Once a website is up and running, one of the first task many businesses take on is starting to populated its blog. With a basic blog post requiring little more than your time, an idea, and the ability to write way too many people pay only lip service to the quality of the content they are about to publish, and think that by simply pushing the ‘publish’ button, a swarm of avid readers will arrive.
That exuberance unfortunately often fades over time for a number of reasons. Most business bloggers lose patience with their blog as they are not seeing positive results as quickly as they thought they envisaged. Others simply run out of ideas or time.
When done right however, your business blog can be your brand’s greatest asset. But to make the most of it, you have to avoid these all too common business blog boo boos.
1. Be human, not a robot
Great writing takes time and practise. Be honest from the outset – if you don’t have the time or the desire to hone your writing skills, then it will be better to bite the bullet and invest in someone who will give your blog the love it needs.
Having a poor writing style will act as blog repellent and can do more harm than good for your entire website. Work on writing in a conversational tone while also avoiding passive statements unless necessary. The goal of a blog is to reach out to and engage with your readership, not bore them to tears.
If there are terms that are specific to your niche, use them.
2. Don’t steal content, ever
Your intentions may be pure, but you could unknowingly be plagiarising content with every blog post you publish online. While they are not always foolproof, use a plagiarism checker like Copyscape or Plagium. Also, when quoting facts and figures from authority sources, or quoting someone, take time to learn how to properly cite your sources, including:
- Mentioning the source for your information
- Quoting the original author
- Giving the author credit for their idea
3. Don’t get too personal
Writing all about you and what you’re doing (rather than how your personal experiences may be helping you grow your business) will flick the “OFF” button in your readers minds. Ultimately your prospects don’t really care about YOU, they care about what your business can do for them, and unless you have a gift for storytelling, something that you find entertaining will likely be fall flat.Remember, this is a business blog so any shared personal information should be directly related to your business and your brand.
4. Base your opinions on facts
Sharing an opinion is fine, but unless it is backed with resources and links to where information that can back up your stance, your credibility will take a dive. Every statement of fact that you make must be backed by trustworthy cited sources and data to support your idea.
5. Hone in on a specific topic
It is incredibly difficult to sum up one broad topic in a single blog post. For instance, imagine if you were to explain “how to start blogging” to someone. You would be able to come up with multiple subtopics which could not possibly be surmised in a 400 to 1000 word posts.
To get the best quality content, choose a subtopic (or even a micro-topic). That way you will be able to delve into the topic and create specific content that will result in more subscribers and more conversions.
6. Edit before you publish
Publishing prematurely may open your brand to virtual injury by means of online insult and decreased engagement. The best bloggers will devote at least half an hour to revising a piece of content, which includes not only fixing typos but also making sure that the content flows and that it makes sense. Many leave their content overnight and revisit it with a clear head the next day
The best business blogs are those which are well-written, backed by credible sources and properly edited before they hit the virtual presses.
We have a decade of experience in producing high quality premium content that engages unique readerships, and helps reinforce our clients’ authority and credibility. Learn more about Kerry Finch Writing and how we can improve your digital marketing campaigns by contacting me today. Call or email Kerry.
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