So you want to know how to start a blog? Lucky for you, our team of SEO Strategists and Copywriters are pretty good at this whole blogging thing. Blogging is one of the key components of a modern day digital strategy for most businesses. Any business hoping to be competitive in today’s market has to work to develop a strong online presence, and a large player in that equation is a company blog.
One of the most effective ways to generate online buzz for your business is through building a consistent stream of organic traffic through a blog. But when you’re just starting to develop your blog, it can all seem a bit overwhelming. Many people don’t realize how much work keeping an active blog can be. You may think that turning out a couple of blogs a week would be easy enough, but the truth is that maintaining a blog takes a lot of time, effort, and strategy. Our team loves helping everyone from small B2C companies to large, multinational B2B corporations develop their online presence and construct an original, impactful blog that will help grow your online authority. But not all blogs are created equal, here are some of the most common mistakes most companies make when starting a blog.
Not Posting Often Enough
One of the keys to gaining a large readership on your business’s blog is by keeping people interested in coming back. For best results you want to post often and on a consistent schedule. If you post too infrequently you risk losing the attention of your reader’s. Plus, you’ll want to ensure that the content you’re posting is of value. While it may be easier to post 400 word blogs, Google won’t like it. In 2018, the best length for a blog is at least 800 words, though 1,000 is usually best. Additionally, by posting regularly, you’ll be showing the Google algorithm that you’re an authority in your field, thus improving your ranking.
The solution? Prioritize your blog! Have a consistent schedule that you can maintain and stick to it. You have Wednesday mornings free? Take that time and invest it into your business by working on your blog! If you find that your days are filled up with many of the other important tasks that come with running a business it might be best to hire someone specifically to work on the content of your blog. Companies like Snap specialize in creating a blog that will drive potential customers to your website.
Posting Unrelated Content
The primary purpose of your blog is to bolster your business, so you want to be sure that the people visiting your website to view your blog posts are people that would be interested in potentially becoming customers. To do this you should be posting quality content that is related to what your business as a whole does. For example, if your business sells shoes online, you shouldn’t be posting articles about politics, animals, or even the latest celebrity gossip on your blog. These may get online traffic but it isn’t the kind that is going to generate business.
By attracting qualified traffic to your website with targeted blog content you are attracting the types of people that would be interested in what your business does, and are thus more likely to convert into paying customers. Going back to our shoe business example, some good examples of blogs that could be used to diversify your blog without straying from your business objectives could include a blog ranking the shoes worn on the latest red carpet, or the top ten worst shoes for a certain occasion. Visitors interested in these kinds of articles are likely to also be interested in purchasing new shoes. This example can be transferred to a wide variety of businesses of course. If you are finding it difficult to create new and related content to your blog consistently try getting some ideas from other successful blogs. Check out our blog at Snap for an example of how we use ours!
Blogs That Are Unappealing to Look At
It can be difficult to understand the intricacies of formatting a blog to appeal to readers. First-time bloggers often have a lot of trial and error before they find an appealing blog style that works for them and their business. The first step in blogging is getting visitors to your blog, the second is keeping them there. If your blog is unappealing to look at and hard to use visitors won’t stay long enough to eventually become customers of your business. Many first-time bloggers start out with walls of text and unattractive images that are hard for readers to navigate and enjoy.
Break up that wall of text to smaller digestible bite size pieces. Think of any article you’d read in magazines and how they have smaller headings and how longer articles are broken up for clarity. This is the kind of format you want for your blog posts. You also will want to make sure that you have a uniform font and graphic design throughout the posts. Investing in your website’s design pays off when it keeps readers on your site!
Start Your Own Company Blog
Now you know how to be successful at starting your own businesses blog! Remember, though, a lot more than just these three components go into a successful blog, you’ll need keyword research, consumer trend analysis, and more. If you’re really dedicated to creating the best blog for your business it might be a good idea to consider hiring professionals that know all the ins and outs of the job. Don’t have to turn out four 1,000 plus word blogs every week? We’d be happy to take that responsibility off your plate and help your business grow your online presence.