There is no right or wrong way of blogging, it is an individual journey, however there are certain blogging mishaps you will want to avoid making. I have been blogging for over 2 years and have seen these be visible within the blogging community. I thought I would shed some light on these mishaps, if you are new to blogging you are definitely going to want to avoid making these mistakes. There is still so much I am learning from my blogging journey and looking forward to learning more.
Here are 6 mistakes you shouldn’t make:
#1 Not declaring when you have posted content that is sponsored or gifted
Declaring if your content is sponsored, if you were gifted a product/service, or if you are paid for your thoughts, is an important aspect of blogging. You want to be authentic, it’s what makes you relatable and if you are using your blog as a business, you want to build a positive reputation.
#2 Not proofreading your content before you post
Proofreading your writing before you publish is so important, it allows you to pick up on any mistakes or misspelling you may have missed. You can’t expect others to read your posts, if you are not even prepared to proofread your writing.
#3 Copying content
This is the biggest no no! Every blogger works so hard on their content and to have an individual copy your content whether that is all of it or a parts of your blog post. It is wrong! If you like a tag or an idea that you want to share your own thoughts on, make sure you give credit to the original creator.
#4 Putting quantity over quality
There is a myth that putting loads of blog posts a week means you will have higher blog views, this is not necessarily the case. You have to post quality content that is well written and that your audience can engage with and relate too. Self promotion is a huge part of building your audience.
#5 Not leaving genuine comments
When you read other people’s blog posts and commit to commenting, you should leave genuine or constructive comments. Leaving two or three word comments are usually seen as not genuine. Writing thoughtful and helpful comments shows other bloggers that you are supportive and you will start building a supportive audience.
#6 Getting caught up in online disagreements
Not everyone gets on with everyone, that is life and that is no different to the online community. Online disagreements happen and other people get involved. Things you say are a reflection on yourself. Try to stay neutral. Again, if your blog is a business you need to protect your own reputation.
These are just a few things you need to think about when you are blogging. Of course everyone makes mistakes but its important you learn and grow from them. Are there any blogging mishaps or mistakes you feel bloggers should be avoiding? I’d love to hear in the comments.
Hi. Happy Friday. Sound and very wise advice indeed. Have a great weekend. Goff
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Thank you!
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Cheers, Happy Day. Goff
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Agree with all the mistakes! I have gotten people who only put their blog link in my comment section and I was like ????
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What? That’s so rude! Xx
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Yep. Not even ‘visit my blog’ just their link. Of course I deleted the comments 😂
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Oh gosh, that is so rude!! Xx
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I used to be pretty lazy about proofreading my posts, but then I got Grammarly and that still falls within acceptable bounds of laziness 😉
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I agree with all of these, Lauren. Quality over quantity is a definite must do for me. But declaring sponsorship and gifted collabs – on social posts as well as on individual blog posts – is non negotiable. Apart from anything else, these are ASA requirements, which is why it’s so frustrating when you see bloggers just failing to declare properly. Great tips! X
Lisa | http://www.lisasnotebook.com
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Yeah definitely!! It is a rule and just shows your authenticity. Thank you for reading and commenting Lisa xxx
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I agree with the ones about comments. If I have nothing to say or add to what the post was about, I will just leave a like. Sometimes I have to. I argue with any comment left on my blog. I always in a way that says I can see what they are trying to say and how it works. I know that arguing in a way that makes only me right will push readers away. I am also a very kind person in general and prefer never to argue.
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That’s fair enough you only leave a like if not, it’s what you feel is best. Xx
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Leaving comments was the first piece of advice I remember getting when I started. I’ve been blogging since March (so I’m still a newbie). When I started to become engaged with other bloggers it seem to help draw traffic to my blog. I also get inspired to write on certain topics when I engage in conversation, I find this to be a great way to help me sharpen my skill-set and to get my brain engaged on the topics I want to write about.
Leaving genuine and constructive criticism has opened opportunities, I’ve been asked to guest blog and I was invited on a community blog to write about being a mother and the faithfulness of God. I look at Pastor Sarah Jakes Roberts, she first made herself known through a blog.
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That’s great the opportunities you have received from blogging! Engaging with other bloggers is the best way to make friends and increase traffic!! Thank you for reading and commenting x
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Oh, these are great tips Lauren! Couldn’t agree more with everything you have written! 🙂 The one I think is the best is ‘leaving genuine comments’ I hate so much when someone leaves a comment who clearly has not read the post as their comment doesn’t make sense lol!
You hit the nail on the head with these!
Ashleigh x
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Or I have a rant about a story on my comments or something that makes no sense haha! Thank you for reading and commenting Ashleigh xx
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Not proofing is one of the biggest ones I see though I must admit i have proofed something 5 times over and still missed the same thing. I find proofing it once more in published format somehow helps catch any missed ones. Maybe it’s the slightly changed format.
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Yeah we are all human at the end of the day but not proofreading even once is a big mistake! Thank you for reading and commenting. Please can you link your blog below again x
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Beautiful! I hate reading a post that has good points only to find it riddled with mistakes and errors. Quality is something I will always stand by, and I am more appreciative of it, even if it does take more time to write.
