Vice-O-Meter for Blog Content Writers

We all have our vices, says Dr. Oz, who devised his Vice-o-Meter to give readers a sense of which habits do real harm and to suggest strategies for breaking them once and for all.

Business bloggers have common vices, too.  So, by way of corporate blogging training, I thought a Vice-o-Meter for content writers (both business owners and professional ghost bloggers) would prove useful.

Consuming more than one drink a day –
After one serving, the cons of drinking alcohol start to outweigh the pros, says Oz.

The parallel bad habit in corporate blog writing?  Focusing on more than one main concept in any one post. Remember the Power of One. Your one idea might include busting one myth, offering one testimonial, describing one special application for your product or service, one problem and how you help solve it, or one new development in your company or industry. Try to do more than that in any one post and the cons start to outweigh the pros.

Constant sitting –
A sedentary lifestyle, Dr. Oz explains, increases the risk of disease. Embrace NEAT, he advises (non-exercise activity thermogenesis or small movements throughout the day).

The parallel in blogging for professional practitioners or business owners? Allowing the blog to become “inactive”, with weeks and even months elapsing without posting fresh content. It's crucial to maintain frequency and consistency in posting content on the Web; both of these are measures search engines use in ranking a blog, and a higher ranking makes it easier for you to "get found" by your potential customers.

Yo-Yo dieting –
Continually losing weight, then putting it back on is hard on the cardiovascular system.

The parallel lesson I stress to Indianapolis blog content writers is “yo-yo blogging”.  Spacing SEO marketing blog posts at regular intervals and maintaining consistency has a double advantage. The blogging becomes part of the business owner’s or blogger’s routine. Meanwhile regular readers and subscribers (and search engines as well!) come to expect a regular flow of information.

Walking in high heels every day –
Towering shoes disrupt blood flow to the legs while putting strain on leg muscles and tendons. “If you’re not ready to give up stilettos, at least change into more supportive shoes for walking farther than the printer,” cautions Oz.

This parallel might seem a bit of a stretch (no pun intended!), but showing off by using blogging as advertising almost always turns out to have a negative effect on readers.  In blogging for business, it’s better to take an advertorial, “trusted adviser” stance, softening your selling approach.

Have you checked your blog writing vice-o-meter lately?