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Here we are with a brand new year. It’s your chance to start afresh and make your blogging a huge success.
Let’s look at eight mistakes you should avoid this year:
1. The plan-less blog
The biggest mistake I see novice bloggers making is the lack of a concrete plan which works. I hammer the benefits of a plan in my Blogging for Dollars course, and I give you a plan which works.
How to avoid this mistake:
Get a plan for content and for marketing. Know what you’ll post and when. Create draft posts. Plan your marketing a month in advance.
2. The me-too blog
A me-too blog is a copy-cat blog. I’m not saying that you should avoid blogging in an industry in which there are well-known blogs, but if you decide to do this, approach the industry with a new angle.
How to avoid this mistake:
Get an angle which popular blogs aren’t covering, then make sure that there’s some search engine traffic for your angle. For example, if you want to start a cooking blog, choose an angle like cooking for low carb diets, or cooking with chocolate. Avoid niches which are too small - there’s no traffic.
3. The orphan blog
The orphan blog hasn’t been posted to in three months. By its chronological nature, a blog needs to be updated.
How to avoid this mistake:
See #1 - plan. If you’re pushed for time, make at least a short post every week, or even once a month.
4. The where-the-heck is my traffic RIGHT NOW blog
Patience, grasshopper. Rome wasn’t built in a day, and neither is your blog. In your first month of blogging, focus on content. Then focus on content AND marketing.
How to avoid this mistake:
See #1 - market your blog.
5. The just-a-blog
This mistake, the just-a-blog is a form of the Me-too blog, but it’s even more insidious. This kind of mistake happens when you start a blog in an area in which you have no real interest.
How to avoid this mistake:
Aim to blog in areas in which you have a real, passionate interest.
6. The who-are-you? blog
You need an About page to orient your readers. Tell them who you are, why you’re blogging, and what your expertise is.
How to avoid this mistake:
Create an About page.
7. The cheap blog
You create a cheap blog when your favorite word is “free.” While many blogging tools are indeed free, the cheap mind set is bad for you, because it comes across in your blog.
How to avoid this mistake:
Treat your blog as something of value - as an investment. Invest in it by buying tools and information on how to blog. Yes, a lot of stuff online is free, but it’s often worth exactly what you paid for it.
8. The make-money-blogging blog
This area is very crowded - there’s a lot of competition.
How to avoid this mistake:
Avoid a make-money blog unless you can bring a totally fresh and exciting angle to it.
So there you have eight mistakes to avoid in 2008.
Wherever you are in the world, dear blogger, I wish you a happy and successful 2008 - make it your best blogging year ever!
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