Are you blog writing every week? Is creating content for your blog one of your priorities?
That’s a great start to get noticed in the online world. After all, content is the only thing that captures attention. But did you know there are right and wrong ways to approach blog writing? Anyone can write. But writing effectively for your blog takes writing to a whole different dimension. Blog writing is an art form, and whether you’re brand new or a seasoned writer, you’ll have much better results if you avoid making these mistakes.
1. Ignore the quality
Regardless of what some SEO gurus say, quality matters when you’re trying to attract attention and build relationships. Does it bother you when you read an article where punctuation and grammar rules are ignored in every paragraph? Do you like reading boring content you’ve read on three other sites you’ve visited? Little things matter. It’s better to cut back on the amount of content you put out and do it right the first time. This is your brand. It’s what connects you with future clients. The only way you’ll grow is if you put quality first every time.
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2. Create fluff
Why should your readers care? Do you give them a reason to want to take the next step? Are they filled with anticipation when they finish reading what you have to say? Many people blog write poorly because they don’t know what to say. Blog writing is an art form, to cover what matters most to your readers, while keeping it simple and sharable at the same time. Avoid boring. Find things that flush out new ideas. Use a new approach to a tired subject. And above all, make it fun and interesting to read. Every industry, every subject has the potential to be fresh and exciting.
3. Focus on technical lingo
When you hang out with friends, do you talk in big words and use abbreviations and technical words in every sentence? Of course not. You chat. You laugh. You say things in a simple way. That’s how you should write as well. Leave the technical lingo for talking with the CEO in the office. Write to give your reader a new way of looking at what you do.
Dig Deeper: The Anatomy Of A Perfect Small Business Blog Post
4. Forget your audience
While it’s important to keep things simple, its also easy to forget who your audience is and what they desire. A new mom is going to have different expectations than a pediatrician. A CEO will want different content than a brand new entrepreneur. Never forget who your audience is and the style of writing they desire. You have to give them what they want in order to succeed.
5. Losing your focus
What is your call to action? What is your ultimate goal once you have a reader on your site and they like what they see? Remember, very few first time readers will buy from you. But many will want more of what you have to offer. Do you have a lead generation system in place? Do you have a way to connect with you to continue to follow you and learn more about what you do? Never assume your readers will find the way; you have to lead them by the hand and show them what the next step is.
6. Selling the wrong things
A while back I took on a client who offered photography services. He had zero traction on his website and wondered why. As I weaved from page to page, I noticed he spent a great deal of time focusing in on his skills and his camera equipment. He spoke in detail about the camera bodies and lenses he chose, how he approached developing the images, even what paper he used for printing. Nope. The client doesn’t care. They want results. They want beautiful photographs. And they could care less if you use film or digital, a Nikon or a Canon.
Are you doing the same thing in your industry? Are you selling the features and not the benefits? Are you talking about things your potential buyers could care less about? You goal is to get into the heart of your client, figure out what matters most, and then push that button from every angle possible. That’s how you win in the game of blog writing and in online marketing.
7. Keywording it to death
Have you seen those posts where they use the keyword over and over again. The keyword is in the title. It’s in the first sentence. It’s in the first paragraph. And the second and the third and the fourth. Keyword. Keyword. Keyword. Ugh.
Here’s the thing. You may have heard that at one time, keywording worked to rank higher in Google. No longer true. Sure, Google wants to reward sites for the content they provide. But they also want quality, not quantity. They want their users to be happy with the results. And if you’ve ever found a keyworded site, the first thing you do is back out and try again, right? So don’t make the same mistake yourself. Sure, keep your keyword in mind. Use it. But don’t overuse it. Use it as if you’re talking to your reader about the subject. Make it natural. That’s how you’ll get the best results.