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A recent conversation with a small-to-medium business (SMB) included the question, “If my business is booming, then why should I keep blogging?”
Great question because blogging takes a boatload of consistent time and attention. Not only is a blogger responsible for creating and publishing genuine and authoritative content, that blogger needs to nurture a community and comment on others’ blogs, too.
I get it; but, here’s what I said to my peer, friend and colleague:
- If your blog goes dormant, you can’t walk the talk with clients.
- When you disappear longer than four weeks with no activity, people stop coming to check in and you’re forgotten.
- Prospects that want to check out your work expect to see up-to-date product. If a date on the most recent blog post is 60 days prior, then that sends erroneous messages. You may lose a lead if a blog is inactive.
- To compete, you need to stay inspired. A blog gives SMB brands an opportunity to differentiate from the competition.
- Becoming an authority is no easy task; keep the insight fresh and trendy, and the brand will benefit.
8 Tips To Get Back On Track
1. Post from the archives — there is content no one has seen in 12 months; select a favorite, add a more current opening paragraph, and voila — a fresh post!
2. Write shorter pieces. Blog posts should average about 500 words, give or take. If you’re trying to get back on track, write 350 words (you can do those in your sleep!).
3. Acknowledge your community with a list of the last 25 commenters and their blog urls. That pingback will bring peeps back to your house in droves to welcome you back.
4. Aim for one post weekly for a few weeks to get your mojo working again. Anyone who has blogged more than 12 months knows how to get back to it; just like riding a bike.
5. Remember that community you built? They’re not gone; just dormant, too. But, if you call them back with consistent posts, you’ll earn the traffic once again.
6. Think about SEO juice — what’s the number-one rule? Fresh, frequent content to boost organic attention.
7. You can’t be a one-channel wonder. Great that you’re on Facebook, but where did you really get your start? Twitter. What happened next? Blogging. Where are your clients, community, employees and prospects hanging online? A little bit of everywhere, so you need to engage equal parts Twitter, Blogging, Facebook and Google+.
8. Feeling down and out? Remember the ‘raderie your blog community inspires. There’s absolutely nothing like a good ‘old #TeamBlogJack to raise the spirits of bloggers who’ve been dormant awhile.
So, what do you say? C’mon back! You’re missed!
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Do you think a blog without a blog post every week (holidays and sick days being the exception) can fly?
@Faryna Ah-hah; there you are! Please see the comment above addressed to you, Stan! I do, indeed.
Thanks for that tip of the hat in #8 to the good ol’ fashioned #TeamBlogJack! I’m eager to see the final results of the “voting” for the logo, as there’s been a diversity of opinion.
It takes tons of tenacity to keep a blog going. Is it worth it? Some days I say yes, others no…but I’m still blogging, haha! Great tips to get the mojo back on track. Cheers! Kaarina
@KDillabough You’re so right, Kaarina, and I’ve felt your audible struggles. When I reached that point myself…here’s my ah-hah moment — it was time to advance to the next level. We’ve been there, done that, and the blog in phase 1 or 2 was becoming “boring and a chore.”
When you look at how you’re feeling about your blog and what you’re writing…do you think you can inject some new and move to the next level by raising the bar?
@Soulati | B2B Social Media Marketing I love to write: the writing itself is not really the issue…but that’s a whole long Skype talk we must have:) I do agree, however, that I need to up the ante to the next level. Can I spell v i d e o, for example? 😉 😉
@KDillabough Hah! And, since you asked…where’s my Alphabook??? Eh?
Yesterday, an old boyfriend from Chicago called me to tell me I needed better lighting (no, really?) on my videos ‘cuz basically I look like shit in my videos. So, were I to add lighting and a little make up, well, then perhaps I can be the bombshell people expect me to be…sheesh, what pressure.
@Soulati | B2B Social Media Marketing Ah, you make me smile:) Alphabook…yes! Been totally negligent on that one:(
Woah, Stan? I know your comment is here somewhere; I saw it come through on email, but it’s missing below. Your question, “Can a blog survive after one week of not posting or not posting once per week?” Absolutely, it can. There needs to be intention to continue and keep it alive. When you lose the mojo, that’s when you should begin to worry.
