I’ll start this off with a startling, attention grabbing statistic: 19 out of 20 blogs are abandoned. You read that correctly. According to a study by Technorati, 95% of blogs are left for dead on the internet. They become public remnants of a dream that was eventually unfulfilled. Due to insufficient strategy, lack of consistency and a bad habit of writing like a robot, your blog will ultimately fail. But don't be scared, you can (and will) turn things around if you heed our advice.
Let's go through the reasons your blog will fail.
1. You Don’t Have A Strategy
Most bloggers start out with a halfway decent idea and a dream of being heard, doing something that they love and possibly even making some greenbacks at some point down the road.
Unfortunately, these digital dreams don't always come true. Without a game plan, you can kiss these aspirations goodbye. I’ll admit, the above description sounds a whole lot like me before I had any clue as to how to tackle the daunting task of blogging for results.
To help you stay on the right track you need to:
- Set goals before writing the first post
By setting goals you’ll be able to target where you want to be and what important work you need to get done in order to achieve these things.
- Split tasks into daily, weekly and monthly chunks.
Splitting tasks into chunks will make them more manageable and enable you to work your way through them with ease.
- Create a Sharing Strategy
Initially, very few people will find your blog organically. Create a social media sharing strategy to ensure your content lands in front of the right eyes.
By preparing this strategy upfront you’ll have an idea of exactly how much time you’ll need to dedicate to blogging each week. You’ll thank yourself later.
2. You Aren’t Consistent
Nothing kills momentum like a large glass of inconsistency. I’m not saying that you NEED to write every single day, but if you set out to write two posts a week, write two blogs a week. Your readers will be looking for a new post and if you don’t deliver, they’ll move to greener grass – wouldn’t you?
Imagine someone taking away your morning coffee after ten years of joyous consumption. It’s not a happy thought and the chances are you’d be upset. This example may be a bit extreme… but successful bloggers stick to what they decide to do.
3. You Write Like A Robot
Skip the robo speak. People don’t relate to big branding and advertising the way that they used to. Especially when it’s being spewed out of your blog. Content creation is all about keeping your audience intrigued and interested while getting your message across.
Here’s a simple exercise. Ask yourself, “would I read this” and answer it honestly. If the answer is no, throw your computer across the room and be prepared to write your next post long hand. Just kidding, Stratus Interactive does not condone throwing your computer across the room, but you should consider scrapping the content and starting again.
How could you expect a visitor to read your post if you won't?
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Emmett Hughes is an account manager at Stratus Interactive in West Chester, PA. In his spare time he enjoys Philadelphia sports teams, collecting rare vinyl and spending time with his friends and family. Find Emmett on Google+