Today we are going to tackle three reasons why your blog isn't growing. This is the first in a series of Why Isn't My Audience Growing? I see people asking questions constantly in Facebook groups about growth. Specifically people want to know why their blogs aren't growing. It's a complex question! But today I'm going to tackle the top three reasons why your blog isn't growing. And, NO. None of these three have to do with social media! (We'll get to that next week!) Three Reasons Why Your Blog Isn't Growing 1. You're Writing for Yourself, Not Your Audience. Ouch. As a writer, this one really rubbed me the wrong way when I started considering my blog growth intentionally. We all have different reasons for blogging. (And you really should know the why of your blog!) For many of you in my audience, those reasons have to do with loving to write. Yes, maybe you want to also sell books or sponsored posts or make money by having traffic an ads. BUT YOU LOVE THE CREATIVE WORK. I know you! So it can feel like a personal insult to hear that you're being too self-centered about your work. (Plus, who likes being self-centered??) I'm not really telling you that you are self-absorbed, only that your blog isn't outward-focused ENOUGH. Why do people read blogs? Not sure? Think about why YOU read blogs. For me, I might click through to read a blog post if the title grabs me. It relates to me. It's interesting or relevant or solves a problem I have. People read blogs because those blogs offer something. They GIVE to the reader. There is a benefit. Maybe that's a how-to or a series of tips. Maybe that's entertainment or encouragement or inspiration. But there is some kind of exchange wherein the blogger (that's you) gives something to the reader. Readers will not read blogs that don't give them something. And when we write blog posts that are just like online diaries, focused on telling just our life story, people are generally not going to want to read. (The exceptions are if you are already a celebrity, you have a really unique story, you have some kind of "it" factor, or you're a really KILLER writer. Usually we are NOT as interesting as we think we are.)  We need to invite readers IN. That doesn't mean we can't write about ourselves and our stories. If we leave our own story out, our blog could be interchangeable with any other blog out there. Not good. Our unique story and our voice NEEDS to be there, but readers need to know there is a place for them. It has to be relatable to them and give some kind of benefit. Even if that is a simple as a few minutes of enjoyment. How to Fix This: If this is your problem (and MANY people struggle here), you need to consider how you can write what you want to write, but also think outward. Consider how you can use your blog to benefit other people and what you are giving them. What does your blog give? What does it offer that a complete stranger might want to stop and read? 2. Your Blog Design Detracts from the Content Just when you thought the first reason was hard to hear...I give you this. But I just want to write! I don't care about blog design, you say. Plus I have no money and don't know blogspeak.  I know, friend. I know. I was there! I started on Blogger (which, unless you have a lot of money, will ALWAYS look like a blog on Blogger) and when I started paying more attention to design, I didn't want the clean, white look. I had bright colors and busy backgrounds. It was a hot mess. Here's the thing about design: it impacts the way people read your words. When Rob and I were looking for our first house, we looked at all kinds of places. Some were in pristine condition, some were foreclosures with no flooring and holes in the walls. We are good at vision, so we could see SOMETHING in most places. Except one house. It was older and had original mustard-yellow countertops and shag rugs. It was clean, but it was just so much ugly. Most of all, though, we HATED the layout. We struggled with a vision for