How to avoid letting your blog get stale.
It seems like every business has tried their hand at launching a corporate blog over the past few years. Our clients blog about everything from live theater to gummy bears. Some blogs grow into extremely successful communications platform, while others are abandoned. Here are a few pitfalls to avoid when managing a corporate blog along with solutions that may help keep your blog alive.
1) Lack of Time
When a new blog is launched its author will often write several posts right away. In many cases, their dedication will decrease steadily over time.
Solution: Don’t become overly ambitious. Only update your blog when you have something to say rather than force yourself to stretch for a post.
Another strategy is not to place all of the blogging responsibilities on one person in your organization. Develop a plan that allows for employees from many different positions to contribute posts. This philosophy will allow readers to get to know your company from many different perspectives, ultimately making your blog more interesting.
2) Poor Planning
Keeping up with a blog often becomes a chore when you have to invent a topic for every post.
Solution: Create a schedule. Review your yearly calendar and schedule posts that correspond to key events. Also, make a list of key topics that you would like to cover. You can still feel free to make a post that’s not on your schedule, but creating a plan will give you a solid foundation for remaining consistent and interesting throughout the year.
3) Little Results
Many times a company will make a handful of blog posts and expect the clicks and comments to come pouring in. When that doesn’t happen, they lose interest in blogging. However, a poor statistical showing is usually the result of the company’s existing marketing program.
Solution: Ask yourself the following questions when evaluating your blogs stats –
- Is the blog set up properly for search engine optimization?
- Does it work correctly in all browsers?
- Do you promote the blog on social media sites?
- Do you offer the ability to share or subscribe to your blog?
- Do you market your blog in your existing materials?
If you jumped into blogging recently and now find your corporate blog losing its early momentum, review your strategy. If blogging still makes sense, gather the full support of your company and revise your plan. Most importantly, be patient and always keep your customer’s experience in mind.