What’s been going on in your neck of the woods? How are you feeling about your blog? I’m seeing lots of different writings and a bunch of heart-felt feature writing…
@Soulati | B2B Social Media Marketing
I have three things going on my blog – the Marvel Avengers Alliance thing (it generates unstoppable, mad traffic), social media-online strategy, and my struggling novel. But none of it is about business per se. I may be old school because business (for me) happens when I’m in a tailored suit and nothing that I do professionally is for free – beyond the smile, honesty and passion for results.
@Faryna What is your business, Stan? I’ve always been curious.
Great points, Jayme. And here’s one more reason to avoid going ‘dark:’ the search engine spiders stop coming by if there’s nothing new on your site.
@Shelley Pringle AH-HAH…let me count, that’s 3 times in about 4 comments I’ve used that! I’m thinking today is a light bulb moment!! Thanks, Shelley! Excellent, excellent.
My obvious ignorance about all the SEO reasons not to go dormant saved by you. Thanks!
@Soulati | B2B Social Media Marketing You’re welcome. It’s interesting how you came at it from a user experience and I came at it from an SEO perspective–and it’s exactly the same result.
@Shelley Pringle Not sure if you saw that Canadian PR firm that responded immediately that its website didn’t rank low (I had tweeted your blog post and they took offense!).
@Soulati | B2B Social Media Marketing I did see it and I offered to send them a report on their site but I haven’t heard back yet. Funny thing is they were actually one of the 15 agencies I included in my original evaluation.
@Shelley Pringle How smart are you for biz dev? That’s awesome!
@Soulati | B2B Social Media Marketing I actually hadn’t thought of it that way. I could make a whole career out of educating PR agencies in Canada and call it “Spin Sucks North.” Catchy, no?
Hi Jayme, it takes commitment and consistent work to develop your blog and social media channels.
To do well on the social web, it needs to become a part of the very fabric of your business.
It needs to contribute to the ‘why’ your business is doing well and winning business.
It’s what gives your business a pulse on the web.
You get out what you put in to the effort.
Cheers, miss!
@Mark_Harai You’re right, yet the temptation is so great to not blog for awhile and then a little longer and then all of a sudden…boom. No more blog or online presence. Once you start for real, you really cannot and should not stop.
I’m hoping those who have stopped are not undergoing major personal issues. Some are private and don’t wish to share. I for one want to know so I can be concerned, a nurturer and a friend.
@Soulati | B2B Social Media Marketing What doesn’t kill you life will only make you stronger.
Life is all about overcoming challenges and adversity, while moving toward your vision everyday.
Sometimes life can snuff out your vision 😮
You’re a good friend, miss : )
@Mark_Harai Darn, I’m having a good hair day; we should’ve Skyped!
Ok, ok, I know this has me written all over it! I did write that post – glad you found it and commented. Love this post, too and for the MOST part, I agree with you. The one point you made to me yesterday in our conversation that actually got me off my duff and had me writing, was the part about my business brand and making sure it stayed consistent and fresh (you don’t really mention it here). For you, you mention community a lot and that’s where your sweet spot really lives. For me, it’s the business leads and prospects that I work to cultivate and blogging helped me with that (2 years of it finally paid off!). Fast forward to this year and I really do have more work than I have ever had (not bragging – at all, just a busy time), so my original goals of blogging for business aren’t as “in my face” as they once were. Ergo, the question posed yesterday: if my business is booming, why the big need to blog? 😉
You mention staying fresh on a variety of platforms, too. I get that, but for me, I will always hang where it yields the most bang for the business buck. Based on my analytics, and tracking leads that turn into clients, I’ve discovered that’s Facebook and face to face interactions. Twitter is great for driving traffic to my website and blog, which in turn amps up the overall brand and cadre of colleagues with whom I can work, but it’s not my primary source for clients. As a result, when time (literally) is tight (as it has been lately) and I couldn’t blog, hanging on FB was my one way to ‘stay in the game’ and not just sit on the bench completely. Make sense?
I love you for wanting me to get back out there, but I will always do it a touch differently than many, many folks out there. As we all should. As you’ve said on more than one occasion, consistency is key. My problem is that my ‘consistency’ was very inconsistent! LOL!
XOXO, Jayme !
@EricaAllison You’re so good to call yourself out; wasn’t gonna do that. And, glad you brought up the brand thing (I think my title originally had that in it and then I changed it!).
