Content marketing is a very lucrative venture. However, it’s not uncommon to hear of businesses complaining of zero traffic or leads from blogging. Here are common blogging mistakes that may be costing you dearly.
11 Common Blogging Mistakes
#1 Inconsistency
Consistency defeats talent and popularity all the time. If you are going to blog, do it right, or don’t blog at all. Consistency will drive traffic your way. If you are going to blog only once a month or sporadically, you will not get the best results.
One blog a week should be the minimum and ensure you are consistent. Consistently also see to it that your content ranks higher on search engines.
#2 Focusing on the wrong topics
Most companies don’t understand that your potential buyers are not interested in reading about company news. No one wants to know who you sponsored or who got promoted to VP of the company.
If you are struggling with relevant topics, use questions asked by prospects as blog topics. Ensure you address all the issues customers may have before buying.
#3 Incomprehensive Content
So, you have been answering questions from potential customers, but still, no leads?
The problem could be shallow information. Your blog may give out short answers that do not fully answer the questions. If prospects experience this, they will leave and continue their search.
By all means, provide content that is comprehensive, detailed, and why not superb!
Make prospects want to hear more from you, present your brand as the authority in its respective niche, and answer their questions thoroughly and they will share your blogs with their network in return.
Be willing to give and you’ll get rewarded in the long run.
#4 Absence of a content manager
Every business that is serious about content output should have a content manager. It may look like an unnecessary expense, but your organization needs someone who is all about content. The roles of a content creator may include researching, writing, editing, and publishing blogs.
#5 Poor formatting of data
Nobody wants to read novels of content. Your blog may have the best answer and comprehensive information, but the format is maybe wrong. A content manager who is well versed in content creation will come in handy for such.
#6 Promotion-based content
For your content to attract the prospect, it needs to be focused on the prospect. Most businesses make the mistake of promoting their products and services. Again, content should address the pain points of the reader.
Follow the simple 80-20 rule. 80% of the content should be educational, and only 20% should be promotional.
%
Educational content
%
Promotional content
#7 Failure to link related data
If a prospect wants to do further research after going through your content, they shouldn’t have to leave to find answers. If you have any related data, you should link it to the content you’re currently providing, in case of any questions relating to the content.
It’s always a good practice after finishing a piece of content, to interlink to related content on your website. You are not only helping prospects find answers to their questions, but you also increase the time they spend on your website and this is a huge benefit.
#8 Not updating content
How often do you revisit old content to update or revise your content? Getting your content on the first page is good, but maintaining it is the ultimate goal.
Revise older pieces and update them with any information that may have changed.
#9 No call-to-action
What do you want your readers to do next? If you have any premium content for them or a webinar they could sign up for, it’s the perfect opportunity to introduce to your audience. List articles your prospect could read next.
Do not leave your content without a call to action!
#10 Failure to repurpose content
If you have great content that is driving leads, don’t sleep on it. There are other ways to make use of it for even more traffic. For instance, you could make it into a YouTube video or a podcast or even long print to reach a bigger audience.
There are so many channels and mediums available, like social media, video platforms, podcast directories, forums, networks, communities. Transform and repurpose your best-performing pieces of content into a suitable format for every channel.
#11 Poor titles
A poor title is the first turn off when searching for content. A good title should tell readers what the content is about. It should also be enticing to make the reader want to click on it. When coming up with a title;
• Focus on the keyword
• Be enticing without misleading the audience.
• Use questions to target readers
Adrian Lomezzo
Freelance Writer, Content Manager
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