Business blogging tips are easy to find these days. You simply Google the phrase and millions of results for business blogging tips are unveiled before your eyes.
Some tips are solid, others are average, and then there’s the tips that make you scratch your head.
Business blogging can be tough to wrap your head around, especially if you’re new to the game. To make your life a bit easier, we’re composing a list of rock solid business blogging tips that you can get started with today.
Oh, and they’ll actually help grow your business
Tip #1: Kick Search Into High Gear With The Right Keywords
In order to get your business blog off on the right foot, it helps to know the keywords you are targeting. Although blogging isn’t only about keywords, it’s an important aspect that should be implemented into your strategy.
Triggering the right keywords matters for several reasons. First, it helps search engines detect the theme of your blog. Second, it helps the search engines place your website in the search engines accordingly. And above all else, it helps your customers discover your website to find more information about your products and services.
Tip #2: Evaluate, Understand, And Connect to Your Audience
All of the best keywords in the world won’t help you if you don’t know your audience. Writing to the right people makes all the difference with the success of your business blog. You might feel as if you are writing to a sea of non-existing people when you publish your blog, but that couldn’t be further from the case.
Your audience consists of your ideal customer, but keep in mind that there are different buying phases for every reader. Create content for readers that are on different areas of their buying journey, such as the discovery phase or the consideration phase.
Tip #3: Vary The Style of Your Blog Posts
Mixing up the style of your blog posts helps your audience from getting bored. It also helps you be able to continuously crank out content without much struggle.
For example, one week your business blog post can be in a how-to format. The next blog post can consist of some type of list, and the following week can be an extensive guide.
Variety is the spice of life, and the same thought process applies to your business blog.
Tip #4: Word Count Can Have Influence
Studies have shown that long form content (1500+ words) ranks the best on Google. While Google may favor long blogs over shorter blogs, you have to consider user experience, your topic, and your particular audience.
If your audience is typically busy or on the go, they may not have the time to sit down and read a 3,000-word blog post. If you can get your point across just the same in 1,000 words or even less, there’s no rule that says you have to stretch your word count just for the sake of Google.
When you do decide to go long with blog content, be sure that you’re adding value. Cut the fat from your blog post, eliminate wordiness, and give your readers useful advice that they can apply today.
Tip #5: Ignite Imagination with Images
Don’t put your customers to sleep with a big block of text. Adding an image or two to your blog post can help your audience absorb your overall theme.
But when it comes to images in your blog posts, there are several points to keep in mind. Try to avoid overused stock images or swiping graphics without permission. Kudos if you supply your own photography or illustrations. But if you don’t have time to contribute your own art, you can subscribe to affordable stock image websites that provide fresh images every week.
Tip #6: Don’t Keep Your Readers Guessing
A consistent schedule should be top priority for your business blogging strategy. Sporadically posting new content will cause your readers to quickly lose interest, as your audience engagement slowly dwindles away.
Studies have shown that blogs typically receive the most amount of traffic on Mondays. If Mondays work for your schedule, post your blog early in the morning and let the traffic flow in throughout the rest of the week.
Tip #7: Don’t Set it And Forget it
Speaking of traffic, your blog won’t always generate high traffic on its own. Keywords can help, but a business blogging strategy has to include promotion.
You can promote your blog by using multiple social media platforms, and even by networking with people offline.
Don’t forget, if your blog consists of evergreen content, you can easily continue advertising your blog posts for months, sometimes even a couple of years.
Tip #8: Use Your Smartphone to Store Topics
Your smartphone is the perfect place to store blog post ideas that pop up on the spot. These blog post ideas can come from anywhere—a customer question, a newspaper headline, or even a random thought of your own.
And as you build your business blog topic list, you won’t have to scratch your head for new ideas week after week.
Tip #9: Don’t Over Promote Yourself
It’s important to understand that business blogging is for your customer’s benefit. Many companies make the mistake of using their blog as a promotional pedestal, only coming on to update when there’s a promotion or sale.
Your customer’s concern is learning how your product can help solve their problems. So when you’re blogging, focus on your customer and not yourself.
Tip #10: You Might Have to Give it Up
Free advice, that is. Advice that helps your customers helps build trust and establishes a connection. Even if that reader doesn’t immediately buy your product or service, they’ll remember you down the road when a need arises.
Treat your readers as if they are paying customers, and the rewards will surely follow.
Tip #11: Bring Your Own Angle
Covering a blog topic that everyone else has done doesn’t mean you’re out of luck. By bringing in your personal experiences, advice and insight, you’ll bring your own angle to run-of-the-mill topics.
The key is to add new value and write about your blog topic in your own voice.
Tip #12: Don’t Forget to Measure Success
As your business blogging efforts progress, you’ll want to track your accomplishments. Remember that the ROI of business blogging doesn’t always come in the form of money. You can measure success with the number of new e-mail list subscribers, traffic, or even social media shares.
Tip #13: Keep an Eye on Comments
If you choose to have comments on your blog, periodically check to make sure that you haven’t missed any questions. Customers might use your comments section to further inquire about your blog content, or even your products and services.
If you think you’ll forget, you can set up e-mail notifications to alert you of new comments.
Tip #14: Business Blogging = SEO
Well, at least a portion of SEO. Old search engine optimization tactics are becoming less useful as time goes by. In order to impress Google, you have to impress your readers. This means that you have to use your keywords with a strategy that both triggers the search engines and helps your customers learn something new.
Tip #15: Quality Over Quantity
While some blogging experts recommend blogging as often as possible, don’t sacrifice quality for more posts. Stick to a realistic schedule for yourself and feed your readers with the best quality content that you can come up with. This means writing clearly with topics that cater to the needs of your readers.
There’s a lot to consider in the world of business blogging, but there’s no need to be overwhelmed. The key is to get started with your first blog post and continuously build your business blogging strategy as you go.
Don’t sell yourself short by ignoring these business blogging tips. You owe it to yourself to provide top-notch blog posts that generates traffic and boosts business.
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