Blog Talk & Tips
The Real Reasons Why Your Blog Isn’t Growing
It’s never been easier to get a blog up and running than it is today, and it’s a great way of making some money on the side. I’m pretty sure you have heard that statement before, right? And once you actually got to know how to find a domain name and how to find a cheap web hosting provider, you started writing and expected to build a massive audience within a few months. But it didn’t happen. Am I right again?
If so, you are in excellent company. Lots of people start a blog with enormous expectations, but it doesn’t take long for them to understand that reality is often a different story to what you read online. And the chances are, you start feeling discouraged, want to give up, and feel like something of a failure. Right? But maybe you are just making some incredibly common mistakes. Here are a few ideas on what might be going wrong – read on to find out more!
1. You Don’t Have a Niche
First of all, the most significant question of all is – why are you blogging? If you just want to regurgitate the same old information you find elsewhere, you won’t enjoy success. There are already trillions of such blogs out there, so what’s the point? You need to stand out.
Solve a need, answer the burning questions of your audience. And, most of all, have a niche that you can be an expert in! (let’s call it ‘niche’ as that’s what it’s called.. although I can’t think or write in ‘niches’) I mean niche, in the sense of knowing what you’re talking about, being authentic and credible. I remember this 20-something-girl’s post about the best anti wrinkle creams … c’mon.
For example, you could focus on ‘Luxury for Less’ – comprehensive and appealing. Another example: instead of generic fitness posts, home in on the one specific area of fitness you know better than anyone else. Yes, you will lose some visitors, but the ones that find your site will end up coming back again and again – because you are scratching their specific itch.
2. You Don’t Have the Technology
It’s something of a myth that setting up a hugely successful blog costs nothing. You can’t expect a million visitors arriving on your site every day on a free web hosting account – it’s impossible. If you are serious about blogging, be serious about the technology and system you use, too. You might try managed IT services to ensure minimum downtime. Check out the best cloud hosting services to get the bandwidth you need to expand your blog’s reach.
A web developer will help you create a much better and more secure website than you will ever get from a free WordPress template. I am not talking about spending big money, but if you do not invest in your blog, it will end up dying on its feet. Not to mention the time you are losing and the nervous breakdowns you are going through when things don’t go as planned.
3. You Don’t Have the Market Interested
If you think that creating a post and publishing it is all you need to do to get an audience, you need to think again. In fact, writing and publishing is only half the game – if that. Successful bloggers work tirelessly to promote their own content, both on social media and with other, influential bloggers. If you aren’t prepared to work your content correctly, get it out there, and shout loud and proud from the rooftops! – no one is going to be interested.
4. You Don’t Have Empathy
Finally, stop writing about yourself. Please! Seriously – no one is interested, apart from maybe your mom. (unless it’s something really awesome you have done that others can learn from, you get what I mean…) Instead, write with empathy. Solve your audience’s problems, and speak to them in their language. Think about what you are looking for in a blog, not as a blogger, just as a reader! The difference this simple change can make can be huge for the success of a blog. Not that I am trying to tell anybody what to do, but have a look around and think about!
Keep Rocking!
Klaudia
#pinterestings
great content here! blogging can be tricky when you jump in to this world and haven’t done your homework! it’s true that if you want a large following you have to provide a service or goods that people want…
Thank you so much for visiting and leaving a feedback, Eloise. That’s sincerely much appreciated!
Great post. I’m enjoying blogging but I remain niche-less. I’m trying to be patient. Find the things I enjoy writing about the most to land on that all important niche…
So many great points (except the last one because I just wrote a wrap up of my month that was all about me – so FAIL) and I blog on a free site – FAIL! Guess I’ll just have to stay in the shallow end of the blogging pool with my floaties on 🙂
Hahaha, I never said you shouldn’t write at all about yourself. Just not solely about your breakfast, dinner, lunch, new hair colour, jumper and matching lipstick to go with it 😉 I also wrote about myself, so I will join you in the shallow end… I am sure, you know what I meant. Thanks a bunch for stopping by, Leanne.
I’m glad I stumbled upon this post in a fb group. It’s really helpful to me as I only stared my blog at the beginning of this month.
Hopefully I’ll make it, considering that my niche is not popular blogging topic (or so it seems)
Good luck to you, your site looks great!! Don’t pay too much attention to that ‘niche’ thing. Be authentic and know what you’re talking about. You will find your audience and they’ll appreciate that. Thanks a lot for stopping by, Anja.
I think all the reasons are true! Good things take time, so i guess loving blogging and having patience, will keep the game alive!
Thanks, Helen, yeah you are right, time and patience are major things in blogging. Also how much more we learn with time is amazing, don’t you think? Thinking 2 years back … oh dear, LOL.
I totally agree with all your points! However, I do think there’s a place for sharing about yourself on your blog (as long as it’s a healthy balance of helpful posts and more personal posts). It allows readers to get to know the person behind the keyboard and helps establish a trust. Like you’re getting advice from a friend, not some nameless/faceless article. That’s why I think when bloggers post How To content it can resonate stronger than any medium…because we feel like we KNOW the person giving us the instructions. What are your thoughts on this?
I wholeheartedly agree with you, Beth. As I pointed out, as long as you are giving your reader any kind of useful information or you are an expert on anything and tell about. You are proud to have lost a lot of weight – yeah, please tell others about and help them to do the same. You are travelling awesome places, yeah …blog about, I love travel blogs! That is not what I meant with ‘stop writing about yourself’, I am sure you have read plenty of meaningless all-about-me-myself-and-I posts yourself and you know, what I mean 🙂
I’ve been trying to switch my blog to more personal, though, this made me wonder if it’s not a good thing. Otherwise, you’ve got some great points in here 🙂
Niche was really my problem but I have gotten my finger on one and glad il be sticking to it. These are actually really helpful points and tips. Thanks! 🙂
Thank you so much, Kanishka. I loooove your name!!!
I feel like my problem is I just don’t have enough time! Having a full time job, blogging feels like another full time job!
http://www.chausadventure.com
Hi Hannah, oh how I love your blog! You are doing an amazing job, next to your full-time job. I think, blogging just doesn’t feel like a full-time job, blogging IS a full-time job. And if you can manage to do both as good as your blog looks, wow!!! Thanks a lot for making even some time to visit mine 🙂
I think these are all great points! However, there are a lot of blogs where the blogger shares a lot of personal stories about themselves and I’m obsessed, the same way I would be about reading a book series or watching a TV show. I just find them interesting.
Hi Cole, yeah there are some really interesting bloggers out there writing about their amazing lives. For example, a girl that’s travelling around the world for the last 6 years, seeing the most stunning places and writes about, jumps to mind. That is a different story altogether from again and again reading ‘rants’ …’musings’ …’thoughts of the day’ … and all that very personal stuff that actually does not provide any useful information. It’s okay to do that, (who am I to judge?!) I am only saying …do not wonder if your blog doesn’t grow. You need a lot of ‘real loyal fans’ to become successful through that.