By Martin Sumichrast
In the last few years, blogging has become popular very rapidly and it is now bigger than ever. However, it is also a fact that a large majority of blogs that currently exist are quite unpopular. Their fate is to be ignored, forgotten and simply lost in the depths of the Internet.
Why? Why are some blogs really popular and some are very unpopular? There are specific things that set popular blogs apart from others, explaining why certain bloggers are able to enjoy staggering success whereas others are doomed.
1. Inconsistent Posting
The first major difference that exists between popular and unpopular blogs is inconsistent posting. This is regarded as one of the biggest mistakes to be made in the blogging world. Blogs depend on readership and the only way to get loyal readership is through consistent posts. You may have the sharpest wit, highest-quality writing and the most useful information, but if you are erratic when it comes to posting, you will never be able to convince people to stick around and read your posts.
Think about it this way; people find your blog, they read something fun and interesting and share it with others. They come again in a few days to see what else you have posted and see there is nothing. They check in again a couple of times and then give up. Sometimes, new readers may find a post they like, but notice you haven’t posted in months so they assume the blog is no longer running. This means you have lost readers even before getting them.
The only way you can get a large readership and become a popular blog is when you put in the time and effort for maintaining a regular posting schedule. Even though it is recommended that you post on the same day at the same time, you don’t have to be that strict. You can keep it at once a week, but stick to it. In this way, your readers will know when to expect a post from you and come back to visit.
2. Poor Writing Quality
The quality of writing is another element that sets popular blogs apart from unpopular blogs. As your medium of expression is writing, it is something that requires a lot of attention. It is a given that readers are attracted to those whose writing is not plain, but has a certain spark or charm to it. If your writing is full of typos and grammatical mistakes, you are just not cut out for blogging.
Likewise, bloggers who have lackluster, robotic or just plain bad writing are not going to leave a positive impression on visitors. Poor writing does not reflect well on bloggers and undermines the thoughts, ideas and opinions they are trying to convey to their readers. If the writing is bad, people don’t even bother to read the entire post because there are plenty of other good and popular blogs where they can enjoy a well-written post.
3. Dull Content
Obviously, the content of a blog is crucial to its success. All successful and popular blogs have one thing in common regardless of their niche; their content is relevant, valuable and interesting. A blogger can pour their heart and soul into a post, but if the content is only of personal interest to them or doesn’t help anyone in any way, their blog will remain unpopular. Popular blogs have great content because the bloggers take time to plan and research it and then write it properly to ensure it will appeal to the readers.
Yes, there are some blogs such as personal blogs that don’t really offer people anything. But, these people are charismatic, interesting and are able to articulate their thoughts in a personable way. Plus, their lives are eventful enough to interest everyone.
4. Very Small Niche
There are some blogs that have great content, post regularly and the writing is also stellar and yet they are unpopular. They are also promoting their blog and doing everything right, but still lack the following numbers. They are not doing anything wrong, but the reason for low readership may be because the niche is too small.
Therefore, when starting a blog, it is essential for bloggers to assess their market. Why are they starting a blog? What audience to they wish to reach? How big is their target audience? Are your chances of gaining popularity and a large following realistic? If your goal is to have a popular blog, then you need to select a niche that is general enough to attract a large number of people.
5. Lack of Promotion
It is very unreasonable for bloggers to expect that thousands of people will simply stumble over their content and then keep coming back for more. There are tons of blogs out there and it is simply not possible for people to find every blog by accident. This is a key fact that a number of unpopular blogs don’t realize and one that popular blogs have taken to heart.
Popular bloggers promote their blogs frequently to ensure they are getting the exposure needed for developing a large following. Popular blogs are promoted on top social network platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, etc. They are also promoted through search engines and other platforms for maximum outreach.
These are some of the differences between popular and unpopular blogs and the latter need to work on them to change their status.
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