4 Big Reasons Your Blog Posts Aren't Taking Off
4 Big Reasons Your Blog Posts Aren't Taking Off
Every week, there seems to be a new blog post on Facebook that everyone is sharing.Maybe it’s a new study, maybe it’s a think-piece about a cultural moment, or maybe it’s just an uplifting meditation on life. Have you ever wondered how that manages to happen—how some blog posts simply seem to go viral and others don’t?
Or maybe your questions are more specific. Maybe you're stuck scratching your head about why your blog posts never seem to take off?
Though there are a variety of factors behind what makes a successful blog post (and what makes a blog post that completely blows up), there are a few pretty basic reasons why the average article doesn’t get more than a dozen viewers.
If you find that you’re writing consistently but not seeing the pageview payoff, here are some potential pitfalls to consider.
No one is seeing them
Are you sharing your blog posts on social media? Are you including them in email blasts and adding them to LinkedIn and other relevant places?
These are simple questions, but the truth is that many content creators assume that simply hitting “publish” is enough, and often want to save their Facebook and Twitter presence for other things, like company announcements. Don’t do this!
Facebook and Twitter are where most people get their news; fewer than one in five users actually go directly to websites to look at blog posts and other content. You need to meet your readers on their level, which includes putting your posts right where they’ll see them.
You aren’t taking advantage of your sharing options
If you are sharing your posts regularly but they still aren't getting clicks and attention, it could be because the way you're sharing them isn't very effective. If you're sharing posts from a Facebook page (rather than a personal account), make use of the tools the platform gives you. Change the headline slightly to make it grabbier, upload a different or more high-quality image, and make sure you give some content in the post itself.
You aren’t including enough content
Posts that are just a link with no context perform much more poorly, as do those without images. You may also want to consider having your graphics department or designer make a special Facebook sharing image to help drive more attention.
The content isn’t unique
There are a lot of blogs on the internet. As in, there are literally billions. Tumblr lists close to 300 million just on their platform, if that gives you an idea. Which means to stand out, your content has to truly be original. Fortunately, you have a secret weapon: You!
Instead of trying to write blog posts that are similar those you’ve seen shared by your friends and competitors, try to write something that only you could write. What are some of your favorite insights? What did you learn this week that you couldn’t believe? What’s been on your mind?
The best content isn’t content that speaks to everyone, it’s content that speaks to something specific which a lot of people need to hear.
If you’re working hard to create thoughtful, interesting blog posts on a regular basis, you want to make sure people see them—and, ideally, stay on your site and maybe even convert. To do that, you have to make sure you’re creating content that people want and putting it in places where they can easily find it.
Want to Grow Your Blog? We Can Help
efelle creative is a Seattle based web marketing firm that specializes in website design and development, website content management, search engine optimization, and other online marketing services. Since 2005, efelle creative has worked with hundreds of businesses to help them with their web development needs. Call us at 206.384.4909 or fill out our online contact form to get in touch with a custom web design specialist.