By Carly Stec
Feb 15, 2014
Topics:
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Nothing brings your motivation to a screeching hault quite like realization that after all of your hard work, no one is actually reading your blog content.
You just went from feeling 10 feet tall, to just..small.
But don't let one unloved blog push you to throw in the towel, or a dozen unloved blogs for that matter. This problem has a solution, and you'll get there if you're patient.
You have to ask yourself, are you giving people a reason to frequent your blog?
If you're unsure of your blog's value, it's likely that your audience (or lack there of) is feeling equally as puzzled.
Fear not, we've identified three reasons why no one is reading your blog to help you start moving your content in the right direction.
It's All About You
When you're creating content perhaps the biggest mistake you can make is making it all about you, when really it has to be all about your readers. Haven't you ever heard the saying "give before you receive?"
There is a time and place for self-promotion, and your blog isn't necessarily that place. Your blog should be bigger than just your brand, and your blogging efforts shouldn't be done in vain.
Focus less on advancement, and more on understanding your audience and defining a blog content strategy that aligns with their wants, needs, and expectations.
To put it simply: your customers don't care about you, they care about themselves. The more you talk about yourself, the more you stifle the success and potential of your content.
It's Not Useful
In the end, helping trumps selling.
In 2010, the average consumer needed 5.3 sources of information before making a purchase decision. By 2011, Google found that the average consumer needed 10.4 sources of information. With the demand for information on the rise, you simply can't afford to create content that is anything less than useful.
When your potential customers go searching for information, make sure that you've set your brand up for success by pouring your content creation efforts into becoming a utility. Whether you like it or not, if they can't find answers in your content, they're going to move on. With so many alternative sources of information to turn to, second chances are becoming obsolete.
So start answering every question you can think of. Dive into the core of your personas and uncover their challenges, what they're searching for, where they're searching for it, and how they're consuming it.
In the age of digital information, it's likely that your customer's have their minds made up before you even realize they're interested. With this being said, you have to put forth content that can speak on your behalf, and attract new customers.
Go out of your way to be helpful, trust us, it won't go unnoticed.
It's Too "Buttoned-Up"
How cool is your content? Would you invite your content to a dinner party?
While these questions may sound silly, the way you answer them speaks volumes about the effectivity of your blog.
Tired, monotonous content doesn't get read, and it certainly doesn't shared. While we understand that you are writing to help and inform (or so we hope after our last tip), you can't forget that your audience is human just like you. We all love a good pun, a pop culture reference, or a relevant story that really hits home.
A touch of personality can help to set your blog content apart from the congealing blob of commonplace copy that exists out there. By combining personality and presentation you are opening up your content to let your personality shine through.
After all, in order to build a loyal following, you first have to gain their trust. People have a hard time placing their trust in the hands of a one dimensional company, but a touch of personality can help you break that faced, and position your business as a human one; one that can be trusted.
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