Sunday 22 November 2015

11 Blogging Practices That Audience Hates



What are the blogging practices that have the potential to take a toll on your future growth? In this article, I have summarized 11 blogging practices that audience hates. As a blogger, you must not indulge in these blogging practices. If you want to become a successful blogger you must adopt only best blogging practices. 

Sometimes success makes you blind. You begin to ignore the people who helped you achieve the success you have been enjoying today. For bloggers, their audiences are their great supporters. If you are unknowing ignoring your audience or knowingly fooling them, it’s high time you reevaluate your blogging approach. 

If you want to continue to enjoy your success, you need to avoid some blogging mistakes that most of the bloggers are unknowingly or may be knowingly making.


Let’s check out the 11 blogging practices that bloggers must never follow.

Best blogging practices to keep you audience happy


1. Do not promise what you cannot deliver: Audience hates false promises


There is a new trend that has emerged in the recent past year. Bloggers are increasingly adopting tempting ways to attract their audience to subscribe to their blog or website. For example, many bloggers promise you a free eBook on marketing that you will find nowhere else. However, in reality, these books contain the same old stuff that you find on the internet.

Similarly, there are some bloggers who promise you to deliver something that can help you earn hundreds of dollars on the social media sites if you subscribe to their blog. However, in reality, these things are same old crap that is useless and time wasting. So never promise something that you cannot deliver. Such practices can adversely impact your reputation.

Moreover, some bloggers write their marketing pitch in such a manner as if the product is free of cost. However, in reality, when you submit your information you get to know that it’s a paid service. Get out of this blogging practice. Always remember, it hardly takes a few seconds to unsubscribe.

There is no doubt creating email list is extremely important for creating a successful blog. However, bloggers must not do it at the cost of putting their reputation at risk. There are several bloggers who advise using tempting offers to make audience subscribe to your blog. However, in reality, this strategy doesn't last long. Always remember, audience hates false promises

2. Do not ignore the comments of your blog readers: Audience hates nonresponsive blogs

Readers hate it when they do not get any response on their queries or comments. You would have noticed that several successful bloggers hardly respond to their readers’ comments. 

If you look in the comment section of the successful blogs, you will find that only some of  readers get the response on their comments.

On the other hand, there are many bloggers who take out time to respond to their readers no matter how successful they are. Some of the successful bloggers do it at an amazing speed. For example, Neil Patel is one such blogger. According to Neil Patel, he has responded to over 50,000 comments so far. He spends more than 26 hours per month to respond to the comments of his readers. 

Interestingly, for him, this approach has resulted in increased traffic, enhanced customers’ loyalty, social sharing and significant improvement in sales.

Personally, I have come across several successful bloggers who responded to my comments within a couple of hours. A majority of these bloggers are either award winning bloggers or hold top positions in blogging business.

On the other hand, I have also come across many other successful bloggers who hardly care to respond. I am sure, like me, most of you would have stopped commenting on websites or blogs where your comments do not get noticed.

In the coming years, your blogging strategy including the customer care strategy will determine your success or failure in the blogging business. Always remember, blogging business is rapidly evolving and your inability to respond to the queries of the audience will surely result in blog failure. 

You can significantly improve your blog performance by responding to the blog comments. Responding to the blog comments is considered as one of the best blogging practices.

3. Don’t be unthankful to your followers: Audience does not like ungrateful bloggers


There are many bloggers who never take out time to thank their followers. This is especially true on social media platforms like Twitter. You are mistaken if you think that followers do not care about these things. 

Not thanking your followers gives the impression that you hardly care about your followers. It shows that you are too busy with your money making ideas and hardly have time to respond to your followers. 

Personally, I feel more attached to the bloggers who take out time to respond to their followers. And I am sure most of you might be having the same opinion. It hardly takes few seconds to send a thank you note to the followers. It is considered as a good business practice.

I understand it is not possible for highly successful bloggers to respond or send a thank you note to each and every follower especially on social media platforms likes twitter. However, research shows that higher the response rate, higher will be the traffic flow.

Followers are more likely to stay loyal to you if you appreciate them for becoming your follower. Respond to their queries and guide them to become a successful blogger. Always remember, the audience do not like ungrateful bloggers.

4. Do not outsource your core functions to outside providers:  Audience hates static blog


Outsourcing the core function of your blog to the outside providers can adversely impact the performance of your blog. In fact, this practice starts the beginning of the end. You are the best judge of you blog. You know what is best for your audience.

The audience hates it when you use your blog as a tool to only display your content and fail to connect with your audience. In fact, the loyalty of the audience is for the creator of the content rather than the blog itself. Your audience is more likely to show a high level of loyalty if you create your content yourself and connect with your audience.  

A majority of the audience shows their loyalty to the blog owner rather than the blog itself. This is why Google recommends displaying your profile in your blog. All the successful bloggers have been doing it. It is considered as a good blogging practice as it helps your audience connect with you.

You cannot expect from external service providers to create something that your audience loves. Occasionally, there is no harm in asking external service providers to write something unique and useful for your blog. However, depending on others to consistently provide content for your blog is a bad blogging practice. Gradually you will fail to connect with your audience.

Content creation is the core function in the blogging business. You can depend on external service providers for noncore functions. However, core functions must always be performed by the blogger.

If you find it hard to put across your ideas effectively you can occasionally hire someone to write articles for you. However, the basic research must always be done by the blogger. After all, external service providers are not going to respond to the queries of the readers. Audience hates  nonresponsive blogs.

Therefore, it is important that you should play an active role in the core functions of your blog.

