Avoid These 5 Common Blogging Mistakes
We’ve said it before, and we’ll say it again: a business blog can be one of the most powerful tools in your marketing arsenal! It’s a great way to engage with existing clients, connect with new ones, and establish yourself as an expert in your industry.
However! Not organizing and optimizing your efforts can lead to wasted time, a poor reputation, and even the loss of customers… and nobody wants that!
Whether you’re in the pre-planning stages of your blog or are struggling to get your current blogging attempt off the ground, here are 5 common mistakes that you’ll want to avoid as you move forward.
1. Not Scheduling Time to Write
One of the biggest blogging lapses that business owners make is underestimating the amount of time and effort it takes to create a successful blog. While they’re a fantastic way to connect with your audience, they’re only effective if they’re being updated regularly with content that is valuable to your readers.
To achieve measurable results from your blogging effort, you should plan on publishing one to four posts a month.
To gather all the resources you’ll need to build an informative and engaging article, write it out, and publish it, you should allocate 3-4 hours of planning and writing time per post.
With your business growing, it’s easy for your blog to get pushed to the side or forgotten when life gets busy. Make things easier on yourself by scheduling writing blocks at the beginning of every month. Put dates and times into your planner to avoid missing post deadlines.
Pro tip: Instead of waiting for inspiration to strike each month, create a list of potential blog topics to choose from. That way, you can spend less time brainstorming and more time writing.
2. Making Content That Isn’t Reader-Friendly
You’re an expert in what you’re writing about but chances are your readers aren’t. That’s why they’re looking to you and your blog for advice.
However, readers can get discouraged if what you’re writing is long and bulky, uses language they can’t understand, or the information they’re looking for isn’t easily accessible.
The good news is that small changes in the way you write and present your content can create big pay off! How?
Start by writing shorter sentences and breaking your information up into chunks that are 1-2 sentences long.
Use subheadings and bullet points to make content more scannable, helping readers to locate relevant information quickly.
Write content that could be understood at a grade 6 level – simple, clear terms and no jargon.
Online apps like Grammarly can help you improve the readability of your blog, which also adds to the user-friendliness of your posts.
Pro tip: If you’d like your content to be more accessible to those with sight disabilities, consider adding a textual description for any images or making a video blog.
3. Writing Content that is Sales-Focused Instead of Informative
As briefly mentioned above, readers are looking for content that is useful, creative, and adds value to their life.
One of the biggest turn-offs for readers is when they come across business blogs that only promote that company’s products, services, or people.
Focus your blog on who you are writing for – aka, your readers. Answer the common questions that they have, review the products or services they’re thinking about buying, and/or provide insight into topics that are relevant to them.
Remember: your website is to promote your business. Your blog highlights your expertise and provides readers valuable industry insights.
4. Not Sharing Your Blog on Platforms
You’ve taken the time to plan, write, and post an amazing blog… but that alone isn’t enough!
People have to know where to go, how to access it, and when you’ve posted it. This means actively sharing and resharing your blog content in the places that your audience typically hangs out.
Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, Pinterest, TikTok, Twitter… find out what platforms your current and potential clients are using so you can notify them using that platform when a blog post goes up.
Don’t be afraid to lean into your social media presence!
Pro tip: if you have a list of people who have signed up to be on your mailing list, email them each time you upload a new post. It’s a great way to spread awareness and drive views to your blog.
5. Poor Structure, Spelling, and Grammar
The best, most informative blog post on the block can still deter readers if it doesn’t make sense.
While punctuation, grammar, and spelling may seem small in the grand scheme of things, they affect the overall credibility of your writing.
Viewers are looking for good information that is written concisely, engages them, and shows that you’re a professional in your industry. A post riddled with errors or that has poor readability limits that. Even worse, it can be misconstrued as you not caring about the content you’re putting out there.
Take time to proof your work. Read it at least three times before pressing that ‘publish’ button.
If editing isn’t in your wheelhouse, or you’re a little unsure about the quality of your writing, there are plenty of software options and freelance editors available to help take the responsibility off your hands.
Or, if writing isn’t your forte in general, consider hiring a content writing company or a freelance writer. A professional can create appealing and quality content for your customers while also giving you more time to tend to other aspects of your business.
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A business blog is an effective and affordable tool for content marketing. Simply take the necessary time to ensure you’re planning your posts, optimizing your efforts, and avoiding these common mistakes.
And, if you need a little extra help pulling it all together, connect with us here at Descriptive. We love editing, writing, and putting words to your vision for an end product you can feel confident in.