Central Perk: 5 Reasons I Stopped Reading Your Blog

joi, 4 septembrie 2014

5 Reasons I Stopped Reading Your Blog

Posted: 04 Sep 2014 12:30 AM PDT

Writing a blog post is often a more difficult task than it sounds, and it isn't something that everyone has a natural affinity with. If you struggle when it comes to idea generation or putting your thoughts into writing, you might not be surprised to find that your levels of engagement are low and your bounce rate is high.

In the worst case scenario, you might not even realise that your blog posts aren't among the best out there. Unfortunately, there are plenty of impatient people like me who read a wide range of blogs and immediately discount some of them.

So here's a list of some of the reasons why I would leave your blog (and probably never return), to help you ensure that your own blog stays on track.

Your content isn't unique

While it's true that there isn't an infinite number of topics, and it is what you do with your idea that counts, reading similar posts across multiple blogs quickly gets tiring. Some people choose to rehash news articles or other blog posts instead of generating their own ideas, and simply don't add any new insight or opinion into the fray.

Similar content is also a common problem when bloggers are asked to review a product or a service. If there is a large campaign that requires a sizeable number of bloggers to take part, it doesn't take too long for readers of these blogs to pick up on the theme, especially if products have been given away for free (as in the image below).

You haven't checked for errors

Another blog turn off comes in the form of content and how it is actually put together; spelling mistakes and grammatical errors can make a blog post too irritating to bother reading. All it takes is a simple spell check; so, if your content management system doesn't include this feature as standard, write your post in a programme like Microsoft Word first. You should also check your facts, and include references to research where necessary.

I don't trust you

If a blog doesn't have a named author or editor, it makes me a bit suspicious. Due to the amount of syndicated content on the web, I want to guarantee that what I am reading has been created with more than just SEO 'benefits' in mind. Too many links in a blog post will immediately make me close my browsing window.

Even though a photograph and the name of a blogger don't necessarily provide 100% reassurance, they certainly go some way to help. Even better are links to personal social media profile pages, such as Facebook and Twitter.

You have no opinion

I touched on this point above when I spoke about unique content. Some blogs are filled with lots of writing and images, but the posts themselves don't actually say a whole lot. This makes me want to bang my head against a brick wall, especially when the post title suggests that the content will consist of a review.

As a consumer, I really want to read an honest opinion of a product or service. Many bloggers fall into the trap of writing a glowing review of a product to appease the PR firms who have given them something. *yawn*.

I find your content offensive

On the other hand, a blog post might have crossed a line or two during creation. Having an opinion is great, but there is a difference between this and being spiteful. The problem here is that people will always disagree about what is and isn't offensive. I won't read blog posts that bully named individuals, and even some companies. It's the era of the online witch-hunt, but where has the right to reply gone?

…What you can learn from this

Now you know the reasons I would stop reading a blog, you can start thinking about the things that are important to you when reading posts online. I’d love for you to share these with me, so please leave me a comment if you’d like to get in touch.

I hope you will now be able to go away knowing that your blog doesn’t commit any of the sins I have listed, or the ones you have identified yourself!

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