Just Blog It.

You blog, I blog, everybody blogs! Yeah, that seems to be the most common idea right now. Blog blog blog blog blog. But is what you are writing really a blog? What are some key components to actually getting people to read your blogs?

• Your blog is not all a sale – Yes, you can include a sales pitch in your blog. I actually encourage everyone to do that. However, your WHOLE blog should not be a sale! I’m sorry, but if I read a blog, I’m going to lose interest VERY fast if it’s all about why I should stop by and buy your product or service over someone else’s. I want to read your blog to learn or be entertained, not to listen to “we’re better because of this…” over and over.

• Your blog shouldn’t be too long nor too short – A blog is not a paragraph – unless you’re one of those old-school, crazy, insane, hard-to-read authors that my English teachers tortured me with, then, yes, please stick to a paragraph. The average blog should be over 300 words, long enough that you actually have pertinent and entertaining information that will get me to stay on your page and possibly read more. On the flip side, a blog isn’t a novel. We’re not in school, you don’t need to write a 10-page essay on whatever the heck you’re talking about. Even if your subject is complex, remember KISS (Keep It Simple Stupid). According to Chartbeat, who did a study on how long people actually stay on a particular blog, out of all the people who click on your particular blog, less than half will stick with it. That number dwindles the longer your article is.

• Your blog must be in its proper language Now I don’t mean it has to be perfect (I mean, seriously, how many sentences have I started with a coordinating conjunction, but I digress), but please have some proper use of the language. Commas are not the same as spaces, verbs need to match their subjects, capitalization should be reserved for proper nouns and the starts of sentences, etc. I’m not a crazy grammar person, but I did spend two years writing for a newspaper, and it drives me insane to see some of the basic mistakes being made by businesses. I’m not perfect by any means, but the blatant misuse of language and punctuation throughout two-paragraphs makes me less likely to use your business. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not talking about one or two things here and there, I’m talking about five to ten things wrong per paragraph of the blog!

• Stick to your expertise If you sell fish tanks, don’t talk about how to make a real guitar because you’re mad that the neck of the one you had broke. This expertise thing also goes with your business. Yes, you’re an expert on YOUR business, that does not mean you know everything that goes on at the business across the street. Don’t attack and say how your competition is doing it wrong and you’re doing it right. It’s tacky, and you don’t know what their customers are saying about you. Just stick to your field and your business, let them worry about themselves.

• Give the people what they want Do they want stats? Well, research them! Are people asking how to hire a plumber? Let them know what they should look for. Yes, personal blogs are great for your own rants (though you won’t gain a following that way), but if you want people to read your business’s blogs, you have to give them what they want. You wouldn’t sell only surfboards in Kansas, would you? Then why would your write a blog about how you’re king/queen of the world and expect customers to actually read it?

Now, I’m not promising these tips will make you the best blogger in the world. If someone does find the formula to hold that title, please let me know right away! But until then, these will help you blog a bit better. If you’re still a bit lost as to where to begin when it comes to blogs, ask us! Our blogging services can help you get your two cents out there in the world. #TurnTheLightBulbOn for your business, practice safe blogging!