Bloggers: When In Doubt – Debunk!

It takes seven years to digest swallowed gum (Not! That’s just one of those lingering misconceptions one hears.)  According to Mental Floss Magazine, “Despite what you heard on the playground, the gum you swallow doesn’t exactly linger in your gut.” In fact, Mental Floss goes on to explain, your gum shoots through your system towards the “exit” at the same speed as other foods.

For newbie business bloggers at a loss for content ideas, debunking a myth about your industry is a great place to begin. Here’s why: In the normal course of doing business, you’ve probably run up against misunderstandings about a product you sell or a service you provide. 

Not only is addressing misinformation in your company blog interesting to readers, it highlights your own special expertise and knowledge. With doubts reassured, many readers are more comfortable trying out your product or service. What’s more, if you make it a habit to debunk myths in your blog posts, that in itself can go a long way towards making your blog a “go-to” place when people need information relating to your industry or profession.

One myth about blkogging itself is that it’s simply a fad. Truth: The Pew Internet Project estimates that almost 32 million Americans read blogs regularly.

Speaking of big numbers, a second blog-related myth I hear a lot is that you need many visitors and many RSS subscribers to be successful in blogging for business. I love what blogger Rich Brooks has to say about that one: “Search engines deliver over 73% of our traffic, and over 85% of that traffic comes from first-time visitors.” 

Well, then, what is the secret of blog success?  “What we need to do is capture these names by making them an offer they can’t refuse,” answers Brooks, dispensing with overblown claims about the importance of comments with a terse: “Comments aren’t clients.”

If there’s something new in your industry, don’t let your readers find out about it somewhere else, advises HomeschoolBlogger.com’s Karen Braun. I agree.  And, if there’s a persistent myth out there about anything you sell or anything you do, your blog should be the place to go tfor the truth, the whole truth, and nothing "bust"!