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5 Tips For Painless Business Blogging

If blog writing has you stressed and feeling unproductive, take a step back and focus on these simple (and pretty painless) business blogging tips:

1. Keep a Running List of Ideas.

One of the most difficult parts of blog writing is simply coming up with new ideas on a regular basis. Really, though, ideas area all around you. They may come from phone conversations with customers, YouTube tip videos, trade magazine articles, your LinkedIn groups, or questions from employees. When you come across an idea for a blog post, write it down immediately. Keep a running list on your phone, in a notebook, or in a spreadsheet. Then, next time you sit down to write a post, you'll have a handy list to refer to.

2. Use an Editorial Calendar.

Your business requires you to handle all kinds of tasks, and in the daily rush, you may neglect your blog. To avoid a haphazard blog, create an editorial calendar to keep your blog writing fresh and well-rounded. An editorial calendar is simply a calendar that tells you when to publish content and what your topics should be, and it's important whether you're a one-person business or a huge corporation. If your business consists of just you, your editorial calendar will keep you accountable to yourself. If you're part of a larger organization, the calendar allows you to delegate blogging tasks and still make sure your employees write about assigned topics in a timely manner.

3. Proofread.

Even your best ideas will fall flat if you don't proofread your blog writing. Remember that a business blog is a reflection of your business. If you produce sloppy, incoherent copy, you could tarnish your image and give people a poor impression. To produce flawless blog posts, allow your copy to sit for 24 hours before proofreading. A little distance from your work allows you to look at it more objectively. Of course, to have the luxury of an overnight hiatus between writing and proofreading, you'll have to pay attention to your editorial schedule and get your blog writing done ahead of time. Another strategy is to have someone else proofread for you. You can also read your copy aloud to hear the rhythm of your sentences and to listen for transitions and unnecessary repetition.

4. Use Social Media.

How can social media enhance your business blogging? It can help in two directions. First, social media can direct traffic to your blog. Whenever you publish a new blog post, tweet it, Facebook it, pin it on Pinterest, and share it on Google+. Not only will your followers see your social media post and perhaps click on the link, but if it's a particularly valuable post, they may forward it to their friends. Re-tweets spread like viruses through the Twittersphere, spreading your valuable information farther than you would have dreamed possible.

Second, social media can help you to create conversations on your blog. Do you publish posts on your business blog that only get one comment--from your mother? Invite other people into the conversation by integrating your social media usage with your blog. Did someone ask a question about a product or service on your business Facebook page? Specifically address that question in a blog post, and route traffic from your Facebook page to your blog so everyone can see the answer to the question. Soon, readers of your blog will feel valued and listened-to, and your blog will be a much more valuable tool for building relationships with customers, vendors, and clients.

Related: What's Your Angle? How to Write for Business Blogs

5. Call in the Professionals.

You know that a good business blog has fresh content, readable writing, and regular updates. If that sounds like too tall an order for you to keep up with, call in a professional. When you begin to blog for your business, it might not seem like a big deal to publish a post once or twice a week, but once the novelty wears off, blogging falls to the bottom of your to-do list. Thursday afternoon rolls around, and you realize you haven't thought about your blog once all week. If you find yourself in this position, hire out the work.

Professional writers can help you with ideas, writing, deadlines, proofreading, and publishing. You just need to direct them regarding your audience, your image, keywords, upcoming events/sales, and how you're going to be using social media in conjunction with your blog.

Don't let business blogging become an unruly burden. Keep your blog writing simple and painless with these simple tips.

Topics: blog strategy - business blog - business blog content - blog writing

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