Blogging(root word web-log) is an interesting and often misused term. First, we need to address the misconceptions of the idea of blogging. Blogs started out as a way to share random personal thoughts and stories and stream of conscious kind of that stuff, like the person on Facebook you just blocked. With the emphasis of customers and google on quality and unique content, blogging has been catapulted into one of the most powerful tools to grow your business.
Smart Internet Marketing
Take the example of Jay Baer. Jay’s a renowned marketing consultant and author of the book Youtility – Why smart marketing is about help, not hype. Jay owned an in-ground pool installation company and revolutionized his business through blogging. Fact was, Jay’s business hit rock bottom during the Real Estate crash in 2008. Jay started a blog, each blog post devoted to answering a particular question from a customer. Jay would bang out one post an evening(in about 1hr) and soon he had an array of 50+ posts answering every pool question a customer would ask. What happened next was a remarkable business turn-around in desperate times. Jay’s pool business was stronger than ever, and he got all of his customers online. He found that people trusted him and were well educated to make a buying decision when the called. The rich and pertinent content also boosted Jay’s site to the top of the search rankings.
Not bad for a small investment.
So again, blog’s power does not come from talking about the new tile you put in your bathroom. If you have a recycled glass tile business, that might be appropriate, but…a blog’s power is released by relaying knowledge and answering customer’s questions before they ask you. Now after you have provided value to people through entertainment or education, it’s ok to put a personal spin on blogs, tilting your hand showing of some of the trump cards of your personality. I like to add in some humor but always avoid political, sexual or racial innuendos.
Here are the meat and potatoes of a quality blog post:
1. Keywords as part of Bloging and SEO
Blog post should address popular questions or terms people are searching for. A keyword analysis for relevant keywords helps you determine the titles for your blog posts. Sherri’s organic cookies may do a post on vegan organic cookies, providing a vegan recipe since she found through a keyword analysis there is high search volume for vegan cookies.
2. Educate
Give potential customers everything they need to make an informed and confident purchase decision. This goes for the content on your site as well. Shipping methods, size of the box, phone hours, location all need to be laid out in your site content. For blogs, get into the details about the nature of your product. For Sherri’s organic cookies, she will want to make posts about her ingredients, where they are sourced…what makes them organic etc. Educate Your Customers! They will eat it up like cookies and be looking for more.
3. SEO
Your blog posts will be the basis, or starting point for all the SEO work and link building thereafter. From these posts you can carve out articles and mash up content to create a virtual storm of information with your name on it, thousands of tasty information morsels leading right back to your website. So dig in, have some fun and tell us everything you know about your field, service, or products. Definately SEO your blogs.
And…if you really just can’t write, the are content writers who will happily forge a unique and quality blog posts for $10-20.
How many blog posts do you have? How can I help you?
