I can't imagine how many do's and don'ts lists exist out there. The Internet is full of them. Unless you are a veteran blog writer, though, there is too much input to keep straight. We have sifted through a lot of tips on blog writing and have identified what we think are the five biggest blogging mistakes companies make. If you can tackle these, your blog may just have a fighting chance to attract prospects and convert them into leads.

Not Blogging Enough

If you are only blogging once or twice per month, you are likely not getting the traction and momentum you need to attract people to your website. Because of this, it is likely people won't read the content that you're offering, and you will find it difficult to amass a strong following. Admittedly, writing infrequently is better than not at all, but not by much. At a minimum you should be posting a blog once a week, where you share ideas, tips, perspective and insights. Keep in mind; if your competitors are blogging more frequently than you are, they will have a better chance of ranking high in search results, and in addressing the issues your prospects are searching about.

Your Posts Are Not Providing Value

After writing each blog post, read them over and ask yourself, "What, exactly, am I offering the reader?" Unless prospects learn something new from each post, whether it be a new idea, a better method, actionable steps, or simple tips that will help them, you are not providing real value.

No Promotion

If you don't promote your content, it's never going to get read. It's really as simple as that. If you participate on social platforms such as Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, Google+, or LinkedIn, share your well-written, and hopefully entertaining content so that potentials can read and enjoy. If you want to be a serious business blog writer, you are going to have to learn that building relationships and social interaction is more than essential, it's necessary for survival. Whenever you publish new content, be sure to post it on your various social networks so you can establish yourself as a thought-leader in your industry.

You Focus Too Much On Self-Promotion

People don't always come to your blog only to read about how great your company, products, or services are. Readers are attracted by titles or headlines that pertain to their interest, needs, or issues that they want resolved. Your blog needs to prove to be a valuable resource to people that could be customers in the future, like your target audience. You need to put yourself in their shoes. What do they want to know? What questions might they want answered? What can you help, or make easier for them? Try answering questions about your industry that you think is important knowledge to have.

Using Images Without Strategy

If you want to grow your blog's readership, you need to put serious thought behind the images you choose to include in your blog posts. Be strategic and thoughtful in how you choose to display and present each image within your content. All of your blog posts should contain images. Blogs are different from journals and books: they are a part of a platform that requires a very specific type of writing. That format needs enhancement to add context while improving the overall look and readability of the post itself.

If you’re using stock images or anything under creative commons, make sure you properly attribute their source. Not only is it only fair to the photographer/artist who made the original image, but if protects you from risky copyright claims that can costs hundreds or even thousands in fees.

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