Why Your Blog May Be Hard to Read

We’ve all been there...we open a blog post that looks interesting and, bam, you’re out of there quickly.

Why did you leave? Some blog posts make us want to read them and others just turn us right off. It could look boring or have so much content that it’s overwhelming. You know you won’t be able to read through all that ‘stuff’ in a couple of minutes.

If you’ve put in the time and energy to write and post a blog, you want people to read it, not run from it. How can you avoid creating a hard to read blog?

Here are some reasons your blog may be hard to read:

Didn’t use whitespace

Whitespace is the empty space on the page. It allows the reader to focus on your content. Make sure you have plenty of whitespace around your paragraphs and images. This will help draw the reader’s attention to them.

Didn’t use section headers

Section headers are the main points of your blog. They break the blog into chunks and make it easy for the reader to comprehend the main points. 

You used too much text

Nothing will overwhelm a reader more than staring at a page filled with text.

No, I’m not going to tell you to write less. What I will tell you is to break your text into short paragraphs of a couple sentences each….max. Long paragraphs make a post look dense and hard to read.

You used a difficult to read font

A small font will likely give your readers a headache. Choose a font that is easy to read and large enough for all your readers. I recommend sans-serif fonts because they don’t have any embellishments, or ‘serifs,’ on the top or bottom of each letter that can make reading online difficult. Sans-serif fonts are easier to read online.

You didn’t use bullet points

Some people don’t have time to read every word you’ve written in your blog. Make it easy for them by using bullet points to give them the information you want them to have quickly.

• Bullet points make it easy to process information
• Bullet points should be brief

You didn’t use an image

An image breaks up your blog’s text so it’s easier for your reader to scan the post.

Using the right picture can help your reader understand what your post is about. Your image should be at the top of your post to grab your reader’s attention.

Don’t be intimidated by what you don’t know. That can be your greatest strength and ensure that you do things differently from everyone else. – Sara Blakely

3 Good Reasons to Create a Blog for Your Business

Last month, I was invited to speak at the Gates Chili Chamber of Commerce about social media marketing. Blogging was part of what I spoke about. I feel it’s an important component of a small business’ marketing strategy.

Blogging is free. It’s easy to do and only takes a couple of hours a week.

I know many of you are thinking the same things. ‘I’m not a good writer’ or ’I don’t have time.’ 

No time

Don’t worry about having to post every day. You can blog once a month if that’s all you want to do. Pick a schedule you can stick to and do it. Once a month or once a week is fine to start. You can always increase your posts as you gain confidence.

You’re not a writer

Learning to write well takes time and practice. At the beginning, you may find you are throwing away what you’ve just written and starting over. Don’t get frustrated. We’ve all been there!

Blogging is a relatively risk-free way to improve your writing skills. (Option: You can always hire a marketing professional to write for you.)

Start one day with writing your topic and a brief outline of what you want to write about. On the next day, fill in the outline. Three to four paragraphs are all that is needed for a blog. On the next day, read what you’ve written and make any changes you want. Make sure your title still fits or change it and then publish this blog. The next day, start all over again. See….it’s really easy!

Here are some great reasons why blogging is great for your business:

Become the expert

Your blogs should be educating your readers on your industry. By doing this, you are demonstrating your expertise in your industry. You’ll be seen as the expert.

Improve your ranking

Having a blog on your website will increase your search rankings in Google searches. The bots online look for websites with new content and these sites rank higher than others without new content.

Share

Don’t just post your blog on your website and think you’re done. Share your blog with all your social media followers. Post your blog on Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter. 

Get the word out about how you are the expert in your field!

Sharing your blog on other social media platforms will expand your readership and drive more people to your website, where they can learn more about you and your company.

Happy President's Day!

How to Get More Followers on Instagram

Instagram, recently purchased by Facebook, is a great platform for businesses to showcase their products, recruit future employees and generate new business.

Unless you’re famous, it can be difficult to gain a huge following on Instagram. 

Growing your following takes time and attention daily.

Here are some great tips for you to use gain more followers.

Optimize your profile

Your profile on Instagram tells potential followers who you are, what you do and gives them a good reason to follow you.

How do you create a good profile? Start by making your username the name of your business. It should be recognizable and easily searchable.  Make sure your profile is public, otherwise people won’t be able to find you. Next, use a profile picture that is used on your other social media platforms for continuity in branding.

Fill in all the information about your business. Tell your followers who you are, what you do and be friendly and personable. You can include a link to your website’s ‘About’ page in case someone wants to read more about your business.

Lastly, enable notifications so you can see when people share or comment on your photos.

Get some mad photo skills

Post quality matters on Instagram. Bad photos are big no-nos on Instagram. No, you don’t have to take a photography course, but you should get familiar with some great photo apps so your images look good.

There are some great free photo and photo editing apps available for your phone. I love and use the following:

• VSCO Cam 
• Live Collage 
• Foodie
• Splice
• Hyperlapse

When to post

Create your editorial calendar for this social media platform and start posting. The best times to post on Instagram are Mondays and Thursdays at any time except between 3:00-4:00 p.m.

Use relevant hashtags

If you use relevant hashtags, your posts will get exposure to a wider audience that just your followers.

Use hashtags smartly and sparingly. Limit the number of hashtags to three.

Research relevant hashtags in your industry to find the ones you should be using.

Be social

Interact with your followers and with other users on Instagram. To make Instagram work for you, follow others in your industry. Once they see that you’re following them, they might follow you back.

As you gain followers, respond to their comments. Follow them back and engage with their posts.

Run a contest

A great way to expand your reach while increasing engagement is to publish a post promoting a contest. Ask people to follow you or comment on the photo to be entered into the contest.

Make it easy for them to follow you

Add a button to your website’s home page that links to your Instagram account. All your social media platforms should have similar buttons on your website.

Promote your Instagram account on your other social media accounts.

Start creating your Instagram account. Use these tips to get started and create that huge following you want for your business!

Happy Valentines Day!

Don’t waste a single second. Just move forward as fast as you can, and go for it. – Rebecca Woodcock

Greenery is Pantone’s 2017 Color of the Year

I love to read about Pantone’s Color of the Year every year because they choose a color that is an expression of the mood and attitude of the world around us.

For 2017, Pantone has chosen Greenery as their color of the year. It’s a refreshing and revitalizing shade of green that symbolizes new beginnings.

What do you think of this year’s Color of the Year?

Today is National Wear Red Day!

Happy Groundhog Day!