More and more brands are turning to blogging to communicate with customers, share success stories, announce new products, and more. We’re no exception – here at Mark Leisher Productions we write about the tech we use, the clients we work with, and why video marketing matters to you. I’ve been blogging for years, and over the years have read a wide variety of advice for bloggers. Unfortunately, some of that advice isn’t so great, and just serves to overwhelm new bloggers. If you’re convinced from the start that you can’t succeed, you won’t even try. So instead of unattainable and unrealistic goals, I’ve pulled together some of the most helpful advice I’ve ever received.
Be Consistent
A lot of advice tells you to blog every day. Writers hear the same thing – write every day to improve your craft. But there’s a difference, and it is an important one. Writers who write every day aren’t getting published every day. What they write one day may be discarded the next, so they don’t face the same external pressure that bloggers do. Rather than forcing yourself to write every day and then looking back in disgust, commit to goals. Maybe you only have enough time to write one post a week. That’s fine! Just make sure that you are posting once a week. Audiences expect consistency – if you post 3 days in a row, and then nothing for 2 weeks, how will you retain your audience and build connections? So – pick goals, and stick to them.
Write Valuable Content
This doesn’t mean that every post has to be a shining example of what blogging is supposed to be – but each post should provide content that is valuable to the audience. Is your company debuting a new product? Don’t just repeat the marketing materials, talk about how the differences improve the user experience, or increase the value. Writing up a success story? Broaden your post so that your audience can understand how your good work could also help them. Whether you write wholly original content or “listicles” pulled from other resources, make sure that your post provides something uniquely valuable that other posts don’t.
Keep It Short
Blog posts need to be about 300 words to get indexed by search engines. But you don’t need to write a novella every week. Keeping your post to the point allows you to build a really strong case for your point without wandering off onto tangents. There’s a reason Longform has become a niche – most people want easily digestible articles that get to the point and convey information quickly. Remember – if people have to click to the next page to finish reading, they might just click away instead.
Don’t Be Afraid to Edit
A lot of beginning bloggers just pound their keyboards for a while and then post away. Don’t do that. Re-read your post a few times, and have a coworker read it over, too. Check for errors in spelling and grammar, and make sure that your point comes across clearly. A little editing ahead of time can save you a lot of embarrassment later on.
So there you have it, the best advice I’ve gotten over the years: be consistent in your posting, write valuable content, keep it to the point, and make sure your message is clear.
Image Credit:Wikipedia