5. Do not ignore investing in your business: audience hates inconvenience


Most of the bloggers make the mistake of not investing in their blog. They keep whatever they earn from their blog for their personal expenses. This is a bad business practice.

Once your blog begins to show signs of growth, it requires investment. You cannot expect to make a lot of money from you blog unless you invest a small part of your income in enhancing the value of your blog. If you have successfully monetized your blog, you must invest in the promotion of your blog. 

You can invest in branding, marketing, advertising, look of your blog, and customer care activities. For example, if you are too busy with content creation, you can hire experienced staff that can respond to the readers' queries. Or, you can simply install auto responders to send at least a thank you note to your followers. According to Hubspot, Gartner research has predicted that by 2020, customers will conduct their 85% of the relationship without talking to the human.

Readers are most likely to stay loyal to you if they can access your blog easily on different social media platforms. Digital audiences need the convenience of access. Providing conveneince of access to the audience is also one of the best blogging practices to engage your audience.

By investing in your business, you can significantly enhance your presence across several social media platforms. Always remember, the audience loves to access information from reliable and convenient sources. Audience hates inconvenience in accessing the information they need.



6. Do not stop following your followers: Audience hates self-centered bloggers


Most of the successful bloggers think that they do not need to follow their followers. If you become their follower, they mistakenly believe that you need them more than they do. If you do not follow your followers sooner or later you will lose them to your competitors.

There is no harm in following back people who follow you. There are two advantages of following your followers. First you will get to know about your real audience. Second, it will help you in successful monetization.

Following your followers simply shows that you care about your followers and value their opinion. At the same time, it shows that you are open to learning from your followers.

Always remember, following your followers is a great sign of success on social media platforms. Knowledge is available everywhere, your audience can anytime access knowledge from various other sources. A majority of successful bloggers follows at least 50% of their followers. 

For example, successful blogger  Jeff Bullas currently have more than 386 thousand twitter followers but at the same time, he follows 238 thousand twitter users. Similarly, award-winning entrepreneur, Sayed Balkhi is currently following more than 20 thousand followers.  Your audience is most likely to show a high level of loyalty if you follow them back. 

7.  Do not play tricks on your readers: Audience hates bloggers who play tricks on them


Audience hates it when someone try to fool them. Some bloggers try to be too smart with their audience. For example, some bloggers follow you with the sole intention of making you follow them back. They play a trick on you. Once you follow them you will notice after a week or two that they have unfollowed you.

However, this blogging practice generates counterproductive results in the long run. Get out of this blogging habit. Don’t follow someone you think is not your ideal audience. Follow them like they way you want them to follow you. If your followers are contributing to your success, it is your responsibility to contribute to their success.

You are mistaken if you believe your followers are never going to find out who unfollows them. Always remember, there are many apps available in the market such as, Crowdfire and Unfollower that enables bloggers to keep track of their followers. 

8. Do not avoid reading blogs of your followers: Audience hates  noncooperation


Your followers are your great supporters and they expect you to support  them the way they support you. One-sided support kills the spirit of better collaboration and networking. Allowing or even encouraging your audience for guest posting or creating a guest post for your audience are some of the methods of enhanced cooperation and networking.

To understand the problems of your audience, you must read the blog of your followers. Commenting on their blog will be much more beneficial than your imagination. It will help you in two ways. First, your followers will feel more attached to you. Secondly, you will be able to understand the problems of your audience. Moreover, you might be able to get some new ideas by reading the blog of your followers. 

9. Do not force your audience to buy your products: Audience hates forced selling

The audience hates it when you force them to buy your products or services. Displaying your own products or affiliate products in the blog does not bother audience. They hate it when your adds frequently interrupt their reading. 

Unlike other businesses, in the blogging business your audiences are not only your targeted customers but also your competitors. There are several readers who read your blog to learn something new rather than actually buying your products. These followers are equally important for you as they help you maintain high page ranking in google searches.

10. Do not stop learning from your followers: Audience hates egoistic bloggers


The audience hates egoistic bloggers. Underestimating the knowledge and blogging capabilities of your followers is one of the biggest mistakes that some of the bloggers make. 

Some of the bloggers think they are not going to learn something valuable from their followers. They use followers for improving their blog ranking and to sell their products or services to them. They are preoccupied with their own self-interest and fail to learn from their followers.

Never underestimate the competition in the business of blogging. Even your followers have the potential to become your competitors in the near future. Therefore, building a good relationship with your followers will help you to strength your position in the blogging market.

A majority of the bloggers do it unknowingly as they follow industry trends. However, it is highly recommended that you should read the blog of your followers as much as possible and comment whenever you get time. It will not undermine your knowledge or success. In fact, it will enhance your image in your followers’ circle.

11. Do not stick to old ideas: Audience hates outdated information


Audience hates outdated ideas. Always be ready to learn to unlearn. The things that were once a source of great competitive advantage in the industry might no longer be relevant in changed blogging market scenario. For example, short articles were very effective a couple of years ago. However, today, long articles are increasing gaining popularity and getting more page views.


Therefore, it is imperative on the part of bloggers to learn to unlearn. Get out of your old blogging habits or strategies that are no longer relevant in today’s environment. This will help you to adapt to new environment. 

The success of the bloggers in today's blogging environment will depend on their ability to create and market content complying with the convenience, needs and expectations of the targeted audience. 

By adopting the above mentioned best blogging practices you can significantly improve audience satisfaction resulting in higher audience engagement and loyality.

Do you think an effective strategy to improve audience satisfaction can help you achieve better audience engagement? Is there any relationship between comment response rate and blog traffic. Please feel free to share your opinion with us. If you liked this article, please share it too. 

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