You know that blogging for your business has its benefits, including higher traffic, better search engine optimization and the ability to become a trusted source of information for your target market. However, too many business blogs start off with a bang, and then falter after the initial enthusiasm wears off.
It usually starts innocently enough—we think that we can afford to go a day, a week or even a month without posting. Then, we get discouraged when no one is visiting the page or engaging in discussion, and we put our blog on the back-burner. It can be a vicious cycle, and it’s no wonder so many organizations have stale or uninspired blog content.
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Fortunately, it’s not as difficult as it seems to get back in the swing of things with your company blog. And if you’re just starting to think about implementing blog content in your marketing strategy, these tips will help you build a blog that is a key part of your brand.
Write what you know and what you love
When you’re writing about something that’s exciting to you and your organization, you provide the best possible blog content to the readers you need to reach. Writing about things that do not interest you is a direct path to boring posts and a burned out blog.
Consider allowing other employees or industry experts provide blog content, as they may have different points of view and areas of expertise. An occasional guest post from a copywriter can keep your content fresh and compelling.
Stay true to your schedule
We’re not talking about the actual posts here. This step occurs before you type a single word of content.
Have a plan for how often you will update your blog, and schedule it in your calendar of choice just like any other work deadline or appointment. Make sure it’s realistic, and if others are contributing, make sure they’re in the loop, as well.
Once you have a schedule, start planning your content. You don’t need complete blog posts just yet—topics or general ideas are just fine at this stage. Consider keeping a running list of ideas that can be easily accessed whenever you feel inspired. List apps like Evernote or Google Docs are great for this.
You may also consider using a consistent series, like “Feature Fridays,” “Customer Testimonial of the Month” or “Top 10 Tuesdays.” Just make sure it makes sense for your readers and your brand.
Write when you’re energized
Every copywriter encounters writer’s block occasionally. And some days or weeks seem to lend themselves to lots of blog content, whereas other times may feel like you’re in a dry spell.
Your blog will be most engaging if you write when you feel excited or you see something that you think will interest your audience. Keep some blog content in your back pocket that you can auto-schedule to post in the future for when you have a sick day, when it’s a slow time for your industry or when you just plain don’t feel excited about writing.
Bring in the pros
Working with a professional copywriting service is another way that many organizations keep their content fresh. These companies staff experienced blog content writers who can effectively write on a variety of topics, while also helping you brainstorm ideas for your blog content. While you may still want to write some blog posts personally, this can help ensure you keep your blog fresh at all times and take the pressure off you and your team.
Sarah K. is a professional copywriter with ProPRcopy, one of the leading content development agencies in North America.