With the New Year comes the opportunity to update your blog. If you’ve noticed a slowdown in growth, this top ten list may help restart your momentum.
10. Not answering your reader’s comments.
If someone is willing to take the time to leave a comment on our blogs, the least we can do is acknowledge them.
9. Poor title choices.
This may sound basic, but it’s vital to remember that our blog will be judged on the title, just like a book is judged on its cover. Use a phrase in the title that someone would type into a search engine to find the topic of the post, and it will be a winner every time.
8. No social media interaction.
Do your readers know how to follow you on Twitter and interact with you on Facebook? If not, you’ll have lost meeting new and potential readers.
7. Not giving your readers a way to stay updated.
Most of the blogs I visit are much better at this than in the past, but I still see a sizable number that misses this critical component. Every blog needs a Follow by Email and Follow by RSS option.
6. Blog posts that are too difficult to read.
People read differently on a screen. Remember that when you’re formatting. Here are the basics:
• Short paragraphs and sentences
• Sans serif font type
• Block formatting
5. Not staying on topic with your posts.
Readers follow blogs for a reason, usually related to the topic or focus. If you drift too often or too far from your blog’s focus, your readers can drift away.
4. No images or graphics.
It’s vital to have images or graphics with blog posts. Our society is more driven by visual images rather than text.
3. Not keeping a regular schedule.
This is one of the first stumbling blocks to blog growth. We want our followers to stop by on a regular basis to visit and leave comments, so they should be able to expect the same kind of regular commitment from us.
2. Posts that are way too long.
The most popular and readable posts are almost always under 700 words. There are exceptions, but they’re rare. If your posts have gotten longer, your readership may have dwindled as a direct result. If a post is too long, cut it into parts and you’ll keep your readers coming back.
1. Not optimized for mobile viewing.
Almost 70 percent of online viewing takes place on a mobile device. That could be a smartphone, tablet, or e-reader. Unless your blog is set up to be read on these devices, you’re missing out on the largest part of your audience.
All these things work together to make reading your blog a pleasant experience. Keeping up to date with trends, like mobile web viewing, can help your blog continue to grow.
