Refreshing Your Blog for Maximum Impact

Have you taken a good, long look at your blog lately? If you have, do you feel that it needs to be revamped and modernized so that it fits the image of your business more closely? Well, there are ways to refresh your blog so that it has an impact that you will be proud of.

 Roll up your sleeves and get to it

You may have been doing a good job of posting a blog on a consistent schedule. That, of course, is very important because you want to give people who connect with you professionally a reason to interact with you so that you can build your relationship together. However, do you think that you can spare the time to look carefully at your blog, determine what you need to do to successfully overhaul it, and actually execute that plan?

• Make your title pop: Most likely, you have paid a great deal of attention to writing the most effective blog possible. That means that you have paid a lot of attention to each element of your blog so that you present the most compelling content possible. The fact is that you have exactly three seconds in which to grab the reader’s attention with your blog title. If you can’t grab the reader with your title, they won’t stay with you long enough to read anything else that you have written. There are some seemingly minor changes that you can make that will make a big difference, such as adding a number, tightening up the language so that it is more clear and concise, or using an adjective in the title. It is important for you to keep in mind that your title should have the effect of connecting with your reader emotionally. 

• In your title, make a connection with another blog post: If you have valuable additional content that you think may benefit your readers, be generous and share it with them, even if the content was written by someone else. That is you taking the high road. Of course, it is optimal to link to posts that you have written; however, other valuable posts will do as well. Those other posts may provide your reader with a deeper insight into the topic.

• Make sure that your “About” page is fresh: Think back and try to figure out exactly when you last updated your About page. There is a really good possibility that you haven’t updated it in a long time. The evaluation of your About page should include an accurate and current biography, current information about your products and/or services, and workable back links to your other blog articles. Some other items that may be good to include are testimonials, a new logo, and up-to-date statistics.

• Replace an old photograph with a new one: Having a photo as part of your avatar is essential. To take it one step further, you should use a photo of yourself that is current and professional. The most appropriate photo is a head shot that is no more than a few years old. That is an important part of your brand. It should be used every time you post a blog. If your face is in the minds of your readers, they will remember you visually and their association with you will be more meaningful than if they can’t associate your face with your name and your business. 

• Address comments head on: If you are in business, there is a really good chance that you will receive feedback from people. That means positive and negative feedback. The issue is not whether you receive comments. The issue is what you do about them. There is no doubt that you need to address whatever comments you receive. The only variable is how quickly you respond to those comments. The best approach is probably to respond to comments sooner rather than later. If you show your reader respect by responding to his or her concerns, you are showing that person that you value his or her opinion and you will do everything in your power to improve your offerings.

• Put the right information on your contact page: There are certain pieces of information that are essential to your business and they should be on your contact page. You should have a space for the person’s Email address, provide the reader with links to the various social media channels on which you have profiles, and let the reader know how you would like to be contacted (Email, phone, social media).

• Promote your blogs properly: If you are in a situation in which your blogs have appeared in different places,  you should promote that. It will boost your reputation and it will give your readers the impression that you are doing a lot of valuable work and that other people value what you are doing and what you are offering. It is a really good idea to toot your own horn in such a situation.

• Look carefully at your content and fix errors as you see them: The fact is that humans make mistakes on occasion. Everyone understands that. However, what is not acceptable is allowing an error to remain on your blog after you have discovered it or after someone else has pointed it out to you. Typos create a very negative impression of you and they say that you are careless, sloppy, and that you don’t pay enough attention to detail. Why would another person want to hire someone like that?

• Don’t forget to include a call-to-action(CTA): Including a CTA in your blog is critical for your business. The reason that it is so important is because it is the only way that your reader has to connect with you once they finish reading your blog. If you provide your readers with a CTA, they can interact with you in many different ways, such as posting comments, sharing your blog post with other people they know, leave a comment about your blog on one or more of your social media channels, etc. 

Conclusion

If you follow the advice that is given here, you will see a difference in how well your blogs are received by your readers. Make sure that you visit your blog in order to update and improve on a regular basis. Try to put yourself into the shoes of the reader. What would he or she think if the information that you have on your blog is outdated and stale? Each of the changes described above are seemingly small and will not take a lot of time to implement. On the other hand, your business may benefit a great deal from each and every change that you make.

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