Blogger: Rachel Kent
Here’s a list of frequent blogger mistakes.
1) Negativity: Don’t always focus on what’s wrong with the world or take the defensive side to everything. Positive bloggers are more attractive and more influential.
2) Writing blogs that are too long: Blog length is very important. Avoid long blogs that might take too much time to read. Most people check blogs on short breaks, so they’ll only skim a blog if it’s too long, or they might stop reading it altogether.
3) Unfocused: Bloggers often fall into the trap of writing blogs that don’t have a point or try to make too many points. Every blog needs to focus on a main thesis.
4) Too self -promotional: Blogs naturally create publicity for the blogger, but some blog hosts still continually write about their accomplishments. This doesn’t create a community and drives readers away.
5) Forgetting that blog posts are out there forever: Many bloggers aren’t careful about what they say on a blog, and it ends up hurting them sometime in the future. Be careful because your words are out there for anyone to read at any time.
6) Writing the same thing over and over again: Make sure you find new topics when you blog. When a blogger is trying to blog to his or her brand, it can be challenging to diversify content.
7) Forgetting that blogged content is considered published content. Bloggers who start to post chapters from their books or stories they hope to use again often face disappointment when they discover that publishers consider it published content and want new content for the book.
Anything to add to the list? Have a wonderful weekend!
Shawn D Brink
Excellent points. I have had multiple requests from my readers to post sample chapters of my next THE SPACE BETWwEEN novel. Although I am flattered that readers want to know what happens next, I can’t risk publishing a work on a blog so that it is considered published prior to the publisher release.
Jordan
As a new blogger and aspiring author #7 is something I have been thinking about here lately and this blog post answered some of my questions. Thanks!
Andrew Budek-Schmeisser
Great post, rachel! A good list.
* If I may, I’d like to add a few thoughts:
– Don’t be inconsistent. Blogging is a service profession, and you should be ‘there’ predictably.
– Be personal in replying to comments; put the commenter’s name in the first few words. This is especially important in Blogger, as comment-replies aren’t tagged to the commenter.
– Don’t put significant text over images. That can give a reader real eyestrain.
– Don’t autoplay music when the blog’s opened. Give the visitor a chance to select it.
– It’s understandable to monetize a blog, but be careful – I’ve seen Christian marriage blogs with ads exhorting the reader to date women from foreign lands. That sets kind of a weird tone.
– Always, always always know thy audience. Use language, anecdotes, links and imagery appropriate to their worldview.
Andrew Budek-Schmeisser
Sorry about the lowercase ‘r’ in your name, Rachel. Fast fingers, slow brain. Have a great weekend!
Janet Ann Collins
Andrew, thanks for saying we shouldn’t include autoplay music. It’s so annoying when I click on a post, or even a website, and get blasted with music. And if someone gets that while other people are sleeping or trying to concentrate on work it would be even more irritating.
Jeanne Takenaka
Great suggestions, Andrew. And you do them all well.
Andrew Budek-Schmeisser
Thanks so much, Jeanne! Same back. I’ve learned a LOT about blogging from you.
Kristen Joy Wilks
I like author blogs where I hear about the writer’s process and what they’re working on, but also snippets about their life. I actually loved reading about Ally Carter’s search for new cabinets that had a built in spot for her baked Lays potato chips. It was quite a quest. I was sad when she hired a publicist to run contests and do her blogging for her. I loved the personal touch that her blog had before.
Samantha
–I’d add that some forget their blogs our a representation of themselves and their writing. Even a more casual post deserves a good edit and polish to show one’s best work.
–Erratic posting has the potential to lose readers. I’ve followed blogs before that have new posts up twice every week then three months slide by without a peep from them. Or they switch posting days. I much prefer knowing when to expect something new from a blogger.
Jeanne Takenaka
Thanks for the suggestions, Rachel. It’s easy to forget our words will be out there FOR-EV-ER. We need to be wise in what we share, and to remember that people may read posts years after they are originally written and posted.
*I’ve heard it’s good to make sure there’s good white space on your blog. Shorter paragraphs, easy to read text, and pictures help keep a reader interested and reduce eye strain.
Carrie
Great points, Rachel. Thanks for taking the time to put this together. Can you please expand on #2? So many opinions out there as to what gets traffic vs. likes vs. shares.
Kathy Cassel
Thank you for sharing that posting chapters is considered published. I have posted the Freerunner synopsis to see if it would interested readers, but thankfully not chapters!