9 Reasons Why Most Bloggers Fail (And What to Do About It!)

According to Optinmonster, in 2022, a whopping 77% of internet users still read blogs.

If so, there’s no way blogging is dead!

But although we perceive blogging as alive and well, I know, and you know, that not everyone finds success in blogging. 

Why Do Blogs Fail?

While there are awesome recipes to a high-earning, high traffic, and engaging blog, there are, unfortunately, elements that lead blogs to fail.

Bloggers fail due to the lack of strategy, lack of quality content, and worst, misguided expectations. Despite showering their blog with daily posts, if the content isn’t engaging and searchable, chances are, the blog wouldn’t generate much traffic and fail.

But putting it into perspective, blogging success is relative. It depends on your goal.

You could feel success and satisfaction in writing down your personal stories. In another way, blogging success could also mean a profitable income source.

We’ll discuss the latter.

Now, what are the reasons why most bloggers fail? Here are the reasons and some blogging tips to succeed in this industry.

9 Reasons Why Bloggers Fail

1. Bloggers fail when they crave instant gratification.

Craving for instant gratification was my worst drawback when I started blogging.

It was in college when I first experimented with free blogging platforms (I created three blogs!), published 1-3 blog posts each, and… dropped out.

It made sense to me to stop because nothing came out of my efforts. I just kept on starting one blog after another, thinking that I could get better results on the next one.

But this is obviously a strategy set to fail. My itch to reap immediate rewards wasn’t helping, thus, ended up abandoning what I eagerly started. 

Many bloggers fail because they hoped for overnight success.

While it’s true that you can earn a hefty amount on blogging, it saddens me that many bloggers and influencers misguide the new bloggers’ expectations.

Some blind you with figures but don’t reveal the truths.

Truth is, you don’t get rich quick here. Not in a week, not after the first month!

Rather, blogging is a business of patience.

And this is the problem with most bloggers. Many want to exert effort in the beginning, but very few actually stay.

I once told a friend how I’m earning through my blog. You bet she was ecstatic about it! She asked whats and hows.

But sadly, when I told her, “yeah but I waited 6 months to get some trickles of revenue,” she backed out.

But don’t worry. Newly created blogs don’t organically rank on Google in the first 3 to 6 months. It’s normal to get no traffic at first.

It’s normal to get little revenue after a few months.

As you can see in my analytics on one of my websites — a lifestyle blog — my traffic only started to grow in June 2021. That marks my 6th month of blogging.

From January to June 2021, I kept my ground despite the disheartening amount of pageviews and still published 33 blog posts.

From there, my blog traffic grew exponentially.

And if you can continue to write quality content until you break through the 6-month “barrier”, I could only imagine how exhilarating it is in the months and years to come.

2. Bloggers fail because they lacked originality.

Bloggers fail because of the lack of content quality and originality.

Some bloggers write the same old tips and knowledge which are repeated over and over again on the Internet.

But please, you gotta stop parroting everyone else.

From my experience, whenever I write blog posts, I analyze my competition.

Lemme call it some “spy work”. I like the sound of that.

How did they write their content? Were the right and related questions succinctly answered?

Every time I see a  “hole” — queries that a blog post didn’t cover — it makes me excited. I’d picture how to explain it within my blog.

I make sure I write tips, techniques, and experiences no one has ever written about.

Moreover, aim for a beefy and “bookmarkable” quality. Make sure your readers come back to your post because you provided so much juice in it!

I highly recommend this strategy. It all boils down to how you can genuinely help your reader.

With this, I am able to rank in the Top 5 results on Google in several queries.

Below is an image from my Google search console on one of my websites.

Sad to say, most bloggers don’t value originality. Yet, it is a crucial factor for your blog to succeed.

When you’re the only blog providing the answer in the expanse of the Internet, Google will surely reward you by ranking them up.

Be the first to say it. Be original. 

