Every business blog can do with a facelift from time to time. Keeping it fresh and interesting keeps your readers coming back for more, encourages shares, and helps your search engine rankings.
[Tweet “Feel like your blog is getting a little stale? Bring it back to life with these simple ideas…”]But with so much content out there, how do you make your blog stand out from the crowd?
Common Blogging Mistakes
Before we look at what you should do, it’s worth taking a quick look at some things you should avoid.
- Complicated writing. No one has time to read an essay. There’s a reason why BuzzFeed articles are so shareable; they’re easy to read, and get to the point.
Related: 5 content marketing lessons to learn from Buzzfeed
- Talking too much about your business. Think about what’s in it for your readers. Why would they want to read a post that doesn’t offer them something valuable? If it’s not entertaining, at least be informative
- Writing too many posts. One great post is more likely to get shared than three average posts
- Writing for search engines. Using too many keywords will put off most readers. Write for your audience first
- Not focusing on your target audience. If you don’t know your readers, how can they relate to what you’re saying? Get to know your audience, their needs, and what they want from your blog
- Blandness. Having the same opinion as everyone else soon becomes boring. Let your personality shine through. Get your audience to “feel” something
- Failing to edit. Carefully check through your post before publishing to make sure it’s error-free and easy to read and understand
How to Improve Your Business Blog
Now you know what not to do, here are some tips to help make your blog posts more dynamic, shareable, and attractive to readers.
Write More Scannable Posts
This doesn’t mean that people will ignore your content; it just makes your content more accessible and digestible.
Use bullet points, subheadings, and short paragraphs to keep the content flowing.
Introduce a New Theme
If you find yourself struggling to find new content ideas, consider a different approach. Write about something more off-topic to give your blog more personality.
You could even make it a weekly feature. It can still link to your main theme – you just need to be creative.
For example, why not include your take on some mainstream news stories?
Repurpose Content
Think about using existing material that hasn’t yet found an audience. What other business material do you already have that could be worked into your blog?
Presentations, instructional videos, white papers, articles, and graphs could all be shaped into fresh, interesting posts.
Check out our guide on getting new links and repurposing your old content
Be Provocative
Being controversial has a number of benefits. It helps you stand out from the crowd, encourages people to comment and share, and also compels people to come back for more.
Just remember, you can be provocative without being offensive.
Use Facts and Figures
People still love to look at data and analyse it.
Whether you do your own research or quote another source, statistics are a great way to improve credibility and build audience engagement. Infographics are especially user-friendly and shareable.
Offer Guest Posts
There’s nothing wrong with getting outside help. Network with other business blogs related to your industry and give others a platform to publish their content.
By featuring outside contributions, you’ll not only make your blog more credible but also attract new followers.
Take a look at our guide on how to guest blog in 2015
Be More Informative
By answering key questions about your industry, products, and services, your content is more likely to show up in search engines.
A series of instructional blog posts are more likely to draw in readers and encourage return visits. Use videos and images to improve shareability.
Give Your Blog a Makeover
First impressions are crucial. Your blog might have fantastic content, but if it’s not presented well to your target audience, you’ll never keep readers’ attention.
Is your blog layout outdated? It’s time for a design update.
Get Inspired
Keep up to date with other blogs in your industry. What are they doing that works? Which stories are getting more attention?
There are no excuses for running out of inspiration with so much online material.
Analyse and Fine-Tune
Use analytics software to find out which posts are getting more engagement, more comments, and more traffic.
Simply put, when you know what works, you can tailor future content to boost engagement.
Conclusion
It’s all well and good to have a business blog, but if it doesn’t engage your target audience or attract readers, is it really worth the effort? Use these tips to update the look, feel, and content of your blog.
It will not only strengthen your credibility within your field but also help your search engine rankings and increase conversion rates.
Your Say!
Have you had success with revitalising your business blog? What worked for you? Let us know in the comments.