Marketing.biz is your source for all marketing education and resources.
Businesses with a blog enjoy 126% more leads than businesses that don’t have one. It’s easy to see why. Having a blog can
However, to enjoy these blogging benefits, you have to avoid some common pitfalls. In this article, we’re sharing some of the biggest blunders companies make with their blog, so you can avoid making them on yours.
You’ll want to avoid these nine common blogging mistakes to get the best results from your company’s blog.
In the age of AI writing and boring SEO blogs, you don’t want to make the mistake of sounding just like everyone else. Too often, businesses feel like they have to be ultra-professional and use snazzy lingo on every blog, and that’s not the case. Blog writing isn’t like writing papers. You want your blogs to be engaging and easy to read.
So, instead of trying to make your blogs sound like college essays, write them how you talk. Doing so will make your blog feel more personable and much more fun to read.
Writing about the biggest news stories may sound appealing, but it makes the lifespan of your blogs incredibly short. You could spend four hours on Tuesday writing a fantastic blog about the latest trending topic, only for it to be old news by Thursday.
While you can definitely write about industry news and buzzy topics, you should make the majority of your blogs “evergreen.” Evergreen blogs cover topics that won’t become irrelevant anytime soon. This helps you avoid burning yourself out and ensures that each blog you write can continue to work for you for years to come.
You have to get to the point. Readers don’t have time to sift through tons of personal stories or random facts. Share stories and bits of information when it’s relevant, but try to stay focused on your main point,
For example, if you’re sharing a blog about common blogging mistakes, you shouldn’t spend three paragraphs talking about your journey to becoming a blogger or digress about the highs and lows of blogging. Stick to the point.
When companies start blogging, they tend to lean toward really big topics like:
While these topics are interesting, they’re far too broad to cover in one blog. Instead, you’ll end up creating blogs that are a mile wide and an inch deep. Instead, aim for depth and get laser-focused on answering smaller questions.
If you need help getting started with topics, check out Hubspot’s Blog Idea Generator.
People visit blogs for a few reasons. They want to:
In other words, people come to blogs looking to leave with something. Yet, most blogs are crammed full of vague concepts and fluff. In other words, they don’t provide value and leave the reader wanting more.
One of the biggest things you can do to avoid this mistake is to provide actionable steps or include helpful resources or information in every blog you write. So, whether you’re linking out to valuable tools, inserting interesting stats, providing a step-by-step guide, or ending with a compelling CTA, be sure to find ways to incorporate value.
SEO, search engine optimization, is the art of getting Google (and the other search engines) to notice you. To ensure that people find your website and blog, you’ll need to incorporate SEO strategies into your overall blog strategy.
For example, you’ll want to make sure you find and use keywords on every blog you post. You’ll also want to ensure you link to your other posts inside your blog and develop a strategy for getting outside links, too.
(Psst...Here’s a helpful SEO guide to get you started on search engine optimizing your website.)
To have a successful blog, you need to publish blogs frequently and consistently. Too often, companies post dozens of posts all at once and then don’t post anything for months. This sends a terrible message to visitors and search engines.
If a visitor comes to your blog and sees you haven’t posted in a few years, they’re going to assume you aren’t active anymore. (They definitely aren’t going to see you as a trusted industry expert). Additionally, search engines won’t send their crawlers to your website as frequently if you aren’t posting blogs.
Aim to publish blogs at least twice a month. If you can do more, great! Ultimately, you want to pick a schedule you can commit to long-term.
Your blogs should always focus on your target audience – not your business. That might sound counterintuitive because the whole reason you’re blogging is to get more business. However, no one wants to read blogs about how amazing your business is. Remember, people read blogs to get value.
As a rule of thumb, save the self-promotion for a brief call-to-action section in the conclusion paragraph. This ensures your reader gets what they want, and you still get to win them over in the end.
Much like social media, blogging can feel exhausting after a while. It can feel like you’re putting in tons of work and not getting much in return. And it’s hard to stay motivated if you don’t see results – especially if you’re doing it all by yourself.
That’s why tracking your progress with something like Google Analytics is super important. Google Analytics will show you exactly how many visitors are coming through your blogging efforts. It’ll show you your total traffic, page views, the time people spent on particular pages, and more. Getting to see your hard work pay off is critical for keeping you motivated long-term.
Having the analytics also makes it possible to change course if something isn’t working. So, be sure to track your progress along the way.
Like any other marketing medium, blogging takes a bit of knowledge and skill to get right. However, if you can avoid making these common mistakes, you’ll be way ahead of the pack.
Want more insight on having a successful blog? Check out our article on 14 blogging best practices here.
Marketing.biz is your source for all marketing education and resources.