Last Updated on: December 1st, 2019
If you have a company, you need to consider having a business blog if you don’t already have one.
Blogging gives you the opportunity to share your knowledge, show your personality, establish your authority, network with others, and initiate conversations.
When executed properly, a business blog can differentiate your business from your competitors, facilitate connections with others, and attract potential customers. Ultimately, it will help you make more sales!
However, when you have a business blog, you need to make sure you don’t make some of the common blogging mistakes many companies make.
There are 7 common blunders you need to avoid in business blogging, and we will look at each in this article.
Business Blogging Blunder #1: Hosting on a Separate Domain
Some companies choose to host their business blogs on a domain separate from their main websites. However, this is not a good idea since maintaining two different domains will involve too much extra work.
Therefore, it is advisable to have your blog as a part of your main website, such as a separate page or sub-folder (yourwebsite.com/blog/) or a sub-domain (blog.yourwebsite.com). This will not only lessen your work, but will also minimize your hosting-related costs.
Business Blogging Blunder #2: Not Being Consistent
When it come to business branding, being consistent is very important.
The first thing you need to consider is the look and feel of your blog. Make sure the colors used are consistent with the message of your blog. Take time to understand the basics of color psychology before making a decision.
It is also very important to be consistent in your posting. Don’t just post randomly or whenever you feel like it. Instead, create a schedule and stick to it. This way, your blog audience will know when to expect new content. Don’t forget to select a few fonts which you will use on all your blog posts consistently.
Related: A 12-Section Guide to Branding Your Business Online
Business Blogging Blunder #3: Not Showing Some Personality
Your readers want to meet and interact with real people when they visit your blog. Therefore, be sure to have as much personality as possible in your blog.
Your posts should be written in a conversational tone which is reader-friendly. Use simple language and avoid corporate jargon.
It would also be advisable to have an author box at the end of your posts which contains a photo of the writer. Injecting some personality in your blog posts will enhance the chances of engagement with your readers.
Business Blogging Blunder #4: Not Having Calls-to-Action on Your Blog Posts
Besides just providing information, every post published on your business blog should motivate readers to take some kind of action.
Some examples of CTAs (calls-to-action) could be:
– visiting your product pages
– joining your mailing list
– leaving a comment
– downloading your free e-book
The idea is to tell your visitor what to do next!
Such actions could eventually convert your readers/visitors into customers. It is therefore very important to include a clear call-to-action within your blog post!
Business Blogging Blunder #5: Focusing Too Much on Yourself
People don’t visit your business blog to learn more about your company employees, your activities, your achievements, or your products or services.
Instead, they are interested in finding solutions to their problems!
If they don’t find what they are looking for in your blog, they will simply leave and go elsewhere. Therefore, you need to ensure that your blog posts are more customer-focused. Company-related information should only be shared occasionally.
Business Blogging Blunder #6: Not Being on Social Media
If you want to truly succeed online, you need to be on social media!
Join media platforms such as Twitter, Facebook, Google+, Instagram, Snapchat, and more to increase your audience reach.
But you don’t need to join them all!
Find out where your target audience is, and go there.
You don’t need to do everything yourself. You can hire someone to manage your social media profiles and postings so that you can focus on other aspects of your business.
Considering hiring a VA (a virtual assistant) to do this.
Business Blogging Blunder #7: Expecting Instant Results
Starting a business blog does not mean that your sales will shoot through the roof overnight.
It could take weeks, months, or even years before you see any significant results from your blogging. Therefore, don’t give up even when nothing seems to be happening.
Take time to consistently put out original, quality content. Engage with your audience so as to build a loyal following. With much hard work and patience, you will eventually enjoy the fruits of your labor.
What Should You do Now? Get FREE Stuff!
Now that you know about the 7 business blogging blunders to avoid, you can ramp up your success by learning about:
– 26 Phone Apps that Make LIFE Easier (for blogging or business)
– 5 Self-Editing Hacks to Boost Your Blog Writing (+ a FREE Checklist!)