Get your own research. Your own data. Initiate interviews and ask for people’s testimonies. Associate your personal opinion.

What I do is find groups or spaces where my target audience hangs out.

I do polls or ask them questions. I’ve also tried sending out questionnaires to my friends who relate to the topic I’m writing about.

Better yet, dig from your experiences, what you felt about a situation or a product, your most trusted methods, and organize statistics that can help your reader.

Readers love genuine testimonies. Google likes fresh information.

Aim to create that!

You might like this: When Can I Monetize A Blog?

3. Bloggers fail because they want everything “free”.

If you’re serious about earning through a blog, then you need to get this straight.

TREAT. YOUR. BLOG. AS. A. BUSINESS. 

That’s it.

And in every business, you gotta have a capital.

Don’t settle with a free blogging platform where your domain name looks like this:

• domainname.wordpress.com
• domainname.blogspot.com

Even when you publish info-packed blog posts, you could just imagine how readers are turned off by the domain name and see your blog as amateurish.

Moreover, with free blogging platforms, you don’t have a say if the provider takes down your blog.

In some communities I am in, I’ve seen how frustrated some bloggers were when their blogs were blocked by the free platforms.

Whether it’s a mistake from the platform or the blogger, we don’t really know.

What we know is such occurrences waste time and can demotivate any blogger.

That said, invest.

Buy a domain name and register on a web hosting to truly own your content.

Get Started with a Professional-looking Website

There are basically 2 things you need to start a blog.

These are the very basic expenses. With these cheap prices, there’s no reason why you shouldn’t start one:

Please note that I partner with these brands and may earn a small commission from qualifying purchases. Nonetheless, I only promote products I genuinely believe in!

• Domain name: at least $5.98 at Namecheap. It’s a one-time payment but renews after a year.
• Budget-friendly web hosting for Beginners: Dreamhost starts at $1.99/month, and bills monthly.
• Best web hosting I recommend: Bluehost starts at $2.95/month, free domain name, paid annually.

(Most web hosting services require a full-year payment. I started at Dreamhost, so I’m recommending it to you!)

Already have a website? Apply to ad networks for ad monetization.

I recommend Ezoic for their competitive ad monetization. They currently don’t impose pageview limits and can accept blogs with at least zero traffic.

But of course, like any ad network, you must comply with their policies, too!

TRY EZOIC!

4. Bloggers fail because “they can’t find time” to blog.

On some days, yes, I’m genuinely – really! – busy with my life.

But on most days, well… I’m guilty of pure procrastination and lack of motivation.

When I was starting, it was really hard to keep going when you’re not 100% sure about what you’re doing – the techniques, dos and don’ts, and such.

So when this happens, it’s important to make time for blogging, even more, and have a goal and objective.

The reality is that people can find time for things they prioritize. So, will you find time for blogging?

If you’re seriously aiming for a profitable blog, then dropping a few unnecessary schedules and focusing on publishing content is a must.

You gotta show up and work on your blog even when it’s getting boring.

Yes, blogging days have highs and lows, but be consistent in making time for it.

I started blogging while doing a full-time job.

I did mistakes and felt lost in the first months. But everything pays off when the blog picks up traffic and you start earning passively from it.

You just gotta be patient because, for new blogs, it involves a waiting process.

5. Bloggers fail because they don’t study the elements of a successful blog.

Honestly, I started writing blog posts that are pure rubbish.

When I read my previous blog posts, I cringe! Sentence constructions were bad, optimization was bad, and web design was BLAH.

Seriously, I edited my web pages for a month and still wasn’t satisfied!

But to new bloggers, like I was, this starting period is crucial.

Exposing yourself to the industry gives room for more knowledge and opportunities.

I tell you, there are BOATLOADS of routes in blogging. But you can’t take a peek at the next levels unless you enter it.

Enter the storm!

You have to start now and you will learn the twists and turns along the way. 

You’d learn how SEO, keyword analysis, marketing, content writing, and how this whole blogging business works.

