By Christina Gaines | @stinaegaines

The citizens are running and screaming in terror. The streets are rampant with anarchy and disarray. Searing, fiery debris pelts the buildings and vehicles below ahead of a sickly orange sky.

Okay, so maybe the repercussions wouldn’t be quite that apocalyptic. But selecting an unworthy blog topic is a social media sin, nonetheless.

How do you know when you picked the wrong blog topic? Here are some warning signs.

1. No one is commenting.

Big red flag. If no one cares enough to comment, your content is likely not captivating or engaging.

2. No one is sharing.

This goes hand-in-hand with #1. If you are consistently seeing 0 shares and no buzz, it may be time to sit back and reassess your strategy.

3. You’re incompatible.

With your audience, that is. Before writing a blog, pinpoint exactly who the heck it is you’re talking to- down to their demographics, age and gender. If you’re a florist, you shouldn’t be writing a blog on monster trucks. Stick to your niche. Speaking of the devil...

4. Your niche has overdone the topic.

It’s all fine and dandy to gain inspiration from other competitors or friends within your niche. However, the masses won’t be entirely convinced of your expertise if you are merely a cog in the collective broken record player.

5. It’s not turning heads.

Your audience should think, Wow, I never thought about it like that! or Dang, this is super useful! Not Ugh, this again? or Duh...I could have written this myself. Don’t know? Ask someone. Don’t be afraid to query your companions and test out your blog topic. Facial reactions have a way of revealing a good steal... or snore.

6. It doesn’t motivate you.

If it’s not something that drives you or piques your interest, it definitely won’t resonate with your audience, either. You should feel as excited to write it as you would like your followers to be reading it.

7. Your blog is difficult to read or navigate.

Break up your blog. Use subheadings, numbers, lists and bullet points. It’s great for SEO and weary or easily intimidated eyeballs. (Which, let’s be honest, is most of the social media population. They’re not stopping by to read bulky novels.)

8. Your headline sucks.

I’ll just leave this here.

9. Your lead falls flat.

Wop, wop, wop. You need something that draws people in. These might not exactly be newspaper articles, but it’s the same idea. You need to hook them at the beginning - clicking that tiny little “x” at the top right of the tab is all too easy for the busy.

10. It has no pulse.

I’ve stressed it before, and I’ll stress it again. Don’t be a robot! Write like the witty, fascinating, quirky human being you are. Personality is key.

Think of this blog as a bucket of cold ice water dumped over your head. It’s time to wake up, my dear writers. Be interesting, be unique and be fresh. I have faith in you. After all, a wise man once said, the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting the same result.

Need more help growing your online presence and putting some fire into your blogs? We’d love to be of service.