One thing I see at work or just while perusing the internet are brands or blogs that haven’t quite taken off. A lot of times they’ve got social media in place, practice photography, and did their research. Actually, we receive comments from great people who just haven’t been able to grow a following or get readers to engage. We have a few thoughts on why this might be. Hope they help!
Your Posting Schedule Doesn’t Work For You
No matter what anyone says you can blog two times a week and have huge success or blog 5 times a week, and still be talking to yourself. Even if you have a schedule in place, that doesn’t mean it’s working. There are many schedules you can follow and it depends on what works for you. If you look at TBM, you’ll see that 1-2x a week we have a blogging type post (like this), then we’ll post a fun roundup featuring things we know our readers will be into or we’re inspired by. Then, we always post weekly resources! Readers have come to expect that on Fridays so we know it’s working for us. Sometimes this leaves an extra day or two to post a tutorial or announcement of some sort. The consistency here isn’t so much dependent on when we post but what we post.
If you post 5 times a week it might be more beneficial—and convenient—to slow it down and focus on the content specifically. Switch it up within your niche. This also helps you figure out what you can do successfully in a week. Maybe posting long form content 5x a week was too much for your audience to keep up with, for example, causing you to lose views. Don’t be afraid to space it out and find another way to grab your readers in between those posts.
Your Social Media Strategy Needs Perfecting
There’s more to social than just posting. For Instagram, you should utilize hashtags (correctly). If you want posts to be pinned, optimize them for Pinterest. And when growing your own Pinterest—a great way to promote your website—do you repin content that people who read your blog will also like? If you’re a fashion blogger and all you do is use Pinterest to save recipes and funny memes, you won’t capture the same audience. Clicks on twitter have been on the decline for years, because everyone is trying to link to their websites. But it’s the one social network where you’re less likely to bug the heck out of people by tweeting frequently. So go on and promote! You don’t want people to miss your posts. And if that doesn’t help, look at your copy—are you sending messages that compel followers to click you tweet and not someone else’s? For example, we love to be straightforward without giving way all the info. Some people have a bolder approach. Everyone is different! And of course, engage.
You’re Taking Yourself Too Seriously or Trying Too Hard
I’ve noticed that people who take their work TOO seriously often aren’t as open to experimentation or as adaptive to change. When trying to grow a blog or social media, you really do have to roll with the punches. Along with this goes sharing your authentic voice. You may have a certain brand but that doesn’t mean you can’t come off as sincere and truly interested in connecting with your audience. Sometimes those new to a brand have trouble finding their voice and really selling it, but once you get in a groove you’ll find that there’s no other way to do it. You have to be willing to put yourself out there, which I find is really difficult when you’re putting too much pressure on your self and/or your business.
Your Timing Is Off
There’s this TED Talk that’s stuck with me, where Bill Gross shares the biggest reason startups succeed. Don’t kill me for the major spoiler alert, but it’s all about timing. (The talk is still fascinating and there’s lots more to it so watch it anyway!) It may very well just be that the world is not quite ready for what you have to offer. Or maybe your window has passed—I’m always afraid of this because I like to really mull over an idea before I pursue it. I’ve experienced this with Etsy, where I would get excited about a style to crochet, and by time I had prepared… Well, infinity scarf season was over!
Don’t worry. This doesn’t mean that you should shut down, but as much as I hate to say it, trends matter in blogging just as much as in clothing, so it might be time to tweak your product, your offering. For example, if the market seems super over-saturated with the type of content you produce, think of how yours can stand out. What unique perspective do you bring? What style are you into that seems innovative but hasn’t been done to death yet? We all know content is going to repeat itself, but there are ways to stand out! Try focusing on those aspects for a bit, and choose a new angle.
I hope this touches on things you haven’t considered! What has been your biggest struggle in growing your site?
Megan @ Skinny Fitalicious says
I think what has been hard is adjusting to the downtime during the summer months. I haven’t quite figured out if it’s worth my time continuing to post 5 times a week like I normally would do.
CashmereRaccoon says
This is another one of your great articles! I like it a lot and can really use it, as I find it resonates with me and I could do with some suggestions :) Especially for point 3.
Ale says
I am still working on finding my authentic voice. It seems like it would be so easy, but it is difficult for me. I feel like I am changing my tone from post to post.
Jessica says
I also feel that there are a lot of blogs out there now and it’s just harder to stand out now with something different.
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Utsav Srinet says
Thank you, Angela ! I’ve read a TON of articles about what to do to grow my blog but this post stands out from the rest! You make some valid points and offer solutions that provide variety. ,
Angela says
Thanks so much! :)