Why Won’t Anyone Read My Blog?

A lot of good bloggers are asking that very question. I come across many folks who have recently begun or still haven’t been able to gain ground in the blogosphere. If the journey feels like an episode of Survivor Man right now, take heart. You certainly aren’t alone. With a little time and planning you can find your way out of the weblog wilderness.

If your goal is to be read, this business can be frustrating in the early going. We all know what it’s like to sit there hitting that refresh button, hoping that another person shows up in the page view stats, thinking that maybe some spam comments are kind of nice and why not just let them through. That’s kind of like a unique visitor, right?

I’ve been blogging for almost two years now, so I’m a newb compared to the gurus I follow; however, I’ve been building momentum since getting serious a few months ago. In the coming weeks this site is getting a massive overhaul with more lifts and implants than you’ll find in a season of Nip Tuck. So I am qualified to tell you about the mistakes I’ve made. Hopefully, you can avoid these blunders and take off like a pinball.

Common Mistakes I Made So You Don’t Have To

1. Not knowing what my site was about

Tons of blogs are just rants and musings on whatever just happened. Personal blogs like that are absolutely fine. You are the product and people who know you will read, but what are you about?

When I started this site I only knew that I wanted to start a blog and eduClaytion was the name I used to write a column under at Infinty Broadcasting. Much of my earlier stuff is political as I was trying to make light of the wonky news cycle. I also jumped on sports and whatever current event caught my eye. I still move around topically but have a consistent style and have created a level of expectation for readers.

Worst Professor Ever is a good example of how to tighten your content focus and establish a marketable brand. She does a lot of smart things because she understands her audience and is constantly working that crowd.

2. Inconsistency

Pretty straight forward. For well over a year, I just wrote when I thought of something or had time. Dormant blogs are quickly forgotten. Now I post Monday, Wednesday, & Friday. Get on a schedule.

3. Not commenting

When I received comments for a long time I didn’t respond to them and didn’t go comment on the site of the person who left them. You must. That’s how community works. Check out Nathan Bransford’s post on commenting. You absolutely must start here and understand what Nathan is saying.