In an electronic marketplace virtually flooded fit to bursting with advice blogs, money making blogs, how-to blogs, blogs about blogs, it's becoming more and more difficult to get readers and to keep a core group of loyal readers.
Content and human nature fluctuates more rapidly than three year olds snorting pixie-sticks, but here are five reasons why you can't keep me, as a reader to your blog and maybe why you can't keep other readers as well.
Yoo Kayn't Speel, Or Y Type Leik Dis Yo'
I still cannot believe that someone cannot be bothered to take one of the gabillion chances to spell-check their work before posting it. You don't need to be grammar perfect and look, we're human, the occasional typo might actually still pass us by-but if you can't at least run it once through a spell check, I can't be bothered to waste fifteen minutes attempting to translate your first sentence.
Even if it is not your intent, nothing reeks of laziness or an author who does not care about what he writes more than an author who uses "txt speech", or 1337 speak instead of typing it all out.
Walls of Text
I am of the opinion that having your reader's eye drawn to your content first, instead of your bedazzled template with spinning banners and dancing RSS feed icon is a lovely idea. But, as with most things, some moderation should apply.
Don't present to me thirty paragraphs all mashed and huddled together unhappily on a blank white page with nothing. It's cold, it's impersonal, it reminds everyone of all those documents their boss keeps handing them at work; tedious and uninteresting to look at! Break it up and little and add a splash of color using some of the various image tools out there today. Throw in a dash of color in your links, put up a header, make it personal and a little less cold.
The Opposite of Walls of Text: Garish Site Template
It slices, it dices, it changes color with your mood, it anticipates your clicks and asks if you would like seconds-no, it's not your mother wielding a knife while wearing one of those fashionable 1980's heat sensitive shirts-it's your over done as well as overblown theme.
As bold as hot pink, neon booger green and spring-sky-blue may be, it isn't always the wisest to put together, nor is it always the best choice to throw so much as your readers they ignore your written content. An overwhelming amount of ads, side bars as well as links that are the first thing I see instead of your written content makes me back away. Slowly, in zigzag patterns so your blog can't follow me.
Seriously, stick with a design that's focused around making what you write the eye's priority and you might find yourself a crowd more apt to comment and stick around.
Your Writing is… Well It's Boring
Do you only blog about Mister Moneypants, the sponsor who pays you five dollars to hammer away at your keys making nice posts about him? Does your writing consist of praise for products you've never used in your entire life? Is it impersonal? Is it generally about the stock market?
It's boring.
Don't get me wrong, there are niches out there for this sort of thing, people can and do read about this and it does interest them; but the majority of the population isn't interested in reading up on crunching numbers, how many repeating numbers there are in pi and how you think these glow in the dark candles by Majorcorp are the-omg-best things evar!
Most people come online and find your website because they want to be entertained and informed. Informed is great, but without a little of humanity in your writing that assures a reader you're just not some other paid-sheep goes a long way. Try and engage your readers with humor, insights and lively writing.
And the number one reason why you can't keep me as a reader:
You have No Idea What You're Writing About
Misinformation is the mind killer. You will fear no research, for writing without research is the little deat-
What I mean is this: if you're writing about the birthing cycle of African whoodlebirds, and you're making things up, embellishing on other points and simply sending out a piece of writing that's so full of hooey it smells through the internet, you're going to lose readers; including me, fast. If we're nice enough not to laugh, point, and remind you about Google that is.
If you aren't 100% sure of something, research it! You're online, surrounded by one of the best research and information tools in the world. If you don't trust one source there are thousands more to look up and compare.
There you have it. The top five reasons why you can't keep me as a reader and maybe why you have difficulty keeping others.