Don’t think you can learn these through imagination and simply watching videos and tutorials.

Step forward, learn the process and elements of a successful blog, and most important of all, apply it to your blog!

6. Bloggers fail due to inconsistent publishing.

How many blog posts do you publish in a week? 

One? Two? For solo bloggers, yep, that should work. I write 1-4 blog posts a week, too.

But what we must avoid at all costs is publishing once in a blue moon.

Truth is, the more content you publish and the queries you answer, the more readers come to your blog.

The more you promote on social media, the more the algorithm picks you up and starts to work for you.

In blogging, you better not stop publishing. We’re here for the long haul!

I’ve read this from a comment section and it hit me hard: “It saddens me on days that I don’t hit publish.”

Yes. Bloggers should aim to regularly publish.

Quality content is still king.

7. Bloggers fail because they treat blogging as a hobby, not a business.

Want to make money blogging? Then start seeing your blog as a legitimate money-generating business!

Here’s the thing. Blogging is a content business. 

It’s more than just a passion. Neither it is just some random words or diaries about life, but quality content that genuinely aims to provide helpful answers to readers.

How do you treat a real business?

Show up and work on your blog every day. Not when there’s a sudden burst of motivation.

Blog even when you’re bored.

Research about other techniques. Continue learning.

I’d be honest. I don’t hit publish every day because burnout is a real issue. At some point, it’s not healthy to push yourself to the limits and starve yourself of rest.

But at the same time, we must be wise about how we manage our time. Commit to a realistic schedule and timeline.

If you still have a job, commit at least 2 hours of your day to your blog.

Redirect your mindset and get serious with this career. Yup, blogging is a career.

8. You’re not promoting yourself the right way.

My worst nightmare back then was to promote my blogs to people I know. That means friends, relatives, and even my family.

I don’t want any of them to read my piece and expose my true sentiments. I’m that kind of introverted writer (but with a rich imagination and a passion for daydreaming.)

If you relate to this, then I got great news!

You don’t really need to promote your blog posts to every people you know. Why? Simply because they’re not your target audience.

If you’re blogging about gardening, then join communities, pages, and groups that share the same interests.

There’s no sense promoting a blog to your geeky gamer friend when you’re writing about cute female fashion.

So if your friends don’t read your blogs, don’t take it personally. They’re not your audience. 

Instead, hang out in forums, websites, or social media that also cover the niche you talk about in your blog.

As for me, the best social media platform to promote my blogs is Pinterest, through and through.

9. Bloggers fail because they lost interest in their niche.

In 2018, I started a blog under the jobs and employment niche. 

Maybe, I was too carried away with the fact that I was fed up with a toxic work environment so I made a blog focused on how to overcome employee issues.

However, after publishing 5 blog posts, I realized – wait, I don’t even like corporate jobs. Heck, why am I writing about this? I’m running out of interest in this.

Then, bam. I dropped the niche.

So please, don’t do the same mistake I did.

When starting a blog, do a niche that you’re interested in. The one that can you talk about for long hours and are willing to dig deeper.

What have you been researching ever since the world began?

Chances are, you’re an expert in the shadows on that topic and people should hear your experiences about it!

WRAP UP

The bottom line is that you gotta strive for consistency and growth.

Grow in knowledge, in published posts, and in mindset.

Think bigger because blogging is a huge industry, now that we’re in the information age.

These are the reasons why bloggers fail, so I hope you get to avoid them!

Grammarly – Detects misspelled words and grammatical errors. It gives your piece an overall performance score based on correctness, clarity, engagement, and the delivery of your blog. All free!

Ezoic – Aside from ad monetization, Ezoic also offers SEO, Analytics, and Site Speed tools. With Ezoic, my ad revenue increased 23x more than Google Adsense. Thankfully, they now offer an Access Now Program that accepts new blog websites with a minimum of zero – again – zero traffic!