12 Reasons People Hate Your Blog

reasons people hate your blog

Okay, fine. This blog title is a little dramatic and click-baity (which, by the way, could very well be a reason people aren’t clicking with your blog). When it comes to blogging, you’re bombarded with articles about best practices for writing and for growing your audience and for engaging your readers. But with so many people telling you what you should do, wouldn’t it be nice to have a list of things you shouldn’t do?

Online readers are picky when it comes to what, when and where they read, and one of the best ways for you to connect with them is to first identify what makes them tick.

Avoid Mistakes: 12 Biggest Turn-Offs for Blog Readers

Forgot to proofread.

What’s one typo, right? For many blog readers, typos and grammatical errors could be the biggest thing standing between you and your online credibility. Before you publish, make sure to proofread and polish your blog.

Misunderstood your audience.

By misunderstanding your audience and what they’re seeking on your blog, you risk giving them content they don’t want and don’t care about, and you might even lose loyal readers. Users are coming to your site wondering What’s in it for me?, and it’s your job to give them the value they’re seeking.

Poor UX on site.

UX = user experience. Online users want to see a clean, straightforward design. For starters, to make your blog easier to read, break chunky paragraphs into smaller, easier to digest sections and lists.

Lack of consistency.

What’s the goal of your blog? What’s your niche? How often will you post? Keep these questions in mind as you blog to give your users the consistency they desire.

Focusing on quantity over quality.

Your blog should be x wordsYou should post x days a week. Instead of focusing on the length of your blog posts or increasing your posting schedule, make sure your primary focus is on providing readers with high-quality content.

Weak title.

Maybe your title is too long, or too short. Or maybe it’s not engaging, or it doesn’t provide any SEO value. The title might be the first thing readers see, and it could make all the difference between clicking to read…and scrolling on by.

Being too salesy.

It’s a blog for your business; it would be crazy to not talk about your business, right? Well, kind of. Only talking about your company and your products is a major turnoff for blog readers. Remember to be personal and tell stories–this will build trust in you, as well as in your business!

It’s fake.

A blog, even a personal blog, should be an open conversation. Remember to be you, and be real. If there’s one thing bloggers can see right through it’s fake content. Keep it real!

No images or links.

In addition to adding a more robust UX, images and links will give readers more dynamic ways of immersing into your content and engaging with your brand.

Ignoring comments.

One of the biggest mistakes made by bloggers is neglecting to respond to comments received on their blogs. Blogs spark two-way conversations; be sure to engage! (The exception here, of course, are spam comments–delete those!)

Not sharing it.

You can’t take a set it and forget it approach to blogging. Sharing to social media is one of the best ways to deliver your content to people who want to read it, while also growing your readership.

Believing it’s only a blog. 

A blog is part of your content marketing strategy, but it’s just a part. Remember that one blog can be repurposed into a variety of different types of content, including podcasts, videos and infographics. Create and experiment with different types of content to see which resonates with your audience the most!

 

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