for the plugin suggestions in #6.
Reply to this commenthahaha…. I like your tip no 10.
Reply to this commentI am one of those who is guilty of Blogging Mistake #1.
Reply to this commentGreat advice - I think I avoid all of these, but it’s easy to get complacent.
This post may not be ‘Digg-able’ but I ‘Stumbled’ it instead
Reply to this commentTalking of offering full feeds, I’ve just read on JohnTP’s blog that if you use the feature in your posts in WP 2.1 it will also cut off the RSS feed at the same point.
JohnTP points out a plugin that will fix it:
Reply to this commenthttp://www.johntp.com/2007/02/12/wordpress-plugin-full-text-feed/
OK, that didn’t work, that should have read:
“Talking of offering full feeds, I’ve just read on JohnTP’s blog that if you use the [!–more–] feature in your posts in WP 2.1 it will also cut off the RSS feed at the same point.”
Stupid HTML tags…..
Right, I’ll stop spamming your blog John, and return to my own….
Reply to this commentGood article john, It makes me awake again
Reply to this commentCorrect! During my initial days, I used to blog like hell.. 4 posts a day, 100 comments, talking with readers, but now I have burned out. Thanks for reminding me!
Reply to this commentExcellent guide John.
// Andreas Bard
Reply to this commentGreat post John, it’s given me lots of tips for how i should run my blog!
Reply to this commentDam it!!! #10 got me
Reply to this commentGood list…. and #10 is even better
Reply to this commentGuilty as charged on #3 and #7. Will fix #7 and have been improving on #3
Reply to this commentJohn,
Although many have said that offering Full RSS Feed will increase RSS subscribers, I can tell straight on that IT IS NOT TRUE for certain niches.
Ironically, doing the opposite (offering partial feed) will increase RSS subscribers on a tortoise pace, better than having the adverse effect (switching partial to full).
Secondly, on your mistake about not replying to comments is subjective. Depending whether your commentors wanted a conversation or a quick solution! If is the latter, your chances to turn that commentor to a regular commentor is very slim. You will have a better shot to convert him/her to become regular reader. Again, I have to say this is largely depending on your niche.
Reply to this commentHey, thanks for the excellent reminder. I think # 1 and 4 is really important. Also, I think i need to work on number 6 and start rsponding to more of my comments.
Reply to this commentThe order have to be reversed, John, so #10 should be the first.
Reply to this commentJohn,
I have too admit that i’m guilty of being a “copy cat and rushing posts” …but I’m working hard on developing my own writting ideas and take time out to proof read very post 3 times before publishing …..Once again John you’ve hit the nail right on the head.
Reply to this commentRushing posts. I must be getting closer to not doing this anymore since I have advanced to the getting a bad feeling stage as I am pressing Save.
One I would add - posting too late at night. But, that might merely be a subset of “rushing posts.”
Good list, John. Appreciate it.
Reply to this commentGreat post, John. I think that to be successful you obviously can’t be doing it for the money, but it’s even more important for the blog/topic to mean something to you. If you’re enthusiastic about a specific topic and write about it well then the visitors/readers will come.
Reply to this commentAnother major one you forgot is use the sepll cehcker! There is ntohing wrose than readnig a psoting that has seplling eorrrs in it!
–C8j
Reply to this commentWhile that’s definitely a lot of words make it through a spell checker and still won’t make any sense. Good old fashion proof reading is the best strategy.
Reply to this commentThanks for a great post. I just started reading your blog and I love it. So, I am doing #10. Overall I am trying to do all the things you point out in your list. My biggest challenge is writing interesting posts on a consistant basis without rushing the post or being a copycat!
Reply to this commentI couldn’t agree more on a lot of these, and I’m guilty of some myself. Thankfully, I learn from my mistakes and correct them accordingly. Not being personal is an easy one to forget, especially if you are in a niche where a lot of your stories can be copy and pasted from a press release (like new cars for example, which is what my blog is about.) Another controversial subject is the full vs. partial feeds, and after almost a year, I’ve finally come around to realize that full is indeed better.
