Starting something new is always exciting. The peak of adrenaline rush and the motivation to get things done. It is the same with every single blog too. Every blogger (like myself) start a blog to create a digital identity and get recognition from people across the world.
But, why do blogs fail?
When we talk about failed blogs, the one question that pops up in every person’s mind is, “Do people still read blogs?”
According to statistics from 99firms, it is believed that 77% of internet users read blogs. That means that blogs aren’t dead.
There are thousands of bloggers out there who are making a handsome income by just running a single blog. That is how amazing the outreach is and how effective blogging is for earning money.
But, out of the 500+ million blogs that are available on the internet, only a few manage to gain success.
Why is that so? Why do most bloggers fail?
Much like how you can gain knowledge about success from experienced and successful people, you can gain knowledge about failure from the individuals who have experienced that first hand.
I meant, someone like me.
How did I start?
When I started blogging, I started it as a way to get my thoughts out on the internet. I didn’t know what I was doing and I didn’t know what I was posting either. I cannonball-ed everything and hoped for the best.
My first blog, “The Accidental Writer” was started in 2013 or 2014, I don’t even remember. But, it was a blog that I wrote down some of my random scribbles and poems and short stories. I was so enthusiastic the first few days that I posted quite often, only for me to them stop being active there altogether.
The result, it didn’t work out.
Like this, I have had a few blogs here and there, only to realize that nothing was working on my favor. I was devastated.
I remember sitting and thinking, “Are blogs still successful?”
To be honest, even after failing so many times with my blogs, I believe that blogs are still going to exist even 50 years down the line. People are going to consume content, irrespective of how things change.
So, what was I doing wrong?
List of DON’Ts while starting your blogging journey
When I started blogging, I was naive and I didn’t know what I was doing. Now that I have worked with a digital marketing company and have been into content writing for almost 5 years, I know what works and what doesn’t. Well, for the most part.
So, in case you are a newbie who wants to kickstart their blogging career, I have some tips that can help you out.
Prepare your mind first
Listen, blogging won’t generate revenue right off the bat. It can take a few months, a few years, or even a decade. This is where the majority of the bloggers, like me, go wrong.
When you are investing in a blog, it is common for you to have expectations from it in terms of the revenue it generates or the traffic it brings in. But, that is where you need to put a stop.
Focus on publishing good content because that is your turning wheel. If that is right, you wouldn’t have to regret making the investment.
Blogging is a tedious process and takes a lot of time, so if you are willing to make that commitment, only then should you start it.
Select a niche
If you scroll down to my blog and check out the blogs that I have posted on this one, you’ll realize how disorganized things are. The blog more or less has everything in it. That is where the majority of the bloggers go wrong.
If you want to have a “No-fail blogging plan”, it is necessary that you come up with a niche.
Having a niche ensures that your blog is aiming towards your target audience. This helps create more recurring traffic which further enhances the authority of the blog.
If you are going to post random blogs here and there without any planning, chances are that they might work for once or twice but that is not the way to achieve success with blogging.
Learn Search Engine Optimisation (SEO)
I can’t stress this enough but if you want to achieve success as an independent blogger, it is extremely important that you learn SEO.
This is the make or break.
If you fail to learn the basics of SEO and how you can leverage the same for your website, chances are that you won’t be able to make your content rank.
Google keeps changing their algorithms and if you want to compete with a mathematical formula, you need to understand what works and what doesn’t.
I am not asking you to learn the advanced levels of SEO but at least have a fair knowledge of what it is and how it helps.
Focus on keyword research
Out of the 500+ million blogs on the internet, it is likely that there isn’t any topic left on this planet that hasn’t been covered.
Every single query you have, it is likely that Google has an answer for you.
One of the most common reasons why blogs fail is because of regurgitated content. If the crawler on Google doesn’t find anything unique in your content, it is likely that your content won’t rank.
Take this article for example. I am writing on “Why do blogs fail?” When you look it up, it is likely that you will come across a plethora of blogs on the same.
So, what makes this article unique? I am sharing my personal experiences that I have gained as a blogger over the years.
Sure, the content idea might be similar to many other blogs but the content itself isn’t.
Proper keyword research helps you keep a tally on which topics are easy to rank and which topics your competitors are focusing on. This can help you land sweet traffic if you know how to play around with your keywords.
Some of the best keyword research tools that I would suggest are Ubersuggest and Keywordtool.io .
Lack of consistency in research
People nowadays want informative content. Short-form content works but not in all the cases. If you want to write a “Complete Content” so that your users don’t have to search other websites for their answers, it is necessary that you do the research right.
This is the key.
Often, writing about topics that you are doing on a daily basis and experiencing can help you put your own two cents.
This is what distinguishes your content from your competitor. Avoid relying on other blogs for your content. Instead, focus on creating your own.
Just content won’t fetch you the goods
We think that blogs are meant to be a blob of content. That is not the case, especially when you are competing against so many high authority blogs.
Images, videos, and infographics make all the difference.
If you want to add something different to the blog you are writing, create an infographic alongside it.
Since other blogs might not have that in their articles, it makes it easier for you to rank. Even if you don’t rank on the “All” section, you might find yourself around in the “Image” section.
This can further score you more traffic influx.
If you are still wondering “What has replaced blogging?”, know for a fact that the niche is still thriving. It is one of the most profitable ways of earning money, both actively and passively. So, in case you have been experiencing constant failures, it is likely that you are not doing things the right way.
I am still learning the process and I still struggle. So, answering why do blogs fail was easy for me because I have experienced it firsthand. These were some of the pointers that I have jotted down over the course of time and I hope it comes in handy for the new bloggers who want to venture into this.
I find it informative and you explained it well.