If you have a website or a blog, you engage in content marketing every time you publish a page or post – whether you realize it or not.

As the business world continues to evolve with the Internet age, content blogging has become a booming market. However, many small businesses are making a lot of avoidable mistakes or simply missing out on an opportunity to get the most out of their expensive content.

If you own a site or blog, you know how expensive and time-intensive getting quality content published can be.

So get the most out of your content and avoid these costly mistakes.

 #1. No Plan

The first and most obvious content marketing problem is the complete lack of a plan. Most firms have a short term plan at best – they might know what the next few blog posts will be or what pages on their site need to be added.

But what about the big picture? How is your content adding value? Does your content coach a potential customer into and through the sales funnel? Are you tracking responses to your content so you can improve as you go?

These are just a few questions to get you started. The point is to get a plan on paper that goes beyond the next few weeks’ worth of content.

#2. Wrong Purpose

Content writers can fall into many traps that steal them away from the actual goal of content. Content writing is not about the writer, a random topic, or a selling point. All of these types of writing will frustrate and alienate your readers. The goal of content writing is to spread valid professional advice about a topic that relates to your business. Think about your audience. Who do you want to read your content? Then ask this audience what topics they wish to read about. Your readers might then become customers if you establish yourself as an expert in your business field.

The purpose is not to make a quick sell. Content comes in many forms, but the goal is to create value. This can look like a FAQ section on your site, how-to guides for troubleshooting, or general industry information. Avoid salesy content at all cost.

#3. Unprofessional

Businesses sometimes forget to make sure their content writing is professional. Content writing does need to be grammatically correct, clear, and valid. Your content should be interesting, engaging, and meaningful to your readers. Hiring an ad agency or PR firm is not always a good way to solve this problem unless they have specific training in content writing. Invest in a service or writer who will be worth your time and money.

 #4. Social Media

Publishers will have one of two problems with social media. Either they will never use it and lose all the potential marketing benefits or they will rely too heavily on it to do all the marketing for them. Content needs to be consistently spread through social media outlets, but it must be valuable to your readers and be professionally written.

Encourage readers to share your content using social media buttons on your site by using Twitter and other social media techniques to share your news. But you must understand, they will only share high-value content.

#5. Search Engine Optimization

One of the many reasons to engage in content marketing is to improve your search engine rankings – a process called search engine optimization (SEO). But a common problem with a content marketing campaign is that it does not properly incorporate the latest SEO techniques.

This is an industry in and of itself. Very few inexperienced staff will be able to fully take advantage of up-to-date SEO information. At a minimum, you’ll want to engage an SEO professional to get you some policy in place regarding how to publish your content and best-practices for any social media content you publish. Ideally, you can have an SEO expert involved from start to finish so they can monitor progress and adapt your campaign on the fly.

#6. Untapped Resources

Another common content marketing mistake is failing to use your company’s resources. Get creative with your content and find ways to incorporate your business’s specific strengths and expertise. Have your employees come up with ideas and even write articles for you. The more you set your company apart, the more likely your customers and readers will get behind your content and eventually your company.























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Just about everyone is a blogger these days whether they realize it or not.
If you write something on Facebook and receive comments and feedback then you are a blogger.
Tweet a short sentence of 140 characters on Twitter and you are a micro blogger.

Upload a video to YouTube where you can obtain subscribers and elicit comments, then you are a video blogger.

Arianna Huffington said that “self expression has become the  new entertainment” and people are increasingly likely to participate online than just vegetate in front of the television.

It is creating an explosion of creativity and  expression that is opening up digital doors for invisible experts worldwide.

Formal qualifications such as a degree or a diploma are still vital in a knowledge economy and display good educational discipline. The fact though is that no longer do you have to wait 20 years to be declared a visible formal expert by an institution or mass media outlet who has picked or anointed you. Pick yourself and publish.

The democratization of publishing and marketing through self publishing (blogging) and self marketing (social media) are breaking down barriers to display invisible experts who previously would have been hidden from view.

Professional Blogging Platform

If you want to take a serious stake online to display your passion and knowledge then a self hosted blog with your own domain name is the clever way  to proceed. This is a professional blogging platform. If you want to play then Tumblr or a Facebook “page” can provide a simple home base for amateurs.

If you have an inkling or even a tiny thought that your online brand may become your day job and profession, or you may want to change your lifestyle in the future then building a good foundation with a WordPress blog is essential.

Any good home requires a solid base to build on that “you” own.

The 10 Benefits of Blogging

I have discovered that blogging has many side benefits that are not apparent from an outsider looking in. This is what I have found to be the bonus benefits to blogging that you may find empowering and maybe enlightening.

#1. You will  become a better writer

Just the discipline of sitting down and writing will improve your writing skills. Thinking and planning doesn’t  cut it…action and doing does!

#2. Your video skills will improve

If you spend some time interviewing people with videos or even  recording yourself to provide online education and “how to”‘ tips via video, then your video skills will improve whether that is the lighting, the structure of the set or even the sound quality.

#3. You will learn

To write you have to read. There is a very distinct direct bonus from this activity. You will learn …a lot!
Stephen King the novelist summed it up well ”If you want to be a writer, you must do two things above all others: read a lot and write a lot.”

#4. Visibility – People will hear about you

People discover information online today, so if you want to be a discovered and become a visible expert then blogging and social media will provide you with the visibility. Conducting a Google search is how we find people and information today not the library or the town square unless you are a stalker.
Geoffrey Rush the Oscar winning actor said “In my career two things have been vital.. Credibility and Visibility”

#5. Expert status

Perceived or real, the art of publishing online via blogging will transform you from an amateur to a  professional. Keep doing this with enough passion, purpose and focus and you will become “that” expert on your chosen topic if you persist.

#6. Become a champion researcher

You will also find the best ways to obtain information as you hunt down information and resources for your blog. You will identify global bloggers, resources and experts that will provide the insights and information you need to provide ongoing value to your readers.

#7. Power networker

As you start to become noticed people will want to connect with you and catch up for a coffee or invite you to their events and gigs. What a great way to meet your tribe who love your topic as much as you do.

#8. Your memory will improve

Exercising the brain through writing and learning will provide much needed exercise for the neurons. Keeping the body fit requires physical exercise. The mind needs stimulation and activity as well to be mind fit. You will be amazed by what you will remember from participating in mental gymnastics provided by blogging activities.
This will also have a the side benefit of looking more intelligent at cocktail parties and that has to be a good thing!

#9. Your creativity will increase

Nothing like a focused passion to improve your creativity.You will find that your brain will think more creatively as you move from conscious skills to unconscious and automatic activity, that frees up the thinking for out of the box thinking.

#10. Synergizes and Synthesizes Focus

The act of writing and expressing yourself online will provide you with internal and external feedback that sharpens the intuition and focuses your mind. The benefits of a social interactive web is that it taps into the global mind that will provide you with the feedback loop that will sharpen and amplify your purpose and passion if you are willing to listen.

Blogging as Self Fulfillment

Blogging for me has been a path to not only to self expression but self fulfillment that has become a journey of self discovery. I have found what works for me and what doesn’t. I write about topics that resonate with my soul and purpose while keeping focused and relevant.

These elements combined have provided an experience that has both changed me and others around me, both in the physical and cyber world. It is an exciting time to live where you can connect to your global tribe with rich multimedia that transcends time and place.

We all now have the power in our hands to make a difference and maybe leave a legacy. If you embrace this global and interactive social mind by participating actively you will be surprised and amazed as to where it will take you.

What About You

Has blogging changed you. What are the benefits you have discovered on your blogging journey?
Look forward to hearing your experiences and stories.



































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