Blogging Mistakes You Can’t Afford to Make
Here's from my partner Rebekah Radice. Great info on what NOT to do when blogging.
Hope you get as much out of it as I did!!
When you consider the numerous choices you have to market your business, there aren’t too many options that can hold a candle to blogging. A blog can be an inexpensive way for you to impart your years of experience, knowledge and expertise to potential clients. It can also be an incredibly effective way to promote your business and establish yourself as the local industry expert.
The problem is that most of us start a blog without a road map. We fly by the seat of our pants, learning the do’s and dont's of blogging the hard way. I am no exception and felt that passing along a few of the dont's that I’ve made along the way might help you avoid blogging mistakes you can’t afford to make.
Getting Started without a Purpose
Too many times we begin our blog without knowing the “why” behind it. Finding your bloggers voice is a process. However, having a clearly defined purpose for your blog before starting out gives you and your blog direction.
Ask yourself a few questions before getting started:
- Why do you want to blog?
- Who are you as a writer and author? Are you funny, quick witted and social or are you serious, to the point and eager to educate on all things industry related?
Not Blogging Consistently
Blogging inconsistently does not allow your audience or the search engines to find or follow you. Why would anyone return to your blog if you post sporadically at best? Create a schedule and a blog post calendar to keep you focused and on track.
Losing Site of Your Readers
I have seen so many blogs that have completely lost site of the very people they were initially looking to connect with. Your blog should be more about the client than about you. While it’s important to infuse you into your writing, stay zeroed in on the needs and wants of your potential clients.
Promoting Rather than Writing
I understand that your purpose is to draw clients in, but bashing them over the head with boring stats and constant promotional ads is not the way to build readerships. Your clients want to understand what it is you do and how you can assist them. They also want to know why working with you is so important. Yes they need facts and figures, but they also need to hear and see the human side of who you are. Don’t be afraid to put more of “you” and less of “Hi, I’m Johnny Realtor. Call me at blah blah blah for your free report” into your articles.
Expecting Your Readers to Find You
Your blog is a vital piece of your overall marketing plan. Don’t forget to promote it in all of your marketing and advertising efforts. Your clients will not just miraculously find you if you don’t add it to your postcards, emails, newsletter and other promotional items.
Not Installing (or reviewing) Google Analytics
I’m often asked by bloggers why they would review or even track their statistics. Not tracking your statistics is like driving at night without your headlights on. You may get to your destination, but the ride won’t be pretty. Google Analytics allows you to track your success and adjust your message along the way.
Forgetting how Powerful Your Blog Title Is
When I first started blogging I was more focused on fun, snappy titles than search engine friendly titles. While we need a nice mixture of both, forgetting the power of blog titles is a huge mistake. Don’t spend hours crafting that perfect post without adding an attention grabbing, descriptive, SEO friendly headline. **Read How to Write a Catchy Blog Post Title that POPS
Poor Writing Leads to Poor Perception
There’s nothing worse than reading an article full of misspellings and poorly written sentences. Take your time to spell check and review your article before you post. If you struggle with grammar, then pass off the review portion to a colleague. An editor will help point out punctuation, spelling and grammatical errors before that post ends up on the World Wide Web for all to see.
What blog mistakes have you made? Share your mistakes in a comment below. Hopefully we can prevent others from making the same mistakes!
Blogging Mistakes You Can't Afford to Make was written by Rebekah Radice.
Want to know more about me? Just Google Me!
T: 719.387.1368 | Email: rebekah@rebekahradice.com | Website: http://rebekahradice.com |CO & NMLS Licensee: LMB100010938 & 288596 | Benchmark Mortgage dba Ark-La-Tek Financial Services, LLC | 12 E. Kiowa |Colorado Springs, CO 80903
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