When we don’t feel in the mood to post, but realize we have to, there are several drastic errors that we can make. These are things that we can do without fully realizing it, that can have a very drastic effect. Keep these ideas in mind when you’re trying to write that post, that just doesn’t want to come out. Or if you’re struggling with coming up with something to write about.
1. Don’t Go Off Topic
I don’t care if that’s what you’re thinking about at the moment, you can’t suddenly starting writing about cars, or posting music videos, if your blog is about How to Blog and SEO. You confuse your readers, and distract potential subscribers, because you aren’t giving them what they expected. Doing this can have a very drastic effect on your readers, even people who are fans of your site. And just because people liked it once, doesn’t give you license to do it again. Just stay to your niche, and target readers who want what you’re giving. If you jump around too much it’s very hard to get, and keep, a consistent reader base.
2. Don’t Ramble
I realize you’re struggling with what to write, but if you don’t have enough ideas to write about, don’t try and make up for it by talking a lot. Less words is always better! Bloggers want it short, quick, and too the point. So don’t get distracted with minor points, and stick to your topic.
3. Don’t Rant
Forget about John Chow, ok and Carlocab, ok and lot’s of other popular bloggers as well. Just because some people have had success ranting doesn’t mean you can. It’s very difficult to make people care about your rants, because you need to be somebody first. Very few people rant their way to success. But when you have success, then you’re allowed to rant though I wouldn’t recommend it… A post is supposed to be an informative article like a newspaper article. Decide before you create your blog if you’re going to make it into a ranting blog, or a information sharing blog, and then stick to it. Don’t try and mix the two.
4. Don’t Bring your Issues Into It
I’m sorry you’re really struggling with something, or annoyed with somebody, but to be perfectly honest, We Don’t Care. I’m sorry you’re hurt, but I’ve got my own life to live. That sounds harsh but if you want to keep your readers, then just follow my advice. If you want to Rant or Complain, then make a political opinion blog, or a personal journal blog. And then say whatever you want, but don’t bring your life struggles into an information blog, because people just get turned off.
5. Don’t Settle for Small Unoriginal Posts
If you’ve got nothing to say, then don’t waste our and your time trying to say it. Stop trying to write, and go figure out an idea, and then come back and write it. If your post is under 300 words or if it doesn’t state any new thing new or original, then it’s probably not worth posting. Be strict with what you post, you will see results.
6. Don’t Pitch Old News
If you’re writing a post that has already been made popular by some one else, then don’t try and jump on the success band wagon. Not only will you probably fall on your face, but you look dumb trying to sell somebody else’s idea. You’ll lost all your credibility, and people will not want to read your site.
I’m assembled these ideas into a Bullet List post for you to follow. Print it out and make a sticky note, and put it next to your computer or something. They will keep you from making your bad day even worse, by losing your visitors from your blog.
1. Stay to your Niche
2. Stay to your Post Topic
3. Keep your head
4. Don’t let feelings shape your posting
5. Don’t waste the Readers time with uninformed Posts
6. Don’t try to sell Old Information
Great suggestions. It’s definitely easy to drift off topic if you have a lot of topics to address. I try to make a list of topics about which I want to write and outline my major points for each. I find using this outline – rather than “stream of consciousness” – keeps me focused and to the point.
Trying to summarize my thoughts in under three paragraphs is always a challenge . I also find adding a interesting fun graphic is also helpful.
I am new to all this, but I read alot. most of the time i see blogger going off topic, there blog is about one thing and they blogging about next thing. I think it’s very important for blogger to stay on topic #1 and they shouldnt blog about more than few topics.
.-= Jay Kim´s last blog ..Backup Your WordPress Database Regularly =-.
The number 3, Dont Rant topic seems so hard for us, bloggers to keep away from. Its the most popular form of blogging, I might say.
.-= Ron Leyba´s last blog ..Webthesurfi Rugs Webdesign =-.
Thankfully, I can do all of these no-no’s on my personal blog when I just can’t seem to get the right words out for my other sites…
thanks for the tips,
L
.-= Lisa´s last blog ..Who Says You Can’t Have a Day Off? =-.
lol. #3 is something many people think they can do, and they keep doing it like anyone cares.
I would also suggest not to force a post. Sometimes we’re just not in the mood to write. I think that trying to write something when it isn’t natural, will result in a poorly written post.
wonderful post, thanks a lot
.-= jason k´s last blog ..Choosing AntiVirus Software =-.
Hi ,
I couldn’t agree more with you. It is very commong for blogers to just step away from their subject. A good idea is to always create a bullet list with the things that you want to discuss in your articles, and use as a guide in your writting.
Old information has to be revitalized and made applicable to what;s happening now.
That way it becomes brand new
These seem like very obvious tips, however, the obvious and simple ones are sometimes the hardest to follow. There have been times when I have been stuck for a topic. I have found that if I skip posting when I’m all out of topics, I can always “preload” my blog entries and set them to post days or weeks in the future, when I do feel like writing. This helps if the topic is not “recent news”, because the topic should stay relevant even if it was posted next week. Great points!
