Blog your way to a better business

Not so long ago if you asked the question, “which blogs do you follow?” chances are you would’ve been met with a blank stare. It’s incredible to think how this medium has grown, not only in consumer popularity, but also in industry credibility. Blogs are, in a way, more essential to a business’ content marketing strategy than traditional advertising. Readers choose which blogs to follow based on content, regularity of contributions and tone—not based on what they’re trying to sell.

So, how do you blog your way to a better business?

Increase website traffic and SEO.

The ultimate goal of any blog campaign should be to increase traffic and interest to your website. Before making any purchasing decisions, most consumers will read product reviews on your website or others. Keep them on your site by providing them with regular content about your business, how you are improving and prove why your business is a thought-generation leader.

Commit to publishing a certain number of posts per week. Whether you post two, three or five times a week, establish a schedule based on the time and resources available to you. Your followers will notice if you break your habits.
Link or build your blog to your website. As search engine’s spiders scan the Internet looking for new content, yours will automatically refresh multiple times a week, resulting in higher search results.
Use keywords, specific to your industry, throughout your website and blog posts. When customers search for specific products or services, the combination of your strategically placed keywords and new content will give your business priority in search results.

Build a community.

Whoever thinks blogs aren’t social, doesn’t understand social media. Instead of propagating one-sided “marketer” speak, think of blogging as a conversation. Blogs have faithful followers with supporting networks on their own. Focus on building a community, rather than trying to sell something. Use blogs to:

Connect with existing and potential customers
Provide support
Add a human voice to your company
Highlight what’s new for your business
Comment on other blogs with links back to your own

By shifting your focus on how you view blogs in your overall content marketing strategy, you can ultimately change how your customers and potential customers view your business. In a highly competitive market, where products are aplenty, show your customers what makes your brand and voice so unique.