Many bloggers face issues with lack of traffic to their site. A lot of those problems can be solved if the writers are aware of what to keep their eyes on when creating and publishing their posts. Here we have compiled some of the top Dos and Don’ts when it comes to blogging that may have an impact on your number of readers.

DO be yourself
Readers want a unique perspective that shows your personality. Be relatable and write as though you are speaking with the person, not formally writing a news article.

DO use links
Try implementing links to your sources or even sites that will help define terminology used in your article. The more links used, the better your search engine rankings and the more reputable you will appear.

DO include pictures
Incorporate images into your articles to keep your readers’ attention. Additionally, including an image in your content allows readers to have an image when they share the article via social media channels. Try to find a picture that is most fitting for your content.

DO enable social and email sharing/commenting
Be sure to include social sharing and commenting. The sharing will help you get a broader reach and draw in more visitors. Commenting allows for discussion regarding your article and draws in more interest. All of these will assist in your search engine ranking too.

DO be active - responses and posts
Engage with your readers by replying to as many comments as possible. This lets your followers know you are listening and open to opinions. Keep your posts consistent. Readers want to know they can depend on a post whether it be daily, weekly, or monthly. Pick what schedule will work for you and try to stick to it.

DO market your blog
Reach out in forums where you have established yourself as a professional. Promote your latest articles via social media channels and create a subscriber email to keep your most loyal followers up to date on your work.

DO break up content
Like I mentioned above, this isn’t a formal paper. Break up your content so each paragraph spans only 2-3 lines. Otherwise, visitors will get lost in the text or be deterred from reading it.

DO review your work
Please read through your work to ensure there are no spelling or grammar errors. If someone doesn’t understand the difference between “there” and “their” or can’t spell “Tuesday” you’ve lost your audience’s attention as well as their faith in your content.

DO research your topic
Nobody wants to be called out for incorrect information. It shows a lack of knowledge for the subject and will completely discredit your blog. Make sure you research the most recent information pertaining to your subject. Keep an eye out for mergers, acquisitions, change of leaders, etc. that could impact your content.

DON’T be concerned about length
Blog articles are comprised of all shapes and sizes. A lot of people enjoy both the longer and shorter reads. Do not set a length for your article before writing it. This will result in dragged out points or not enough detail. Write enough so you cover your topic, offer your opinion, and offer some outside support for it.

DON’T rely on opinion only
Everyone has opinions. More than likely yours will make your article authentic, but it needs something else. Site statistics, facts, case studies, or include quotes from those involved. There needs to be some concrete details to support your argument and make your blog factual. This way readers are able to get informed as well as think of the subject from your viewpoint.

DON’T copy others
Make sure your content is not a direct copy of others’ work. Plagiarism will only make you look bad and discredit your blog. Readers will be able to see right through it. Give credit where it’s due, this includes images. Plus remember, linking back to sources only helps your blog.

DON’T use profanity
Profanity may work for some audiences, but for the majority it drives them away. Keep it classy and keep your content work appropriate.

DON’T spam market
When marketing your blog don’t become the spammer. You will see in forums and other social media or blogging sites the comments that clearly illustrate the person never read the content, but rather used the page as a billboard for their own stuff. Make sure to offer insight and information regarding the pages you are posting links on. A comment with a link only is sure to be sited as spam, deleted, or get you kicked out of the group.

Hope this list helps shed some light on the best practices. Feel free to comment below if there are any further questions.