101 Blogging Mistakes I Made, So You Don’t Have To

Blogging like just about everything else is a skill that takes time and effort to learn. The best way to learn is by jumping in feet first and then struggling to make it until you do. It’s like swimming. The best way to do it is just jump in the water and then fight until you don’t drown. Maybe not a perfect analogy but you get the picture. After blogging on this particular blog at least six months now there is a lot that I have learned. Things that if I knew when I started would put my light years ahead of where I am now.

Am I complaining? No, not at all. I’m happy with where I am at and the progress my blog has made simply pointing out the value of learning from the mistakes of others. When I first got into blogging it was with the intent to help others and make money. The first part is relatively easy there is much in my life experience and mind that can help the average man. Something that I aim to do until I die. However the making money and building a blog the smart way was something that took a little more time.

However I wouldn’t trade the process for anything. I’m happy with what I’ve learned and plus since I’m so stubborn it’s doubtful I would have listened to others at the start anyways. Don’t be like me. Listen to others that are worth listening to. When you hear something repeated by four or five experts its a good bet that whatever it is they are mentioning is worth taking a look at. Though everyone’s experience is going to be different there are commonalities that we can all learn from and benefit from. Here are 101 blogging mistakes that I made, so that you can learn from, and don’t have to make yourself. Hopefully this makes easy for you what was hard for me. You’ll notice that all of these I know for the most part do, but it took me awhile to learn them.

