Blogging used to be an activity reserved for writers or people with special interests or hobbies. Now, blogs have exploded and are among the most common type of site found on the web. Most active, current businesses have at least one company blog to keep their customers and prospects up to speed on the latest news, ideas, breakthrough, announcements, etc…
This short report will cover the most critical items you need to be aware of when it comes to blog marketing for your business.
Own Your Blog: There are so many different blogging platforms to choose from. Some are free and others are paid-for services. If you are a serious business looking to use a blog as a long term relationship building medium for you and your clients, make sure you “own” your blog. This means that you should host your own blog and have full control over it’s contents. Free blogs are ultimately controlled by the company who provides the blogging service. Treat your blog as you would any valuable company asset.
Content is King: This saying is almost cliche these days but it remains as true as it has ever been. If you are going to use a blog to market your business, make sure that you only publish high quality content that is representative of your company and your philosophies. Outsourcing your blog writing to someone outside of your industry would not be a smart move. If you are a small business owner, you should have a direct hand in the content creation. You may not write the content yourself but you should provide input and guide the blog. You are the ultimate expert and you need to work with your team to make your blog’s content showcase your company value.
Regular Updates: Nothing looks worse than a blog that has old content that is not even relevant anymore. If you are going to have a company blog, make sure you also have a regular blog updating schedule. It doesn’t have to be weekly but at least once a month. Make sure that the content is unique and interesting enough the pique the interest of your readers. This is your chance to build long term relationships with customers and prospects. Frequent and useful updates go a long way in this department.
Content Variety: A blog is your opportunity to be real and interact with your audience at a more personal level. Use your blog as an opportunity to share videos, photos, interviews, interesting presentations, tutorials, demos or even sample training lessons showcasing your specialty. The more variety you build into your blog, the more likely it is that people will return for more.
Search Engine Optimization: The very nature of blogs lends itself nicely with search engine optimization. Every time you add a new blog post, you are essentially adding a new page to your site that can be indexed in search engines. Each one of these pages can now be found by people searching for what you offer. Make sure that you have proper SEO settings in place on your blog so that you can capitalize on highly qualified prospects who are searching for information that you are qualified to provide. If you need help with SEO, give me a call 🙂
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