Why no person reads your organization weblog

It’s common for entrepreneurs, marketers, and other business figures to advocate the benefits of content marketing. They tell you to put together a great blog, optimize for some SEO keywords, and build some links. They say that over time you will attract more people to your website thanks to a combination of more loyal customers, increases in your organic rankings in SERPs, and greater visibility on social channels.

Related: Increase your marketing reach with Google SEO and SERP doing the heavy lifting

I can personally attest to these benefits as I have seen them in many companies. But I’ve also met business owners who practiced content marketing only to find their web traffic stagnant.

In other words, no one reads her blog.

Why is that? And what can you do about it?

Fortunately, if nobody reads your company blog, the impact can usually be attributed to one (or more) of several easily identifiable factors.

It’s unoriginal (or: someone else does it better)

First, and most often, your blog may be unoriginal. In other words, someone else is already doing what you’re doing – only doing it better.

When there are several other companies with blogs similar to yours, you can’t expect yours to get more attention. Your readers are likely to see you as an inferior imitation or copy of these other blogs. If those other blogs have more history or a more engaged readership, you’re never going to win people over.

Related: Why every brand should have a blog

To fix this, you need to find a way to make your content unique. There are several ways to do this, such as:

• Topics: You could cover a topic that no one has touched on before. This is difficult in narrow industries, but you can always try to expand. Look for news and changes in the industry. Try to be the first person to cover these new topics.
• Takes: If there are no new themes to be found, consider providing a new take. How do you see this topic differently? Do you have a different opinion? Do you have new data to provide?
• Angles and Aesthetics: You can also use a unique angle or aesthetic to differentiate your work. Sometimes even a different tone of voice or pace is enough to win people over.

It’s too selfish or manipulative

People (and search engines) want to see natural, authentic content. If your work is seen as overly promotional or inauthentic, it will work against you.

I see this most often in companies that try too hard to promote their own products and services. Suppose you are an auto mechanic and you have just published a new article. Two-thirds of your article is dedicated to encouraging regular visits to an auto mechanic. There are also three calls-to-action (CTAs) asking people to make an appointment. If this article is the first impression people have of your brand, they’ll think you’re desperate to win customers – even at the expense of the quality of your content.

It’s low quality

Speaking of low quality, it’s possible that your content work isn’t good enough, for lack of a better term.

Content quality will always be somewhat subjective, but these are some of the biggest issues holding corporate blogs back:

• Spelling, grammar and typing errors
• Poor or inaccurate research
• Chunky wording
• Difficult to read
• No clear point

They don’t provide enough detail

Generally speaking, longer content performs better in the world of SEO and digital marketing. There’s also a place for short, concise content—but if you want to appeal to a larger audience, at least some of your work should include exhaustive detail. It is often better to have one comprehensive piece than several small, unfulfilled ones.

You don’t promote it

It’s also possible that you have an amazing, high-quality blog. But because nobody heard about it, nobody got the opportunity to enjoy it. No matter how talented you are, you must at least spend some time promoting your own blog through social media, word of mouth, and possibly even paid advertising.

measurement and analysis

Another important note here; If you want your blog and content marketing strategy to be successful, you need to be committed to it ongoing measurement and analysis. It’s good to know that your traffic is flat right now, but will you notice it when it starts to increase? Are some of your posts getting more attention than others? Which tactic seems to work? Only by studying and learning from these differences can you continue to improve your efforts.

Related: Here’s how entrepreneurs can write a powerful blog

Content marketing isn’t a switch you can flip to instantly see more web traffic and better results. It’s a strategic approach that takes months or even years to perfect. Be patient as you learn more about your audience and competitive landscape—and be ready to make the investments necessary to take your content to the next level.