THATBlog

A blog by any other name… Whether you refer to it as News, Latest Posts, Thoughts, Our Voice, Happenings, or a Resource Library, a blog can help you build traffic levels, engagement, trust, and your brand as an authority in your space. Or it can sit collecting virtual cobwebs. What are the keys to creating an effective business blog strategy?

Here are six tips for blogging like a pro:

1. Educational Content

Incorporating SEO techniques (e.g., targeted keywords) is vital, but if your blog post doesn’t have anything interesting and educational in it, your audience won’t read it. Develop educational and engaging content. High-quality, informative content should be the foundation of any business blog strategy.

The key here is knowing your audience: Who are they? What are they looking for? What are their interests, their pain points, their possible sales objections? Tailor content to their needs; solve a problem for them, scratch an itch. It’s about them, not you (or it should certainly seem that way!).

2. Make It Easy with Topic Categories

Organize your posts into logical topic categories. These topics will not only make it easier for your visitors to maneuver the site, it will also make it easier for Google to position you as an authority on a subject. Your content will be easily searchable - and easily consumable by your target audience. This can push you higher in the search results, which is one of the best ways to measure blog performance.

Establishing categories is also a helpful way for you to plan your posts as part of your business blog strategy. If you have, say, seven categories, you’ll have to focus on making sure that you have a wealth of content for each. You can see gaps - and fill them. This focuses your posts and makes your site look much more streamlined as well.

3. Blog Post Titles

They say that you can’t judge a book by its cover, but the more intriguing the title is, the more likely the reader will pick it up and give it a chance. Craft titles that are interesting enough to make a reader click through.

One trick is to try to make the title before you begin the blog post. Then, after you’ve finished, look at it again and see if the content aligns perfectly. You may find that you need to adjust - you do not want to engage in “clickbait.” If you say you’re going to deliver 10 tips for increasing sales, for instance, make sure you do just that.

Questions (How Do I Improve Customer Service?), numbers (5 Secrets for Killer Digital Marketing), tips (10 Tips to Train Employees Quickly), and how-to’s (How to Do a Website Audit) are all compelling ways to title your pieces.

4. All About Images

A picture speaks 1000 words. Make sure every single blog post counts by including powerful images. You can subscribe to high-quality stock photo services to enhance blog posts, and if you’re writing about your business, team, or product/service specifically, you can hire a professional photographer to do a photo shoot. Then you’ll have your own bank of photos to call on when you need them.

5. Social Media

Make it easy for visitors to share your posts. They’ll be far more likely to if your posts are full of great content, of course, so always start there. Integrating social share buttons and posting on your social pages (which makes sharing a breeze) is an effective way to get the word out about your excellent blog. Spreading the word should be a key component of your business blog strategy!

6. Outsource

If creating a content schedule, sourcing images, finding fresh topics, writing, and editing all sounds overwhelming - and it can be, as it adds up to significant time and energy - considering outsourcing your content needs to a digital marketing firm. They’ll take the task off your already-full plate, so you can focus on other aspects of your business. They'll also provide you with metrics to measure blog performance.

Ready to get blogging?