7 Cliches to Avoid As A Blogger Or Influencer

When it comes to blogging or influencing, everyone makes mistakes. But most are avoidable with a little forethought and research. 

This article discusses some of the cliches to avoid as a blogger. It looks at the things you are liable to get wrong and how you can sidestep them in the first place. 

Don’t worry: it’s not as complicated as it sounds. While we might be covering topics like SEO and ads, it turns out that the issues people encounter are less complex than you might think. 

Cliché 1: Disliking SEO

Bloggers and influencers are mainly interested in writing and producing fantastic content. It’s what they do. 

Because of this, search engine optimisation is often an afterthought. Yes, most influencers know it matters, but it’s also dull (unless you’re into that sort of thing) and takes a backseat. 

Of course, zero attention to SEO is an issue. If you aren’t getting found on Google, people won’t see your content and it will be challenging for you to make your brand stand out. 

The principal value of SEO is the visibility it gives you. Audiences can type your name into search engines or keywords related to your niche and find you immediately – they don’t have to search around. 

Unfortunately, many bloggers do things on their sites that damage their SEO potential. Mistakes like adding too many slow-loading images or failing to include the proper keywords can all wreak havoc. 

More damage is done when hiring cheap so-called SEO professionals to oversee domain visibility efforts. Agencies offering a quick fix often do more harm than good, adopting shady tactics that eventually fall foul of the rules. 

Solutions

The solution is to bake SEO into your content and web pages from the start. While it is a chore for some creative types, it is essential for building a quality offering that gets seen. 

If you don’t have the skills to do it yourself, find a reputable agency that can partner with you long-term. Avoid quick fixes and focus on actions that will provide a sustainable boost to your search rankings. 

Ensure you: 

• Optimise the site for mobile
• Include plenty of keywords in content and headings
• Fix backend issues that might be slowing your site down
• Compress images 
• Create backlinks from other relevant sites by guest posting or using blogger outreach services
• Establish trust and authority by telling Google about your expertise
• Ensure your blog information is consistent across social media and third-party sites

Cliché 2: Using Aggressive Ads

Another blogging mistake is covering your site in unsightly ads. Cluttering headers and sidebars with endless discounts and offers ruins your pages’ aesthetics and makes your site look cheap, opportunistic and unprofessional. 

It’s okay to run the odd ad here and there. After all, most influencers use them to make money. But be careful what you advertise. You don’t want audiences associating cheap junk from China with your high-end luxury travel blog. 

Be particularly careful with affiliate plugins. These are the spammiest of them all. Most sophisticated audiences know they provide a kickback and that you’ll be in the money if they buy. 

Solutions

By all means leverage affiliate marketing and ads but do it in a high-quality way. Avoid the temptation to surround your content with annoying ad boxes that wreck white space and make your writing look low-grade. Instead, focus on delivering value as part of your marketing efforts. 

Start by writing great content about the affiliate links you want to push. Give audiences a rounded view of what they can expect and why you think specific products are worth it. 

If you include banner ads, make them aesthetic. Avoid anything that flashes or moves around in the box as this can distract from your content. 

Always declare if you have a relationship with advertisers and explain why you do. Including a disclaimer can build trust and encourage users to take your advice on specific products more seriously. 

Cliché 3: Copying

Copying is another trend you often see on social media. X and Instagram influencers will see a trend and attempt to jump on the bandwagon, cashing in on whatever is popular on a given day. 

This approach is a big no-no. After a while, your audience will start to see you as a grifter – someone seeking popularity – instead of someone who stands for something. 

Similarly, failing to vary your content is also a problem. Churning out the same blabber every day is bland. Audiences want novelty and uniqueness and will only stick with you if you give it to them consistently. You can’t rely on the same tired tropes month after month. 

Copying can even harm your web copy’s SEO. If Google thinks you’re plagiarising or creating duplicate content, it may punish you by hammering your search ranking. 

