A business blog is a powerful Internet marketing and public relations tool for an organization. It puts a human face on your company, attracts visitors in search of knowledge about your industry, and showcases your expertise and capabilities to potential customers.
Content marketing and blogging also increases traffic to your website. According to Hubspot, an Internet marketing software company, businesses that publish at least 20 blog posts per month get 5x more traffic to their websites.
But there is a significant amount of competition for a customer’s attention on the Internet with millions of other websites and blogs. To distinguish your blog from others, here are 10 steps to improving your content marketing:
1) Ensure that your posts are error-free. Carefully check over your blog posts to ensure that your grammar and punctuation are correct, and double-check the validity of any facts you add to posts. Mistakes in your posts create a negative impression of your business and may send your customers to your competition.
2) Publish posts on a regular basis. By maintaining a regular schedule, your readers will keep returning to your blog. Regular posting also helps search engines such as Google and Yahoo to find your posts and publish them in the search results pages.
3) Publish content that is original and interesting. Determine what topics matter most to your customer base and write posts suited to their needs. Discuss industry issues, talk about newsworthy events, or show your customers how to solve problems in their homes or businesses.
4) Invite dialogue between your business and your customers. Make it easy for readers to comment on your blog by enabling them to quickly sign up to make comments and subscribe. Create a two-way conversation between you and your customers; your customers can provide valuable insights into your business and this knowledge can help you improve your product and service offerings.
5) Handle any negative comments tactfully. Some readers may use their comments to respond in less-than-positive ways, but be polite when you answer them. Offer to respond to their problems as soon as possible by inviting readers to contact you offline, so that you create a positive impression with other readers.
6) Avoid direct selling in your blog posts. Your business blog should be about your customers and their needs; posts that are promotional in style or are thinly disguised press releases are less popular with media-savvy customers.
7) Make sure your blog posts are optimized for search engines by your staff or an SEO vendor. Most people use search engines to find the information they want; when your blog posts are search-engine friendly, you’ll attract a greater number of readers.
8) Ensure that your blog posts are part of your overall Internet marketing strategy. Blog posts will help you build relationships and generate sales leads by influencing customers and inspiring their willingness to buy the products and services you offer.
9) Interact with other blogs. Leave thoughtful comments on other industry-related blogs; this practice often stimulates others’ interest in your own blog and inspires them to visit.
10) Talk about your blog in your other Internet marketing tools. Encourage readers to view your latest blog post by mentioning it in a Twitter tweet, Facebook post or e-newsletter.
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