I had originally planned on compiling all this into one post, but the first one just got so long! Research shows that if you write your posts TOO long, people won’t even bother to read them. Life is busy and we’ve all got shit to do.
Anyway, as I mentioned in the first post, in the blog world, success doesn’t come easy. Here’s the second set of common mistakes I’ve learnt through making them myself!
Mistake 4: Waiting for the catalyst.
What inspired me to write this post and the first one - was the comments on our recent ‘7 Rising Fashion Bloggers‘ post along with the comments left on articles featuring bloggers on Fashionista, Who What Wear, or Refinery 29. The complaints are usually about the fact that more unknown bloggers aren’t being featured, which is a fair observation - but it won’t really make much difference in the long run when the said ‘unknown’ bloggers aren’t driving their own audience.
The ONLY way you can grow your traffic long term is by engaging your core readership. References help, but it’s really about many many references over time instead of one. A viral referral is like winning the lottery and it’s not a valid strategy when building a blog. You might get one referral from Who What Wear that spikes your traffic for a day or two but it won’t hold steady if your blog isn’t engaging and you can’t use a spike in traffic to sell analytics to potential clients because it’s random. You build an audience gradually over time, seeking out your audience, driving them through social media growth, and contributing content to other sites. There are no handouts on the road to success. If you’re proactive and writing a good blog, your audience will grow.
Mistake 5: Not adapting to the data.
There’s a lot of tech and research behind the scenes of the big blogs. Now full-fledged websites like Man Repeller and Into The Gloss have SEO experts helping maximise their content. Whilst most of us can’t afford to have someone onboard tech-ing our blogs to the hilt - it pays to know your data. I can’t really tell you all the tricks, but everything you do on your site has a cause and effect. Even if you have 10 readers or 10,000 readers, you should be aiming to improve engagement all the time. You can use your analytics to test how engaged readers are in particular posts, what days and times are best for content, and how often you should post. I never used to understand why on one day I’d have double the traffic of the previous, I’d just chalk it up to whatever - but all of that information can be tapped into because there’s a cause and effect in every post. A quick google search will help you find some of the strategies you can employ for free. Tech up!
Mistake 6: Falling for the numbers.
It’s easy to get hung up on the numbers. While it’s important to a degree, you can still build a career on a smaller but more engaged audience.
Here’s a fact: Most of my clients don’t even ask about the traffic on Zanita Studio. Why? Their foremost investment is in my content and brand.
So if you don’t have a big crowd following you, don’t focus on it. Work on creating something that’s valuable
- assets. Remember, the average entry-level fashion campaign can cost a brand around $10-$15 thousands to produce and that’s without any marketing attached. So if you’re producing beautiful pictures they can use, you’re already valuable. Any known blogger will tell you, their biggest asset is their personal brand. Nurturing your talent and originality is what will build your career.
The hard truth is that sometimes you’re going to give your best and it’s not going to lead to immediate success, but if you don’t try hard, you’re guaranteed not go anywhere.
I hope this has helped some of you identify some problems you might have with building your blogs! Looking forward to hearing your thoughts.
Zx
You Should Also Read:
3 Ways You’re Sabotaging Your Blog
The 3 Real Truths About Blogging
How to: Make Your Blog Super Popular
