The ability to communicate ideas and promote your business has never been easier thanks to business blogging. Blogging as an inbound marketing tool is far-reaching and produces tangible results that drive business; if it's done correctly.
Blog failures are easy to spot. They have spotty content, are rarely updated, and they're boring to read. What makes a blog fail?
We have such high hopes for a new blog. We launch it by immediately posting a batch of articles expecting to have instant traffic right from the get-go. We anxiously check the statistics every day to see if customers are clicking on our pages.
When nothing happens, we tell ourselves to give it a little more time. So a couple of weeks later we throw up more content and wait for traffic to trickle in. Soon discouragement settles in while dust and cobwebs gather over the blog.
Business blogs need a steady diet of new content posted on a regular basis, preferably on a routine schedule. Posting a batch of new articles every few weeks does little to foster growth; posting an article three or four times a week at the same time of day will soon have your blog chugging along with steady, solid growth.
Nothing is more boring to the average blog reader than a page filled with text. People crave visual stimulus; a sure-fire way to bore readers is to not include visuals in your postings.
We live in a fast-paced society that demands instant gratification. Nothing provides that better than visual tools. Integrating visuals into your blog postings makes them easier to read and understand.
Nothing is more pleasing to the eye than a catchy picture or a chart. Videos, pictures, infographics and more will break up the monotony of the white page, drawing the reader's eye and keeping it there.
If it sounds like a computer wrote your article, readers will click away from your page. Often bloggers fail to realize that in the quest to provide good information, they come across sounding too "corporate." Jazz up your writing with personality. Remember: businesses are made up of people, not machines.
On the other hand, beware of sounding too casual. Business blogging should not only sound human, it should sound professional. Inject each piece with personality while being aware of your audience and what they are seeking; information to solve a problem presented in an easy to read format.
A haphazardly planned blog is obvious. The content does not flow and looks disorganised. A flexible schedule of content regularly published keeps it focused and consistent. Successful business blogging depends on this; without planning most blogs flounder and fail.
Business blogging is all about promotion, right? Yes, but indirectly.
A consistent diet of content lauding the virtues of your latest product or service is a huge turn-off. Publishing too much promotional content is as exciting as watching a television channel that only shows commercials.
Business blogging at heart is about creating relationships through engaging content which informs and entertains readers. Obviously, the content published should be related to the field your business is in, but the easiest way to turn off a reader is posting one thinly veiled commercial after another.
Boredom sets in when everything sounds the same, and business blogging relies on keeping readers engaged, not yawning. Keep it interesting with a revolving cast of unique voices.
Successful blogs present different points of view using guest bloggers, customer testimonials, and partnering with other related businesses. Keep your readers engaged with different points of view occasionally, keeping your blog's sound fresh.
Business blogging keeps customers informed through regularly posted content that is current, informative, and easy to digest. Keep your blog updated on a consistent schedule with a variety of fresh voices to enjoy a successful, growing blog.