– How to Find a Good Work-Life Balance (+ a FREE Workbook/Planner)
– CV and Résumé FAQs for Freelancers
–5 Website Changes You Need to Make ASAP (+ a #tutorial )
Charles Mburugu is a professional blogger who writes for TechBlogKe. You can follow him on Twitter @techblogke.
And don’t forget that I’m a a freelance blogger, writer, and editor for hire. (And an author who can help you create an e-book to give away on your site, sell, and even turn into a print book… to help you earn passive income.)
Eek! I see a couple blunders I am making. I have to get better with my call to actions in my posts.
Kecia @ Online Income Mom recently posted…How to Use Tailwind Tribes to Boost your Blog Traffic
Hi Kecia!
I hope you improve now that you know where you need to make changes!
Good luck, and thanks for visiting Wording Well!
Hi Lorraine,
How are you?
I feel like it’s been a while since you and I last connected.
Nice to see you featuring Charles over here.
Hi Charles,
Glad you brought up that last point — people who expect instant results. Great content marketing strategies take time… they don’t happen overnight!
Good stuff.
Brent
Hi Brent.
Yeah, it’s been awhile!
Thanks for stopping by! I am overdue on paying you a visit… I know. Sorry! I have been working on writing a book (and trying to stay sane). It’s called From NOPE to HOPE: How to Overcome Suicidal Thoughts and Live a Happier Life.
You can see from the topic why I am having issues… I have personal experience with these thoughts and have attempted suicide once.
As far as blogging goes, thankfully I have guests to help out!
Charles, indeed, made some great points in this post.
All too often we expect instant success, and that’s just not how blogging works.
More bloggers — and businesses — need to be aware of this! Good things take time!
Talk soon, Brent.
Hi Brent.
Indeed, business blogging is a long-term strategy which requires loads of patience. Thanks for stopping by 🙂
Charles recently posted…7 Best E-Commerce Marketing Tips For 2016
Hi Charles and Lorraine,
I have made all mistakes and also corrected…most of them 😉 Sometimes I fall into bad blogging habits but overall I’m taking the straight and narrow here, following fundamentals, honoring my gut when I need to and blogging smartly. As for consistency it rocks. If you stay on topic and put out content regularly people respond well to your offering. Gotta get clear on your energy to make it happen. Many bloggers write from a place of lack, limitation and trying to GET money or traffic and this desperation reflects in their work. Other bloggers feel generous, calm and centered because they trust in the creative process and GIVE freely of their time and talents through blog posts, premium products and premium service. The latter crowd rocks it out, of course 😉
Thanks for sharing Charles 🙂
Ryan
Ryan Biddulph recently posted…How to Get Featured on World Famous Blogs (Blogging Course)
Ryan, most bloggers don’t have our experience, though. 😉
That’s why we continue to teach them, help them, and guide them. And be there for them when they’re having problems.
The only thing I fear is that sometimes they will lose their passion for blogging, and that’s why I particularly like your tips about freeing yourself, finding your WHY, and figuring out your motivation for blogging in the first place.
As entrepreneurs, we’re all guilty of falling into bad habits on occasion; that’s part of life. No one can be perfect ALL THE TIME!
Helping others see how their blogging can hurt — or grow — their business is what Charles did very well in this post.
Thanks for stopping by and commenting! It’s always a pleasure to see you here. 🙂
Hey Lorraine,
Most small business owners are stretched thin, with the many hats they’re forced to wear. We know how important blogging is to the growth and survival of our business, but that doesn’t mean we have the time and energy to devote to business blogging. We need to make posts long enough that we’re able to impart some valuable information that readers will worth spending the time to read. Filling space with fluff will generally not satisfy our audience, nor will it encourage them to share our posts or return to read other posts in the future.
The hurdle busy business owners face is posting with regularity and frequency. The most successful blogs run by large businesses post multiple articles daily. This is not feasible for small business owners, but we cannot neglect our readers. One of the most difficult business blogging mistakes to overcome is making our content too broad.
