Blogging has become one of the most established methods of building interest and engagement with an audience. But it takes time, consistency, and commitment to make a blog a success.
What is a blog?
First thing’s first, though – what exactly is a blog? In simplest terms, it is a regularly updated website page that usually covers a particular topic. Most company websites have a blog section with articles highlighting that company’s expertise and advice about specific issues. Alternatively, some blogs are run almost like media publications but are controlled by individuals.
A blog can be about any topic – politics, true crime, beauty products, outdoor shelters, health, and wellbeing – literally, no matter what is off the table.
A successful blog attracts plenty of visitors every month. This is achieved by hitting the right zeitgeist with the right people and ensuring that it is structured and optimized in the correct way to ensure it shows up in the search engines.
What are the important elements of a blog?
Like any good writing, a blog post is original (not AI-generated) and not copied and pasted from other sources. Google can detect plagiarizing, which would knock it down in overall rankings. The post has two jobs – to stand out in the listings and encourage people to click on it in the first place and to encourage people to read through it and prompt them to a second action. With the avalanche of information that people experience daily, this is a tough job.
As such, a good blog post will combine good quality writing with well-structured headlines (H2s, H3s, and bullet points) and enough CTAs (Call To Action) to encourage a click-through without being too off-putting.
How do I tell people about my blog?
For both company blogs and individual blogs, keyword research and page optimization are crucial tools to making sure their blogs are featured in search rankings.
Keywords must reflect the terms the target audience may be searching for when looking for their products. Competition can be fierce for the more popular terms, which is why consistency is crucial in any digital marketing campaign.
Essential blogs can be shared on social media pages. A combination of social media marketing and blogging can be an essential tactic in establishing a particular authority in different market sectors.
You can also encourage people who land on your page to subscribe to regular updates from your blog or company. Someone who subscribes is someone who demonstrates an interest in you or your company and can therefore be further nurtured.
Avoid the hard sell. Most people who read blogs are there for information and entertainment. They may also be looking for a solution to a problem, in which case you have the perfect opportunity to demonstrate that you are that solution. This is done by building trust and rapport. Within your different blogs, you can demonstrate knowledge and professionalism through third-party testimonials and customer stories, exploring industry issues, highlighting the problems your customers have, and setting out different solutions.
Blog pages on company websites are probably the most under-used but powerful aspects of their sites. They are an opportunity to truly demonstrate that company’s personality, brilliance, and expertise in a way that is not ‘sales’.
Understanding the power of a blog can make a real difference to your business.