Common Mistakes Companies Make When Starting a Blog

Blogging, like any other form of marketing, is a learned skill. Many businesses believe building a successful blog is a simple process of spending a couple of hours a week writing posts that contain a few paragraphs peppered with pieces of industry content they can use as a catalyst to promote their products or service. The reality is that blogging is a time-intensive learned discipline, just like accounting, marketing, or any other part of a successful business.

In order to create and maintain a successful corporate blog, it is best to begin by understanding the pitfalls organizations new to blogging make and how to avoid them.

Here are the most common mistakes companies make when it comes to business blogging.

Being too formal and boring

A business blog doesn’t mean a boring blog. One of the biggest mistakes organizations make is creating posts littered with industry jargon that many people don’t understand and simply aren’t interested in reading. Remember, you are talking to people and therefore your blog must be personal, engaging, and friendly while still appearing professional.

In order for readers to connect and trust your company (and ultimately want to work with you) they need to like you first. Skip the corporate-speak and technical language (unless you are a B2B blog) and engage your audience by using a conversational tone showing your personality. The goal is to keep your reader engaging. Interesting writing paired with great images, illustrations, charts, and other additions will not only keep them reading, but also entice them into sharing with others, clicking on related information, and ultimately converting them into a fan and customer.

Being too salesy

One of the 10 deadly sins of blogging is producing a post that is basically a front for the advertising department. Paragraphs that barely disguise themselves as sales copy wrapped in 500+ words with no real reason to exist other than to product or service push is a waste of time for writers and readers.

Remember, no one wants to be “sold to,” and blogs are not ad copy – ads are ad copy. Blog posts exist as a way to inform, build trust, and create a connection with your target audience.

Covering topics that are too broad

Finding niche topics within your industry will give you the opportunity to grow your blog more quickly. Blogging about the same thing everyone else makes it almost impossible to stand out in a crowded forum.

It is tempting to cover topics that a larger audience will be attracted to such as “How To Start A Blog,” or “Top Ten Social Media Tips For 2025,” however it is almost impossible to compete with the big guns who have been blogging for years or have a bigger brand presence. Consider a laser-focused approach that will still add value to your target audience but will also allow your company to stand out.

Not revising and updating content

It should go without saying that after you write a piece of content, it needs to be reread and edited before you hit publish. The rule of thumb is to spend about 30 minutes proof-reading, fixing typos, and running it through a grammar check and spelling program. AI tools like ChatGPT or Gemini can be especially helpful here, as they can spot awkward phrasing and suggest improvements. Grammarly is another great service anyone can use as an alternative.

However, what most people do not know is that it is also important to spend time revising and updating the content from old posts as well. It is a good practice to update out of date or irrelevant content to add new life to old posts. Do this by adding modern images, including new information, fixing any missed errors, and making sure all links are still working (Dr. Link Check is my favorite broken link checker).

Refreshing older posts will keep readers on your site and make the Google Gods happy by offering quality content and thus enabling for higher search engine rankings.

Not Including a Call-To-Action (CTA)

Readers that have landed on your blog post will not actively take the next steps you want (comment, subscribe, get more information etc.) unless you actually tell them what to do! A Call-to-Action (CTA) is the best blogging tool that you can incorporate in your content creation and are necessary to guide your visitors through their journey on your website.

CTAs give the opportunity for your reader to participate in the conversation with your company and can include anything from asking for a comment, subscribing, or downloading free information.

Remember to stay away from being too salesy or pushy and try to make sure your CTAs follow these 3 Golden Rules:

1. Offer Without Obligation. Create a no-obligation statement that removes or reduces risk for the reader. This can be done in the form of offering a free download, insider information, or anything that gives them the confidence you are there to give, not take.
2. Keep It Simple. Tell people what to do and make it easy for them to do it. “Click This Button” will generate a lot more interaction than a less direct statement sending them to your contact page etc.
3. Create a sense of urgency. Encourage readers to respond right away by suggesting there is a time limit on your offer. This removes the opportunity for them to leave your site to “think about it,” with little chance of returning.

Posting inconsistently

A blog is not a magazine, and therefore you do not need to publish on a daily basis, or even multiple times a day as you may see on multi-author blog sites.

It is perfectly fine to publish posts twice weekly or even monthly depending upon the length and research that needs to be put into each post; remember quality always beats quantity. However, the consistency of when you post is a strong factor in determining traffic to your site. If you have a highly sporadic schedule, people will stop paying attention. Try to stay on a schedule that is doable and fits in with your target demographics needs.

Forgetting to promote the blog

You must promote your blog, and every post you publish within it, often and everywhere.

Social Media: Sharing your posts on social media is essential, but don’t limit it to just Linkedin. Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram are great outlets – just make sure you follow best practices for each social media site as they have different styles. It is also important to give as you wish to receive when it comes to social media. You will grow your audience much quicker if you comment, share, like, and retweet other people’s content as well as your own.

Email: Including a link in the email signature of your latest blog post is a great way to get people to read without actually asking them.

Website: A mistake a lot of businesses make is to add “blog” as a menu option on their home page expecting readers to hunt down their latest posts. Embed your latest (or top) posts on your website’s front page to attract readers and give them a chance to easily interact and learn more about your company.

Failing to define and measure goals

Before your blogging adventure begins, know your why and how.

Why. Understanding why you are blogging will not only keep you on track when it comes to blog post topics, but also aids in how you organize your content and your CTAs. Is your goal to increase leads, build your brand identity, connect with insiders, or something else?

How. Once you have defined your why and understand your blog’s objectives, put in place how you will track its’ success. There are a number of plugins and analytic tracking add-ons that will determine what is working. Measuring activity – newsletter signups, downloads, etc. – will allow you to adjust your strategy and learn where you need to improve and what you may want to abandon.

Giving up too quickly

Building a loyal following for your corporate blog takes time, requires hard work, and can be frustrating in the beginning. It typically takes 3-6 months before organic traffic starts finding their way to your blog which means you will be spending a lot of time and energy with very little interaction in the beginning. Many companies publish a few posts and then neglect their blogs when they don’t see the desired results right away.

Committing to staying in it for the long haul gives you the opportunity to make mistakes in the beginning (while no one is looking) grow your voice and style, and understand what does and doesn’t work for your audience.

Conclusion

Your company’s blog will take time, energy, and resources and it is also the most effective way to build brand awareness of your company. Blogging will allow your company to establish itself as an industry leader, develop and strengthen customer relationships, and give your website an exceptional boost to your SEO.

It isn’t quick and it isn’t simple, but if you follow the tips above and don’t give up, it will be one of the most powerful marketing tools you have.