Naturally, we want to cast a wide net, but realistically, we have a target audience in mind. It is not uncommon to read posts that strive to be everything to everyone and just end up having little appeal to anyone. A lot of businesses start their blog without planning for the long-term. They forget to organize it. A good blog has set goals like these, a schedule and a set tone. It should give personality and voice to the company. Eventually, thanks for sharing your worthy thought with us.
With best wishes,
Amar kumar
Amar, you made some really good points here. Big businesses have teams that put out multiple posts a day. Not only do they have a team of writers, but they have a team of editors, too. And marketing teams. And who knows who else?!
Small businesses or entrepreneurs have only themselves, usually, or a team of less than five.
It’s tough to do everything yourself! I know, because I do mostly EVERYTHING MYSELF all the time!
And it’s exhausting.
Fortunately, I have a ton of people wanting to write for me (as guests, for free) on Wording Well. But that’s only because I have built this blog up. When I first started, I had no one. I was an unknown NOBODY.
After years of hard work, the situation is slightly different. I’m still writing for others, but I do a lot of editing, too. (I prefer editing, actually.) I also have the tasks of marketing, maintaining my blog, moderating comments, keeping accurate records, invoicing others, etc. The list feels endless!
It’s tough to plan for the long-term when you don’t fully know what to expect when you first start out.
That’s why it’s up to us to help others learn these things!
Thanks for your comment, and for sharing some insightful views. You’ve raised some very interesting and valid points, and others will surely learn from both of us!
Have a great upcoming weekend!
Hi, Lorrainne!
This is a nice guest!
It’s hard to discuss about blogging! Even though many expert bloggers share the mistakes, innocent newbies still make mistakes when starting a new blog.
I don’t believe that people will do the #1 mistake, but honestly nothing is impossible. To have success in blogging, consistency is so important as there are millions on the internet.
The most I love is #3, Call to action!
Kimsea Sok recently posted…How to Become The Expert Blogger Even if You’re A Freshman to Blogging
Hi Kimsea.
Yes, we all make mistakes, because it’s easy to forget things!
Consistency is very important. It keeps you on Google’s radar. 🙂
I’m glad you like the CTA tip. It’s important to have calls-to-action, otherwise you will lose your readers!
Thanks for your comment. I always love seeing you on my site. 🙂
Hey Charles and Lorraine,
We all do mistakes but when it comes to business blogging then the companies should create a blog with their sub-domain. I like this idea.
Not taking an action is the blunder mistake. responding to the readers’ query is important to build a social reputation.
Thanks for sharing with us.
Have a great day.
~Ravi
Ravi Chahar recently posted…How To Add Comment Box In WordPress Theme With The Clean Code?
Ravi, big companies have failed to realize the perks of having a blog. That’s why bloggers and freelancers often explain the benefits to them… and get hired to create and maintain such blogs! 🙂
Hi Charles and Lorraine,
Thanks for sharing this post. These are something many would know yet often forget just because they are important. We must be reminded.
I can’t agree more on embracing consistency and patience while blogging. But it’s also important to build network via different social media. Adding CTA is also important to build an email list.
Regards
Sherab Tenzin recently posted…Increase emails list 2x using these methods
Sherab, yes, it is really important to be mindful of these things!
I also agree about building you networks on different social media. Not everyone likes ALL platforms. For example, I prefer Facebook ove Twitter. But I still have a profile there. Many people prefer Twitter over Facebook. So connecting with people on their preffered mediums is vital to networking success.
Oops… I meant “preferred”! Forgive my typo!
Great Share ,Lorraine,I Will Surely Keep In Mind these points . Thanks For Sharing 🙂 Really Loved It
Thanks goes out to Charles for writing it. (I only edited it.) 😉
I sure appreciate your comment, Ravindra. 🙂 Have a great week ahead. 🙂
Thanks Ravindra. Glad you found the post helpful