8 Ways to Tell if Your Business Blog Needs a Boost

A well-maintained blog for your freelance editing or proofreading business establishes you as an authority in your industry and keeps your leads (and current clients!) coming back for more. It provides a platform to share your ideas, showcase your expertise, and build relationships with authors who may want to work with you. 

A successful business blog:

• Engages your potential (and current!) clients
• Builds trust in your services and products
• Increases traffic to your website
• Drives sales (if all goes well)

But having a successful business blog isn’t easy: blogging takes work, and it also takes an ability (and a willingness) to get to know your ideal client and what speaks to them.

Here are eight ways to tell if your business blog needs a boost:

1. You don't have a target audience

Who is your target audience: peers and colleagues? Or potential clients? What do they want or expect to learn from you?

It can be incredibly helpful to define the one person you’re addressing in your blog. Then, when you write a new post, imagine what that person would want you to talk about next. This person represents the target audience for your entire website.

2. You wrote a few posts and forgot about it

Did you start a blog, write a few posts, and then ignore it—possibly for years? For potential customers who visit your website for the first time, this really erodes trust. In fact, it can be better not to have a blog at all than to only have a few posts from years ago.

Make a good impression by keeping your content active. (Or don’t include dates on your posts!)

3. Your content doesn’t help people get to know you

Believe it or not, your audience wants to get to know you. Your brand is an extension of you, so you want to make it easy for readers to grasp who you are and what you do, instantly. This means writing how you speak and using a conversational, relaxed tone to help readers feel comfortable.

This also means giving readers a glimpse into your life every now and then, as it relates to something you’re teaching them. For example, let’s say you’re writing a post on writer’s block. A great way to start might be to tell your audience that you’ve struggled with writer’s block too—as long as this is true. (Always be honest—never make up or embellish a personal story just to get more views or shares.)

4. Your content isn’t “share-worthy”

Will your readers want to share this content with their friends? This is why it's important to know your industry and create fresh, compelling content.

Spend some time brainstorming content that will resonate with your audience. A great way to get started is to do a Google search of your competitors. What do they post on their blogs? What are they not talking about that you could be? Look for the opportunities to set your business apart.

Another way to brainstorm great blog content is to write out a list of the questions your clients ask you on a regular basis (your FAQs). These can become compelling, share-worthy blog posts—especially if you offer a unique take on the subject.

5. You don’t write new posts consistently

Set a frequency that works for you and stick to it. Even if it's just a short post once a month, try your best to meet that goal. Consistency is key to keeping readers engaged—and boosting your website’s SEO. The Google bots love fresh content.

6. Readers can’t find your blog easily

How will your readers find you? Is your blog integrated into your website? Do you include links to your blog on marketing materials? Do you share posts on social media, if applicable? If not, it’s time to work on all of the above. Make sure people know your blog exists!

7. You're using it as an advertising tool

If your readers want to learn more about your services or products, they’ll visit those sections of your website. It’s okay to plug a service or product every now and then, but if the rest of your content isn’t compelling enough, your audience will tune out and go somewhere else. Give your readers reasons to stay engaged with your brand by providing insightful, actionable content—without the sales pitch.

8. You gave up too early

Don't give up after two months! Keep posting content consistently, and see which posts resonate the best. Then, as you get to know your audience better, write posts that address their specific questions and concerns.

Having a blog for your freelance editing or proofreading business is one of the best ways to reach potential clients and build trust with them. It's a powerful tool that requires commitment, follow-through, and hard work. But investing in your blog is an investment in your business—especially in today's content-driven world.