Whether you’re blogging for your business or blogging as a business, having a blog can be an absolute goldmine. It can help you build a community of raving fans, boost your income, and grow your brand.
But here’s the thing: for every blog that soars to success, there are tons (and I really do mean TONS) that fail. They don’t attract visitors, they don’t grow email lists, and they don’t generate money. And unless you’re blogging solely as a hobby and you really don’t care if your mom is the only person who reads your posts, that just won’t cut it for you.
So why is it that so many blogs fail? And more importantly, what can you do to make sure yours doesn’t?
Keep on reading, because I’m breaking it all down in this post.
Want a blog that gives you traffic, email subscribers, clients, or customers? Learn how to craft blog posts that convert.
Download my free blog post template + example.
You’re blogging for yourself
It’s tempting to treat blogging like journaling. After all, it’s fun to write about topics you’re personally interested in. But remember that your blog isn’t really for you; it’s for your audience. That’s why it’s important to blog about the topics that your audience wants to read about.
Now, I’m not saying that you can’t love the topics you create posts on. In fact, you should absolutely be passionate about the themes you write about. (Otherwise, you’ll be in for one painful blogging journey.) But you always want to keep your audience front and centre in your mind when choosing topics. So if you blog about wellness teas and your audience wants practical information and advice, don’t publish a 10,000-word post on the history of green tea.
How do you figure out what your audience wants to read about on your blog? Get to know them! If you’re just starting out, do some research online to figure out what the most popular blog post topics are in your niche. Experiment with some of these and then take a look at your analytics to find out which posts receive the most traffic and social media shares. You can also take a look at the comments you receive on your blog posts or on social media posts related to your blog posts.
Related: How to generate blog post topics your audience will love + 72 blog title templates
You’re blogging about too many different things
Blogs fail when you focus on your own needs and interests. But they can also fail if you blog about too many different topics that the online world might be interested.
For example, if you’re an interior designer who specializes in kitchens, you might blog about kitchen design tips and family meal prep ideas. There’s definitely a link between kitchen design tips and meal prep—they’re both topics that are related to kitchens. But they’re also distinct enough that they can end up attracting different audiences. Specifically, your kitchen design tips might primarily attract people who are interested in designing or redesigning a kitchen. In comparison, your meal prep tips may primarily attract parents who want to feed their families healthy meals.
It may seem great to be able to attract two different audiences with your blog. After all, don’t you want as many eyeballs on your content as possible? But if your meal prep audience isn’t interested in the kitchen design services you’re ultimately trying to sell, you’re wasting your time by creating content that attracts them. Your meal prep tips may also make your blog seem less valuable and relevant to your kitchen design tips audience.
So what should you do? Stick to a single set of related themes when choosing topics to focus on in your blog posts. Not every theme has to be equally appealing to your audience. But they should all be valuable and relevant to the people you’re trying to target.
You’re not creating engaging content
What’s another reason why blogs fail? They’re boring. Yup – sometimes it really is that simple.
Because of the number of blogs that exist today, your audience has no shortage of content to choose from (unless you blog about something obscure). So if you want to win over traffic and fans, you can’t settle for producing mediocre content. Instead, you’ve got to craft and publish posts that excite and inspire your audience. This doesn’t mean that you need to reinvent the wheel. But you do need to create posts that are more valuable and higher in quality than most of the other stuff out there in your niche.
What can you do to make sure you’re producing valuable content? When you select a topic for a blog post, do a Google search to find out what other bloggers have already written about on the topic. Then think about how you can make your post stronger than the other posts out there. This can mean creating a more comprehensive post, covering a topic from a different (but still useful) perspective, or providing more up-to-date info.
If your blog is home to the best content available in your niche, visiting it will be a no-brainer for your audience.
You sound like everyone else
Blogs fail when they sound like every other blog on the Internet. So in addition to creating outstanding content, you’ve got to make your blog (and your blog posts) feel unique.
One of the best ways to make your blog stand out is to develop a unique brand personality and use it consistently in your content and copy. A lot of people think that injecting personality into your blog posts means that you have to be funny or include slang (see this Melyssa Griffin post for an example). It doesn’t. And depending on your brand, it may not even be appropriate (think of a blog for a law practice). Your voice may simply be warm, conversational, and informative (like Amy Porterfield), and that’s totally okay.
In other words, if writing with humour doesn’t come naturally to you, don’t sweat it.
