6 Major Blogging Mistakes We All Make
August 8th, 2007 by Court1. We look for the secret blogging super weapon. Somewhere hidden there is a blogging trick that is so powerful, any blogger that uses it will become an instant A-lister. Tell the truth, you know you’re looking for it. Let me know if you find it. 
It’s ok to look for tricks. It isn’t ok to pass on the less sexy knowledge that will help us to improve.
2. We think, “If it works for (insert popular, A-lister’s name here), it will work for me.” Stuff that works for one person doesn’t necessarily work for someone else. We all have different personality traits that can help us to succeed. I think we have to ask what type of personality we have and stick with it. Some people want to read blogs that are nice. Other people want to read blogs that are funny. Others want to read blogs that bash. We all have to go with what best suits us.
3. We don’t make enough mistakes because we fear them. I wish that I would have made even more mistakes than I have. Every mistake I’ve made has led to a significant improvement for my site, which has led to an increase in traffic and popularity. The sooner you can admit to yourself that it’s ok to make mistakes, the sooner you will get to where you want to be.
4. We value technology more than content. I have spent a lot of time looking for the next plugin or hack that will take my site to the next level. I think it’s important to continue to learn that stuff, but it’s the content that will ultimately determine the success of a blog. If you can create better content than the site that is ranked #1 for your keyword, you will probably take over the #1 spot eventually.
5. We publish posts that are garbage. I’m not going to lie, I have published posts that I knew weren’t as good as they could have been. Sometimes I just get tired and sometimes I lose focus. When I get tired, I tend to not proofread my posts as well as I should.
During the last few weeks, I’ve started deleting drafts that I don’t feel good about. I’m starting to realize that when I’m feeling unsettled about the direction of a post, it just plain isn’t any good. Not posting in a day isn’t as bad as posting something that’s worthless.
6. We check our stats 8,000 times per day. I’ll be honest - I think I check mine like 80,000 times per day. I think it’s good to check stats but it can also develop into a huge waste of time. I’ve decided to limit myself to 3 times per day so that I can focus on other tasks that will do me a lot more good.
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August 8th, 2007 at 12:52 pm
I set weekly goals for stats; like I want at least this many page loads per day… I’m fairly obsessive about stat checking until I hit that number, and then I leave it alone and focus on content or marketing.
Things have been good lately, that number has been close to being hit by the time I role out of bed. That’s left me more stress free and able to focus on content; which I’ve been doing some sponsored stuff lately that’s bringing my income up. Some folks aren’t big on sponsored posts, but I’d take a lot of them even if they didn’t pay; I often run out of things to write about if I try to post twice daily.
Also, I’ve been hitting the D-List hard, upping (err, downing?) my technorati, and also helping my hit counts. So many of those blogs are really awesome, I’ve seen and read some amazing things.
August 9th, 2007 at 9:43 pm
I have goals for stats too Jeremy, and I think that’s very important. There really are some awesome blogs on the D-List!
I’m so glad that your site is improving, that rocks.
August 8th, 2007 at 2:06 pm
I think the stats thing hits everybody. I’ve kinda resolved to only check them as 12 and 4 on “business days”. It was hard to start, but now it’s pretty easy to stick to. *nod*
August 9th, 2007 at 9:44 pm
That’s a good resolution Bush Mackel! Sounds like a good goal for me.
August 8th, 2007 at 3:05 pm
Ha ha that’s funny Court. I am picuring you sitting in front of you computer checking your site stats! I can’t picture you doing that so it creates a funny picture.
August 9th, 2007 at 9:45 pm
Haha yeah the secrets out, I’m a freaking nerd.
August 8th, 2007 at 3:22 pm
Great list! I was expecting something more along the lines of “don’t butcher the English language”– which is always good advice, but you can find that almost anywhere.
I like the idea of finding the secret super blogging weapon! Give me the ultimate swiss army knife of blogging and I’ll cut my way to the A-List, baby!
It actually reminds me of something I’ve been told before about professional fighters vs. amateurs: The inexperienced wannabes think it’s all about the weapons. They want the coolest, baddest sword or gun or whatever. The true fighters know that *anything* can be a weapon. The best of the best are so good, they don’t need weapons. Their entire body IS a weapon.
