10 Reasons Why Your Company's Blog Sucks

Your company has launched a blog, yet it is not netting the results you had hoped for. "They're just not that into us," you tell yourself as you lick your woulds for suggesting blogging in the first place. Before you chalk it up to a bad experience, as a public service, here is my list of 10 reasons why your blog is not working:

1. Your blog is boring. Why should anyone care about your brand, let alone your blog? Is it relevant to your readers? Can you write content that comes from a real human being, rather than dabbling in "corporate speak?" If not, don't blog.
2. Your content is lame. What can you say on your blog that hasn't already been said before? Can you put a fresh spin on topics that have been done to death?
3. You don't commit to your blog. It takes time, talent, and resources to do it right - from writing the content to programming and designing the blog itself.
4. You can't be bothered to update content on a regular basis. Assess your reasons for blogging - do you want to build steady readership or SEO (Search Engine Optimization)? If you're going to blog, you need to do so as often as is appropriate for your goals, not just when you have time to update.
5. You're out of touch. Is your content only about your company and its services, and nothing else? Stay current on topics that interest your readers and show how your brand relates to it.
6. You're losing readers. What's the point of a well-written blog if only a select few can access it? Add feed content to your blog so that readers can subscribe, share, and enjoy.
7. You forget that a blog is NOT advertising. If you need an ad, contact an agency and have commercials or print materials produced. Your blog is your opportunity to build a relationship with your readers.
8. Your blog lacks credibility. In a study by Forrester Research, only 16% of online consumers who read corporate blogs say they trust them. Woah - pretty heady stuff. Why should readers trust your blog's information any more than a press release or an advertisement?
9. No one knows your blog exists. Think of your company blog like the proverbial tree in the forest: if no one reads your blog, does it matter how awesome it is? Spread the word and drive traffic to your blog.
10. You give up too soon. In the marketing world, we take metrics pretty seriously and we like to track effectiveness. ROI is king and there are few excuses for failure when we have analysis tools at our disposal. When readers don't comment on blogs, many companies give up before they have a chance to see actual results. Take the time to analyze the numbers before you move on.

Comments

[Michele at columbus imPRessions]

Great Tips! So good I just shared them on my twitter account!

[Renee]

I'm all for #7. Of course, I'm a little biased. But, if you need helping making sure your advertising is on target and efficient. Call me! ~Renee

[Jodi Rotondo]

Great post. #4 is really so important.

[Susan Lynch]

This is absolutely excellent. I especially like tips #5 and #7. I hope a lot of companies will read this entry!