Solutions

While it might sound obvious, don’t copy anyone else or plagiarise their work. Don’t use dull AI content that never says anything remotely interesting. 

Instead, trust your voice and ideas. Leverage your unique perspective on matters to come to interesting conclusions. Be someone who always has a different angle instead of parroting the party line. 

Cliché 4: Not Being Consistent

Inconsistency is another bugbear that audiences hate. Followers want content creators and bloggers to appear in their feeds daily, not every three months. 

Creating content regularly is essential on some platforms for visibility. For example, TikTok and X reward influencers via the algorithm for frequent posts. 

Inconsistency can also take the form of unengaging content. Again, blandness is an issue and will reduce your chances of success. 

Solutions

If you can’t be consistent, consider adopting a schedule or writing down daily tasks in your calendar. Setting aside a few hours in the morning to create can be enormously helpful. 

Dull content is more challenging to remedy. However, asking yourself whether your heart is in your work can help. If getting up and writing in the morning is a chore, blogging or influencing could be the wrong career path for you. 

Cliché 5: Low-Quality Or Irrelevant Themes

Themes mean different things to bloggers and influencers. For bloggers, it refers to WordPress aesthetics – how pages look. These should make pages more straightforward to use but can wind up looking hilariously outdated. 

For influencers, themes refer to creating content within a specific niche. For example, you might focus on finance or travel. 

Getting themes right helps to position your brand in the minds of your audience. Content should be distinctive and instantly identifiable as yours. 

Unfortunately, many content creators get this step wrong. Bloggers might use user interfaces on their CMSs that look straight out of the 1990s, while influencers will sometimes travel outside their lane, creating content that has nothing to do with their public persona. 

Solutions

The trick here is to avoid overstretching content. Creatives should “niche down” and ask if their audiences care about what they create.

Bloggers can start by updating their WordPress themes to reflect audiences’ preferences. Out-of-date looks aren’t good (unless you run a strange retro blog and understand what your readers like). 

Influencers can remain in their areas of expertise. While branching out can be fun, you should track its effects. Sudden audience drop-offs suggest users aren’t interested or can get better content elsewhere. 

Cliché 6: Using Clickbait

Clickbait is another significant blogger mistake and the ultimate cliché. Ensnaring people with alluring headlines that don’t reflect the content is misleading and destroys trust. 

Prime examples of clickbait include making promises you can’t keep or using highly emotive language designed to rile up your audience. It can also involve using all caps and overusing exclamation marks to make a point. In short, it’s anything that generates unwarranted hype. 

Solutions

Fortunately, you can reduce clickbait by using regular headlines and avoiding exclamatory tactics (unless the content warrants it). Focusing on high-quality content that informs and entertains is more likely to build trust and encourage repeat readership. 

Ensure your headlines reflect your posts’ content. Check expectations match reality. Don’t promise users something you don’t deliver unless you want people to block and report you. 

Present content in a transparent way. Don’t hide information or lead readers to conclusions they never receive. If a topic is ambiguous, tell them immediately. 

Cliché 7: Focusing On Yourself

Finally, focusing on yourself is a massive no-no for content creators, including bloggers and social media influencers. Talking about how wonderful you are or your life isn’t interesting for most audiences (unless they already know you well). 

When writing, constantly focus on what other people want from your content. Posts should reflect users’ pain points and seek to overcome them. Simply talking about yourself won’t achieve this and could annoy people. 

Solutions

Start creating every piece of content to serve your audience. Tap into their minds and think about what they need from you. Ask where their problems lie and how you can solve them (similar to what a business might do). 

avoiding common pitfalls can significantly enhance your blogging success. By steering clear of clichés and focusing on quality, consistency, and audience engagement, you can create content that truly resonates with your readers. Remember, the key to thriving in the blogging world lies in understanding and serving your audience’s needs. Embrace these insights, and you’ll be well on your way to sidestepping the cliches to avoid as a blogger and building a more engaging, successful blog

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