Until relatively recently, blogging was often perceived as an online diary for individuals to share their opinions and personal experiences. However, a blog today can be a powerful marketing tool. Whether you want to create web traffic, grow your online community, build relationships with customers, position yourself or your company as an expert or ‘soft-sell’ your services, a blog offers a lot of possibilities.
So how do you make your blog successful? It’s all about consistent, quality content. Here are a few tips:
Quality Content
Quality content is key. Do some research in order to ascertain which topics will resonate with your target audience. Focus on what people are talking about in the news and on social media sites in relation to your target market. Your content should aim to offer a perspective on issues facing your potential customers. If you can engage with them and show that you have an understanding of problems, challenges or opportunities in their industry, you will begin to generate a following. Finally, make sure that your content is readable by avoiding jargon.
Consistency
Like most marketing initiatives, frequency and consistency matter in blogging. When it comes to frequency, there are no fixed rules. How often you blog will depend on your type of business, target market, purpose, etc. Longer, researched posts for example will take more time to produce. Whatever frequency you determine is best for your business, do it consistently and reap the rewards. If your last post is over a month or two old, it may be time to consider outsourcing content production to an external provider.
Share
Share your blog posts on social media platforms relevant to your business, and encourage your social network to share it with their contacts too. Don’t be afraid to ask for help in spreading the word – most social networks encourage this type of sharing.
Tailor Your Blog to Your Audience
Always stay true to your target audience. Make your blogs relevant by illustrating that you understand your industry and target market. If you understand what keeps your audience awake at night, you can add value by providing solutions to assist with the challenges they face.