Comments are something I put a lot of thought in to. I never like leaving shallow comments. What am I really saying with a few wasted words? I would much rather identify with something in the post and tell the author why I connected with it. 🙂
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Yeah or if you didn’t like it, don’t comment for the sake of commenting! Thank you, I always appreciate your kind words and always supporting my blog! I can’t thank you enough xx
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Precisely!
It is an absolute pleasure to share my thoughts when I read your excellent writing. 🙂
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Aww thank you so much x
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100% declaring if your content is sponsored/gifted is so important, there have been times when it’s been clear that a blogger has been gifted a product and didn’t declare it – it’s really important because as a reader I’m not so sure I could trust the review of a product if that makes sense because they’re not being honest.
Proofreading yes!!! I always proofread my posts and then the next day after it’s been posted, I’m always checking it over just in case.
Copying content?! That’s a thing?! WOW each blogger’s content is down to their individualism and how they approach certain topics – down to a person’s blogging voice, I’d think those who copy would realize that readers would recognize the voice of a post.
Quality > Quantity everyday! I post once a week and more recently twice a week, it’s all down to the content itself and if you truly like what you’re writing (it can show in your writing if you’re just writing for the sake of writing!). I used to think I needed to post more, but I’m more of the mind of I’d rather put my all in that one post a week rather than giving 20% and uploading something I’m not 1000% on.
YES COMMENTING – I tend to leave essays because I genuinely love reading and commenting and supporting bloggers 🙂
Sahara
https://www.saharasdreams.com/
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Copying content is a thing although haven’t heard of any recently but it does happen unfortunately! I post twice a week, as I want to have tome to write methodical and quality writing pieces and not just posting for the sake of posting. Thank you for reading and sharing your thoughts! Thank you for the support x
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These are definitely important tips to note. OMG!!! It is so bad when people copy content. People work hard to word their posts and everything. It is so important to leave genuine comments as well. I get so put off when someone just say “cool post” T__T. Thanks for sharing all of these tips. Totally agree with them!
Nancy ♥ exquisitely.me
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You want feedback too as to whether it was good, okay what was good? Haha! Thank you! I am hoping they help especially new bloggers xx
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These are great tips (as your blogging posts always end up being filled with!). I haaaate reading clearly blogs that pump out a post a day but every post ends up being crap, so definitely agree with quality over quantity!x
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Aww thank you lovely! Quality over quantity definitely builds you a loyal audience xx
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Audience*
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I 100% agree with all of the points you make here! Nothing worse than putting posts up just for the hell of it, I always think you can tell when someone’s really tried with a post. I also can’t stand when people comment and you can tell they haven’t actually read what you’ve written haha. X
https://thestevensonlife.co.uk
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Thank you for reading and commenting x
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I can leave v. genuine three-word comments 😉 (they’re also exceptionally random! Lol.)
Cee @ http://www.dorareads.co.uk/
(I remembered to leave my blog address dammit!!!!!)
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Thanks!
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I definitely need to get better at proof reading my posts! These tips are fab and I’ll definitely be taking them on board from now on. 🙂
Soph – https://girlvsworldblog.com x
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I hope they help, thank you for reading xx
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HAHA! I’m laughing because I never proof-read my posts and I always think ‘Damn how do I suck so bad at spelling and grammar’? Seeing it on your list is like… Vee, go do that for a change.
Good list. Thanks for sharing!
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I sometimes forget so I have made a check list to make sure I proof read them haha x
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It really annoys me when people don’t declare their gifted/PR samples!
Love, Amie ❤
The Curvaceous Vegan
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Definitely! It’s about being authentic x
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This is such a useful post, not only for beginners but also for those of us who have been blogging for a while. It’s always great to be reminded of the basics, like proofreading – my pet hate! It took me a while to get into that instead of skipping it because I hated it! xxx
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Yeah, to save time (or it feels like it) after each paragraph or section typed I will proof read it so by the end I don’t have to go back through and read it again xxx
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My biggest pet peeve is HAVING NO FOLLOW BUTTON. How do you plan to get your amazing writing out if you have no way of notifying viewers?! Also it annoys me when people promo posts, but haven’t had a new one in 6+ months, maybe focus your energy on coming up with new content rather.
Rachel || http://anotherstationanothermile.com
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Yeah no follow button, or no comment button, that really annoys me!! Thank you for reading and commenting!
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I agree with all the mistakes, luckily the only one I have ever been guilty off is the not proofreading my blog post sometimes!!
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Thank you! Can you link your blog so I can read it x
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I am new to blogging and your tips really seem helpful, but I guess the one thing that trumps everything is patience. Audiences are not built overnight and it takes a great deal of networking. Another issue new bloggers like myself face is the lack of content ideas, because no matter what you want to write about, someone else has already covered it and it just seems repetitive. Maybe if there was a way to understand which topics are the least written on, it would help bloggers to choose a niche.
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It’s great to be able to cover an idea and put your perspective as although it has already been covered, you will have a different perspective. Everyone has a story to tell! It definitely takes years of hard work to build a loyal audience x
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You are so right, not proofreading is indeed one of my biggest mistakes.
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Definitely! Can you link your blog please
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Great list! I’ve committed to posting twice a week since the summer and sometimes it does feel like quantity over quality. So great to have a reminder to get that back on track and always value quality content first.
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Thank you for reading and commenting! Some time posting several times a day can put off readers as it can be overwhelming xx
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Reblogged this on THE BLOGGING STATION.
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