Oops! Blogging Mistakes (and How to Avoid Them)

Our last blog post was about common email marketing mistakes and ways to avoid them. In this blog post, we’ll cover blogging mistakes that are easy to make and how to avoid them. As with email marketing, frequent posts can become routine. Routine can lead to slip-ups, through no intentional fault of our own. These tips will refresh your blog and help us all avoid common mistakes.

Oops! Blogging Mistakes (and How to Avoid Them)

Mistake #1: Not linking to other websites

This mistake deals with the SEO impact of your blog for your website. If you include links to other credible websites, it shows both the crawler and your readers that you’ve done your research. Linking data you’re including or other relevant blog posts that you use for information are easy ways to build your links to other sites on your blog. Additionally, linking other websites creates a helpful information resource for your readers. So, it’s a plus for both of you!

Mistake #2: Not linking to your own website

Linking to other, relevant posts on your website is a simple way to increase traffic on all your pages. If you’ve already written about a topic, funnel your reader to that post if they’re interested in learning more. For example, this blog post dives deep into how to improve your blog. In addition to helping your readers and increasing overall site traffic, this helps crawlers create an accurate sitemap of your website.

Mistake #3: Not including alt-tags on images

Alt-tags on images are an often overlooked way to reinforce the keywords in your blog post. If you leave out this step, it’s a lost opportunity for telling search engines what your post is about. Optimizing the alt-tags for keywords increases the quality and relevancy of your blog post.

Mistake #4: Writing too formally

Writing too stiffly happens, especially in writers just coming out from formal settings (like college or a hyper-professional work environment). To help with code-switching, I try to write like I would talk, rather than how I would write an essay for a college class. Blog writing should still be grammatically correct and professional. However, it should be easy to read and it should flow well. Transition words between sentences and sections can improve the flow. For instance, including introductory phrases at the beginning of sentences provides a more connected paragraph for your readers. Using common words will also help your readers connect to your writing. This is not the time to pull out your SAT vocab words, no matter how fun that might be. This also applies to industry jargon. You don’t know how much your readers know about your industry—so explain jargon and confusing terms.

Mistake #5: Not proof-reading

Once you’re done writing a blog post, reread it. In a professional setting, typos, grammar mistakes, and awkward sentences don’t fly. To represent your company well, your post should be edited for these mistakes. It doesn’t take very long to look over your blog post, so make sure to do that before you publish it.

Mistake #6: Writing about too broad of a topic

If your blog post topic is simply “marketing” or “SEO,” you might have bitten off more than you can chew in one post. To fully cover a topic, it should be specific enough that you can explain it in one post. If you are interested in a broad topic like “marketing,” separate it into much smaller topics and write multiple blog posts about it. A series can come in handy at this point. For example, on RedMoxy’s blog in June we separated our “Trends & Marketing” topic into three blog posts so each one could focus on a different aspect of marketing trends. Your blogs are most helpful when they are specific and detailed.

Mistake #7: Not blogging consistently

Blogging consistently is key. However frequently you can post (three times a week, twice a week, once a week . . .), stick to it. A consistent schedule regulates your blog and provides something that your readers can rely on. Many blog hosts allow you to schedule a blog in advance. If you are busy for a week or two, just write a blog post in advance and schedule it to post on schedule.

For more information about digital marketing and website development, contact us at RedMoxy. Check out the various ways we can partner with you. We’d love to talk!