Blogging is easy, right? All you have to do is pick a topic, throw together a paragraph or two and the job’s done. Well, that seems to be a common perception – but it’s quite far from the truth. Effective blogging is a specialised marketing skill. A good blog has the potential to make your brand a household name, while a bad one can see you relegated to cyber-obscurity. Fully conscious of the irony in blogging about blogging (call it meta-blogging, if you like), we are going to go through the five most common mistakes that bloggers make, why they should be avoided and how you can steer clear of them.
Formal tone and content
A blog needs to be a quick, easy read, written in a conversational tone. If you make it too stiff or fill it with jargon, your readers are likely to click elsewhere before they even get past the first paragraph. Relax, think as if you’re chatting to a friend and then say what you want to say in the simplest, most informative way possible.
If writing engaging content is not your strength, working with copywriting services can help ensure your messaging stays clear, conversational and aligned with your broader digital marketing services strategy.
Too Broad or Vague Topics
Nothing annoys a reader more than clicking on a link only to find a blog that doesn’t deliver the information it promises or offers too little substance. This is often the result of a topic that is too broad, tries to cover too much ground or offers only basic, general knowledge on the subject. Once you have chosen your subject, zoom in and pick a very specific aspect of it, then address that with a sharp, narrow focus.
Developing a focused content strategy is easier when it forms part of a structured communication plan designed to support your marketing objectives.
Plagiarism
This is probably the most common sin in the blogosphere. Keep your content original, use your own voice and viewpoint and never copy and paste. There are only so many ideas under the sun and it’s often necessary to draw on the ideas of your colleagues, but should you need to do so, make sure you cite your sources clearly.
Producing original content also supports strong search engine optimisation services performance because search engines favour unique and valuable information.
Random Posting
No matter how good your blog is, it will have a diminished impact if you just post at random, writing on whatever idea comes to mind and not following a schedule. A reader can spot this randomness a mile away and it flags you as sloppy or unprofessional.
A well-planned content calendar can also support your social media services and email marketing services by ensuring there is always fresh content to share with your audience.
Not Substantiating Your Argument
Just because a blog is informal, that doesn’t mean that you can make statements without backing them up. It may not be an academic essay, but you still need to show proof for your conclusions or at least demonstrate your grounding in your industry’s norms, standards and news.
Credible content also contributes to stronger online reputation management by helping build trust with your audience.
Luckily, if content generation isn’t your forte, or if you need a guiding hand, there are always experts to help. Contact us to discuss your marketing content and planning needs.