As content marketing continues to prove itself in the digital marketing realm, an increasing number of business owners find themselves balancing precariously at the edge of the blogosphere, building up courage to take the plunge.
But if you’re new to the practice, you need to be extra careful not to make any rookie errors. A few simple blogging mistakes can turn an otherwise stellar content marketing strategy into an embarrassing, sticky mess. Thankfully, these blunders are easy to avoid when you know exactly what you shouldn’t be doing.
Here are seven common blogging mistakes your business will want to stay away from…far, far away:
1) Typos, typos, typos
Typos are one of the biggest – and most unforgivable – blogging mistakes. They show a lack of attention to detail, imply sloppy work, and ultimately put off prospective customers. Would you really want to work with a business that lets mistakes slide on their own work? We didn’t think so.
2) No conversion points
Not having conversion points in your content undermines your entire digital marketing strategy. Readers who resonate with your blog will probably be interested in premium content like an ebook, which can further guide them along their buyer’s journey. Don’t miss out on this opportunity to convert them into a lead by not including a call to action within your blog.
3) No images
A blog without images is like a video without sound. And while an image might not always be essential to understand the point of your article, it will make the experience a lot more enjoyable. Inserting images into your blog will hold your audience’s attention for longer, add value to the content, and increase your chance of converting the reader into a lead.
4) Rambling on and on (and on)
We hate to break it to you, but unless someone is a hard-core fan of your content then they probably aren’t going to read your entire 800+ word blog. Writing unnecessarily long posts is a common blogging mistake, as writers confuse quality with quantity. Keep it short and sweet to around 500 words and you’ll be flying. Your reader’s time is valuable, and they’ll appreciate it being treated as such.
5) Sales-speak overload
Think about why your company has a blog in the first place – to attract potential clients with informative and intrinsically valuable content. Don’t undermine this strategy with transparent attempts to push your product on digital passers-by who’ve yet to indicate any interest.
Even if you’re writing a bottom of funnel blog that describes your offering in detail, try to frame it as a solution instead of a direct sales pitch. Your reader is smarter than you think, and will see straight through any attempt to underhandedly force your product on them.
6) Clickbait titles
Clickbait is the scourge of content. Even though shamelessly exploiting human curiosity might get you a few extra clicks and page views, it just isn’t worth it – your reader will lose respect for your company and brand. Your goal should be to build a following of readers who find value in your writing and content – not to become Buzzfeed Wannabe 2.0.
7) Unprofessional content
Your tone should always reflect that you’re writing on behalf of your company. If your culture allows for satirical posts and celebrity gossip, by all means go to town. Just be wary of being overly casual and driving away potential clients looking for serious solutions to their serious problems.
Most readers respond infinitely better to fact-driven blog posts that address their pain points effectively. And if you are overcome by the urge to Biebs it up do everyone a favour and confine it to a personal blog or Tumblr.
At the end of the day, avoiding blogging mistakes only addresses one part of an effective content marketing strategy and a successful business. If you’d like to learn more about content marketing strategy download our ‘5-step plan to generating leads from content marketing’ today!
from HubSpot Marketing Blog http://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/7-blogging-bloopers-to-avoid
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