Don’t Blog like a Dummy

I subscribe to a very informative Newsletter by Robert Bly.I am never disappointed and the Content is superior. Bob possesses a serious Business Mindset! I saved this from over 6 years ago and keep it close for a reminder

Enjoy this read,
and take it to heart if you are Blogging with the intent of growing a business

Bob’s Newsletter May 31, 2018

This kind of blogging is for dummies

An article in a PR e-newsletter suggested that the way to write great blog posts is to research online what topics you should
write about.
For instance:

• write on blog topics suggested by Google …
• get post ideas from the Google Keyword Planner …
• jump on a topic that’s trending or being shared a lot …
• write on the same topics the big blogs are writing about or your competitors are ranking for …
• get topic ideas from FAQs on other sites.

To me, this is a terrible idea, because it’s a major source of “content pollution.” Specifically, it’s a surefire way to create almost nothing but link bait.

“Link-bait” refers to content written for the primary, or even the sole purpose, of getting high search engine rankings.

Link-bait posts and articles,  which is what the PR newsletter’s suggestions will produce, are usually generic, boring, useless, and devoid of wisdom, new information, or actionable ideas. Often, link-bait marketers hire dirt-cheap writers on Upwork, Fiverr, or freelancer.com to write these thin posts for a few
bucks a pop. These hack writers go on Google, find a few articles on the topic, and cobble them together into a new post or article that contributes absolutely nothing original to the subject.

I call these articles “Google goulash.”

If you are a good writer and care about what you do, stay away from link bait, Google goulash, and content pollution.

But how do you avoid this kind of bottom-of-the-barrel
scribbling?

Here are 3 suggestions:

>> First, don’t write for peanuts for cheap, second-rate clients.

Write for marketers and publishers who care about the quality of the copy and content they hire you to produce.

In my opinion, firms that use direct marketing are the best clients, because they measure everything and live and die by results. So are big corporations and also those producing blog posts on technical topics.

>> Second, write what you know and care about.

When you don’t know a subject and write a Google goulash piece, all you are giving the reader is recycled information he can easily get elsewhere.

When you care about your subject and have deep knowledge of and experience with it, you can deliver much more — insight, analysis, wisdom, empathy, strategies, experience-based expertise, and new ideas and case studies that can make real a difference in the reader’s life.

Email marketing whiz Ben Settle advises, “Open your computer and start writing. Soon a story or theme will emerge. Send it to your list. Do that day after day and you will be successful — even if you’re not the most talented copywriter or salesman in the room.”

>> Third, especially with blog posts and articles, let your
personality shine through in the writing.

Link-bait articles read like they were written by automatons, which is increasingly the case as software can now
generate this kind of mindless, simple article.

But when you have a personality that comes across in your posts and articles, you engage readers and keep them reading.

Also, if you do #2 and #3 above, write what you know and care about, and have a distinctive voice, you gain a loyal following that comes to view you as a trusted source advisor on your topic.

Your readers see you as an expert, and those readers who are in a position to retain your services are more likely to do so, because they see you as a recognized authority in your field.

Sincerely,
Bob Bly
Copywriter / Consultant
31 Cheyenne Dr.
Montville, NJ 07045
Phone 973-263-0562
Fax 973-263-0613
www.bly.com

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