7 Common Mistakes Seasoned Bloggers Make

5 Common Mistakes Seasoned Bloggers Make (& How to Fix Them)

In my Catch Me Collaborating Facebook Group, I have the ability to mentor and walk along side some pretty amazing Bloggers and Creatives. Because of my unique scope, I get an inside look at how other Bloggers and Creatives use their skills and how they market themselves. Network marketing is so cliché now but I firmly believe in it and how powerful it is to grow your business. As Bloggers, we use Network Marketing in our every day activities to benefit our business and brand. This kind of marketing varies per person, per brand, per business which is why I also agree with having a mentor who is able to be a support person for you while you gain your network marketing “footing.”

When marketing comes to topic during my conversations, I often find that seasoned bloggers have so much going on that they miss out on some golden opportunities and make some easy-to-fix mistakes along the way. Some seasoned Bloggers are stuck and not able to grow and others are just too overwhelmed to even care. Can you relate? The following topics are ones that I have regurgitated more times than not so I felt it would be good to get it all out there so that I can hopefully help more bloggers in the inter-webs. Here are 5 common mistakes seasoned bloggers (and creatives) make and ways they can fix them.

Not networking

And by networking I do not mean Social Media. Get out and meet some people. Pull yourself away from technology and mingle with like-minded folks. Not sure where to start? Attend a Meetup or check out some local events around you on Facebook Local. REMEMBER: You do not have to meet up with your peers.

Pro Tip: Attend a #CatchMeAtLuxe event (#ShamelessPlug) or even a non-blogging event like a Start-Up Weekend or Techstars Start-Up Week at a major city near you.

Not taking an opportunity from another opportunity

I have come to figure out that my mind works differently. If I’m talking to you about business, I am honing in on how I can connect you with one of my connections and/or I’m trying to figure out how my expertise can benefit the other person. Always. Without question. I often ask Bloggers I mentor how they have done the same and I usually get “well I didn’t think of thaaaat” or “that’s a good point and a missed opportunity.” Shift your focus on what you are currently doing to what you CAN do with a NEW opportunity. 

Meeting a brand for a discovery meeting but see that your closest gal pal blogger just wrote an article about needing what they can offer? Connect them. Finish up working with a brand on a collaboration? Send them another email expressing the magic you both created and how they can utilize you in the coming months.

Pro Tip: Being PROACTIVE rather than REACTIVE helps you be prepared and shows responsibility, maturity and professionalism.

They Aren’t Giving Conclusions

Scroll through a couple of your blog posts… allllll the way to the end. What’s there? Is it the end of your content? Or is it another hook? Maybe its a pitch? If you aren’t concluding your content with SOMETHING you are leaving your reader HIGH and dry. You have to wrap up and by that I’m not talking about an opt-in or an advertisement. I for one am guilty of this in my earlier writings. I try my hardest to remember how I was taught to write letters in school: Heading + Greeting + Body + Closing + Signature. Simple and easy to incorporate into your blogging work flow.

Pro Tip: Get out a handy post-it and write “Heading + Greeting + Body + Closing + Signature” and place it on your monitor/laptop screen to help you remember to hit each area on each blog post.

Droppin’ Links with Zero Follow Through

This mistake might be caused with the “help” of some bots if you are using them (HINT: STOP using bots man!) I am in my share of Facebook Groups and some of them offer up a promotion thread where you can drop your link to a recent blog post. Going off of the first mistake above, I use those threads as OPPORTUNITIES to connect rather than just droppin’ my link and running. There are RULES on RULES because bloggers do this and I think its straight up tacky. If you leave your link, interact with others in the thread. But more importantly, RESPOND to those that have interacted with you in a non-spammy way.

Post a link for a yummy new recipe? Someone may comment, “oh that looks delicious!” instead of contemplating giving them another link or even elaborating on your recipe, respond with something along the lines : “I’d love to know if you made this! Feel free to send me a picture! Let me know if you have any questions if you do decide to make it!” Don’t drop your links and run. Even if these are your PEERS on a PROMOTION thread, they could still turn out to be your readers or even a die-hard super fan out of it. Don’t pass up on that opportunity.

Pro Tip: Don’t utilize the promotion threads in groups if you aren’t going to use them as engagement opportunities.

Inactivity in General

Granted, we have a lot on our plate. Blogging is a full-time job and then throw everything in order to make your job function and get seen is another full-time job, I get it. I think us Bloggers get so overwhelmed at all we need to do that the thought of adding something else to the pile is just ridiculous. But hear me out, if you can automate things that don’t need your authentic engagement, that will free up your time in order to engage online and be active with prospective new readers.

Pro Tip: Some of my favorite automation programs are:

  • Pinterest via Tailwind – Try it free for a month: Tailwind (affiliate)
  • SmarterQueue to schedule out posts on Facebook – Try it free for a month: SmarterQueue (affiliate)
  • RecurPost to re-purpose your own evergreen content – RecurPost

The reason I love these systems is that I can keep my platforms updated and be able to chime in and authentically engage with others that respond to that content. It elevates time and energy focused on doing these tasks too so that I can focus on building my relationships online.

Wrappin’ it up

So how do these things make you feel? Are you feeling a little reassured? More uneasy? Feeling like you have your ducks in a row or maybe one has ventured off? Step back and take a break from your phone or computer. Meet others who you can bounce some ideas off of and who maybe have been in your same shoes before. Be prepared and proactive with your current work/collaborations before it’s too late and you have missed an opportunity. Make sure your formulating your posts so that it flows beautifully and professionally. Finding some new ways to promote yourself on Facebook should not be easy access points, but open door opportunities to engage with someone new. Lastly for tasks that don’t need your authentic touch, automate them and get a little bit of your life back. xo

Blogging Help for Seasoned Bloggers - Common Network Marketing Mistakes and How to Fix Them

Bre. Geiger