Posted by Corporate blog content creation is a top priority of more than 50% of marketers. And with so many benefits — including the ability to reach, engage and convert prospects — you can expect this number to increase in the years to come.
The good news is that any company — regardless of size or industry — can benefit from a corporate blog. However, there’s no guarantee of success. Your blog could one day hit a wall.
Here are five reasons why your corporate blog has hit a wall and what you can do to get back on track.
1. No content calendar
A content calendar shouldn’t be optional. It’s best to make it a mandatory requirement within your organization. Without this, you’re inviting trouble such as an on-again-off-again posting schedule or publishing duplicate content.
A content calendar doesn’t have to be complex. It can be as simple as a Google Sheet with columns for title, keyword, author and proposed publication date.
2. Out of ideas
Through my years of consulting companies on how to drive revenue and traffic through corporate blogging, I’ve found this to be the biggest reason for failure. When you run out of ideas, one of two things happens: You stop blogging altogether or you stop sharing quality content.
Before this happens, make a list of places you can turn to generate ideas:
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Brainstorm with other members of your team
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Review competing blogs for inspiration
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Use a keyword research tool
One of these ideas may be all it takes to clear your mind, break out of your funk and create a topic list you can rely on for months to come.
3. Not enough contributors
If you’re the only person contributing content to your company’s blog, it won’t be long before you hit a wall. This happens for many reasons, such as running out of ideas (see above) or simply burning out.
Here are some places you can turn to find contributors:
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Colleagues (even if they aren’t in the marketing department)
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Clients, partners, affiliates or suppliers
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Outside writers who are willing to submit guest posts
As your list of contributors grows, the amount of content you personally create will (or can) decrease.
Related: Here’s How Entrepreneurs Can Write a Powerful Blog
4. Too heavy of a focus on one type of content
Creating the same type of content — day after day — can result in burnout and/or writers’ block. Not to mention the fact that it can become tiresome for your audience to read.
Creating various types of content will maintain your interest in writing while keeping your audience coming back for more. These 10 ideas are a good place to start:
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Listicles
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How-to guides
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Interviews
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Infographics
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Personal or brand stories
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Industry news or current events
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Checklists
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Resources
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Quizzes, surveys, or polls
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Frequently asked questions (FAQs)
There are sure to be specific types of content that you prefer to create. And that’s okay. Just remember to mix things up now and again. It’s beneficial to you and your audience.
Related: How to Scale Your Blog Like a Startup
5. Lack of time
Even if it’s your full-time job to create content for your company’s blog, it doesn’t mean that time is always on your side. According to Orbit Media, it takes slightly more than four hours to write a typical blog post of roughly 1,400 words. And that doesn’t take into consideration other tasks, such as research and editing.
When time is tight, writers tend to cut corners. Maybe you lower your word count. Maybe you skip over proofreading. Perhaps you turn a blind eye to optimizing your content for search engines.
Fortunately, there are many ways to fight back against a lack of time, such as creating an ironclad content calendar and accepting guest posts.
Let these pointers direct you down the path toward corporate blogging success. If your blog has hit a wall, stop what you’re doing and recalibrate your strategy.
Related: Why Every Brand Should Have a Blog