On a recent webinar, I heard a staggering statistic. Eighty-percent of companies (who start blogs) never post more than five blog entries. They give up. Abandon ship and simply leave the blog out there as a reminder of their own lack of follow-through, manpower and/or strategy.
What is so incapacitating about a blog? Is it lack of content or ideas? Is it lack of time to generate or flesh-out these ideas or is it simply something you try once like sky diving? Blogging doesn’t have to be reminiscent of an English class assignment. There are ways to spice up the “writing” of your blog; ways to put a different part of your brain on it. Blogs don’t always have to be about the words. The only rule for a blog is to keep your audience’s needs and wants in mind — that goes for creating content as well as media.
Before growing tired of your blog consider:Â
1. “Feathered” hair was pretty the first time we saw it. Serving up content the same way every day becomes boring to your audience even if they loved it initially. Change up the format, theme or layout of your blog. Excite your audience visually. You might be surprised how a new layout changes readership or the areas that get the click-throughs.
2.  Einstein’s definition of insanity – doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result. If you have been plugging away at your blog (writer’s note: five posts does not constitute “plugging away”) with little or no traction, consider adding some variety. This could come in the form of varying your tone (maybe you’re too “business-y” or too casual) or varying your media choice. If you want a different result, try something different.
3. Not everyone likes (or eats) bacon. It’s hard to believe that members of your audience don’t sit around staring at their RSS feed of your blog waiting for the latest post to hit but it’s true. The idea of a one-size fits all blog approach does not work. You should know your audience’s general preferences but you should switch media forms up too. Not every post has to be the beginning of the great American novel. Sometimes you can give a quick hit, or a video blog, or a video tour of your office, or a photo montage or your members enjoying your events. Use podcasts as a way to “personify” your blog. Let them hear a voice to represent your organization. Interview industry experts. Give any visitor to your site a taste of something they’ll enjoy on their terms.
Repetition is important in the beginning of your blog. It sets a voice and tone for as well as audience expectation. But at some point the same becomes boring for both consumer and creator. Try a little variety before you abandon your blogging activities. Your (potential) audience wants to get to know you a little better and that just can’t be done through white papers.
