Much
like a Twitter or Facebook account, a blog is another way to reach out to a
vast global audience. Blogs can also lend great support for a business not only
to direct new customers to a web store but also provide great content to keep
loyal customers coming back for more.
However, just because it is easy to set up
a blog doesn’t mean every blog will be a success. Here are some common mistakes
that new bloggers make and you should avoid:
Copying
Content
There is an abundance of resources
available all across the internet to support your blog but that doesn’t mean
you should just be cutting and pasting a bunch of articles. You should always
strive to have original content.
That doesn’t mean you can’t be inspired by
an article or video to write a post. In fact, you can even use that post as
link on your site. Many search engines want to provide their users with quality
content, and they check if the information that you provide isn’t a duplicate
from another site. If you’re running a business blog and don’t fancy yourself good at writing, there are plenty of talented writers
who can help create 100% original content for your blog.
Diving
In Without Research
To get the most out of a blog you need to
do a little research. From a technical standpoint you could literally start a
blog within seconds by registering a name on one of the easy blog sites like
Wordpress or BlogSpot. Then what? Find out how a blog works in terms of links,
pings, tools and how to drive traffic. You should also be looking for the
various blog networks that you can plug your blog into. This will help you
spread the good news of your blogging efforts.
Cluttered
Layout
A blog is not a scrapbook. Yet, some new
bloggers try to crowd as much of the “whiz bang” features onto their blog as
possible. Take it slow. Just as you should be researching where your blog
should live, you should also research the various templates you have at your
disposal for layout options.
Start with what appeals to you. Is it easy
to find what you’re looking for on a site? Can you quickly access archive
material? Is the font pleasing to view? What’s great about blogs is that the
layout designer will also get credit. Look for that credit at the bottom of
your favorite blog and use that for a reference for your own blog.
Boring
Headlines
A blog is the sum of all its posts. Those
posts begin with a strong headline. Consider every time you pick up a magazine
or newspaper: Isn’t it the headline which first grabs your attention? That’s
what you should aim for with your own blog posts. Asking questions is always a
good way to pull a reader into a blog. Keep it simple but make it original.
