From personal experience in professional blogging, I'm not allowed to know the feeling of blog blues. However, I am quite familiar with the fallout of letting a blog go to waste.
It's an exciting time when a business jumpstarts content marketing. Marketers start investing actual time and research in social media, followers start interacting, and everything's going swimmingly. That is, of course, until they hit that "wall."
The wall is what separates content campaigns that make it from those that falter. It's most obvious when bloggers see less traffic despite the fact that the content is better and more frequent than ever. Or, more commonly, a wall forms once a business blogger runs out of topics and writing becomes a chore.
Don't fret - the blog wall is a common side effect of overcompensating for lost time, and there are plenty of ways to reinvigorate your content marketing to get campaigns back on track.
1. Rework the Site
Most businesses without an outsourced Web development team run blogs on different URLs than their main site. I actually prefer this method since it allows tech-inclined writers to completely manage the front end of their content. Whatever the case may be, your blog may be due for a fresh start.
The obvious move is to find a new theme (if you use WordPress, that is), rebuild menu bars, and redesign the layout. Not only will this give your content a new look, it helps writers build up much-needed enthusiasm to create new content. Your readers always appreciate new things, too.
2. "Alternative" Content
Shy away from the same 500-word, two-heading post that you've been writing every day for weeks. Why? Because it's boring.
Depending on their freedom and responsibilities, business bloggers have to meet certain quotas to justify their income. The same goes for any marketer, of course, and when page views and conversions are at stake there's everything to lose.
To save your blog and reinvigorate your creativity, try developing different types of content. This may include infographics, interviews, interactive videos, long-form research articles, roundups, or even commentary (from your business blogging perspective) on breaking news. Too many blogs stick with the, "Let's write how-to pieces and justify our authority." These are fine, but boring for the writer.
3. Break the Routine
Bouncing off of #2, it also helps to break the blogging routine. I know marketers (or lowly interns) who go to work, write 500 words with a cup of coffee, and post. Day in, day out.
Creativity doesn't like routine.
Try writing at different times of the day, try asking your followers what they want to read about, try defining who you are as a blog professional. The ideal situation is when you have the everyday content (mentioned in #2) ready to go in advance and can spend more time writing the killer posts you're more excited about.
Another option is to find another writer within your company and ask for an in-house guest post, whether it's labeled as such or not. This is a great way to collaborate content marketing and get a new voice in the mix. Try going into your boss' office and ask for 10 minutes of his or her time. Bring a notepad and ask the boss to talk on a particular subject. Bam - you got yourself a post.
4. Due Diligence
Your blog deserves everything you can give it, which often includes hours of outside research. Look at what your competitors are doing, what high-ranking news outlets are doing, and what people outside of your industry are writing about.
Any writer will tell you that the best inspiration comes from outside of your shell. Maybe that small town bakery blog or contractor's site will spark a much-deserved idea.
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