Blogging today hardly resembles, both in intent as well as in approach, what it was when the trend started off. This practice has now become an inseparable part of all businesses, be it a start-up or the big players of the industry. Companies are fast generating leads and expanding their customer base by exploiting this technique, as a result of which more than 2 million blog posts storm the internet every single day.
However, blogging has come a long way since its inception and business blogs must match certain standards and be in sync with a few best practices in order to stand tall. Missing out on these factors may lower the impact of your blog and fail to bring you the expected dividends associated with them.
Below are 5 mistakes that you must avoid while writing a blog:
1. Not Backing Your Claims With Data
Data is much more convincing than any superlative-laden statement.
Consider the following statements:
- Social media influencers earn massive sums of money from a single post.
- Social media influencers earn as much as $150,000 from a single post.
Naturally, the first statement is subjective, as “massive” can be interpreted differently by different readers; the second statement, on the other hand, does not leave any room for ambiguity, and it drives home the point that social media influencers make a very good income out of their jobs.
Besides, data adds credibility to your claim and makes you appear authentic and sincere in the eyes of the reader, compared to those who make vague assertions. This can help build your reputation among your readers and strengthen trust in your content.
2. Using Immature and Boastful Tone
People read your blog to know and understand what they are unacquainted with. This does not mean that they should be treated like rookies or their ignorance should be ridiculed. A sarcastic tone or an disrespectful choice of words may offend the reader and they may never like to come back to you again.
Consider the following statements:
- Your business is sure to die if you are not a regular blogger.
- Blogging is essential for your business; so, ensure you are consistent with your blogs.
The first statement may sound insulting to someone who is not a regular blogger; however, statement (b) may push the reader toward incorporating blogging in future.
Also, it is important to construct your sentences in such way that they indicate that you are a master of your game. Your content itself should convey the feeling of learning from an expert. However, you should make sure that the tone does not oversteps into boastfulness, as readers are averse to it.
3. Keyword Stuffing
A blog post is an opportunity for the reader to learn. They are not interested in how important it is for you to rank high in Google’s search results. A reader only expects a smooth flow of words and well-connected thoughts along with the empirical evidence necessary to back up the concepts you express.
Merciless stuffing of keywords breaks the flow of sentences and somehow forces the reader to look elsewhere.
Keywords may have been necessary in the past to rank high; however, with the changes in Google’s algorithm that determines page ranking, you need to pay more attention to user experience and the quality of your content, compared to the amount of keywords you pack the text with.
4. Refraining from Using Simple Language
Blog writing is a different ball game altogether in comparison to writing articles, research papers, books etc. Simple language and playful style is what people prefer as they generally look for answers to their problems and are not keen to check how good you are at using your vocabulary or semantics. Be as clear as possible, without using any jargons or unfamiliar words.
As a rule of thumb, you must write in such a way that even a 10 year old does not feel the need to open a dictionary.
Also, pay attention to the format. Do not use long paragraphs as they tend to scare people. Have 1-2 lines in every paragraph and it will be easier for people to skim through your content.
5. Underestimating the Importance of a CTA
The primary aim of writing a blog is to convert readers into customers. What good is a blog if it has all the elements of good writing, but no CTA for the desired action you would like your reader to take?
Whether it is about asking your readers to check out your services, buy your e-book, subscribe your channel, or simply share your blog post on social media, do ensure that most of your blogs have a call to action or at least drive home the message in a subtle way.
Last Word
Apart from the above-mentioned points, the frequency of your blogging is also a very important factor. Reports suggest that companies that publish more than 16 blog posts a month receive 3.5 times more traffic than those that bring out only 1-4 posts monthly.
Hence, apart from steering clear of the mistakes discussed above, it is also important that you maintain a steady flow in terms of the articles you release, in order to get the desired