Three Mistakes in the Dad Blogging World

The idea behind this post came from a tweet from Jeff Herring*, article marketing and content creation expert. The tweet was simply this: "What are the top three mistakes in your niche? That is your next article." I didn't even have to think about it before I responded. I am far from being any kind of expert when it comes to blogging. I have only been at this for 9 months. I still find myself to be very much a beginner on so many levels in the whole realm of social media. As my experience grows I'm sure my opinions may change and how I do things will change as well. This post is just based on my experience in blogging so far. Please feel free to comment with agreement or disagreement. Leave your opinions and continue the discussion.

Three Mistakes in the Dad Blogging World According to The Dude


1. It was said by many people after the whole "Dad Bloggers Suck" deal, that dad bloggers don't read other dad blogs. I don't think this is entirely accurate. I think plenty of dad bloggers read other blogs. The problem lies in the fact that  dad bloggers don't engage enough on their blogs. I am very bad about this one. Comments might come rolling in, but a lot of us are not that great at responding to comments on our blogs. Discussion cannot happen with only one person talking. A lot of times, readers will leave their thoughts in hopes of getting a response from other readers, but more importantly, the authors. Responding to the readers and continuing the discussion are vital parts of keeping readers, growing your online community and presence. More important though, it is another great way to engage other people and discuss with other dads. It should always start with community, after which everything else will  fall into place.

2. Dad bloggers, as individuals, do not market themselves as outwardly as they could, therefore decreasing reach to brands and marketers. For those looking to bring in extra income by working with brands and social media marketers, this one is for you. When I first started out I said I would never take money to do this. Well,  I did, and I would again. Good example of how opinions change. My primary reasons for writing The DaddyYo Blog are still because I love my family, I love being a dad, and love sharing my experiences. Writing is a good outlet for me so here I am. If there is a chance of bringing extra bread to my family's table though, I will give it a chance. To be successful at it takes work and a little marketing of it's own. If we are going to work with brands, they need to know we are willing to do so. Disclaimer notices are necessary so satisfy the FTC, but they are not good promotional tools. Dad bloggers must be willing to let it be known that they will work with brands and marketing companies and not be afraid of the term "selling out". Supporting a family is not selling out, it is being a dad. If you can do it, go for it!

3. Personality doesn't reign over content. I know what you are thinking: "Isn't content what makes a blog?" Yes, content is probably the highest ranking focus for a blog. In my opinion though, it should be number two. I have been guilty of this as well a few times. It is easy to generate a post based on a topic that is going viral around the blogosphere at the time. Opinion articles on current events are personal, but I'm talking a little more outside of that little box. Grammar, spelling, and such are important for many reasons, but it doesn't provide a voice. I love to read blogs where perfect sentence structure and grammar have been stomped on and a true, individual voice can be heard in the words I read. Some days it seems that there are a million posts on the same topic, but only one voice. Don't be afraid to let people know who you are as a person. After all, it is personality that makes us the people we are.

Now it's your turn. In your opinion, what are mistakes that dad bloggers make that prevent them from progressing forward as bloggers and social media entities? What can we do different? What should we do the same? Share your thoughts!

*Find out more about Jeff Herring online!


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