What is the best way to learn from mistakes other than learning it from the experience of others. Here are some of the mistakes that I see many new bloggers are making, and in which I have made myself in the past.

1. Writing for search engines before humans – You can always tell when a blogger discovers Search Engine Optimization for the first time. Suddenly titles don’t make sense, keywords appear in posts for no real reason, links to other pages on the blog that are irrelevant to the post keep being used. Learn SEO – but keep your readers as your #1 priority.

2. Putting off starting a blog – waiting until everything is just right before launching can mean you never do it. The longer you take, the stronger the competition.

3. Expecting readers to come to you – The blog world is amazing because of the reader interaction and it’s the reason why I continue to publish on a consistent basis. When I first started out I had no idea how to attract new readers, commenters, interaction etc. I had the impression that if I published new content I’d automatically find readers in my niche.

4. Not using a self hosting blog – The problem with hosting a blog through WordPress.com is that you don’t have full control over customisation. WordPress owned and stored my content. On top of all that, I was using a blog template that thousands of others were using. That’s no way to stand out from the millions of blogs that are online.

5. Neglecting article headlines – Most people new to blog publishing will spend all their time writing the article, and not thinking too much about the headline. Here’s the thing, if your headline doesn’t catch my attention, the chances are your article won’t be read.

6. Giving up too early – blogs take time to take off. Instead of hoping for an overnight success, try to set attainable goals and realize that you’re in it for the long haul. Don’t cancel your blogging efforts after three months – give it at least a year of regularly putting out quality, original content. And make sure that your blog is easy to find, and that your readers are able to easily comment and share posts with others.6

7. Assuming it’s easy – Blogging takes real effort and man-hours into organizing thoughts and even coming up with schedules as to what you’re writing and when you’ll publish the posts. Taking into account the networking, reading, and commenting on other blogs takes time, it’s not something you should do half-heartedly.

New bloggers are bound to make mistakes, one way or another. Although theoretically speaking, it’s best to learn from other people’s mistakes, but reality is always harsher. The best thing you can do is to avoid as many mistakes as possible, and don’t be harsh on yourself when you make one.

Nik Imran is the author of I Make A Blog, a blog that provides guide on How To Make Blog. Besides providing steps on setting up blog, the blog also provides blogging tips.

Related posts:

1. 6 Things To Know Before You Start Blogging Blogging is a bandwagon that took off with startling speed,...
2. 7 Timeless Blogging Tips You Can’t Go Wrong With You have probably come across many blog tips before. Some...
3. How To Write For Web Readers All of us need reminders now and then about how...
4. The Six Blog Design Tips And Mistakes To Avoid For a blog design, no matter how unique your design...
5. The 7 Signs To Tell Your Blog Is On The Right Track I'm sure you have heard that blogging takes time to...

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.