As My Small Cents (now Almost Frugal!) is going through some transitions and growing pains at the moment I thought I would make a list of my blogging mistakes. After all, it’s not until you’re really aware of your mistakes that you can begin to fix them… right?
What does this post have to do with personal finance? Well I started this blog to help me meet my goals, and I want My Small Cents to be the best it can be. So, in no particular order, here are ten of the biggest blogging mistakes I’ve made. I’m sure there are more to come…
- Getting distracted. For example, right now! I sat down to write this post, then followed one link to another, to another to another and ending up writing an email. Not the best way to work productively. When I have limited time I end up getting even more distracted.
- Posting too often. Sometimes I think that posting every day is good, for fresh content, but other times I think it’s not great as it leads to burnout. I’m going to try to shoot for five times a week, and not kick myself when I don’t make it.
- Comparing myself to others. Lynnae, from Being Frugal, posted her choices for the top ten most influential blogs. (Not surprisingly) I wasn’t on it, but I felt bad for a minute anyway. Only a minute though!
- Not understanding sites like StumbleUpon, Reddit, Technorati etc. I know I could be making better use of them, but I really have little idea of how they work.
- And in general, not making enough use of sources outside of the personal finance blogosphere. I tend to comment on the same blogs over and over, not on new ones. I’m also not really commenting on other blog networks like Blogher or MsnMoney for example
- Jumping in too quickly. I chose the name SmallCents (and then MySmallCents) without really thinking about it and now I’m having serious second thoughts. I don’t know if I should change it or not.
- Not sticking to my niche. I think that I’m the only American blogging from France about personal finance and frugality although of course I could be wrong. I’m also one of the few bloggers that disclose numbers: income, debt, budget categories etc. I’m aiming for a mix of stories about my life and discussion about my problems staying on track. What am I doing with posts on consumerism?
- Sticking too closely to my niche. On the other hand, sometimes I think people get tired of hearing about France and the United States, my vacation and how big (or small) my grocery budget is. Posts on consumerism actually generate quite a few comments.
- Making stupid mistakes. Publishing unfinished or poorly edited posts and then having to go back and fix them up. Letting an ugly semi redesign sit on the site for a couple of days. Stuff like that, that as an editor drives me nuts, yet it continues to slip through my fingers.
- Being too self-judgmental and self-questioning. If my subscriber count drops by one or two or three people, or the average number of visitors descends slightly I start questioning and doubting everything that’s happened recently.
How about you? What are the biggest blogging mistakes you’ve made, or are making?
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{ 9 comments }
I’m not sure, but my hits have been way down this week, which is totally bugging me!
I wish I knew what I was doing wrong…
Yup, I think I’ve made all those mistakes too! I know that I jumped in way to fast with a name as well. Now, we’re lost in all those “my” blogs on people’s blogrolls. If you decide to change your blog’s name, a post on that would be really interesting!
yes, yes, and yes! Getting distracted, not understanding the social media sites, struggling with my “niche” and wondering about my name are all issues for me too.
Is your contact info on your blog anywhere?
@Nicole- it’s strange, my feedburner count dropped by +20% one day, went back up again to above the original level the next day, and then dropped another +25% the next day.
@Amy, yes I think that the ‘My’ names blend together! I also don’t know how much it represents me really…
@Ann, no, I don’t have the contact information up on the blog, it’s yet another thing I have to change, but you can write me at kllycat at yahoo dot com.
This post really struck what I was thinking at the time. It really should be put into perspective on how to handle a blog, and I really took this to heart because I am just starting out.
I’ve gotta’ say that I have felt most, if not all, of these before myself.
I’m still working through it and trying to figure out what I really want to do with mine. I think I know and then I come across someone else’s blog and think, “What a great idea!” Of course, I can’t steal their idea and since they originated it anyway, there is no way I could be as good or successful.
I also wonder what in the world I can do to get a real captive audience. I’m also learning that I’m not nearly as good of a writer as I thought I was (or at least as I once was), as there are so many out there that are so much better!
Ahh…confession is good for the soul. Thanks for the opportunity!
Is anyone else having problems with Ad Sense? The only place I can get the ads to appear is just above my posts.
These were good to read, I can relate.
So far my biggest mistake is buying a laptop that broke within a month of my starting a blog. Working long hours is not condusive to having the energy to find an internet cafe to blog!!
My other mistake, is I have NO CLUE how people make money off of blogs!
The viewpoint you have of France & by extension Europe, is a special one. I loved the retort to “We no longer have a king in France, madam!” How very Gallic. But they have ages-old habits of thrift & generally wilyness re $ – You just discovered one & I owuld like to hear about MORE, myself. I don’t understand feeds & don’t have one! But youy can find me at http://www.myfrugallife.com/blog_pamphyila.html Thru thriftyfun I got an interview in the L.A. Times 5/20 (today). no $ in blogging for me – but it keeps my name out there & I am writing my frugality book – finally. Not to mention helping the clueless.