The dynamics are probably much different if they’re facing off against someone with a machine gun, but still.
August 9th, 2007 at 9:47 pm
That’s a very good analogy with the weapons. We all have most of the tools we need, it’s just a matter of using what we have and creating content that rocks.
August 9th, 2007 at 5:06 pm
You’ve made me feel better, I was walking home today thinking I must waste less time checking my stats, maybe just once a day if I’ve worked hard?
Jamie
August 9th, 2007 at 9:48 pm
Once a day might take more discipline than I have, haha.
I’ll do it if you do.
August 9th, 2007 at 8:09 pm
Checking stats too much seems to be a problem for many bloggers, including me. I have started to cut down though, so I’m happy about that.
August 9th, 2007 at 9:49 pm
It sounds like that one gets everybody!
August 10th, 2007 at 6:50 am
I am very guilty of excessive stat checking. I tried to force myself into once every two days, and cannot do it.
August 10th, 2007 at 8:08 am
I agree that I think most people look to technology instead of good content - which is what brings people back to a blog in my opinion
August 11th, 2007 at 9:44 am
I have to say that checking stats used to be obsessive for me, but for the past few weeks, I´ve been so busy, responding to comments, taking on assignments, etc. that I actually forget!
So now I´m checking about 2x a week and focusing most of my energy on getting ready for the upcoming PageRank update. And it is paying off, my blog is growing by leaps and bounds.
August 15th, 2007 at 7:32 pm
[…] Tuttle outlines 6 major blogging mistakes we all make. Given that I try to publish at least one new post each and every day (often putting two per day […]
August 16th, 2007 at 10:44 am
Number 4 reminds me of Napoleon Dynamite: “I love technology…..” haha!
Seriously though, I think that 3 and 4 are huge. Not being afraid to make mistakes will cause huge setbacks because you’re afraid to try anything. And 4 goes along with that, we use technology to try to stop us from making mistakes!
September 7th, 2007 at 1:10 pm
You really hit the nail on the head on this one. I couldn’t have agreed with you more…embarassingly, but especially with #5, there have been days when I’m soooo tired but I’ve submitted anyways. I try to make a goal of writing as many posts in 1 day once or twice a week to avoid those scenarios. Life happens…. For instance, my little girl who is turning one next week just came down with the stomach flu and if anyone is familiar with that, especially with a young child, it can be scary…and scary for them. So I’ve been awake like a zombie for the past 2 days, keeping her hydrated. The husband has been on a business trip this week…so it’s just me and her. I’m soooo tired…
but smiling!
September 23rd, 2007 at 12:37 am
i am guilty of all 6, but i have taken it down a noche.
December 4th, 2007 at 6:37 pm
[…] I just came across this post about 6 major blogging mistakes that are in addition to those listed above. I especially like the first one - looking for the […]
December 15th, 2007 at 1:45 am
is a pagerank of 12 good or bad?
January 16th, 2008 at 6:36 am
I agree, we should not be scared of making mistakes, it’s sometimes the best way to learn. You also make a good point about regarding looking for short cuts to success and concentrate on building interesting and quality content on our sites.
I can also relate to the obsessive stat checking. Think i’ll just go and have a look now!
May 17th, 2008 at 9:51 am
i am doing the others but the last one is the thing that i never leave doing all day.
September 6th, 2008 at 8:14 pm
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January 1st, 2009 at 2:50 am
GREAT BLOG INFO! I don’t check stats for sometimes a few weeks at a go. But i do check Alexa.com stats weekly or so.
“Secret blogging weapons” may be plugins, widgets or a combination of elements on your page. But the real “weapon” is information (keeping updated) and an intuitive to know what to use for your blog. What works for you may not work for another. What works now may not work a year later.
Happy 2009!
July 11th, 2009 at 10:33 pm
[…] we start. That’s okay, but it’s not okay for long – especially if you’re not adding any value to the overall discussion. You need to provide fresh information, which requires passion as the […]