Do you have a blog for your business? If you do, you probably know how effective it can be for staying connected to your customers and increasing your credibility.<\/p>\n
If you don\u2019t have a blog, or if you\u2019ve started one but aren\u2019t keeping up with it, I encourage you to take a moment to understand the benefits of a blog:<\/p>\n
Starting and maintaining a blog isn\u2019t hard, but it does take a commitment on your part. And being aware of a few tricks of the trade will help you make the most out of your time and efforts.<\/p>\n
Here are a few \u201cblogging best practices\u201d I\u2019ve compiled to help you start and grow your blog:<\/p>\n
Know your target audience<\/strong>. Know who is interested in what you have to say, and keep them in the back of your mind with every blog you write. How does your blog topic benefit them? How does it solve a problem that they have? Creating value will keep them coming back for more information.<\/p>\n Have a plan<\/strong>. As with any project, having a plan will help you be more successful. Create a calendar, and plan the blog posts you are going to write about, with a publishing date, key words, and who is responsible for writing them.<\/p>\n Write an enticing headline<\/strong>. A headline is the first thing your audience reads before deciding if they want to read more. Use strong, clear, concise words that catch their attention and entice them to read on.<\/p>\n Make it readable<\/strong>. Most people skim web content before deciding to read it in its entirety. For that reason, you want your content to be easy for them to scan. Use numbered lists, bullet points, short paragraphs and lots of white space so they can get the information they need as quickly as possible.<\/p>\n Only one topic per blog<\/strong>. It can be tempting to write whatever comes to mind, but don\u2019t go off on a tangent. It is really important that each blog focuses on one topic only. If you have a lot to say, that\u2019s great. Just divvy it up into separate blog posts. If you\u2019re dying to talk about more than one subject, start a newsletter.<\/p>\n Have a call to action<\/strong>. A call to action is your invitation that asks your reader to do something, and every blog you write should include one. A call to action could be to sign up for your email list, leave a comment, follow you on social media, or buy your product or service.<\/p>\n Be consistent<\/strong>. Adding content to your blog consistently has many benefits. It keeps your website fresh and updated (which is good for your SEO), and it shows your readers that you are actively producing content to help them. The more you write about a subject, the more authority you have over it.<\/p>\n Don\u2019t forget to promote it<\/strong>. You\u2019ll need to give your blog a little push to show it off and ensure the right audience is seeing it. Promote your blogs through your social media outlets, include links to other blog articles, or put your blog url in your email signature.<\/p>\n A blog can be an asset that grows your business, and continues to work for you long after your articles are published.<\/p>\n If you have any questions about starting a blog or maintaining the one you have, please feel free to contact me<\/a>. Stay in touch by joining my email list below:<\/p>\n