It’s any blogger or solopreneurs’ worst nightmare: a blog that’s had a bucket-load of time, resources and love poured into it but receives only spam messages and cricket chirps in response.
Why isn’t your blog capturing your readers’ attention? I have seven thoughts to offer:
Solution: When you’re writing (or rereading) your post, ask yourself: “What will my readers get from this?” It might be a spark of inspiration, the latest stats on social media engagement or some simple tips to help them improve their health, it doesn’t matter – as long as you’re giving them something useful to walk away with. Add value. It’s crucial.
Solution: Set up a methodical posting schedule so your readers can get used to receiving (and reading!) your posts on a regular basis. I know this is easier said than done, but if you write your blog posts in bulk, you can then schedule them in at regular intervals.
Solution: Use catchy subject lines in email newsletters and engaging text in your social media posts to capture your reader’s attention. Be sure to explain what value (see problem #1) your article adds. Then pretend you’re a newspaper and get creative with some headlines.
Want more articles like this? Check out the business writing section.
Solution: Tough love, but those typos that sneak into your posts are letting you and your blog down. Building a buzzing tribe for your blog requires at the very least basic communication skills. But if you aren’t a natural writer, don’t stress – the art is in the editing, not in the writing. So keep proofreading and editing until you’ve eliminated any repetition and have ensured every bit of your post is leading the reader naturally towards the point you’re trying to make.
Solution: You need to think of your blog posts as products, not Dear Diary entries. This is because every single one of your blog posts does something for your brand and business, even if you’re not actively selling your real products or services. Your posts represent your brand, what beliefs you hold and your businesses’ philosophies. They’re you and your biz: in written form.
Solution: I’m all for being authentic and real in your blog posts. After all, your readers want to know about you and your life. So sharing definitely is caring! But there is a line you don’t want to cross, especially if your blog represents a business rather than an individual. Keep it relevant, interesting and informative. Share your life, your stories and your uniqueness. But if it slips into the dirty laundry category, keep it locked up. Ain’t nobody got time for that. Unless there’s a moral to the story, of course.
Solution: When you’re starting out, it can be hard to attract new readers onto your blog. It can even be hard as an established business if you haven’t had (or nurtured) a blog before. Which is why you need to invest in some heavy lifting in the early days. Post more content more regularly. Guest post on other popular websites. Give information out for free. Invite other bloggers to write on your blog. Get creative – there are a myriad of interesting (and free!) ways you can attract attention to your blog.
And my final tip: have fun with it. If you loathe writing a blog post each week and can’t find a single way to inject some fun into the endeavour, then hire somebody else to do it for you. Your readers deserve awesome content.
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