How much time have you spent updating your company blog in the last week? In the last month? Ideally, you balance effort put into your blog with measurable return.
If you’re having success, keep it up and good luck to you! If you feel like you’re burning valuable company time on a blog that goes unnoticed, maybe you should consider calling it quits.
Blogging is not for every business. Here are a few telltale signs that your blog has become more trouble than it’s worth.
Page Views are Stagnant
You have few metrics to gauge the success of your blog, but you can easily see how traffic matches up day by day. If page views are increasing, it certainly can’t hurt to keep blogging. On the other hand, if you’ve hit a plateau with page views, then you’re likely not drumming up new business.
Many analytics applications, such as Google Analytics, can show you how many visitors are new and returning, and you can see how many visits are “bounces,” an indicator that your visitors are not engaged.
Mediocre page views can come down to a judgment call on your part. Ask your customers. If they indicate that your company blog has any influence – or for that matter, if your blog keeps existing patrons loyal – then maintaining a blog is worth your time. But if they’ve never seen your blog, it could be time to pack it in.
Page Rank is Not Improving
This is relevant if the goal of your blog is Search Engine Optimization. You’re likely using specified keywords into your blog to draw traffic to your company’s website. Google Analytics, Clicky and Crazy Egg analytics applications can help you determine whether your efforts are working.
Try to assign certain phrases only to your blog and watch the subsequent Web traffic. Rank is fluid, but you’ll want a positive trend over the long term to justify spending time on a company blog.
The Well is Running Dry
If you’re pounding your head against the desk trying to come up with an idea for a blog post relevant to your company, it might be time to call it quits. If you’re out of ideas, your blog will reflect that. Your readers don’t want to visit a blog that sounds bored. While writing and styling a post can be challenging, the ideas behind them should come to you fairly easily. When simple brainstorming exercises become tedious, your blog might have jumped the shark.
You’re Losing Your Focus
Perhaps the problem is that your blog is losing its focus. Or maybe your strained efforts at relevant blog post ideas are steering you in a direction that no longer serves the purpose of your company blog. Take a step back for a clearer view of your blog. Ask an outsider if he considers your posts consistent with the product or service you offer.
Consider Larger, Less Frequent Projects
If you ultimately decide to end your blog, it might be worth your while to redirect your creative efforts toward less time-consuming writing projects. Consider a monthly online newsletter, as opposed to a weekly blog. An e-book might garner wanted attention and give your business an aura of authority.
Videos are an excellent way to demonstrate versatility and attract potential customers. By focusing on larger, less frequent online publications, you can reduce the risk of coming across as a redundant blogger.
Some company blogs warrant regular updates, especially if your product changes regularly. But if your business is to sell men’s knit gloves or to host maps to Chicago parking garages, you can probably find better uses for your website. Keeping a company blog alive simply because the other guy has one is not a wise business strategy. For that reason, take time to carefully consider whether you have the resources and reasons to maintain a company blog.
