We all start at zero. If you just started your blog, do you still feel like an amateur?
Amateur, often misspelled as amature, is defined as “a person who is incompetent or inept at a particular activity.”
Of course, if you’re just starting a blog, you may feel like a beginner or an amateur; it’s because you are. Embrace it! Don’t wish for a million followers when you’re just starting out. You need to learn how to grow and manage the traffic. Just look at what happened to the Fyre Festival; when the people come, you want to be ready. You want to serve them caviar, not cheese sandwiches.
5 Most Common Mistakes Amateur Blogs Make
So what are the top mistakes amateur bloggers make and how can you prevent from making the same mistakes? And don’t worry, I made a few of these mistakes too. It’s not the end of your blog, it’s just an opportunity to improve.
#1 Hosting on a Free Site
Of course you can start blogging using a free blogging platform, but it’s not set up to give you long term success. You are welcome to test the waters and see if blogging is for you by using a free site. But if you know you want to turn your blog into a business, then start your blog the right way.
Here’s a little secret. I started blogging on wordpress.com a long long time ago. But after a few months I realized that I couldn’t keep wasting my time pushing out content without a solid monetization strategy. So I transferred my content over from wordpress.com to a self hosted solution (wordpress.org) and voila, I was taking the first step towards success.
You can avoid all of the hassle and the time you waste learning a free system, only to relearn a self hosted system, by starting your blog correctly.
#2 Choosing a Difficult Blog Name
When it comes to choosing a blog name, keep it simple and short. Don’t try to get too fancy. The easier it is to spell and remember for your readers, the better.
I’ve once had an Italian reader pronounce my blog name, and she said she appreciated that it was simple. Because in Italian the letters j, k, w, x and y are considered foreign.
I’m not saying choose your blog name based on letters that are foreign in Italian. But I am saying keep it simple and sweet. Don’t make the amateur mistake of calling your blog “oodlesandoodlesoffun.com” – that’s tricky to spell!
Look at the blog names below, they are short, simple and to the point.
- StartAMomBlog.com
- BusyToddler.com
- KidsActivities.com
- SimpleLiving.com
The blogs above are just a few examples of simple and easy to remember names. Here are more tips for choosing the right blog name.
#3 Not Staying Consistent
If you want to grow a blog into a business, you’ll need to produce content consistently. You can’t write a few amateur blog posts sporadically and complain that you’re not getting traffic.
Just like you can’t go to the gym a few times and wonder why you don’t have a six pack.
These things take time and effort.
Getting a six pack requires eating right, sleeping enough, workout out consistently and not giving up when you fall of the wagon.
It’s exactly the same with blogging. You’ll need to write blog posts, promote your work, research, learn and implement.
If you want to grow your blog to $10,000 per month, you’ll need to put in the work.
There is no shortcut. Some new bloggers work and implement faster, some a bit slower. But regardless of how fast you work, if you stay consistent and work hard, you’ll get there. Following a solid blog plan is helpful too.
#4 Not Learning New Techniques
Another big mistake amateur blogs make is not learning new things. If you’re not open to trying and testing out new methods, you’ll fall behind quickly. The online world changes and you’ll have to push yourself to learn what’s working now.
When I started blogging Facebook did not have a Live feature. Now it’s a solid part of my blogging strategy.
Instagram wasn’t a thing when I started my blog. Now it’s one of the biggest social media platforms.
Invest time learning new skills. Take courses. Test new methods. Try different techniques. You may find something that grows your blog like a rocket ship!
#5 Giving Up Too Quickly
Blogging is a long term game. It’s not an overnight get rich quick scheme. Blogging is building a business and growing an audience from scratch. It’s going to take hard work. Most amateur bloggers give up within three months. Don’t fall into that statistic. Be different, be bold, believe in yourself.
If you have a dire need to make money quickly, you can still grow your blog while working as a freelancer or being a virtual assistant. Here are also more ideas how to make money as a stay at home mom.
Set your expectations. Blogging is going to take work. You can definitely grow a successful blog that will retire your husband from his full time corporate job. I’m here to help and support you! I have blog posts, courses, ebooks, Facebook Lives and challenges to keep you focused and accountable.
Don’t give up, your dreams are too important.
Mistakes Amateur Blogs Make
I truly hope this post inspires you to take the blog by the horns and conquer it! My words may be a bit hard and to the point, but it’s only to put a little bit of fire under your tushy.
If you’ve made any of the mistakes above, know I’ve made them too. And I’ve been able to grow a solid blog that allows me to be home with my kids and husband full time. It’s dream come true. All the hard work – so worth it.
I want the same for you. Sign up for my email list, visit my Facebook page to see me teaching Live and join the challenges. Let’s do this!
Let me know in the comments – where do you blog and what amateur mistakes have you made?
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