I have a blog on my company’s web site, but it hasn’t been updated in months and no one is reading it. How can I develop more interesting content and get web site visitors to read it?

Entrepreneur and Yoga Enthusiast

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By Jim Sweeney

Two primary factors contribute to building blog readership and loyalty:

1.   You must have relatively interesting things to say (funny, outrageous,          revealing, curious, insightful, etc.) about interesting topics. No one will read (or continue reading) boring stuff.

2.  You must regularly post your interesting thoughts, ideas, comments.           Once a day is good, once a week is fine, once a month is acceptable (barely), so long as your followers know your publication date and know when to check in.

Since your blog is on your web site, it can be used as a tool to both drive traffic to your web site and engage your web site visitors once they arrive at your site.  In short, as a tool in and of itself, your blog can have value.

But as you indicated, “content” is critical.  So ask yourself this:  Who is my target audience?  Once you have that answer, then ask your target audience:  What would you like me to blog about?

After you’ve conducted your audit, determine what information you can share that your target audience will be interested in.  Do you have special knowledge or unique insights?  Do you have a randy sense of humor?  Are you an expert at something?  Do you have a unique perspective?

Figure it out and get started.  And keep it brief.  Three interesting sentences are always better than four questionable paragraphs.  And don’t be afraid to experiment with photos and videos and audio files.  But again, don’t overdue it.  Substance over style usually wins out.

Finally if you are writing “interesting” stuff and you are posting it “routinely” you can then take advantage of multiple avenues to build your blog audience, including: word of mouth, links, emails, search engines, forum and email signatures, posting comments on other blogs, promoting your blog URL and joining a blog network.

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