Let’s face it. Business blogging is a lot of work. Whether it’s the responsibility of one individual or shared amongst the team, business blogging no doubt requires an investment of time and effort. Not only do you have to keep to a schedule, you also have to make sure the topics that you talk about are relevant to your audience and that you do it all in a voice that is authentic to your organization.
Having said that, business blogging is an absolutely essential part of your online marketing strategy. In fact, it can even be considered a marketing channel all its own that can help you grow your business.
Blogging can help drive traffic to your website, which in turn increases conversion opportunities once they get to your site. It also allows you to highlight your capabilities, your unique products or services, and your brand personality. It is a way for you to build a relationship with potential customers even before you ever get to talk to them or meet with them.
Many businesses fail at blogging because they start out either with unrealistic goals in mind or just don’t understand how to properly utilize the platform to their benefit. Here are some key points to help you get started:
Consistency is Key
Every blog entry you post is a new page your website has. The more you blog – the more chances you have of showing up in the search results for search terms that your customers … or prospects care about.
Use Social Media to Distribute Your Content
Once you publish a blog entry, be sure to maximize its reach by sharing the post across your social media channels. Every time you share, it’ll make it easier for your followers or fans to share the content if they find it useful or interesting. This means reaching more customers in a cost effective way!
Keep a Running List of Topics On Hand
For myself, interesting topics are the hardest to come by when I am on a tight schedule. Keeping a backlog of ideas on hand for these occasions make writing less painful. You never know when possible topics can pop up – during a brainstorm session with your team, conversations with your customers, or even during a sales pitch meeting with a prospect and you will want to collect these to use at your convenience.
Spread Your Knowledge
Useful information that is educational or interesting can help your business get introduced to new audiences. When the information is useful and valuable, your prospects will see your organization as more of a resource than a company making a sales pitch.
Pick Blog Topics Based on Your Most Popular Products / Services / Offers
Topics relating to these products, services or offers are the ones that your audience is most interested in so it only makes sense to talk about them more! Plus, if you are looking at things from an ROI perspective, these blogs will likely convert better than other topics.
Dare to Try Different Formats
When you have more time, you can write longer blog posts complete with graphics and illustrations. When you’re in a time crunch, it is ok too to have shorter posts. They can be a list, take aways, Q&A with an expert, an infographic or even a photo update from an event. The point is to pick a format that will present your information in the most engaging and interesting way that works within your time allotment and other requirements.
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