Frustrated with your blog’s lack of growth? It could be you. Many bloggers make typical mistakes that dwarf their potential for growth—and you might be one of them. Want to know if that’s the case? Here’s a look at some of the key reasons blog audiences don’t grow. Hold your site up to these tests, and find out how you’re sabotaging your own blog growth, without even realizing it.
1. It’s Bland.
Look, the world is filled with blogs—so if you want yours to be read, it has to stand out. Why would anyone come to your blog when it’s the same old content they find everywhere else? Being average isn’t good enough. You have to be better.
Ask Yourself: What could readers find at my blog that they won’t find anywhere else? How is my blog better, prettier, clearer, smarter, or more interesting than the other ones? If you don’t know the answer, you don’t know why anyone should read your site.
2. It’s Impersonal.
People don’t connect with webpages; they connect with people. So if all your blog provides is cold, hard content, don’t be surprised that people don’t stay. To create meaningful connection, you’ve got to be personal—and that means sharing more of the human side of your company, whether through third-party stories or first-person anecdotes. It also means responding to questions and comments as they’re left.
Ask Yourself: Would someone coming to my blog have an idea of who I am? Would it be easy to see what I look like, what I care about, why I blog to begin with? If not, how am I being personal? If you’re not being personal, no wonder your blog’s not growing.
3. It’s Confusing.
When it comes to the Internet, good design is more than a luxury; it’s a crucial part of getting your content read. While there are innumerable ways to showcase content, one thing is always certain: You want to design your site to make it easy for readers to receive your message and connect with you.
Ask Yourself: Is my site making my content easier to read or harder to read? Are popups or some other feature distracting readers from the point of my site? If so, it’s time to simplify the design and clean things up.
4. It’s Too Salesy.
Your blog is not the place to become a loudspeaker, always shouting, “Me, me, me!” All this does is alienate your followers and tell them to go the other way. Rather than being an advertisement, work to be a resource.
Ask Yourself: How much time do I spend promoting myself online? Am I always talking about myself on my blog? If so, that’s a pretty good clue that I’m turning readers away.
5. It’s Not Delivering Value.
The best way to gain readers is to offer them something of value. This could be personal stories, beautiful photographs, helpful tips, or something else. This gives your readers a reason to come to your site and a reason to return.
Ask Yourself: What does my blog offer readers? When someone comes to my site, what does he or she gain? It could be something tangible like a recipe, or something intangible like advice, but in either case it needs to be something genuinely valuable.
Your Thoughts
What do you think? Are you guilty of any of these typical blog mistakes, and could your blog be suffering because of it? If so, it’s type to make some changes. Nobody should set higher standards for your blog than you do—so aim high, and see what results.