Reply to this comment#2 is right on the money (pun partially intended)
It’s misguided to think anyone can post a blog and expect to reap a worthwhile sum without anything unique to say. Who wants to read another blog where every post is how make to money writing online and where every text link / Google ad shouts the same?
It’s akin to the get-rich-quick schemes of the 80’s where You Can Earn $1,000’s Stuffing Envelopes at Home – Send me $5 in a self-addressed stamped envelope to learn more.
Thanks for the site and the news articles John – I’m launching my blog (thepaperbull.com) this week and I’ve set “content” as the primary goal.
Reply to this commentGood tips. Especially responding to comments and commenting on other useful blogs!
Reply to this commentI’m still thinking about how you got free drinks and food in the VIP section of the Abbotsford Int’l Airshow video…LOL
Reply to this commentHaha :):) Roflmao
Reply to this commentVery good post, John. I’ve also found that it’s a good idea to keep a running list of blog topics you plan to write about and check the list daily. This will help keep you thinking about the topics and things to include under that topic.
Reply to this commentHmm…i may re-enable my Full Feed now.
Reply to this commentGood post John. I am new to the blogging world, and have enjoyed it so far as a way of publishing my own thoughts. It’s like amature journalism, something that I’ve always had an interest in, and thoght would be fun, but never had a chance to try. Thanks for the tips, and of course I will continue to read your blog everyday, it has become quite a habit.
Reply to this commentGreat advice John. I am new to the blogosphere, and it will be helpful to avoid these pitfalls.
Reply to this commentThanks,
Marc
http://www.10gallonhat.net
John,
what do you think about this…
there seems to be a direct relationship between the popularity of a blog and the design of a blog,
almost all popular blogs ‘look’ good, and most dead blogs ‘look’ boring
speaking of which, I know I need to find ways to make http://bigbignews.net look better!
any thoughts?
Reply to this commentPretty interesting artikel, but if mistake 10 is realy a mistake?
Reply to this commentWell It’s my first visit to your site, but I sure dont want to make it my last. Very interesting topics. Don’t worry, I bookmarked you to stay ahead of Mistake #10
Reply to this commenti’m not doing any of the mistakes hahahaha
Reply to this commenti did some of them in the past though…
Just following your advice from #8… Hi
Reply to this commentI’m guilty of the not updating one. I read your blog more than I post on mine, hah.
Reply to this commentI agree with number 10. Money comes second but could be comes first but definitely agree, content is king
Reply to this commentOnce you start making money from your blog (especially if it’s your first,) it’s easy to spend more time optimizing for monetization than writing content. You just keep having to remind yourself that the only thing that is bringing in the money is the fact that you have the good content, so you have to keep it as the focus.
Reply to this commentThanks for the tips! Ill try and use them as guidance on my new site!
Reply to this commentYes, John, you’re so right about turning on the full feed for rss.
I turned mine off (due to fear of content scrapers) and lost some subscribers — I just turned it back on and life is better for me and my blog at http://paulamooney.blogspot.com
Okay, yes, that was my sad attempt at throwing some link love and Technorati juice my way from your uber-popular blog.
Keep up the great posts.
Reply to this comment#1 - Trying hard to not go down this path. I’ve set a goal of doing at least one post a week when I started my blog, then I went through a period where I posted just about every day. Then I got burned out a bit.
#2 - One of my inspirations for getting into blogging, but it’s not my sole purpose for it. I guess I’m safe here.
#3 - Guilty >_
Reply to this commentNobody warned me about comment length limits! >_
Reply to this commentOk, never mind. It’s that stupid smiley I was trying to use.
Anyhow:
#8 - Ok, this is something I need work on. But I’m working on it! This comment I guess is proof of that.
#10 - Never made that mistake. In fact, this site is one of the reasons why I decided to take that big step and start blogging, John!
Sorry for spamming comments! 0_o
Reply to this commentNice, i like it
Reply to this commentNice guide, was a good read
Reply to this commentJohn,
I just came across your blog today for the first time (I know, where the heck have I been?
). Anyway, GREAT info.
Keep up the good work!