And, another great point — everyone does do it differently! We don’t have to be cookie cutter, and the thing I love about you is you’re tuned in to your numbers. You’re really a big data queen, and you do things purposefully.
Me, on the other hand? Nope; shoot from the hip instinctively. I’m thinking that’s a gift or a curse; depends how you look at it! Great/GREAT having you here.
Just like riding a bike. It’s what I keep telling myself, too. Busy, as Erica says, in good ways and just plain life ways doesn’t mean I’ve given up on it or devalued it–or you wonderful people, who’ve made it even worth considering!
@ShakirahDawud OMG, I’m so happy to see you today. I have been so worried about you and I hope you’ve felt the vibes. Please don’t leave us too much longer; please come back! You’re a valued member in our lives (mine for sure) and miss you to pieces.
If you don’t want Big Mama calling you on the phone to check in on you, you better make a comment or two on a regular basis so I know you’re still kickin’!!
Anything I can do to help, Lady Friend?
A blog post should be as long as it needs to be. People get hung up on word count, but if it is well written…
@Joshua Wilner/A Writer Writes That tip, however, was to help the dormant blogger come on back..if they can dash off 350 words to get their mojo back, that’s what I was thinkin’.
Unlike you…the master of prolificness (yep a coin). Heh.
@Soulati | B2B Social Media Marketing Who me….
Good points, Jayme. I also keep up with cold calling (yes, I still do that) and emailing potential clients. A call or two a day adds up over the course of a year and some of my biggest clients are a result of that. So, old school still works, for me at least 🙂
With blogging, I think getting into the practice of writing every day (not posting every day) is the best way to go. 30-45 minutes first thing in the morning.
Like Mark said: “it needs to become a part of the very fabric of your business.” Good tips!
@Craig McBreen Wow, you write for yourself every day like that? What do you do with the content you generate? Are you posting on others’ blogs we don’t know about?
I have a dormant blog you can toss content at…I know that blog would be very happy to have you…that’s way cool!
Cold calling is like media pitching to me…I have to sell news to media who may or may not want to hear from me (usually they may not). Hah. Thanks!
@Soulati | B2B Social Media Marketing I have some stuff in the queue 😉 And not everything I write gets published (quite a bit ends up in the bin)
About the calls: The old ladies still hang up on me … 😉
Guilty – and my only excuse is that I’m still playing catch-up now that I’m back from vacation. I’d considered rerunning a post or finding a guest (but I’m so bad about guesting in return, afraid of doing some clunker). Now those shorter pieces are part of the plan, as is paying more attention to other networks. But don’t worry, I’ll get it back in gear. FWIW.
@3HatsComm I just singled you out ‘cuz I know how engaged you used to be and how engaged you’re kinda not these days and not for lack of wanting to be, right? Heh. Great for you that you took holiday; envious. Back to Disney? XO, Queen.
@Soulati | B2B Social Media Marketing A little WDW plus a Sandy-shortened cruise. And I’m still around, just a bit less spread out more. 🙂
Great tips – we all need to hear this from time to time. As you know, I’ve been knocked off the blogging horse a time or two. But, it’s so darn important to keep it up.
I encourage most businesses to start with one post a week. It’s a reasonable amount that won’t take up too much time, but it’s enough to keep the wheels a’churning.
Another idea to add to the list is photos or videos. Sometimes, multimedia can say more than a 500-word post can. And, they can often be easier to produce. Just another option for SMBs short on time.
@lauraclick Thanks for the suggestions, Laura! Just had lunch with a PPC/paid search guy and what they do and know is awesome info. He said the same — pages with video and images are the faves of search engines so off to the camera we go!
Not sure if you saw the comment early this a.m. when an old boyfriend called me to say I looked horrid (basically) in my videos ‘cuz I had no lighting and fluorescent lighting was mean to anyone. Ahem. Thanks, bro; yep, there is no lighting equipment in this basement!!
And, am gonna work on that post for you soon!!! Needed something more quick for today that didn’t entail research and thinking differently!
@Soulati | B2B Social Media Marketing Yup. Video is great – after all, YouTube is the second largest search engine! I know I should be doing more video. And, darn that awful boyfriend! BOO!!!!! I think your gorgeous!
As for the post, no worries. Just get to it when you can. Look forward to your thoughts!
@lauraclick I watched a video of Gini the other day and didn’t see any special studio lighting she uses, either. Heck, she and I did a double on the street in Chicago holding up her iPhone! No lighting there!!
