Your latest article bombed. Truly it did.
You got zero comments from your usually active participants. No one tweeted your post. Your website seemed like a ghost town for days. Eventually you gave up, replaced the offending post with another article, and everything went back to normal.
What went wrong? Don’t worry, I personally know the feeling of this experience. Sitting. Waiting. Wondering.
All that time to reflect has left me with a list of 11 plausible reasons why a post might bomb. Here they are, plus tips to avoid these pitfalls in the future:
1. Poor Headline
Headlines are meant to capture attention. It’s what compels people to click on a link to your site, or open your article in their feedreader. A well-crafted
headline is the best way to lure readers to what you have to say. If no one shows interest in your post, it could be that your headline lacks power. Does it contain a benefit? Does it make a promise your reader can’t ignore?
2. Doesn’t Solve A Reader Problem
The aim of your article should be to solve a reader’s problem. Which of the following articles would be more likely to gain reader feedback: “5 Reasons It Hurts to Give Birth,” or “5 Tips to Make Your Labour and Delivery A Breeze”? Everyone knows why labour and delivery are painful, but I’m sure people would line up to read how they can make their own birth experience ‘a breeze.’ Write your blog posts based on one thought: “How will this make readers’ lives easier?”
3. No Hook
Maybe your article addresses something really important, but what you’re lacking is a hook to capture your readers’ attention. I probably wouldn’t be interested in reading a post about textiles (snore), but if you claim to have exclusive information on the dirty truth behind organic cotton, my interest would be piqued. Whatever you’re writing about, try to think of a way to hook your readers–a fresh perspective to grab their interest.
4. Unskilled Writing
Although it’s good practice to proofread and edit your writing, I doubt spelling mistakes or grammatical errors will cause readers to shun your post. When I say ‘unskilled writing,’ I mean that which lacks focus. You know what I mean–an article that bounces from one thought to another without adequately developing ideas. Think of each section of your post as being an article in miniature, with a focus topic and key information to address it.
5. Over People’s Heads
If you write simple how-to articles for beginners, then suddenly launch into a topic vastly beyond your readers’ level, expect to get very little feedback. First, people might feel intimidated and not want to read your post at all. Second, they might not want to comment for fear of looking stupid in front of you or other readers. When you’re writing, ask yourself if your article is interesting on many different levels. Even a basic article can be interesting to more advanced readers if the topic is presented from a fresh angle.
6. Not An Engaging Topic
Sometimes a topic just isn’t engaging, though it may be difficult to pinpoint the reasons why. There may be absolutely nothing wrong with the article itself, but it simply may not make the reader feel as if there’s anything left for them to contribute. Maybe you’ve exhausted all the information already. Or, the topic is just not one that interests the majority of your readers. Keep your readers’ needs in mind when writing a new post, and tailor it to promote questioning or feedback.
7. Lacks Authority
Why should we listen to what you have to say about a topic? Because we believe you’re an authority in that area, or you have direct personal experience. For example, if you write an article about children with autism spectrum disorder, I expect you’re a professional (a teacher, a therapist, a special-needs worker), someone with first-hand experience (family member of a child with autism, someone personally affected by autism), or someone who has done extensive research. What reason would I have to believe such an article written by anyone else? When dealing with facts, stick to writing about things you can substantiate with qualifications, experience or research.
8. Absence Of Introduction And/Or Conclusion
What impression do you give when you go straight into the body of your post without adequately introducing it? It seems lazy and unprofessional. What about when you don’t wrap-up your thoughts with a conclusion? Again, lazy and unprofessional. They don’t need to be long, but do include at least a couple of sentences to introduce and conclude your article.
9. Too Dissimilar From Other Content
Faithful readers will instantly sniff out a post that dissents from the usual content on your site. Maybe you got bored of your normal old topics and thought you’d throw something a little different into the mix. Unless you can make a genuine connection between the article in question and the rest of your content, I would be wary about attempting it. Your readers want to know what to expect. Don’t go randomly changing that on them.
10. Poor Choice Of Photo
The photo that accompanies your article is the first thing to catch your reader’s eye. Neglecting to include a photo at all does your article a disservice, and choosing an ineffective image is just as damaging. Pick a photo with a strong subject, preferably a close-up, and one that evokes some kind of instant mental reaction.
11. First-Comment Syndrome
Some blogs are so popular, people will fight to be the first commenter. However, if your site is still in fledgling mode, people might be reluctant to be the first one to comment on a post. They’re probably wondering (like you are) why no one else has written something already. Designate a friend or family member willing to get the ball rolling when things get quiet. It isn’t dishonest if that person has something meaningful to say.
Do any of the former points explain why your blog post flopped? Some of these factors won’t be wholly detrimental on their own, but combine two or more of them in a single article and you might be doomed to failure.
No harm done. In the future, you can prepare yourself by asking:
- Is my headline compelling?
- Am I solving a reader problem?
