I’ll make this easy for you. Yes, you should definitely start a blog. Here’s why: A blog is a valuable marketing tool for businesses of any size and includes a slew of benefits for your business. Blogging can increase website traffic, give your website the appearance of continually being updated, position your business as an industry expert or thought leader, and even increase your business’s ranking in search engines.
As with any marketing tool, you may not see an immediate increase in sales once your blog is started. But what will happen is your customers will start returning to your website on a regular basis, new potential customers will find your website, and your brand will become top of mind for when customers are ready to make a purchase.
Without further ado, here are some of the best practices for setting your blog up for success:
Brainstorm Topics
For a blog to be successful, it needs to contain engaging, relevant information that people want to consume. So start with a brainstorming session to identify topics you could write about. Start with the basics — your business, your products, your customers — then be sure to include newsworthy topics in the industry, share stories about how you got started in the field, lessons you’ve learned, and unique insights. Check out your top competitor’s websites and see what they are blogging about. You don’t want to steal ideas, but it can help get the wheels turning on other types of topics you can write about.
Add Keywords
If you haven’t already done keyword research for your business, it is time to start. Google’s Keyword Planner is a great tool to get you started on the right track. Once you determine the best keywords for your brand, include those keywords in your blogs to increase your search engine optimization (SEO). When you are regularly producing valuable content that is optimized for SEO it will have a positive effect in your search engine ranking.
Get Others Involved
Ask your employees if they are interested in joining it. You may be surprised by their willingness to participate and their differing expertise and perspectives can lead to additional topics. More bloggers means you can increase the frequency at which you are posting blogs and you can save yourself from embarrassing grammatical errors or misspellings by using this team as built-in proofreaders.
Determine Frequency
Be realistic when you are determining the frequency in which you will blog. A good goal for many organizations is once a week, but even once a month is better than not at all. I get it, as a business owner, you’re inherently busy, so blog when you can, just be sure to make it a priority. If writing isn’t your cup of tea or you find yourself struggling for time or ideas it may make sense for you to outsource your blog. Many agencies, like ours, include in-house copywriters and you can also hire freelance writers.
Get Organized
Once you’ve determined topics and keywords, formed your writing team, and set a frequency goal, it’s time to compile this information in one place: a content calendar. Create a content calendar that includes your blog topics, keywords, blog author, and dates for posting. The simple act of creating a calendar will make blogging feel like a priority and will help you stay on track. It also gives you the opportunity to know what is coming up so you can work ahead if you have spare time.
Offer A “Human” Touch
Blogging gives you the opportunity to connect with your audience and share timely and relevant information with your customers. A blog can also help your business feel more human, and people like to do business with people they know and are comfortable with. If you have a team of writers, add author information — including a professional photograph — to make the blog feel personable.
While creating and maintaining a blog can be time consuming, if you are looking for a way to increase website traffic, sales, and the value of your brand, it is worth the effort.
Now that you realize your business can’t live without a blog, it’s time to get started. Check out this list of 7 companies that are crushing their blogs to get motivated.