Have you been diligently writing content for your blog every week? Is it getting traffic or building brand awareness? No? You’re not alone. Here are the top 10 things you may be doing when you blog that could be wasting the time you’re putting in every week:
1) Trying to please everybody
To effectively get the word out to your target market, your content needs to cover topics that are specific to your niche. In other words, if your company provides web marketing services, don’t write about print ads. If you try and write for any potential reader, then the lack of focus will show through and fail to drive response effectively.
2) Forgetting who your audience Is
Are you using the verbiage that your readers are familiar with? If you sell video games, are you speaking like a designer and not like a gamer? If so, there’s a good chance your readers won’t get what you’re trying to say, defeating the purpose of writing in the first place. Talk to your audience in the language and tone they’ll respond to.
3) Not having a flow to content
To get consistent readership, establishing an editorial calendar for blog content is the best way to bring readers back the next time you post. Topic change is fine, but doing blocks of niche topics, 3-4 or so at a time, builds organic SEO for the blog and inspires readers that are interested in that topic series to check back or subscribe.
4) There also needs to be consistency to your posting schedule
Following the need for consistency in your topics, there needs to be a consistent schedule when you post your blog, every 6 days, 5 days, weekly, etc. Your readers will know when to check back for new content or to expect that subscription email and readership will increase as a result. Your editorial calendar will promote consistency on both counts.
5) Thinking more is better
With blogging, consistent, high-quality content is key to response, not a post a day. It’s the topics that will drive the response, not high-volume content. If your writing team is trying to push out too much content, there’s a good chance that quality will fail and won’t represent your company well.
6) Not building a good blog process
Keyword research, writing, editing, posting, bookmarking, sharing out to your Social Media accounts or blog sharing sites are steps that need to be followed, consistently with each blog post. Make it a part of your procedure to ensure that your content gets out to as many web sources as possible.
7) Forgetting to use a compelling headline
Beyond the fact that you need to include your keyword phrase in your headline so search engines find the content when readers seek out the topic, the headline you use needs to be engaging enough to drive interest, based on the headline alone. Think of your headline as the cover to your book and make it draw attention.
Leaving the writing to you alone
No one should go it alone when writing a blog. Have readers commented on your content? Shared your posts? Thank them by inviting them to write a post for your blog. You get the benefit of a fresh view as well as their audiences’ awareness of your blog site.
9) Making your content seem like a bad sales call
Ever had a sales meeting where the sales person does nothing but talk about how wonderful their company, products and services are without addressing what they can do for you? How quickly did you want to get out of the room? Well, think of content for your blog that has the tone of “I, I, I, we, we, we” as a written representation of that sales call. Talk about your audience’s needs and goals, not how fabulous you are and your readers will actually read what you write.
10) Not engaging and commenting regularly
Blogs are not a set it and forget it content source, they’re interactive. Ok, so you know this, but do you know that part of your blog process needs to be monitoring and responding to comments on your blog? Thoughtful and engaging comments not only show your readers you’re tuned in, but allow you to show your industry expertise in a detailed form.
Blogging can be a beneficial brand building tool and supply significant organic SEO, search engine optimization, for your online business. By following the ten points above, you will be able to build a successful blog campaign and grow your brand awareness while building trust within your target market. With enhancements in both brand awareness and trust, over time you will see increased web traffic and higher conversion rates.