- Do I have a hook?
- Is my article focused?
- Am I writing to my audience’s skill level?
- Is the subject engaging and question-provoking?
- Can I speak from a position of authority?
- Have I included an effective introduction and conclusion?
- Does the post fit the rest of my content?
- Did I choose the best possible photo?
- Do I need to ask a friend to get the comments going?
Be more aware of your article aims before you start writing, and never write a blog post that sucks again.
Thank you for the good information. Very useful…
You're quite welcome, Jerry! Thanks for dropping by.
These are wonderful points that I need to keep in mind every time I write. Thanks for sharing them.
Margaret,
We all have a few flops now and then. Hopefully we can nip some of those in the bud! Thanks 🙂
Hi Suzannah. Your insights are grounded, practical and useful for anyone writing.
Thank you for this.
Thanks you! Glad you found it helpful.
Hey Suzannah — this post is brilliant, not only for its mission, but for its depth. Every blogger should post this on their wall (right next to Brian Clark's mug shot) as a checklist against which to evaluate our posts before we hit the Publish button. Like you, I've been there, felt that, wondered what went wrong, and eventually was able to blame it on one or more of these.
Thing is, sometimes we believe we've nailed these criteria, and still nobody comes to the party. That's the tough one to figure out, and to deal with emotionally. So yes, these are the targets. But sometimes, I think, people just don't respond, even to killer posts, and we just have to keep believing in what we're doing and move forward to the next post.
As you do. I continue to admire your work, and thank you for the inspiration (and, your support for my site, too!).
Hi Larry,
Thank you so much for your thoughts and your encouragement 🙂
I agree, there are times when you've done absolutely everything humanly possible to make an article engaging, useful and polished, but the people just don't come. I also find that sometimes I think a particular post I've written isn't very good, yet readers love it. The opposite happens too, where I think something is great and no one else does! I guess we have to take the hits with the misses, but it's always good to set up targets.
And well, I don't know how Brian Clark would feel about sharing that special spot on people's walls with me, but I'm honoured that you think this post is one of my hits!
Thanks again 🙂
Hi Suzannah,
This is a great compendium for creating better blog posts!
I especially appreciated #2 – great example!
I also want to add a brief comment regarding comments. I read somewhere (I could kick myself for not saving the source!) that a lack in comments can also result from a killer post. If the topic is covered so well that the bulk of readers don't feel they have anything to add to the topic, that's not always a bad thing, necessarily.
I sometimes feel this – especially with writing-related sites. I'm there to learn and am certainly not an authority. However, when I read science-related sites/blogs I'm a motor mouth since I'm a molecular biologist by trade and feel I can add my experience to the conversation.
At my blog, if I write a post specifically to help someone solve a problem, I often end it with an open-ended question to encourage conversation about the topic in comments.
Great post! And, yeah, I second what Larry said. 😉
Lori,
Like you say, #2 is a big one. It was something I didn't do consistently when I first started blogging, but I didn't realize it. Now, I find the best prevention is to start a post by writing the headline to include a reader benefit.
Thanks for adding your thoughts about commenting, as well. A combination of feeling a topic has already been totally covered, and not feeling like you have anything to add, could deter people.
Another thing I could have added to this post is that I tend to stop commenting on blogs where there's never interaction between the blogger and me. I certainly don't expect every blogger to respond to every comment I leave, but with some of the bigger ones you kind of feel like no one's even reading it.
Thank you!
Rocking post Suzannah! You have covered some great points that we should look into.
Thanks, Farrhad! Glad you got some use out of it.
This is a very helpful post Suzannah. I'm printing it! Like any blogger, I think I've succeeded as well as flopped. With my blog, I try to ask myself: Will this article inspire my readers? Will it challenge my readers? Will it encourage my readers? Will it make a positive impact on my readers?
You make some great points! Thanks again!
Fr. Michael,
Those are all excellent questions to ask oneself before writing a post. Our readers should come first–that's what we're here for.
Thanks for your comment!
How did you know?? Wow, glad I stumbled upon your blog today! Are you going to do a follow-up about how to flip your flop?
Brandon,
I'm glad you found this post at the right moment! I figured the fixes were kind of inherent in the post already, but I could always do a more detailed follow-up if you think that would be helpful.
Thanks 🙂
Thanks Suzannah for posting this. I have often wondered how to make my blog more exciting and engaging. I will definitely be referring back to your blog as a reminder. Many thanks.
Happy to be of service, Elika! Glad you'll get some practical use out of it.
Hey Susannah,
This article and the headlines are so sexy… 🙂 I mean so, so, very attractive. And in the same time the stuff is simple, flowing and explanatory. When I read it I feel like I am a new comer riding an old stylish horse. If you have no idea of what I am talking about it is like being in heaven! 🙂
Thank you!
Ioan,
I’ll take your word for it. Don’t think anyone has ever referred to my headlines as ‘sexy’ before! Thanks:)