By now, as a business owner, you’re probably well aware of the benefits of blogging. But do you realize the harm you may be doing by NOT posting consistently?
The thing is, humans are creatures of habit. We like to have routines. We want to know that the businesses we choose to work with will deliver on their promises consistently. And frankly, grabbing the attention of your readers is hard enough. If you succeed in capturing their interest, you better not push them away by only posting interesting content once in a blue moon.
If you blog every week for a month, and then disappear for six weeks, your customers are going to wonder what happened. If you post sporadically, your customers won’t make it a habit to check your blog every week. You want to make sure you deliver content to them when they are looking for it! You want your readers to get used to coming to your blog every Wednesday, or whichever day you post!
Trust me, I know how hard it is to post on a regular basis. It seems like as business owners, we put ourselves last! While we may love to write, finding time to blog for our business when there is a pile of client work to do, seems a bit unrealistic. But if blogging is part of your core content strategy, you need to post consistently.
To drive my point home, here are three ways irregular posting is hurting your business.
If you are inconsistent with blogging:
1. Your readers won’t know when to tune in
There are blogs I read on a daily basis. In fact, I even know WHEN to check certain blogs because they post at the same time every day. Maybe I’m a bit odd, but I totally notice when a new blog post isn’t there on time! I’ve stopped reading certain blogs because I can’t keep track of when they are updated, and I simply forget about them.
If blogging is a tactic you want to use to engage current and potential customers, to provide insight, and to differentiate yourself from your competition, you don’t want to confuse your audience. You want them to know that when they take the time to visit your blog, they will be rewarded with quality content.
How to fix this:
For starters, decide how often you want to post. Depending on the size of your business, you may choose to post once a week, twice a week, every day, or maybe just once a month.
We highly encourage you to think about who your audience is, what type of content they are looking for, and how often they will realistically read your blog. For example, a food blogger’s audience is much more likely to tune in every day. Whereas if you own an HVAC company, your audience is probably only going to check out your blog once a month, or when they have a pertinent question.
Once you decide how often to post, make sure to figure out a specific schedule for your posts. Pick a day of the week and time that works best for you. Use your Google analytics and social media analytics to determine when your posts get the most interaction. Schedule your blog posts to go live in that time frame and make sure to let your friends and followers know when there is new content!
One thing that has really helped me blog consistently is to have a content calendar. Planning blog post topics ahead of time takes the guesswork out of scheduling. If you can, try to get a week or two ahead on your content! That way, there is never a mad rush to finish a post the day before it goes live.
2. You won’t develop your own voice and style
If you fall into the trap of only writing once in awhile, you will probably feel awkward and unsure of your voice. Not to mention, the less frequently you blog, the more burdensome it will feel.
I struggled for a long time to be totally open and honest in my posts. I was more concerned with coming across as the professional who understood all things writing and marketing. My goal was to provide tips and tricks instead of building relationships. How uninspiring is that? If you don’t write frequently for your blog, it will be hard to know what tone and style fit your personality and the interests of your readers.
How to fix this:
Mixing business and personal is hard. But to build real relationships and to connect with your readers, it’s important that you put yourself in your writing. And the more you write, the more comfortable you will be with sharing your personality!
When you create your content calendar, think about what you really care about. What can you write about consistently that makes you excited, interested, and enlivened? Share what you love! Offer insight into your struggles. This personifies your company and makes you more approachable to interested customers. After all, we do business with people, not companies, right?
In the last few months, I feel like I have finally settled into my voice and the way I relate to my readers. The writing has come much easier and has been far more enjoyable!
So, let your sense of humor and quirky personality show. Your readers will appreciate it, and it will be easy for you to write posts that actually “sound” like you!
3. You won’t answer your customers' questions
The hope behind any blog post is that you’re going to get direct interaction with your target audience. Whether it’s on your blog, Instagram, or Facebook, the goal is that people will comment, ask questions, and share their experiences. While that gives us writers a little high, the best thing that comes from it is more insight into the hearts and minds of our customers!
As you are probably well aware, thanks to social media, if you don’t post consistently, your engagement won’t grow. By default, if people are not engaging with you, you’re not staying in touch with the questions they have!
You may have a bunch of ideas for blog posts you want to write, but if they’re not topics that appeal to your audience, then it’s pointless. Remember, your blog is about your customers, not about you.
How to fix this:
You don’t have to limit your blog to a handful of topics, but you have to make sure that you are writing something your audience wants to read. Think about the questions that people frequently ask about your business or about the field you are in. Use your blog as a platform to answer those questions. Your readers will thank you. As I always say, offer value, make their lives easier, and solve their most frustrating problems!
Also, be sure to take every opportunity to engage with your readers. If they comment on any platform, make sure you respond! Ask follow up questions. Send out surveys. Whatever you do, keep track of what questions your customers have and what solutions they are looking for.
If you follow these steps to develop a more consistent and audience-focused blog, you will start to see the results that you are looking for. Remember, change doesn’t happen overnight! It may take time for your readers to reward you for your consistency!
What questions do you have about business blogging? What are you struggling with the most? Comment below!