.-= Lindsey Schocke´s last blog ..Virtual Assistant Spotlight: Interview with Viki Garrison with AskViki =-.
As other people have already said in the comments here, it’s so easy to drift off topic! It’s so annoying when I finish writing a post, look it over, and realize I wrote about three completely different topics.
I usually edit at that point and split what I have into three different posts, and then flesh each of them out. It’s so time consuming figuring out what it is I’m actually trying to say though, haha.
I read a lot of blog posts from other people and realize “Oh, they didn’t want to take the time to figure out what they were trying to say….” And I usually take them off my list after that.
Hei thanx for Giving
us so much knwledge
I feel encouraged, happy, sad, discouraged and spanked but going forward your advice is now printed and two inches from my nose !!!!!!
.-= Jake Jacob´s last blog ..Part One: Trends in Social Media for the Coming Year =-.
After I have read the post I found it very helpful. Thanks for sharing. Nice post
.-= matthew proman´s last blog ..Matthew Proman updated Sat Mar 13 2010 4:13 pm CST =-.
Going off topic shows that the blogger has no focus. It is an absolute NO NO!
.-= Olusegun´s last blog ..20 Reasons Why You Should Choose WordPress –PART 2 =-.
Yeah your right. There are times that I can’t right anything because there nothing sinking on my mind but I need to right and in the end my article is not that so good.
.-= Rommel@Study and Work Australia´s last blog ..Web Business without SEO =-.
Good article. In fact I am planning a blog for my site, and I wonder if articles about SEO, or marketing, are off-topic or not.
Hi,
I really like your topic
.-= desen´s last undefined ..If you register your site for free at =-.
Also a good advice could be “don’t be rude and unpolite” when you post…
Hey Don, your tips are excellent! I specially like this: “A post is supposed to be an informative article like a newspaper article”. The overall blogging knowledge can be gain just by thinking to share/suggest something useful to readers!
You know what really irks me? When people do rant, and they use the same snarky tone as thousands of other snarky bloggers. I really REALLY hate it.
.-= Ben@Blue Laptops´s last blog ..Blue Laptops =-.
The tips you have given are of great help..
Thank you!
.-= Tolga´s last blog ..Naruto Shippuuden 152-153 =-.
I can tell you definitely know what your talking about. You have a great writing style as well. Some awesome tips to really think about. Probably the one thing that really resonated with me is to not write if you don’t really have enough, or some significant to say. Love it, nice job Don.
.-= Josiah@Tumblr Themes´s last blog ..Flourish =-.
I would also say that straying off voice is another problem for novice writers.
This is a good blog, and the no-follow comment section is a great idea, but no-follow shouldn’t mean no-moderate. Why do you let people like the Ed Hardy character spam his garbage? It dilutes the conversation.
I completely agree with all you said, especially about going offtopic. I cant tell you how many times I have read a blog post and they have gotten a little side tracked. One of the best ways to prevent this is to reread it and have somebody you trust read it before you post it.
.-= Joshua Pitts @Admin Blog´s last blog ..How to Make an “About Page” Short and Sweet =-.
The main error I found in posting in blogs is that using the type of fonts.
.-= laker@Viral Marketing´s last blog ..Viral Submitter Pro Review – The Full Review =-.
This is a great post. However, I think there are also “under 300 words” posts that worth a reading, what do you say?
Of course, those are rare, but they exist.
On the other hand, there are zillions of “more than 300 words” posts that say nothing.
Good post on posting. I’ve seen all the things you noted and have undoubtedly been guilty of a few myself. I especially like your “Don’t rant” advice. Of course, “ranting” is pretty much what talk radio and talk TV are all about, so maybe bloggers can save the day.
.-= Rex´s last blog ..SAT-7 15th Anniversary Vision Trip =-.
I may be a little bit trouble with this one. Sometimes I fall into a few of these categories. I will have to work harder to make sure that I don’t commit any of these big mistakes. Thank you for pointing them out to me.
.-= Brendan @ Online Marketing Consultant´s last blog ..StumbleUpon Advertising: Worth It? =-.
Really great post. I tend to become distracted while blogging so if I put each category in parts it helps. This site is awesome, I’m gonna book mark it. If you’d like, you can visit my blog too at Traffic Submission SEO
.-= Adrianne´s last blog ..Traffic Submission SEO Software =-.
I tend to violate number 4 in my articles and my blog posts. Writing for me is a sort of catarsis, I think.
After all, blogging is giving a personal opinion not an objective one, so, there is a fine line between being personal and being bitchy.
I’m not sure I agree with the ‘no rant’ rule. Some of my rants, although they are far and few between, have garnered the highest traffic and comments.
Many bloggers can even follow the first rule. After you read the post, the question is not answered.
I never thought of these erros. I think we can also make title errors and permalink errors.
Wow.. that was a cool little comment gadget! (It’s my first time here in case you couldn’t tell).
One of the things I do to stay on track in my posts is to just write whatever comes and then go back and edit. Sometimes I may have a LOT of editing to do.. but I find this is particularly helpful if I am not especially ‘dialed in’ on any given day.
