Last week, I talked about the importance of developing a blog calendar (Developing a Blogging Calendar – A MUST for Blogging Success! Don’t worry – I know it’s one of my most catchy titles yet!). The reason I am adamant about having a calendar in place with my clients is because not blogging consistently – no matter what your consistent is – affects a company’s online presence and, subsequently, their brand.
What happens if your company does not plan the Who, What, Where, When, Why and How of blogging?
By not planning each of the who, what, where, when, why and how of each blog post, your company is more likely to forgo blogging QUALITY content on a regular basis and scramble to make the deadlines. What this does for your readers and the internet in general is:
- Make the reader question if the company is actually up-to-date on information in their industry…and the one they should be looking at as an expert
- Has the reader wondering if the company is still running if there are long spaces between the blog post*
- Affects search results within Google. Google LOVES new, well-written content and companies maintaining a regular blogging process are continually being “read” by Google, which ultimately positively effects their rank in search engine results (and don’t we all want a positive effect in search engine rankings?)
- That it comes across as a lack of commitment to your projects. In other words, readers wonder if this is how the company is with their clients – uncommitted?
- Lose focus as the blog is most likely not as planned out as it could have been if the 5 Ws and How were addressed.
By being sporadic with your blogging, and by not actually focusing on the purpose behind your blog (5 Ws and How), your leaving the company’s online image open to negative reviews – whether conscious or sub-conscious – as well as lower ranks within search engines (from an organically, unpaid view, that is**).
I cannot express this enough:
Know WHEN you have to post, WHO is developing and editing the post, WHAT is being said, WHY is it being said, WHERE is the post going to be shared other than your blog, if anywhere (i.e. Twitter, LinkedIn, etc.), and HOW is it going to be written, revised, and posted. This, in combination with an effective calendar outline, will set you and your company up for a successful, consistent, and well-read blog!
*Note: this also goes for updating Facebook statuses, Twitter updates, or any other social media accounts that your company is trying to be active in.
**Companies can always pay for higher rankings, but the MOST effective way is to organically increase your ranking through consistently updated, quality content, with real answers for your readers. This could be a whole blog unto itself!