Blogging Mistakes We Have Made

This is not "Mistakes Every Blogger Makes". What blogging mistakes do you feel you've made?

For me, there's a couple, because I've stopped and started many blogs over the years. These are the mistakes I feel contributed to the failures and hopefully I have learned enough that I will not make them again.

1: Introductory Posts

Basically, these would be a page and a half of "I started this Live Journal because..." which I think was like a huge promise that I couldn't keep. It's like a day long job orientation that you later learn didn't prepare you for squat related to the job.

Maybe I'm wrong about this, but I feel the blog's title should be enough to get someone to click in the first place The first blog post should not be an extended version of the title.

2: Not Taking Notes

Something could happen to me on Thursday, but because of limited access to a computer and a heavy schedule, I might not get around to posting about it until Tuesday. By that time all of the original feelings could be gone.

Now, I have a laptop and regular access to the Internet. But I still make notes about what happened to me during the day. Using a memory palace technique, I just write a sentence or two about the event in question and once I've sat down at the computer and gone over the notes the memories just flood right back.

3: Padding or Rambling

I want my blog to attract and keep readers. Post after post of "my job sucks" and "paying bills sucks" and "Why I think Bea Arthur should be a judge on The Voice" didn't really serve me in the past.

So I've found what works for me so far is to instead write about something that happened to me at work that is recent and fresh. That way I can better describe my feelings using the event in question so that people don't think, "Oh he's just whining." They might still think that, but at least I've made a better effort.

Those are mine. Feel free to discuss or add your own.

I'm still learning things too.

I had a bit of a lull where I came close to not posting late one night. Then I just forced myself to do it and the result wasn't terrible.

As long as I keep the theme of only writing about what happened either today or in the past twelve to twenty-four hours, I'm set.

JFitchett92 said:

I'm thinking of starting up a blog, and this was exactly what I was going to do. Now I'm at a loss. What would you recommend as a good first post?

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Well keeping in mind this was just what I felt I did wrong. An introductory post might work for you but if you want my advice, I would just jump right into talking about your subject.

As long as the post is coherent and easy to read you're gold. I've had a few positive reactions to my stuff so far, so I'm sticking with it. I think the other mistake you can make is just giving up on your blog because it doesn't seem like anyone is reading it.

Keep in mind, blogs are just the high tech version of what people have been doing for centuries. Some of the most meaningful words in print have been in journal format. Even if it doesn't seem like many people are interested now that doesn't mean that what you write isn't going to be interesting to someone.

This antique store I used to tarot readings for had a journal written by a man in 1836. The entries were largely focused on his secret love affair with another man.

As an aspiring comedian that could be useful advice for me as well. The only reason I'm not doing it so far is that I'm not sure how many of my "followers" are actually reading the blog and how many are just adding me so that I'll add them.

Plus, I don't really want to use my blog to advertise anything other than how my mind works, which may or may not scare off a potential booker.

That's a good point. It's part of why I might only reply with a single word of thanks if I don't agree with someone's criticism, but I don't want to sound defensive.