This is very useful post, lots of bloggers use to comet this error when writting.
Lately I have started to lose some of my inspiration. When that happens, making such errors is almost unavoidable. I often tend to make the second error. I find the 4th error to be the biggest. This is really something that one shouldn’t be doing.
Great post, keep them coming!
wonderful post,
very useful
This is very useful information.
Thanx
ahh, fine points and all are valid. It’s so important for bloggers to keep things short and sweet because the longer an article is the more likely the blogger is to: lose the audience or deviate from the topic.
“Don’t Ramble”. That’s the policy I follow in my blog, I focus on writing in a inverse pyramid model (that’s difficult in a personal blog) and get straight to the point. I care a lot about my readers and I want them to know the essential at the start, then they are free to continue reading if they want.
Cheers,
Iván.
good articel. i will keep reading your post
Great list! Simple, yet effective. It’s easy for anyone to forget these things, but they are all important.
-Sam
Great list! Another thing, make sure you don’t have any bad grammar and spelling mistakes when posting. Nothing takes away your professionalism and credibility faster than poor English grammar.
In number 5 I would also include don’t repeat yourself. It is difficult to not get so stuck in a niche that your ideas are unoriginal because you are so focused on a specific topic.
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I think that one of the main points here is to stay to your niche, and keep bringing fresh posts on the topic. Yet, I feel that it is not easy to keep a fresh Blog for a long period of time. Good list of point.
Great breakdown of information. I can see things that I should be doing. I tend to be too wordy and even stray from the topic. Good information I will take to heart.
I must disagree because the majority of my posts on my blog, tplack.com, which are rants, tend to receive the most comments and the best attention, but some would consider my rants more like case studies. Nice post.
Hi!
Thanks a lot for this great article. Now I know what are the dos and dont’s in making a post.
I think the biggest one I see a lot is #6 “Don’t pitch old news”. I don’t know how often I see the same types of posts over and over. Be original guys and girls.
Thank you for your post! This helps me a lot on how to write nice articles.
thanks for the hopefully useful tips.
Good advice! I always thought why people did not like my article and do not know the reason. But now, I know. Thank you for your very wonderful suggestions. It tells me how to do it well next time.
Nice suggestions! You lighten a road for the missing people in creative career. You tell us that new information can attract the eye of other people. Thank you for your nice advice.p90x fitness workout
Nice advice! You tell us how to avoid the mistake of the post in the future. Thank you very much! Insanity program
I think the real problem with Rants is they Ramble. Rants do tend to get traffic – sometimes. I think when they get off topic they begin to be annoying and lose it.
nice post! thank you!
you do a good job! thank you!
Sometimes I find that being opinionated is a great way to be more original with my own posts.
interesting blog. Im always on the lookout for articles and info on marketing and the like, and as online marketing is so difficult these days, your blog looks a pretty good resource.
Your article are great, will visit very soon
Any one can write a blog, in fact any one can write but making good semantic sense is a different story.
keeping the site full of fresh content can be very hard and is difficult not to keep repeating posts but old posts can be easily forgotten and you may need to repeat your message to new and old visitors
You are doing a great job, I like your blog
I recognize the symptoms – that’s why I do NOT post when I do not feel like it.
On the other hand, there IS a good remedy – when you feel inspired, write several posts, but do not publish them all, only one, and publish the rest each time that you don’t feel inspired.
These tips will helpful for newbies like me. Thanks to great stuffs.
As what I understand in your post, we have to be objective as much as possible to deliver unbiased information. The problem with these errors is that we often don’t realize that we are already doing it. This post should be a reminder of the possible errors that we might commit when blogging and that we must also check if we are already committing one.
This blog is very rich, content, will often come around.
As a person who ranted on his blogs to no avail, I can honestly say that point 3 is dead on the mark.
Great post, straight to the point. Airing personal issues online is definitely a turn off for site visitors, but I think ranting can actually work if done the right way. Lots of online marketers have had experiences that drove them crazy and sometimes a little venting gives you a personal presence in cyberspace. The trick is if you can temper it to include a possible solution that your readers can benefit from, you may be able to garner a loyal, growing fan base.
Its very easy to fall into the pattern of feeling as though you just have to post, even if you have nothing to say. My favourite point here is that its better not to write than to force it.
yeah,,,buddy,,,it seems like the above points are validating the pattern on which i think,,,
i feel more confident now,,,i will keep continue on the same path right away,,, for http://www.compexchange.com/
thanks mate
Exactly you mentioned.Till before reading your post i was not aware of it.Now i can rectify myself.Good post!!
Thanks for sharing this knowledge. Post only relevant to your niche and don’t post nonsense like ‘asfgsd’ sort just to get free backlinks.
No human being is above mistake, but we can try as much as possible to afford them. I used to wrong a lots when I first started blogging, but I overcome them, when I realised that I am making mistakes in my post. One need to learn on how to write post with mistake and this type of posts
I come from vietnam, I felt very or messages and
information very useful for me, Thanks for sharing
This is music to my ears.This is really a great post! Thanks for sharing. A blog really owes its success to its loyal readers and faithful followers.