One of the most challenging aspects of business blogging is deciding upon a topic. Not only do I hear the many “reasons” (a.k.a. excuses) for not choosing a topic and sticking with it, but I’ve uttered a few of them to myself along the way.
Admittedly – it’s hard to stick to a tightly targeted topic. It requires effort and creativity to compose blog posts that somehow – someway – take a cursory pass at the topic of your blog. Once again – I’d like to offer here a bit of advice for anyone who would rather learn from my experience than their own.
Blogging off topic
Why are you blogging? It’s the most important question to ask as you launch your business blog. If you’re enveloped in a fog created by the various “gurus” who tout business blogging as the way to get rich quick for your business – you’ll quickly discover that business blogging is not a get rich quick sport.
Business blogging is a GREAT way to build an impressive array of articles which showcase the value of your products and services. Business blogging makes publishing these informative articles to the web quick and easy. Through these articles – you can allow prospective customers/clients/patients to “see” what’s in store after they do business with you.
One important lesson I’ve learned over the past few years when it comes to business blogging is this:
Blog posts should be timeless.
However, when you are blogging – it’s often easier to write about what’s happening at the moment than to lay out a blogging “plan” for your upcoming posts. Don’t get me wrong – sometimes “the moment” is the fodder for the best blog posts.
SOMETIMES
Other times – “the moment” takes your blog horrifically off track and off topic.
A few years ago – I wrote such a “blogging off topic in the moment” post. At the time, I was feeling abused by a local business and very angry. I also had shiny new powerful Weapon of Mass Destruction – my blog. I vented my frustration under the title “When a pest control company becomes your biggest pest.”
That blog post did everything I wanted it to do at that moment in time. My account with the company was quickly adjusted and I was pleased. Not only did I achieve satisfaction – but once again I saw the benefits of maintaining a business blog.
That was then – this is now.
Today that blog post seems to have become an internet lightning rod for Floridians frustrated by their pest control company. (Pest control services are a necessity when you live in the Sunshine State.) So what’s not to love about a blog post that gets so popular that it becomes the target of an internal online reputation repair campaign?
Well – it’s the fact that the blog post is completely and totally off topic for my blog.
When visitors arrive at my blog via search – they see that blog post as their “opening page”. Keep in mind, many of those visitors are here for information about pest control companies in Florida. There isn’t much information here beyond that single post – so these visitors bounce. They aren’t here for information about social media marketing or business blogging – they’re here because they’re upset with their pest control company.
Business blogging is definitely a horse of a different color than “traditional” blogging.
As a business blogger – you need to create TIMELESS blog posts that are on target – because the older those blog posts get – the more likely they are to show up in a search.
“A man who carries a cat by the tail learns something he can learn in no other way.” ~Mark Twain
I blogged in the moment – and I inadvertently picked a cat up by the tail.
A word to the wise – if you’re blogging for your business – focus upon keeping your blog posts on topic and timeless.
