5 Small Business Blog Writing Mistakes Not to Make

In today's digital world, companies and individuals alike are looking for effective ways to boost their online presence and better connect with others with similar interests. 

With blogging now being one of the #1 ways to boost SEO, it's no surprise that so many are jumping on the "blog bandwagon."

In fact, WordPress users are publishing roughly 70 million posts each month.

So, what exactly is a blog?

A blog is an online journal created on a website or platform in reverse chronological order (latest posts usually appear first). Individuals or groups of individuals typically write blogs to present information on particular topics in a conversational style. Businesses of all shapes and sizes are using blogs to enhance their search value and share applicable and relatable topics to their business.

Why do I need a blog?

Blogging is a great way to position yourself as an expert on a topic while boosting your SEO and drawing traffic to your website. It also helps you to create and strengthen relationships with your audience.

However, writing a blog isn't as simple as writing an article, slapping it up on the web, and sitting back while the readers flock to your site. Unfortunately, many bloggers make the same common mistakes that prevent their blog from reaching and keeping the readers they're targeting.

Blogging is a great way to position yourself as an expert on a topic while boosting your SEO and drawing traffic to your website.

Here are five common blog writing mistakes and how you can avoid them:

#1: Not having a clear audience or direction.

Before getting started on a blog, it is essential to identify who you are trying to help and the topic of focus. One of the top mistakes blog writers make is trying to cover too many things and trying to aim their message at everyone. Doing so confuses the reader and gives the impression that you are not genuinely passionate or knowledgeable about what you are writing. 

Having a solid niche geared toward one particular audience with one overall goal will allow you to truly connect with and make them feel like you understand them and the problems that they face. Find a topic in which you can write several focused, valuable posts while solving your readers' specific situation. 

For example, if you are writing a blog about social media use in small business marketing, it doesn't make sense to dive into the topic of business operations. To increase your chances of a successful blog, stay focused on the subject at hand and being a problem solver for your reader.

#2: Being inconsistent about writing. 

A common mistake made when writing blogs is only posting when an event inspires you. The problem with that strategy is that your posts are inconsistent and lose your audience's interest (as well as search engines)! You also risk losing interest in writing in your blog altogether on those days when you aren't particularly inspired to do so.

A blog should have an editorial calendar with a clear, thought-out strategy. Consistency is critical when it comes to the frequency of your blog posts as well as the quality. The most successful blogs over time are the ones that have a regular posting schedule and not just written: "when you feel like it."

#3: Not using enough data or examples.

When writing a blog, one of the biggest goals should be to give the reader something to take away from it that ties into the bigger picture behind its purpose. One of the easiest ways to do so is to provide them with evidence and specific examples to prove your point. 

Going back to the above example about a blog on social media use in small business marketing: In that case, you may want to mention that currently, 71% of small-mid size businesses use social media as a marketing tool.

When you provide your audience with data-driven examples, you not only make your blog more credible, but you also make your content that much more powerful, exciting, and compelling to read.

#4: Not promoting it enough.

Writing a blog is much more than just writing a post, hitting "publish," and walking away for the blog to do the work independently. Contrary to most first-time blog writers' belief, not every blog post will go viral, and even the ones that do are because of the additional time and effort that went into sharing and promoting the post. The most successful blog posts take off when the writer has an e-mail list to share posts to, joins blog communities, shares their blog post on social networks, and comments on other related blogs.

#5: Not writing in a conversational manner.

Many think that writing a blog paper is like writing a term paper, and nothing could be farther from the truth! Blogs should be written in a conversational tone as if you were talking with the reader one on one. If you want to keep the reader's attention, your content must be in a style that keeps them engaged, not put them to sleep!

When writing, be sure to provide them with valuable information, but stay true to your natural voice and style. Think as if you were writing a journal on the topic or talking to a close friend. When your blog style and flow are kept natural, you make your reader feel more at ease, more connected, and more willing to keep reading.

Blog writing is an excellent way to boost your credibility, make valuable connections, enhance your marketing strategy, and draw people to your website. However, to have a successful blog is something that requires time, commitment, and attention.

If starting a blog is in your plans,

• take the time to think about your audience,

• develop a writing schedule,

• research the topic,

• promote yourself and

• keep true to your voice.

By doing so, you put your blog in the position to be a powerful piece that is valuable to your audience not just now but in the years to come.

As always, call me (Leah) with any questions! I’d love to advise or help you create a blog schedule!