Blog Tip Tuesday: 5 Huge Mistakes You’re Making on Your Blog

The more people I interview and connect with the more I realize how they’re underestimating the power of their blogs. Blogging is serious stuff! There is much money to be made and opportunities to seize, but none of which will happen if you’re making silly mistakes that can easily be avoided. Trust me, I’ve made them all.

5 years ago when I started I had no idea about the power of social media and content distribution. I knew people liked pretty pictures and that was it. I didn’t know about SEO, collaborating, or self-hosted websites. Had I known then what I know now, I’d probably be up at the top with the rest of them, but I’m not… yet but I’m getting there and that’s all that matters.

I know now that being authentic will take you far, keeping “blog secrets” for yourself is sneaky, and Instagram is very influential but it’s not enough to sustain a business. Blogging entails so much more and if you’re reading this, then that means you’re ready to take the next step to catch the mistakes you’re making on your blog before wasting more time.

not thinking about your blog as a business

I see so many self-proclaimed “bloggers” who only have Instagram, don’t have an email list, or don’t use Snapchat. This is a huge mistake you’re making on your blog! You are not a blogger if you don’t have a blog, #sorrynotsorry.

A blog is your home base. It is where your followers go and where your income will ultimately be produced. Maintaining a blog is too much work for it not to be considered a business.

Consider how much traffic you’re getting and from where and why. You should also think about getting an email list so you can directly communicate to your audience. Then you should think about creative ways to make money like creating a product or offering a service.

Maybe your blog started out as a hobby on Instagram or as a “creative outlet”, as everyone loves to say, and now it’s gaining momentum so why would you not want to capitalize on it and turn your blog into a business?!

Side hustles are great but I will never understand why people don’t want to get the most bang for their buck. Time is money and if you’re spending a lot of time on something (your blog) you should be compensated (by turning it into a business).

Making excuses won’t help you. Your blog can be turned into a business regardless of how much money or time you have, where you live, or your blog traffic. With some talent/skill, hustle, and positivity you can turn any hobby into a business.

faking it

The reality is unless you have 50,000+ Instagram followers, (and that may be pushing it), and a conversion rate of 40% or so, you still have a full-time job and blogging is your side hustle. So there really is no sense in hiding who you truly are and what you truly do, because when the truth is finally revealed you may get some serious backlash.

I think it’s safe to say I don’t entirely agree with “fake it ’til you make it”.

You can fake it in the sense that you create beautifully curated photos by using the best editing tools, but you can’t fake buying high-end items when you’re really bloggin’ on a budget… like me!

People appreciate the truth, they appreciate seeing your journey unfold as they embark on their own. It’s nice to know you’re not alone in this whole blogging world, which can get pretty competitive and catty.

The bloggers who stand in my opinion are the ones who don’t try to hide who they are, like ‘I love this Chloe bag, but I’m a broke b*tch so I found a more affordable option from Forever 21’.

When you keep it real, you’ll get to the point where you can really afford that Chloe bag, but until then just own where you are right now! People love an authentic success story.

relying on one social media platform

At this point I sound like a broken record: do not put all your eggs in one basket! Diversify your brand the way you would your financial investments. Get on Snapchat, Facebook, Twitter (I should take my own advice here), Periscope, etc.

Relying on one platform is a huge mistake you’re making in regards to your blog because you can’t control it. Instagram is rolling out new stuff that will affect how your profile is viewed yet again, facebook ads are almost the only way your stuff gets seen, and who knows what Snapchat will come out with.

Add little bits of value consistently here and there on all platforms so people pay attention and start to realize you’re here to stay. You are building your brand and you want your message spread across as many mediums as possible. Don’t limit yourself.

not collaborating

Some bloggers see collaborating with other bloggers as competition and that by featuring another blogger it will somehow take away from you. This couldn’t be more wrong.

People follow you because they like what you have to say. They can like what other people have to say too. They’re not going to stop following you just because you introduce them to another blogger who’s equally awesome. In fact, they may even start coming to you because you’re introducing them to all these cool people, (hence the reason I do Style File Friday).

Other bloggers refuse to collaborate with other bloggers. Umm, why? It’s free publicity for you. These bloggers instead prefer to not share the spotlight and insist on being paid for every collaboration. That’s great and I appreciate the hustle but being so finicky and diva-esque will not get you far.

When in doubt, think about if every collaboration encounter was videoed and shown to the world. How would you feel? How would your brand look?

Well in this day and age almost everything is captured and shared on social media so it’s best to treat every collaboration with respect and sincere consideration before saying yes or no. Word will spread so the last thing you want is a bad reputation in the influencer industry.

not sharing “secrets” to your success

Ugh. Nothing is more frustrating when bloggers try to hide their secrets to success, like how they grow their Instagrams or increase blog traffic. If you’re hiding your best blog or style secrets, and that’s the content your followers want, they will go looking for it somewhere else.

Your readers are the only reason you’re successful so the least you can do is answer their questions and give the people what they want!

Be upfront, be honest, share the wealth. There is enough success to go around and it’s no fun when you keep it all to yourself. You want shared success because nothing is more rewarding than hearing how you’ve impacted someone’s life.

Usually though, if you’ve been in the blogging biz and study people’s movements, you’ll be able to see why they do what they do without asking.

Something to keep in mind is that there really is no secret sauce. Every success story is different and different techniques work well for some and not so great with others. So as long as you keep observing and testing new ways to engage your audience and grow, one day you’ll have your own secrets to share.

I’ve shared my secrets and mistakes, now I want to hear yours…

What has been your biggest blogging mistake? Tell me in the comments below!

xx