So you want to publish a business blog for your company. Congratulations! You're on your way to content marketing success. But you need to know some basics first!
You have decided that publishing a business blog can be a great way to increase traffic to you website, generate more leads and communicate your company story.
And you're right!
Creating and publishing blog content will put you on a good path towards successful inbound marketing for your business. But you've also probably figured out that just publishing an occasional business blog post now and again might not be very effective.
And you're right again.
Your Business Blog is Part of Your Marketing Foundation
One of the foundational elements of inbound marketing is the effective use of business blogging. While a blog by itself does not constitute the entirety of an inbound, or content, marketing strategy, it is a big part. Creating and publishing fresh content fuels your website's ability to be found in an organic online search.
While there are other types of content that you can and should create, a regular blog post - done properly - can be your main content "engine" for increasing website traffic and even generating new leads. And new leads can generate new business.
How Much and How Often
The more frequently you publish your blog posts, the better. Differing schools of thought prevail here, but it is generally agreed that a minimum of two posts per month are needed. Once a week is better. Frequency is a major key for both your potential readers and for the major search engines like Google.
One of the fundamental realities of successful business blogging is the need for consistency and frequency. If you decide to publish a blog for your company you must commit to a schedule and stick to it. Both your audience and the search engines will appreciate it.
But consistency and frequency alone will not make for a killer business blog! The biggest key to successfully blogging for business is creating successful posts!
In addition to being consistent and frequent, there are four key ingredients will help ensure that you are hitting the mark with your blog.
Four Elements of a Solid Business Blog Post
While there is a bit more that needs to be set up such as proper SEO functions, distribution channels, and a robust website home, it is critical to ensure that these four elements are a part of every business blog post you publish.
1. A Compelling and SEO-enabled Headline
The numbers vary depending on the source, but suffice it to say that headlines can make or break a post. Like a badly designed or boring book cover, the content may be great but if no one is drawn to it by the headline it will go unread. Not only should it have you keywords present, it must also give a clear indication of the subject matter. Catchy is good, but vague or misleading is not.
2. Visually Captivating Images
People are wired for visuals. We love to look at images and watch things move. We are drawn to graphics, images and video. The best posts are started with bold and captivating images. This is becoming more apparent as various social media channels become more and more graphic heavy. Your longer posts should make use of many more images within the text, or content.
3. Content That is Relevant, Contextual and has Value
Google’s regard for and valuing of keywords has changed somewhat significantly over recent years. Now, when Google scans your site, it does not simply note the relevant keyword phrases and pair them to search queries. Semantic logic and other algorithm changes mean that you must write for people, not just for search engine web crawlers, or bots.
This was emphasized by Jayson DeMers, founder & CEO of AudienceBloom, “Google interprets the data on your website, and begins to form its own conclusions about what your site and your business really deliver. If that seems a little spooky to you, you aren’t alone — Google is becoming exceptionally sophisticated.”
4. An Effective Call To Action (CTA)
A CTA is the critical link between your reader - the potential customer was drawn to your blog post - and a landing page. Your landing page will typically have an engaging and valuable offer of some sort for your prospect to download or subscribe to. Often this will ask them to complete a short form, maybe something as simple as a first name and email address. Here is an example of a call-to-action that we use frequently:
A CTA does not have to be complicated or "salesy", but remember: no call, no action!
Of course, your content needs to be good, as well. This doesn't mean Pulitzer Prize winning quality, but it does mean content that is readable, engaging, relevant for you audience and real.
What do we mean by "real"? Real content is content that is unique to your business and not some generic copy that was bought from a faceless website or subscription service.
A Great Business Blog Is Only Part of a Great Marketing Strategy
While a great blog is an essential and critical component of a successful inbound marketing strategy, it is far more effective when combined with other, equally critical components. Creating and publishing periodic ebooks in the form of guides, tip sheets, or checklists can be combined with an email campaign to follow up with the leads your blog has generated.
Incorporating simple videos and useful infographics can be powerful and engaging additions to your inbound marketing mix of tactics. But because a great blog can serve as the foundation of your overall strategy it pays to look for help in improving your blogging for business efforts.
Getting Expert Help For Your Business Blog
So, an additional tip for creating and publishing an effective business blog is to get outside help. Digital marketing agencies, such as BroadVision Marketing, can offer expertise and tools that the typical business owner or marketing manager may not have.
It often helps to have an professional marketer's perspective to assess your content marketing strategy. Acquiring the insights and assessment of a third-party professional can be an investment that will bring a quantifiable return.
BroadVision Marketing offers all this and more. Get your Free Complimentary Inbound Marketing Session to help you make an informed decision or call BroadVision Marketing at 707-799-1238.
