Do you intend to go into blogging, or you’re a newbie who just stumbled on some random post about how lucrative blogging can be and decided, “yeah, let’s own one” It wouldn’t be such a terrible idea, would it?
Blogging is quite rampant in Nigeria, well, in a good way! But let’s face it, how often do you see upcoming Nigerian bloggers live up to expectations?
Quite rare, I know! This article will take you through 10 things every new Nigerian must avoid going into blogging.
Read on to find out the 10 things every new Nigerian Blogger Must Avoid in 2021, starting with;
1. Choosing a wrong niche
It all starts with the right niche! Truth be told, not every Nigerian would be reading a blog post on ‘How to save for winter’ when it doesn’t even snow in Nigeria.
Picking a niche to blog on is where new Nigerian bloggers fail. Therefore, try as much as possible not to follow this path.
2. Having ‘No’ passion for what you blog about
Have I mentioned passion breeds commitment? Well, let’s face it, why would you be committed to what you’re not passionate about? It’s that simple!
Just because a Blogger friend of yours is making a lot of cash blogging does not mean you should go into it without the right drive or passion; I mean, if you’ve got the passion, then yeah, you can pursue blogging; otherwise, this is one of the mistakes new bloggers make when they first go into blogging.
3. Avoiding keyword research
Wonder why you struggle with blog traffic and rapidly decreasing page views? It’s because you aren’t doing enough keyword research or not doing any keyword research at all!
Most new Nigerian bloggers fail to do this when starting out. Additionally, conducting keyword research increase the chances of your post coming up when searched for.
4. You’ve got no experience at all, don’t blog about it!
Carry out in-depth research into some new Nigerian blogger’s contents, you’ll find that they’re just in for the money it brings in. While that could be a good thing, blogging should be firmly glued to a wealth of experience on whatever you choose to write about.
Imagine blogging about Automobiles when you have not the slightest idea what a crankshaft is.
5. Picking an isolated Niche
Let’s be sincere, making money off your blog is one of the most significant benefits it serves to its owners, but choosing an ‘isolated’ niche could throw your efforts down the trash.
An isolated Niche is one that no one searches about. For example, a lot of people care about fashion and traveling and will often search for things related to that, but choosing an isolated Niche means that you will get less audience, thereby reducing the amount of money you make from your blog.
6. Ignoring SEO
As a new Nigerian blogger, the term SEO must have popped up in a few forums of blogs, but are you integrating its methods into your blog?
Search engine optimization, short for SEO, is an act of making your blog contents easily found by search engines. Thousands of searches are made every day, and your contents’ chances of appearing top depend on your SEO practices.
Unfortunately, this is undoubtedly where most new bloggers fail. Not indulging in the best SEO practices at an early stage would inevitably lead to less traffic.
This implies less cash made from your blog, and with time you may need to leave blogging for good as you need to constantly renew your hosting plan and domain name subscription, which comes from the money made from your blog.
7. Getting obsessed with views
I understand when newbie Nigerian bloggers go ahead and create blogs cause they thought they’d get the same traffic as the blogs that inspired them.
Undoubtedly more page views implies more readers, which pushes new bloggers to start feeling excited for the moment.
However, it would be best if you weren’t obsessed with page views or the numbers your blog posts rack up initially; instead, focus more on providing quality and value in your content, and your numbers will grow with time.
8. Underestimating the power of networking
Newbie bloggers often make the mistake of thinking every other blogger in the same niche as theirs is a rival, true to some extent.
Still, you could be benefiting more than you could ever imagine, like tips, walkthroughs, and even friendly advice that could save you a lot.
9. Falling into the multiple offer trap!
One big mistake every new blogger makes is opening the doors to every Nick and shabby offer out there. Yes, the feeling can be overwhelming, but does it go down well with your niche or audience?
So take necessary precautions where needed and learn to say “No” calmly and respectfully when it doesn’t sit right with you.
10. Packing your bag when the party hasn’t even started
I get it, you’re not making a lot of money as you expected, this can be traced to a whole lot of reasons like poor search engine optimization, lack of keyword research, wrong niche, and more, hence your reason for packing your bags when the party hasn’t even started.
Building an established blog takes time, passion, and commitment to pull through. If you’re doing all of this or you’ve probably quit your day job to focus more on your blog, and it’s only becoming increasingly frustrating, then take a few steps back and rethink, what are you not doing right?
Take notes and be patient as most times you’re just an inch close to your blogs’ breakthrough only to give up early!
Ifeanyi Okali
Publisher ABN TV