Related:
- How to really give your blog posts personality + free blog post template and example
- How to choose the right voice & tone for your blog or biz + free brand voice worksheet
Want a blog that gives you traffic, email subscribers, clients, or customers? Learn how to craft blog posts that convert.
Download my free blog post template + example.
You’re not consistently sharing content
One of the most common reasons why blogs fail is that bloggers don’t publish new content consistently enough. It’s true that blogging consistently is a major challenge when you have a blog. I know the struggle is real, so I totally hear you when you say that you have products to launch, clients to serve, and a brand to grow in other ways.
But if you want to reap the massive benefits of a successful blog, you’ve got to show your audience that they can count on you to deliver value on a regular basis. (Otherwise, they’ll run straight to your competitors.)
You also want to show search engines and social media algorithms that you’re consistently publishing fresh content that deserves to be visible online. That’s how brands that blog consistently get more traffic and generate more inbound leads.
Note that blogging consistently doesn’t mean that you have to blog every day. For most of you, that’s not the best way to use your time. Instead, develop a blogging schedule that works for you. And if you can, aim to publish a new piece of content every week.
Related: How to make a blog writing schedule you can stick to + free PDF copy
You’re not doing enough to get traffic
In many cases, blogs fail because bloggers publish a new post and then simply wait for their audience to find it. This strategy might work if you have an established blog with a large following. But if you’re like most of us, you need to spread the word every time you publish new content.
How can you do this? Every time you publish a new blog post, share it on social media and with your email list. And don’t forget about optimizing your blog posts for Google and other search engines before you publish them.
Search engine optimization (SEO) may seem super technical and scary. But SEO basics are surprisingly easy to master. And if you implement them in your posts, you’ll get some serious results. It won’t happen right away—it may take months or even a couple of years to build up your SEO juice. Eventually, though, search engines will give you the visibility you deserve. SEO didn’t do much for me in the beginning, but organic searches now account for more than 50% of my traffic!
Related:
- 9 places to share your blog posts for more traffic, leads, and sales + free Pinterest profile cheat sheet
- How to implement on-page SEO to boost blog post visibility + free blog post SEO ebook
Want a blog that gives you traffic, email subscribers, clients, or customers? Learn how to craft blog posts that convert.
Download my free blog post template + example.
You don’t have a way to convert traffic into leads or subscribers
Another reason why blogs fail is that they don’t have a way to turn blog traffic into leads or subscribers. Why is this a problem? Don’t you just want people to read your posts? Not quite.
Whether you blog for your biz or blog as your biz, you ultimately want to make money from your blog. To make this happen, you can’t settle just for getting traffic to your posts. You also need a way to turn that traffic into subscribers and leads (people you can eventually sell to).
How do you convert traffic on your blog? Use lead magnets and content upgrades to encourage your visitors to sign up for your email list. By offering free resources that are packed with value, you’ll be able to establish a direct line of communication with your top fans. And you can nurture your relationship with them so that they’re ready to buy as soon as you’re ready to sell them something.
Related: 10 effective opt-in incentives that help you grow your email list + free tip sheet
You’re being impatient
This reason why blogs fail is more of a mindset obstacle than anything else. And that’s because it’s so easy to fall into the trap of thinking that your blog has to be an overnight success. Despite what Instagram posts and Pinterest pins might make you believe, most successful entrepreneurs and bloggers weren’t immediate success stories. Instead they worked hard, pushed through obstacles, and kept going even when they didn’t get the results they were hoping for.
Why is perseverance so important when you’re growing a blog? Gaining traction and momentum takes time. Your audience needs to get to know you, search engines need to find out that you exist, and you need time to implement all of the strategies that make blogs successful.
So the next time you’re feeling discouraged that your blog isn’t growing quickly enough, remember that you need to give yourself time to grow. You can and should consider the strategies that you’re using and whether you need to switch things up. But a healthy dose of patience goes a long way too!
Many blogs fail, but yours doesn’t have to be one of them
It can be scary to learn that so many blogs fail. But in most cases, if a blog isn’t growing successfully, it means that the blogger is missing the mark somewhere. If you’re creating valuable and focused content for your audience, consistently publishing new posts, promoting them effectively, and leveraging your traffic to grow your brand, you’re setting yourself up for success.
Want a blog that gives you traffic, email subscribers, clients, or customers? Learn how to craft blog posts that convert.
Download my free blog post template + example.
