Being a small business owner can be a very satisfying, yet sometimes extremely troublesome experience. Not only do you have to work with everyday tasks and problems, but you also have to have in mind a bigger picture, which is expanding your business. Of course, every business is made to produce money, and running a […]

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Blogging is a superb way to get your message out to the world. It’s also (depending on one’s goal) an excellent way to earn full or part-time income. We all know the stories of bloggers who managed to quit their jobs and make a living online. I believe everyone has the potential to do the same; but at the same time, not just anyone can be successful at it. Here are five reasons why your blog will fail:

1. You Don’t Treat Blogging as a Business

There are two ways to look at a blog. Either it’s just a fancy pants online journal, or it’s a business that’s earning the author an income. Unfortunately, a lot of bloggers (especially beginners) just believe that writing posts and creating content will bring them the big bucks. This is further from the truth.

The business side of a blog is a whole other ball game which involves budgeting, testing, tracking, networking, support systems, and a lot more. You also need a business mentality to keep pushing forward, even when your motivation is low – and there will be these moments. You’re not going to achieve sustainable income with your blog, unless you treat it like the business that it is.

2. You Focus on Money Above Everything Else

Think about it. Why would anyone want to visit your blog? Is it because you have the most beautiful blog out there?

Wrong.

For the most part, the content is what drives them to a blog. Content that is so epic and desperately needed that they want to share it with others, engage in it, and come back for more. That’s what you want.

They don’t really care all about the “other stuff”. Most people use the internet for information. Therefore, if they visit your blog feeling like they’re just being sold to, then they’ll leave running and never come back.

Furthermore, the effect of focusing too much on generating income is that you often lose the motivation to keep creating epic posts. It becomes about the dollar return value (or traffic return value) rather than the simple act of writing valuable content. Remember, your readers are human-beings and they want to be treated as such.

3. You Don’t Network Enough

The most successful bloggers on the planet didn’t get where they are at on their own. They didn’t just start a blog, post content regularly, and hoped the traffic would come. No, they strategically placed “signs” all around the internet that screamed their message and how awesome they are.

Think strategies like guest posting (the comment luv site is a great example =)), commenting on other blogs (I like doing at least five a day), becoming a regular contributor on sites like mediumdotcom or Yahoo! Voices (by the way, which also pays you), cross promoting via YouTube, etc. We’ve been more connected to the world than ever before; being a private blogger will not get you far, if you want to build a readership.

Get in touch with other bloggers that have a similar niche to yours and begin establishing relationships. It could just be a note to say “hi” and show how much you love their work, and connecting with them through social media. Think of blogs like tiny islands and build bridges to connect them to yours!

4. You Don’t Have a Defined Audience

There are a few bloggers who can get away with this aspect. But for most of us, having a clearly defined target audience and topic, will go a long way to ensure credibility and visitor engagement. For instance, if I’m looking for information on any topic relating to “technology”, I don’t expect to read articles from a site talking about “how to become a veterinarian.”

Am I right?

You might be thinking that this is going to limit what you know, and perhaps it will, to a certain extent. But if you’re also willing to brand yourself as an expert on a particular subject, then you’ll need to get specific with your topic; and to become an “expert” doesn’t necessarily mean you have to “be the best” either (although that would really set you apart). You just need to know a little bit more on your niche than the average person would. As a result, they’ll come to you for advice.

5. You’re Unproductive

Blogs take work and patience. It’s as simple as that. As I mentioned earlier, you need to treat it like a business in order to make money from it and be successful. You’ll only get what you put into it. Therefore, you need to put in the necessary hours and resources for the blog to grow. It’s either you fully commit or you don’t.

I like gauging the progress of a new blog through the first six months. Usually within these months, I’ll know if this is the right course for me, or if I’m entering the right niche. And if it doesn’t work, then I move on to the next project.

Once you determine that blogging is what you’re meant to do, then by all means, DON’T QUIT. Keep going no matter what. There are hundreds of blogs created on a daily basis, and hundreds more fail as well. Don’t be the latter statistic.

A big part of generating income online is to grow and learn the ins and outs of the business. This makes you a better blogger and an accomplished, successful online entrepreneur in the end.

Final Thoughts

If you find yourself doing any (or all) of these issues I’ve mention, then today is the day to reform and take action. If you’re willing to focus on your niche, respect your audience’s needs, and put forth the effort, then there’s no reason why you can’t enjoy all the success your blog will offer.

Do you have any other tips to share with aspiring bloggers out there? If so, I would love to hear your comments below.

photo credit: markomni via photopin cc

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The post The Jack of NO Trades – New Breed of Online Entrepreneurs appeared first on ComLuv.

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