If I’m gonna go all pro and stuff, the authenticity suffers; however, I ought to pay better attention to something as basic as lighting and getting a tripod. Thanks, Laura!
Hi Jayme, Great ideas. I would also add guest posts (I don’t think there is an obligation to reciprocate, but correct me if I’m wrong on this). an “All Star” series and shoutouts to fellow bloggers.
It’s also a good idea to have some articles in reserve for when life gets in the way. When you’re motivated at least start an article that won’t take much editing to get it in shape.
@wonderoftech I bet you do have reserves on tech stuff, Carolyn; but as for most bloggers I know there isn’t much reserve happening! Lately, though, I do have 2-3 in queue, but I write them and forget about them! Heh.
Need to be better. I’m getting lazier on the pre-publish set up as I try to add as many custom links as I can. I am liking this Zemanta thing too…hope it keeps working for me.
As for GP? Hmm, I think you’re right — reciprocation is not truly expected.
I let my blog go almost dormant last winter and paid a dear price. It was hard to get it back up to speed. This is a critical business activity that we cannot let lapse (I’ve learned my lesson!)…
@geoffliving Interesting and good for you that you’re back up and running, Geoff. I don’t think people realize how critical and beneficial blogging is until it’s gone.
Awesome ideas, Jayme! Keep leading!
@New England Multimedia thanks Lady!
Great tips and a trap that is so easy to fall into.
I am struggling right now. My day job is keeping me hopping about and there are days when I get tired. Too tired to think. @Craig McBreen tip re: writing daily is a good one. Takes a lot of discipline when you’re not in business for yourself though.
I like the good natured attitude of the thoughts here too. People will come back. I sure do hope so.
Cheers!
@rdopping If I didn’t write first think in the a.m. I would never have posts (I’m pretty worthless after 7:00 pm, really ;))
Hey Jayme,
I agree with @rdopping Excellent tips! I never understood how business professionals that are working 50+ hours a week make the time to blog. However, when you are writing about topics you’re passionate about and your engagements with your customers are providing wicked content, it doesn’t have to take as long as you think!
Thanks again and I look forward to connect very soon :)Enjoy
@GeoffReiner @rdopping Time management; a timeless topic, Geoff! This post was inspired by a conversation yesterday and was written in about 20 minutes or less.
I still keep thinking about some Triberr guys who were asking why in the world do people write about blogging? They were tech geeks, so I had to comment as the didn’t get it at all.
Then, I always think about it too, why do I write about blogging? Because, what you said…passion.
Good post. I see lots of dormant blogs – where the latest post is 45-60 days old. You’re tips are great.
FearlessCompetitor.com publishes every single day. In fact @buyerzone picked it as the Best B2B Blog of 2012. I invite everyone to check it out.
@JeffOgden @buyerzone I love that you added your blog here. As this is your first time here (right?), I welcome you and am always interested in exploring new writers. Thanks for coming and sharing!
What do you think a dormant blogger should do? Put up a sign “Out To Lunch ‘Til Christmas?”
Ah, but can your blog go (Bill) Dorman?
@jennwhinnem Or (Billy) Dorman…..:).
Timely post as I haven’t posted in two weeks. I’ve had somewhat the perfect storm as I took a vacation, my son started working with us, and my day job was keeping me busy. Since mine has been a ‘personal’ blog it really doesn’t matter, so now I just need to see if I want to jump back in like I was. It has made me realize what a time commitment it is.
On another note, I’ve been doing more w/ LinkedIn and will be more involved with the Lanier blog. Hmmmm….
@bdorman264 That’s a GOOD thing. Cheers Bill.
@bdorman264 Keep on that hiatus as long as you want. We’ll always know where to find, cough, hunt you down:)
@bdorman264 I’m thinkin’ you’re changin’ and change is GOOD! Go get ’em! Hmm, working with your kid; not sure about that? Best luck!
Soulati, those are good words to help someone get back on track. I ask myself sometimes why I keep blogging and I get sincere a comment that actually wants to discuss and I know why my conversations matter.
You can tell when someone is being overly nice or want to talk about your article. I think every blogger goes through a little self doubt every now and then.
However, you are right it does not take much to get back on track. A blogging friend of mine stopped blogging and for whatever his reasons, but I missed his insightful comments.