Top 10 Worst Blogging Mistakes You Need To Avoid
Posted by Pat Owings on Mon, Jul 23, 2012 @ 07:38 AM
Avoid Making These Common Business Blogging Mistakes
When done correctly, blogs can offer enormous benefits to small and medium-sized businesses. 57% of companies that blog and 92% of companies that blog multiple times daily have acquired a customer through their content. Blogs need to optimize their potential by adopting best practices and avoiding the most common business blogging mistakes.
1. Forgetting Keyword Analysis
Without keyword analysis, a business blog resembles a secret diary more than a tool for connecting with new leads. If your content doesn't matter to search engines or future customers, it doesn't offer much value to your bottom line. Using keyword analysis to identify specific long-tail phrases, consisting of at least 3 words, that can help you rank on search engines and produce content that meets the needs of people searching for you. Keyword analysis is the first step towards avoiding the most common business blogging mistakes.
2. Omitting Call-to-Actions
Not including ways for your content to act as a lead conversion tool is among the most common business blogging mistakes made by new business bloggers. Business blog content should always be customer focused and should be free of sales techniques. However, eye-catching call-to-action buttons are essential for letting blog readers take your relationship to the next level.
3. Not Promoting in Social Media
Not every piece of content you produce will be relevant to all of your customers. Give people a chance to come back and convert by promoting your content to social media followers through regular posts. Social media shares and retweets can also give your content more mileage within your followers' personal networks.
4. Separating the Blog From Your Company Website
The blog should be a clear extension of your company website to unlock your true SEO potential. Separating the company website from the blog is one of the most common business blogging mistakes.
5. Expecting Overnight Success
Too often when I'm shopping for products and services, I'll eagerly click through to a company blog and discover it hasn't been updated since 2010 or worse, the only available content says something like "stay tuned for more updates!" Too often, businesses don't have the patience to wait for the inbound links and blog followers to start rolling in. Abandoning a company blog because you don't achieve instantaneous success is among the top business blogging mistakes.
6. Forgetting Opportunities for Engagement
If you're struggling to come up with a great conclusion for your blog entry, ask your readers what THEY think. People love sharing opinions, and using your business blog as a platform for engagement can help you build real relationships. Not openly encouraging comments and feedback can be among the most devastating business blogging mistakes.
7. Failing to include Variety
Surprise your readers by touching on a wide-variety of topics and content styles on your company blog. Try and include tutorials, top 10 lists, news stories and videos on a regular basis. Failing to employ a content calendar for planning variety in advance can be a business blogging mistake that results in boring, predictable content.
8. Off-Track Images
Face it, the internet just doesn't need another photo smiling business persons shaking hands. Prime your blog content for social media shares by including eye-catching images that are perfectly pinnable or can stand out in a Facebook feed. Failing to include a great image is a key business blogging mistake that can kill potential for social media shares.
9. Avoiding Analytics
Bloggers should gauge the success of their content, keyword analysis and social media shares by tracking basic site analytics. You should keep an eye on where your traffic is coming from, and what types of content result in the most social media shares and engagement. Separating the analytics from the content is a terrible business blogging mistake that can prevent you from improving your content.
10. Not Buying Blog Insurance
Think of having at least 3-4 posts in reserve as insurance for when life happens. Maintaining a consistent presence on your company blog is important, and sometimes other business could get in the way. Not being prepared with extra drafts is a common business blogging mistake.
It's your turn! What are the biggest business blogging mistakes you've come across?
Image Credit: freedigitalphotos.net/Stuart Miles
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