Blogging is hard work, probably much harder than you thought when you first started blogging right?

Even the most successful bloggers had to start somewhere, and we bet they all made their fair share of mistakes when they first set up their blogs.

There isn’t a right or wrong way to blog, everyone has different styles of writing, but there are lots of things you can do to improve your blog and plenty of blogging mistakes to avoid along the way.

If you’re worried that you have already made some mistakes, or if you just want to check you’re on the right lines, read on for our list of 10 blogging mistakes you’re probably making right now…

10 blogging mistakes you’re probably making right now

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#1 Your posts are inconsistent

Do you post a few times one week and then nothing for the next couple of weeks? Do you think of ideas as you go without any kind of plan or schedule?

If this sounds familiar, it could be harming your blog.

Google likes regular content, and so do your readers. Set up a schedule, decide which days of the week to publish a post, jot down lots of post ideas and get your blog organised!

#2 You’re too focused on stats

Be honest, how many times a day do you refresh Google Analytics to see how many page views you’ve had?

Keeping an eye on your stats is a great way to understand who’s visiting your blog and what they enjoy reading. However, obsessing over numbers takes all the fun out if blogging and will just stress you out.

#3 You’re not promoting your blog

If you’re not shouting about your blog why not? How do you expect people to find your blog if you don’t point them in the right direction?

Use social media, join Facebook groups, email your readers.

For tips on how and where to promote your content, have a read of our post 8 ways to get more social media shares of your blog posts.

#4 You haven’t picked a niche

Are you writing about too many subjects? If you write about beauty and travel with a bit of interior design and some recipes thrown in, readers will have trouble understanding what your blog is actually about.

You can’t be all things to all people as they say, and one of the most common blogging mistakes is not narrowing down the topics you blog about.

Focus on one topic that you’re passionate and knowledgeable about.

For some suggestions on what to blog about, check out our post 30 blogging niches to choose from.

#5 You’re waiting to start a mailing list

You’re a new blogger so you’re waiting to start collecting subscribers until you have more posts and traffic.

Start collecting email addresses now!

If you wait, you’ll have nobody to email when you find yourself ready to start sending newsletters and updates.

#6 You’ve chosen an unreliable host

Don’t just pick the cheapest server host – there’s probably a reason they’re cheap!

A good host will be reliable, fast and offer good customer service.

We found this the hard way by picking a rubbish host for a previous blog which resulted in lots of unnecessary downtime.

Now we use Siteground and have had no issues at all. If you already use another host don’t worry, Siteground will help you to migrate your WordPress blog over. They have various options available from the small blogger right up to larger businesses, starting from just £2.75 a month.

#7 You haven’t spent money on your blog

Of course you can blog for free, but sometimes you have to spend money to make money.

A good server host, a social media scheduler and some blogging courses will be well worth the money you spend.

Our must-have blogging resources to spend money on are:

Tailwind for Pinterest and Instagram scheduling

Siteground for blog hosting

Shaw Academy Diploma in Blogging & Content Marketing

#8 You worry too much about what other bloggers are doing

Following other bloggers and checking out their posts is a great way to get inspiration and making blogging friends but don’t let it get you down if they’re more successful than you are.

Some bloggers post lots about how much money they make and it can be disheartening if you’re not making money yourself.

Remember that every blog is different, every reader is different and some of these successful bloggers have been going for a lot longer.

#9 You’re not using Pinterest

If you’re not using Pinterest, why not?!

Many bloggers, us included, see the majority of our traffic come from Pinterest so if you don’t have an account go and set one up now.

Add pinnacle images to your posts and pin your own content to your boards as well as other people’s content.

If your time is limited use a scheduler such as Tailwind to pin to multiple boards. You can try it for free to see if it improves your traffic so there’s nothing to lose!

#10 You’ve given up too soon

Rome wasn’t built in a day, and neither is a good blog.

Don’t give up if you don’t see the page views rolling in straight away.

Try some different techniques to get more traffic, change the design of your blog, or have a go at writing better posts before you call it a day.

How many of these blogging mistakes are you making? Don’t worry if you’re making more than one (or all of them!) – now you know what to focus on to improve your blog.