Kris
Reply to this commentJohn,
I found you throug Darren over at ProBlogger and have added your feed to my list on this topic. THanks for this great post. It’s highly practical and explains why I am such an abject failure as a blogger. LOL Seriously, I was reminded to improve several things by reading your post.
Keep up the great work.
Reply to this comment–Larry
Great post… I am a relatively new blogger and advice like this is golden. Thank you!
Reply to this commentLOL, Not reading john chow. YOU! GENIUS
Reply to this commentBy far the most informative post in a long while.. Thanks John! ^_~
Reply to this commentI stopped offering a full RSS feed because content aggregators were lifting my entire content via the feed! Switching to summary resolved that problem handily, and my readers seem fine with it - I explained why I was doing it.
Reply to this commentNice tips John. But I think it would be nice if you did an update to the “Google Whores,” as the one you did awhile back was great.
Reply to this commentWhen I stop reading johnchow.com, I stop receiving visits to my blog. I can’t believe it! It’s crazy. John Chow has taken over my life!!!
Reply to this commentSince I just started reading johnchow.com is my blog traffic going to go up? Also, what if you don’t have any ads on your site and you’re not blogging for any amount of money?
Reply to this commentI use a blog for my photography, and after reading your tips, I’m definitely going to get more regimented in how I post.
Thanks so much for the tips!
Reply to this commentVery good info for anyone starting out, looking for a wider audience, or forgetting why they’re actually doing this in the first place. Now if only I could continue blogging AND generated money or a fancy job that would be fantastic
Reply to this commenthi john,
Reply to this commentwhat’s up with the new design. Does it has something to do blogging mistakes you just told us about or is it a new Feng Shui. Kidding John. love the new design - it looks more of a blogging mogul blog now
Just making sure that I don’t make mistake #8, that’s why I’m leaving a comment here.
Reply to this commentGreat article! And I’m freeing myself from mistake #10 as well, from now on.
I have to say that the number 1 mistake to avoid is very true. When I started my blog just over a year ago, I was very excited about it but didn’t post as much as I wanted to. In December 2006, I made a “new years resolution” to blog once a day and so far I have successfully done so. In December and January I blogged 36 times both months. My point of this comment is to let people know that since December, my traffic has increased more than I could have imagined. By blogging every day, I have gained new readership and it is very exciting. So thank you for writing this post because it is very true and makes a big difference. Enjoy!
Reply to this commentThanks for sharing, Timothy! Nice to hear that your blog is doing well
As I have published new posts almost every day for one month (the blog is one month old) I don’t have anything to compare with, but it is common sense that posting every day gives more visitors.
Reply to this commentA very concise and useful post. Thanks. Someday hopefully I’ll be as successful.
Reply to this commentBlogging Mistake #11 - Doing too many top ten lists in an attempt to get “Dugg” or linked to.
Reply to this commentI like your 10 points, i think i follow most of them and i will try to follow the rest… especially the last one
Pratheep
Reply to this commentGreat post as always. So many people are blogging for money. It has really hurt the net.
Reply to this commentI totally agree with No 1-9.
And I really sincerely agree on no. 10.
People must read your blog.
It’s Cool…
Reply to this commentOn the full RSS feed issue: I typically have pretty long posts so I usually use the “more” tag to split it up on the home page. I believe that does the same thing on the RSS feed? Any way around it?
Also, the “what year is it” question on the comments. What plugin is that?
Thanks!
Reply to this commentCasey
Most things in life come down to basics.
Reply to this commentMost of seo and blogging is in most cases common sense. A 12 year old kid often is clearer than so called seo professionals in many cases.
Clarity and direction are everything.
it is simply because of the first inertia. People run faster oof the blocks, and hardly finish the race. But all the 10 points that chow says are valid.
Reply to this commentmy comment is not showing up here. Am i makeing a commenting mistake!
Reply to this commentamen! great info.
thanks for sharing,
Reply to this commentechard
Hi John,
Thanks for writing this article. I’ve taken your suggestion, and implemented the two plugins you recommended at my site. I’ll be adding this blog to the blogroll as well.
Reply to this comment