If you're not blogging on your business website, you're probably already being left behind. But the good news is that it's never too late to start blogging. Blogs are relatively easy to manage and often quite enjoyable to create and maintain. Some of the benefits of blogging include the ability to present fresh, relevant content to your website visitors, the opportunity to educate your clients and potential clients about what you do, and the ability to stay connected with your target audience, market and industry.
If you're brand new to blogging, here are five tips to get you up and running:
1. Always Provide Value
This may sound obvious, but it's important to stress the importance of creating a blog that truly adds value to the reader's experience. A blog is not a place for "fluff" or redundant information that can be found elsewhere on your website. Strive to provide fresh, new, engaging content related to your industry. Report on the latest trends and innovations. Offer tips, tricks and advice for your readers that they won't find anywhere else. Humor and creativity are a plus!
2. Think SEO (Search Engine Optimization)
If you have an existing website, you're probably already aware of the top keywords and keyphrases for your business. Be sure to include these in your blog posts as well. Try and follow current SEO guidelines; these can vary and change over time, so be sure you're operating from the most current information that will help put you high in the search results. For example, at this time, many experts recommend the inclusion of a keyphrase you want to target in the title of your page or blog post.
3. Include Quality Links
Another addition to your blog posts that will help to raise their utility and helpfulness is the inclusion of high quality links within each post. Don't go overboard, but highlighting appropriate anchor text and cross-linking to other relevant web pages can boost your blog post's authority and usefulness for the reader. It also helps with SEO. Try and link to authoritative sites, ideally ones with high domain authority or ones that are already established as a resource in your niche. You might also link to some of your own relevant products and services.
4. Connect with Social Networks
Social networks like Facebook and Twitter are great ways to connect with new and existing customers. Be sure to alert your Facebook friends and/or "Tweet" your Twitter followers to introduce your blog. Send them updates whenever you publish a new blog post as well. You might also send out an excerpt from each blog post.
5. Respond to Comments and Stay Engaged
For maximum engagement with customers and potential customers, enable "Comments" on your blog and watch for responses. Try and respond to each and every comment whether it is positive, negative or neutral. If your readers feel there is a two-way street in terms of dialogue and information exchanged, they are more likely to continue to read your blog. This in turn will increase the likelihood that they will become your customers in the future.
Clearly, blogging is no longer just for twentysomethings or UFO theorists. It is a viable and valuable way to express your company's personality and point of view. It allows your business to engage with your website viewers in a more personal way than just the static content of your site. You'll be able to provide value to your existing and future customers while driving even more traffic to your website. Blogging dovetails nicely with social media accounts as well.
If your company doesn't have a blog yet, don't despair; follow these five tips, start brainstorming some killer content, and you'll have your business blog up and running in no time!
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| Blogging for Your Business |
1. Always Provide Value
This may sound obvious, but it's important to stress the importance of creating a blog that truly adds value to the reader's experience. A blog is not a place for "fluff" or redundant information that can be found elsewhere on your website. Strive to provide fresh, new, engaging content related to your industry. Report on the latest trends and innovations. Offer tips, tricks and advice for your readers that they won't find anywhere else. Humor and creativity are a plus!
2. Think SEO (Search Engine Optimization)
If you have an existing website, you're probably already aware of the top keywords and keyphrases for your business. Be sure to include these in your blog posts as well. Try and follow current SEO guidelines; these can vary and change over time, so be sure you're operating from the most current information that will help put you high in the search results. For example, at this time, many experts recommend the inclusion of a keyphrase you want to target in the title of your page or blog post.
3. Include Quality Links
Another addition to your blog posts that will help to raise their utility and helpfulness is the inclusion of high quality links within each post. Don't go overboard, but highlighting appropriate anchor text and cross-linking to other relevant web pages can boost your blog post's authority and usefulness for the reader. It also helps with SEO. Try and link to authoritative sites, ideally ones with high domain authority or ones that are already established as a resource in your niche. You might also link to some of your own relevant products and services.
4. Connect with Social Networks
Social networks like Facebook and Twitter are great ways to connect with new and existing customers. Be sure to alert your Facebook friends and/or "Tweet" your Twitter followers to introduce your blog. Send them updates whenever you publish a new blog post as well. You might also send out an excerpt from each blog post.
5. Respond to Comments and Stay Engaged
For maximum engagement with customers and potential customers, enable "Comments" on your blog and watch for responses. Try and respond to each and every comment whether it is positive, negative or neutral. If your readers feel there is a two-way street in terms of dialogue and information exchanged, they are more likely to continue to read your blog. This in turn will increase the likelihood that they will become your customers in the future.
Clearly, blogging is no longer just for twentysomethings or UFO theorists. It is a viable and valuable way to express your company's personality and point of view. It allows your business to engage with your website viewers in a more personal way than just the static content of your site. You'll be able to provide value to your existing and future customers while driving even more traffic to your website. Blogging dovetails nicely with social media accounts as well.
If your company doesn't have a blog yet, don't despair; follow these five tips, start brainstorming some killer content, and you'll have your business blog up and running in no time!
A Guest Post by Jeff Shjarback - Jeff Shjarback is a Digital Marketing Consultant, Writer and Blogger that enjoys blogging about digital marketing, business, finance, economics, innovation & emerging technology, websites, trend analysis and business philosophy. To learn more about Jeff you can visit his Google Author Profile.