#1 Mistake to Avoid in Blogging to Make Money

I’ve read a lot about blogging. I’ve learned a lot of things. In fact, at a time, I concluded - too much information might not work in the end.

Have you felt the same?

I don’t doubt that whoever claims to be an SEO expert, blogger, and information marketer must have felt the true meaning of “information overwhelming". With thousands of blog posts and articles to consume on an hourly basis, we're never as this confused.

Then, I quit searching for more and more information.

I’ve got a few things I could work on and make it with or fail if possible. Well, I didn’t want to fail.

Why Starters are Afraid to Follow Experts

Experts put it so simple!

Do this and that to make a lot of bucks. Sound familiar?

They make it look easier but when you go in, the opposite is the case.

The same happened to me.

I heard, as often:

• Write on what people are looking for
• Post on your blog
• Wait for them to come
• Enjoy the readership and make money from it.

Then, I tried to write what people were looking for. But they didn’t read mine. Google could not even find my posts not to say help me present it before searchers. 

If you find yourself in the same mess, you may read my post, "The 4 Core Reasons Your Blog and Posts Are Not Ranking On Page 1". I wrote this after I'd known the reality.

I tried writing more and more. After a few weeks, I could not find anything to write. 

If you feel this too, I'd developed confirmed strategies to help you keep writing no matter what. You'll find the posts below handy when the going gets tough.

1. 7 Tactics To Generate Content Ideas: Beginners' Guide
2. Blogging Without Writing Yourself: Writer's Block Ways-out

That’s the end of my journey into blogging? Heck No!

I really wanted to make money blogging. I’ve read a series of testimonies of people making six-figure writing on their areas of interest.

Then, what did I do next? I made the stupidest mistake in blogging.

The Worst Mistake in Blogging is the Copy-and-Paste

This could be what you’re already doing or you're just considering turning to.

I did that too. But it failed me. I don't doubt it'll fail you sooner or later unless you stop now.

I started copying other people's posts and sharing them on my own blog. I thought this could help me out of the content drain.

It never worked.

Let me tell you why copying other people's posts won’t work. Though it might have worked for some people, if you're a starter, refrain from this.

Why Copy and Paste Never Helps

It's smart to be inquisitive about why the copy and paste method may not work for the starters like you. Let's get some basics right. These should help you think twice if you’re thinking of copying others' blog posts.

1. We're Living in Google's World

The information you’re sharing is not yours and Google knows that. Don’t ask how. It’s a long story to be covered in another post. Just be aware they know.

2. You're Copying an Authority Blog/Website

The content you’re sharing is in competition with blogs or websites that had established their own authorities several years back. You won’t be found in their domain. See New Practical Tactics to Outrank Authority Blogs in the Same Niche and Keywords

3. Your Readers Will Catch You as Soon as You Paste

Readers check content around the web. They won’t look at yours twice if your posts are not unique. To them, you’re just a hungry author for copying and reposting others' work. They can easily end your blogging career if they should turn their backs and bounce off your pages.

But I Can’t Write Like Those Pros

You see, I stopped reading hundreds of posts daily when I felt like an idiot. I couldn't write so convincingly as those I met in the niche. They would still shadow me whether I wrote my own content or I copy them. I'd better just copy and pasted theirs.

Yes, that’s true. They can shadow you, indeed, from the start. One day, a time sooner, you can shadow them as well.

I’ve done this!

I wrote my own way. This was where I learned new things. I learned that readers choose a voice to read from and listen to.

Who knows if your voice will be the next Michael Jackson's?

Have you wondered why people listen to a musician with a froggy voice? Have you imagined why Robert Kiyosaki's books sell better than those who hardly make grammatical blunders in their books even though this author was rated nearly poor for his English?

The answer is the content, the answer is the voice.

Go for the Right Voice and Content

People want the message, not necessarily the way it’s presented. And as soon as you gain your own readers, you can retain them for life. See how to Use Email Subscription to Grow Readership and Ranking.

Write your content and don’t look back at what others are writing. It will pay off sooner or later.

My first blog gives guides on admissions and updates on education.

The standard my competitors use is to inform students and their readers when applications, results, and lists are out. They have broken the ground already and it’s hard to beat them.

The worst is to copy and paste their content. Doing that will only help them rank high on Google and sink me far below the deep blue sea.

So what did I do instead?

I chose the instructional approach. I talked more about the conversational approach in my post, "3 Most Unique Methods To Blog Like a Pro: Making Readers Stay to the End"

I advise and guide people on education and jobs more than updating them when forms, results, and lists are out. I do that to get away from the domain in my own way.

It pays off greatly in the end.

You Can Avoid Copying and Pasting by Avoiding Crowded Niches

It's easy to fall victim to doing what others are doing. Especially if you fall in love with the big guys because you're following them.

These people are good at what they do and if you can't beat them, it's better not to join them. 

Avoid joining the saturated niches when you have more opportunities out there. I'd detailed 11 Types of Blogs You Shouldn’t Start Now or Never. The last five look promising but only if you have what it takes.

You can follow your own interest or passion if it has monetary value. That's what we all do. You can search for your passion and interest in my post, "4 Super Approaches to Create, Build and Run Authority Blogs".

Conclusion

Blogging is a wonderful opportunity for you and your business. Yet, you don’t just write what others had written. If you must do that, not before you establish your authority with unique content and build readership in the first place.

Find your position in your niche. Create your content and speak in your own voice. Readers know when you copy, they won’t read it. Google knows when you paste, they won’t rank.

Do you think you have made it with copy and paste? Do you think it can still work for you and others? Do you know of blogs that have done that and escaped it? Drop a comment below.