Hugh has put together another top ten list – this time it’s 10 reasons why nobody reads your blog. Take it with the humorous tone it was written in but see the truth in some of the points. I particularly agree with these points (Hugh’s points in bold with my own comments afterwards):
2. There’s nothing in it for them – it’s about value. Give people something that they find valuable and you’ll find people coming back for more and recommending others check it out. Of course ‘value’ means different things for different people and can stretch from information, entertainment, inspiration, news, community etc
5. You have nothing to say – this is related to #2 really but takes it a little further. Many blogs fall into this trap with content that is dry and uninspired.
8. The very fact that you’re whining about traffic makes people not want to read your blog – this is a trap many bloggers fall into. I’d extend it to ‘whining’ on many topics. While the cynical, moaning, snide approach to blogging works for some people, in general I think people are attracted to blogs that are positive and offer something that enhances people’s lives in some way. As my wife says to me when I get into a whining state of mind – ‘build a bridge and get over it’.
9. You’ve only been writing the damn thing for a week – so true. With all the talk of massive blogs around it’s easy to expect too much too quickly. While traffic is important I recommend bloggers in the early days check their stats less and write more quality content. While you can do things to maximize your blog’s exposure the number one thing you can do is have a useful, relevant and up to date blog that over time develops authority on a topic. This doesn’t happen over night.
Perhaps in the vain of #9 would be the addition of ‘you only post once a month’. Regular posting and fresh content is key.
Found via Life 2.0 (who has a good post on the topic).