101 Blogging Mistakes

1. It’s okay to take a break from time to time.
2. Find a way to monetize your blog quick. It helps with motivation.
3. Have a place where readers can contact you.
4. Network with other bloggers.
5. Social media is for interacting with others not just putting post updates (though you should do that as well).
6. Don’t be afraid to reach out to those you deem “higher” or whatever than you. Just because you are just starting out doesn’t mean you’ll get shat on for reaching out.
7. He who dares wins.
8. Never be afraid of controversy. Don’t willingly court it but don’t stray away from it either.
9. Write guest posts.
10. Amazon books are not the best monetization strategy when starting out.
11. Affiliate marketing is awesome, though remember only promote products you believe in.
12. With that being said Amazon’s affiliate marketing program isn’t worth it (which is why I don’t do it).
13. Master the how to article.
14. Blogging is a long term game.
15. Reading a lot helps more than you can imagine.
16. You have to write what you are interested in or you’ll dry up fast.
17. Always respond to your readers.
18. Ignore negative people and trolls, they are never worth it. Responding only encourages them.
19. Not everything you write is going to be gold and that’s fine.
20. Write a lot and make the law of averages work in your favor.
21. Don’t fear failure.
22. Make insightful and helpful comments on the blogs of others.
23. Treat your blog like a business, not a hobby.
24. Always be professional, remember this is after all a business.
25. Things like making money, getting women, and getting ripped always have large audiences.
26. Headlines are ten times more important than you think they are, if not more.
27. Copywriting and sales is what separates the bloggers who blog for years with little to show for it and the ones who are successful. No I’m not kidding. Over good content, many posts, or whatever those who know sales and copywriting make it as bloggers (and just about any other type of business).
28. Be you, not a second rate version of someone else.
29. Read good books about successful bloggers.
30. Link to others when relevant.
31. Doing something like the weekly roundups not only gives you a glimpse of other great blogs but also helps with Google rankings and networking. A win-win-win.
32. Develop good communication skills both in writing and conversing.
33. Write each and every post as it’s you and one of your readers.
34. Always stay down to earth.
35. Blogging isn’t easy, but it isn’t hard either. It’s more about consistency than just about anything else.
36. You probably don’t want to have your blog as you main source of income until it’s been up for at least a year.
37. Don’t make your blog so focused you can’t branch out when you want to. Most of my stuff deals with attraction but there are other things that interest me as well, hence all the categories.
38. Don’t follow the path of others in lockstep, do some experimenting of your own. Remember be unique.
39. Have a unique voice, don’t be just another self-improvement (or whatever) blogger.
40. Don’t be afraid to go against the grain. If I think something and yet the rest of my niche/community/whatever disagrees with me, I’m still going to go with what I feel to be true.
41. You’re going to be wrong sometimes, we’re all human. It’s no big deal.
42. Sometimes it’s best to disconnect from other blogs, especially those in your niche for a time (or indefinitely).
43. Don’t forget to get fresh air.
44. Even when you don’t feel like writing…write. This is how real writers do it.
45. Be prepared to write everyday.
46. There will be a period of time where your blog doesn’t feel like it’s worth it. It won’t be making you money and you’ll barely be getting any hits. As long as you don’t give up you’ll get through it.
47. Read this series before you even start.
48. Find a quiet place where you can write everyday.
49. Keep this place separate from the rest of your life.
50. If you want to be a successful blogger writing 1,000 words a day should sound like a light warm up.
51. Blogging is a skill that can be learned. No one is born a “good blogger”.
52. Stone by stone were the pyramids built, post by post your blog will be built.
53. The man who doesn’t quit cannot be defeated.
54. Don’t check your site metrics religiously. Be aware of them but they can be more of annoyance than anything.
55. Use social media wisely, it can easily become a time sink.
56. Stay away from negativity, no matter who it comes from.
57. Persistence is the key to blogging success.
58. Set benchmarks to meet. For example the writing 200 posts before September really motivated me. Not something I could do all year but a good motivator.
59. Good copywriting and good blogging go hand in hand.
60. Knowing good copywriting matters greatly even if you don’t plan on selling a single thing from your blog.
61. Put simply learn copywriting.
62. Don’t be afraid to expand outside of your niche.
63. Never limit yourself or what you can accomplish.
64. Master the list article.
65. SEO while not the end all be all is something to be aware off.
66. Having the right keywords is more important than SEO. This is something you want to plan before hand.
67. Plan out your articles beforehand. Not just the structure but the key words, the headline, and things like that.
68. Give value to your readers. When they read your site they should learn something every article that is going to improve their life in some way.
69. Be discriminatory in how you spend your time.
70. There are certain things that matter in blogging more than others. For example fiddling with your layout doesn’t matter nearly as much as putting up quality post after quality post.
71. Content matters greatly.
72. Make your blog a place of information not a sales page, even if your only goal is to make money.
73. You have to network and market, just because you build it doesn’t mean they will come.
74. Take action. At the end of the day taking action is what matters.
75. The best time to start was a year ago but since you can’t do that, start today.
76. Did I mention sales was important?
77. Things grow at a natural rate. Sure there are things you can do to maximize this growth but at the end of the day poking and prodding isn’t going to make the tree grow any faster. These things take time.
78. Blogging is a great experience, you can’t help but learn a ton from doing it. And not just about blogging but a variety of topics.
79. Not to mention you get to meet great like minded people.
80. Use thought currents to your advantage.
81. Don’t get caught up in artificial tips and tricks but rather focus on the fundamentals. Giving value and producing helpful content.
82. Traffic while a good metric isn’t perfect. For sales or for the reach and stretch of your blog.
83. Writer’s block is an excuse more than anything.
84. When you set one goal and reach it, celebrate, but then immediately set the next.
85. Not everyone is going to like you and nor should they. Stick to your guns and don’t back down just because someone disagrees with you.
86. Don’t be afraid to go against the grain and carve your own path.
87. The news and media are toxic. I would encourage you to not make them parts of your blog.
88. Same is true of politics.
89. Write content that is going to be useful to someone ten years down the road not just for this week or month.
90. Don’t get caught up in fads.
91. Following the pack will never get you where you want to go.
92. Life is meant to be enjoyed. Your blog is meant to better your life and the lives of others. When it stops meeting that purpose it’s time to change some things.
93. Your blog should evolve as you evolve. It should grow with you.
94. Even if things suck don’t let you blog become a place of negativity and bitterness, that is poison.
95. Have focused stints where you work like a dog but then have times where you live a balanced life as well. This takes work and determination but remember to breathe.
96. Know who your audience is and always keep that in mind. Some things that may work for the average person aren’t going to work for them. Not everyone has the same desires and interests.
97. The blog should add to your life not take away from it.
98. Give value, help others.
99. Learn from your mistakes.
100. Never quit.
101. Guest post on my site.

Summary

So there you have it. What I have learned in six months of blogging. No doubt that the next sixth months will bring even more revelations and growth. I’m looking forward to it. Not rocket science rather more like digging a ditch or building a wall. It’s done shovel by shovel and brick by brick. There are certainly ways to speed up the process but at the end of the day it comes down to putting in the work. I look at my blog like a giant pyramid being built with each post another stone. Another stone in the pyramid. One by one they may not do much but together they can build something great.

Everyone is looking for short cuts and an easy road. Like I said there are certainly things you can do to speed up the process (learning copywriting the absolute number one thing you can do) but at the end of the day it requires hard work and perseverance. Not sexy answers but the true ones. Strive to hit one thousand posts. Consider one thousand posts the completion of your pyramid. Who knows maybe once you reach it you’ll want to continue on but until then strive to complete your pyramid and build something worth remembering.

If you have any questions you would like to see answered in a future post send them to me at charlessledge001 (at) gmail (dot) com. If you found value in this post then I would encourage you to share this site with someone who may need it as well as check out my books here. I appreciate it.

-Charles Sledge