When work gets busy, home life can also get hectic, and while you are dealing with the never-ending to-do list you have, you probably also have this niggling reminder that your blog is just sitting there; outdated, uninspired and driving your customers right into the arms of your competitors.
Does this sound a little like your blog content strategy situation? If it does sound familiar, don’t worry, all hope is not lost – there are things you can do to turn the situation around. If you don’t have the time to post quality blogs, consider contacting a professional content writer to take the task off your hands. Additionally, here are some more tips to keep your blog content fresh, even if your time is limited. And we’re here to share those secrets with you now.
Table of Contents
Firstly, why is Fresh Blog Content Important?
It’s one thing to say that fresh blog content is essential; but why is it? You already understand that you need to give your audience a reason to keep coming back for more, but here are a few other benefits of having fresh blog content:
- New content boosts SEO results – Google loves to see fresh content and that you are putting in the effort for your customers.
- More exposure for your website – The more attractive your blog content is, the more chance there is of readers sharing it, which in turn will earn your business more exposure.
- Helps to boost your authority – Regular and informative posts position you as an authority in your industry.
- Helps to build relationships – Interesting content strengthens and develops relationships with existing customers and new customers, as they feel valued and taken care of.
- Blogs provide a way for your audience to connect to your brand – A blog makes you more of a friend to your audience, and it allows them to check-in and rely on your ongoing support and advice.
How to Keep Your Blog Fresh Even with a Busy Schedule in 3 Easy Steps
If you are ready to learn a few ways to ensure that your blog doesn’t go stagnant, then let’s jump straight in.
Schedule Your Blogging
One of the biggest mistakes that we have noticed our customers doing is trying to ‘fit blogging into a busy schedule’. If you do not see blogging as part of your weekly schedule, the chances are that you are going to skip over it on more than just the odd occasion. There is a reason why parents drop kids off at school every morning at a particular time or head to the gym for a class on certain days and times – it is because these activities are scheduled, so schedule your blogging as part of your content strategy each week.
It may help to find an evening or a day where you have an hour or two to dedicate to blogging, even if it’s a Sunday evening. You really can start small with just one post per week and build up your workload as you become more accustomed to your routine. The sooner you incorporate your blogging as part of your normal routine, the sooner it will stop being a chore that you often do not make time for.
Get Ahead – Stockpile Some Blog Posts
Okay, this one might prove difficult, but if you can sacrifice one weekend of your free time or take a day off, do it and use this time wisely to stockpile content for your site. You’ll need your laptop or computer, perhaps some coffee and the dedication to sit down and write, write, and write some more for your blog. Writing a few posts upfront and storing them for posting on the relevant blog-post days can save you time, just don’t focus on writing too many time-relevant posts which could become outdated by the time you get around to posting them.
However, another problem you may encounter is finding blog inspiration for all the posts that you intend to write on your dedicated writing day, so how do you come up with all of your ideas? Well, you can ask your existing audience the times of posts they’d like to see on your blog. This means that the suggestions and feedback you receive will provide you with the ideas and topics that your readers want to read about. Alternatively, you can also browse other websites and blogs to get inspiration on what types of posts are popular or do a bit of reading on online forums and social media to get some ideas.
Get a Guest Blogger on Board
It doesn’t matter what industry you are involved in; you are guaranteed to find a guest blogger that has something (or a lot) to say about that very industry. When you do not have time to keep your blog updated yourself, you can hire or advertise for guest bloggers to do it for you. While some guest bloggers even like to post for free (for the exposure), keep in mind that regular high-quality content may cost you something in return (but it doesn’t have to be a lot).
While it is natural to be sceptical about handing over your blog to someone else at first, if you do find a skilled and experienced blogger to assist you, you will be amazed by the positive results you’re likely to see. Of course, you can always check or screen posts before you give the go-ahead for them to be published – and that should be able to provide you with some peace of mind that a high standard of posts is being withheld. Guest bloggers with experience will be able to add a boost to your credibility in the industry, drive more traffic to your blog, boosting SEO, making your brand more noticeable online and of course, ensuring that there is always something interesting posted on your blog; even when you are miles away from your laptop and desk. Sounds ideal.
So, where on earth do you find a guest blogger that is up to standard and keen to keep filling in for you while you’re tacking that to-do list? This is an important question to ask actually. You cannot hire just anyone because they are willing to do some online writing for extra money. You need to find someone who has experience and of course, a talent for the written word. You can try to find your bloggers via using platforms, such as LinkedIn or Dribbble, or you could reach out to those bloggers who already have their own blogs, just make sure you do a bit of vetting before you take anyone on.
To many, guest bloggers can sound too good to be true, so what is the catch? Well, unless you hire a ghostwriter, you are going to have to let your audience know who is writing your blogs. An author mention is all it takes, and if you are happy to give credit where credit is due, then it is not a ‘catch’ after all.
Last Word
If you want to ensure that your blog never leaves your audience wondering why you are neglecting them, take the time to try at least one of the three abovementioned tips for keeping your content strategy fresh, even if you don’t have the time to do so. And trust us, you won’t be disappointed.
About the Author:
Charlotte Ross is one of the leading contributors of content and all things content & SEO related at Dojono.com. Whether she’s writing articles, answering queries or providing her expertise for others to benefit from, Charlotte is always putting her knowledge and experience to good use.
You follow her on Twitter or connect with her on LinkedIn.
