Even the best blogging-for-business efforts can get sidetracked. We worry about fresh content. We take a break and never get back. We focus on video and leave blogging behind. Mainly, after blogging for a while, we tinker with our blogs so much that we forget why we started to blog in the first place. Yet if we really look at our blogs, we can see the simple things we can do to keep them fresh, well-written and great to read.
If your blog has really gotten off track, maybe it’s time to rewrite a new blogging mission statement (or write one if you never did one in the beginning). This isn’t the kind of thing that will be graded or that you have to publish. Mainly, it’s for you. Your mission statement will remind you what your blog’s values are, what stories you want to tell, the ultimate purpose for your business having a blog and the goals you want to achieve with blogging. After your mission statement, refresh your blogging schedule. If you’ve only been posting once in a blue moon or only “when you have the time,” your blog is not working as the sporadic nature repels readers. So get back on track with a 30-minute-a-day schedule. Plan your topics for the week or month and schedule blog posts out to alleviate the stress of coming up with subject matter and remembering to post. Like is writing in the morning best, or do you prefer late, late at night? Pick whatever time you prefer and stick with it. A specific blogging time will put you in the habit of writing when you feel the most relaxed and creative. Sharpening up your editing skills and stopping sloppy habits is another terrific quick fix for a blog in disarray. Go back to slowing down and using your darn spellcheck. Listen, mistakes happen, but they can be fixed before your readers see them by using the tools already on your blog platform. Rereading a post only takes minutes and can really help you fine tune your blog into the kind of writing you actually want to read.
Finally, getting back to basics means returning to what you love about your business and then sharing that with your readers. So, readers, now it is your turn to share. What blogging basics do you return to time and time again?
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