WritingThoughts

©Laura Spencer

You used to have a great blog. You received several thousand views every day and dozens of comments on every post.

But something happened. Your audience has left. And so has your enthusiasm for your blog.

I’ve seen this happen time and time again. Great blogs become good blogs, then okay blogs, and then fade away. That’s one of the reasons I publish blogging tips here on WritingThoughts.

I’m sure you can think of a few blogs that you once loved, but now no longer exist. It’s sad, because it doesn’t have to happen.

The reason blogs decline is often a lack of focus in content strategy. (Yes, your blog needs a content strategy.)

In this post, I’ll share eight of the ways that a blog’s content strategy can go wrong.

8 Dangerous Signs of Bad Content Strategy

How sound is your content strategy? Do you have one?

Don’t be embarrassed if you don’t. Many bloggers start blogging without a goal or plan. Even if there is a plan, there’s no guarantee it’s a good one.

Here are some signs your content strategy may be off-kilter:

1. You Take More Than You Give. If all your posts read like sales pitches, you’re in trouble. You can direct reader to your sales material at the end of a post, but people tend to be suspicious of entire posts that read like a sales brochure.
2. You Don’t Promote Your Blog. Do you view your blog as a passive income opportunity? I once spent a long time on the phone with a potential client who didn’t want to put any effort into his blog, but couldn’t understand why it was in decline. Learn more, How to Strengthen Your Brand Using Social Shares.
3. You’ve Forgotten Who Your Audience Is. Who is your blog for? Is it for you, or is it for your readers? If you answered that your blog is for you, then you may find that you are its only reader. A business blog is for its readers. Learn more, How to Reach the Right Audience for Your Content.
4. Your Blog Look Hasn’t Changed. Is your blog design mobile-friendly? Perhaps it takes forever to load. Does it look like it was designed ten years ago? First impressions make a difference. Your blog design is often the first impression your audience will get. Learn more, If You’re Losing Readers The Cause Might Not Be Your Writing.
5. You’ve Stopped Posting. Blogging frequency is important, don’t let anyone tell you it isn’t. A blog that hasn’t been updated in months sends the wrong message. Your reader may see that you aren’t keeping your blog up and assume you are out of business. Learn more, How Often Should You Post to Your Blog?
6. You Don’t Respond to Readers. Should you pay attention to your comments and the social media reactions to your blog posts? The answer is “yes,” you should acknowledge and respond to valid comments and social media responses. Learn more, Are Blog Comments Necessary?
7. Your Material Isn’t Helpful. Do your posts contain actionable steps that your readers can follow? (And by actionable steps I don’t mean a line that reads click here to buy…) If your material isn’t helping your readers, you may be wasting their time.
8. Your Posts Are Hard to Read. You may have great and useful things to share, but your blog reader is in a hurry. You need to make sure that they can scan your article quickly to see whether it is worth reading. If they can’t scan, they’ll move on. Learn more, How to Write for Social Media.

Do some of these symptoms seem familiar?

Don’t worry. Most bloggers face these obstacles at one point or another. The good news is that you can fix your content strategy.

Your Turn

Can you think of other signs of a bad content strategy? List them in the comments below.