Five Biggest Blogging Fails and How to Avoid Them

I’ve failed… A lot. And I’m not ashamed to admit it. In true Thomas Edison fashion, “I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that don’t work.” I’ve been in the blogosphere for quite some time and I’ve made more mistakes than I can count. I wish there were blogging courses available 5 years ago when I first started so that way I wouldn’t have waded around a pond of pirañas blindly trying to figure my shit out. Alas, I have made all the mistakes so you don’t have to. Here are my five biggest blogging fails and how you can avoid them.

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Mistake 1: Not Having a Nice Camera

A blog is indeed an investment. If you want you brand to stand out, then make sure you get the tools to make it work. You don’t have to use a fancy DSLR camera. You can get a mirrorless or point and shoot.

I almost ALWAYS get asked what kind of camera I use to take photos and film my YouTube videos. I’ll just answer and get it out of the way. I use a Sony A7iii camera body with two different lenses. I use the Sony G-Series 16-35mm lens and I also use the Sigma for Sony 24-70mm lens.The camera doesn’t matter. The photographer does. I’ve seen people take amazing photos with just their iPhone and mirrorless or digital camera.

I’m gonna be really honest with you, a lot of my photos go through an editing process. On most big travel instagram accounts, they have presets for their photos and very specific look to their Instagram feed. There’s tons of tutorials online on how to edit your photos like [insert popular travel blogger here]. I would highly recommend going on YouTube and learning a few of those photography tricks. Two of my favorite channels are Phlearn for learning Photoshop and Maarten Schrader for Lightroom tips for travel blogger photography.

I’m pretty serious as a blogger, so the tools I use to make my blog are obviously very worth it to me. I use the Adobe Photoshop and Lightroom CC package subscription which comes out to $10.61 a month. Which is totally worth it considering all the free photo shop and help channels out there.

Mistake 2: Using Photos From Google

ERMERGERD.

Just. don’t. do. it. This will count against you so hard on the Google search engine. If you want to use a photo from Google, then you should go into the advanced search and type in photos that are free to use, share, modify or use commercially. A lot of photos in the search engine are copyrighted so if you want to use awesome and free stock photos, I highly recommend that. Some of the sites I use are:

• Pixabay
• Pexels
• freestocks.org

You can even use these photos in your Instagram feed if you’re just starting out. Now repeat after me. Stock photos are great. Stock photos are fun. Never use Google unless you want to be on their shit list and get DMCA’s filed against you.

Mistake 3: Not Getting an Email Provider

While there are tons of free plugins to use on WordPress. I used Mail Poet for the longest time, but it doesn’t have the same campaign power as Get Response. Why should you get an email list? If you’re a serious blogger this is your bread and butter. Every email is worth $1. I say this because a lot of bloggers, myself included, are affiliates. We make a living by selling other products or our own products like ebooks, courses, etc.

This has the power to put people in an email sequence. For example, I send autoresponders for five weeks for four different categories. These are Korea, Japan, and Travel Blogging. Through these sequences I give my audience a chance to know me, give them blog posts and a free ebook. Especially in my travel blogging sequence I talk about things like how to make your blog a success, adventures in affiliate marketing, and how to work online while having your blog.

So how do you get people to give you their email? It’s easy! A lead magnet. A lead magnet can be anything like a checklist, ebook, or workbook. It’s something that gives them value and will help them trust you and your authority on whatever topic you use.

I highly recommend GetResponse because their customer service is 24/7 and top notch. And you can even be an affiliate and earn 33% in reoccurring commissions which can make you a wealthy affiliate! 😉

Related: Travel Blogging Media Kit and Pitching to Sponsors 

Mistake 4: Starting on Blogger

This is a huge mistake that will literally make me want to shake you. Actually, nvm. I will go over and shake you if you do that. Blogger is owned by Google and you can use Adsense alongside it, but it doesn’t have the website building power WordPress does. If you’re looking to monetize your blog and start making an income off of your hard work, then do yourself a favor and start on wordpress.org.

You need to be self hosted in order to do this so I recommend Blue Host. Why do you need to be self hosted? Simple. Everything you do on your blog is on you. No one else owns it. You own the domain and all the profits that go with it.

If you’re thinking, “Doh! I’m on Blogger or wordpress.com!” Don’t worry. Your friendly neighborhood staff will help you migrate your blog over.

What’s kinda awesome about Blue Host is you don’t need to pick a domain name right away. If you’re indecisive about what you want your blog name to be (and trust me, I know; it’s a big commitment) you have the option of choosing your domain name later so you can do some research and sleep on it.

Mistake 5: I didn’t Know my Niche/Audience

Knowing your audience and your niche is so important. Whenever I write, I always write to one specific person and that is my gay best friend. I write the way I would talk to him and phrase things the way we talk when we’re together. I have a really goofy sense of humor and whenever I talk to him, we’re constantly laughing. With him, I talk most naturally and like myself. I show who I really am. If you’re pretending to be someone you’re not your audience can literally see right through that shit.

When I write to him, I talk about all the places I’ve gone and tips that would help him make his time in X place easier. When you’re first starting out, pick someone you’re most comfortable with and write to them.

Also, you have no idea how much I want to hit my head up against the wall when I read some travel diary posts. Some people might like it like your friends and family (initially) but I’m gonna be real with you, after awhile, they’re not gonna care. That’s the honest truth. My blog started off on Blogger (refer to mistake four) as a travel diary and then it started to grow in popularity within the Japan Exchange and Teaching Program community. A lot of them trusted what I said and asked a lot of questions, so I started making posts to help them.

Eventually, my blog grew to help expats in both Korea and Japan. I’m not trying to sound like a douche canoe when I say this, but I’ve been recognized on the streets in Japan and Korea from people who have read my blog and watched my YouTube channel. I also even have friends who have told me people were talking about my blog and how helpful they found it.

My biggest advice to you guys is if you write travel diary posts, make them interesting and engaging. Be raw, be real, be you. Not everyone is going to like what you say or what you do and that’s fine. It’s called polarization. Attract the right people to you so that you can continue doing what you love and writing content that you like as well as your audience.

Related: How to Write Great Travel Content 

A blog is a business despite what a lot of people might think. If you invest in your business, people will see your professionalism and then you can see success like sponsored travel and money made through affiliate marketing. Be authentic, be you. Know what resources are available to you and USE them. Don’t know something? Use Google. ASK. Find a mentor. Then be one. As always, happy blogging and have an amazing day!