Broadcast Your Brand: How to Run a Kickass Business Blog
It is almost impossible for businesses to be successful with zero online presence nowadays. It doesn’t matter what kind of business you own; when your target audience wants a certain service, they will search for information about it online. If they don’t find you, they will turn to the competition. So how do you get found in search results? Quite simply, you will need to produce high-quality content that gets your brand out there -- but you can’t suffocate your official website with too much content either. When a visitor lands on your homepage, they should get brief information about your business and a clear call to action. This is why your content should be in a special section of the site. In other words, you need a business blog.How exactly do you start and maintain a great business blog? This article will share ten tips and strategies for running a high-impact blog that boosts your audience and gets your brand noticed.How to Run a Kickass Business BlogYour brand isn't what you say it is. It's what Google says it is.- Chris Anderson, former editor of WiredAnswer this question: who are you writing for?That’s the starting point. When you understand your target audience, it will be easier for you to connect with them. Try to be very specific in this answer. Visualize your ideal customer persona and think:What questions and interests do they have?What problems do they face?How can you help?Try to forget about making sales for a moment and focus on your audience. That brings us to the next step.Remember: the blog is not for making salesNo one wants to read blog posts that repeat the same thing over and over again: “Get our product, it’s the best!” The purpose of your blog is not making sales. Of course it will contribute towards that goal, but it has a whole other objective: attracting more visits to your website. Most people who read blog articles are there to get value, tips, and a message that will stick with them. They need to learn something new and improve the quality of their life. The purpose of a business blog is to answer the questions your audience has. To make it clearer: you need to offer solid advice on issues related to your niche.Create top-quality contentIf you search Google for blogs in your industry, you’ll notice there are plenty of them. Why should the readers choose you? There is only one thing they are after: high-quality content. Since you won’t use your blog to make direct sales, why should you bother to produce content of the highest quality? Think of it this way: the blog is not a business, but it’s the face of your business. This means that every single piece of content should be absolutely flawless. Maintain a friendly toneMany people mistake business blogging for corporate-style content. You’ll need to get rid of that approach. You should not use fancy language, and you should abandon the industry slang. Remember: you’re reaching out to a wide audience. Count on the fact that not all readers will understand the slang. You should show some personality. Remember that customer persona you created when you started the blog? Address them directly! When the reader interacts with that content, they should get the impression that it was written for them.Share your personal journeyThe content on your business blog will revolve around answering the questions of your audience and suggesting solutions that will improve the quality of their lives. However, you shouldn’t limit the blog to that. Remember: blogging gives you a chance to showcase the personality of your brand. For example, you can share your personal adventure towards leadership as a result of following your educational path. You can also give insights into the company’s culture and feature interviews with notable employees. Passive voice? Just don’t!The debate over the passive voice is never-ending. Yes, it’s part of English grammar. No, there’s nothing wrong with passive-voice sentences from a grammatical point of view. From a reader’s angle, however, there are plenty of problems with the passive voice. Here's an example:If any help with pool cleaning is needed, drop us an email and it will be answered.Do you see the problem with that sentence? Who needs help with pool cleaning? Who will answer the email? Can it answer itself? Yup, that sounded confusing, just like the passive tone used in the sentence. If you need help with pool cleaning, drop us an email and we’ll answer it right away.Doesn't that sound better? Don’t use the passive voice unless it’s absolutely necessary!Make the content easy to readImagine how this article would look if it were written in loooong paragraphs, with no list involved? Imagine the same content in an huge chunk of text. Neither of those would be all that appealing to read, would they? To enhance the readability of your blog posts, you should use:Short and clear sentencesShort paragraphsLists and bullet pointsImages that convey your pointThat’s the secret recipe to success in business blogging.Use visual contentAn image is worth a thousand words. That’s a cliché statement, but it’s true, especially when it comes to blogging. You’re sharing reviews of your products? Feature original images and before-and-after results. You’re giving tips your readers can implement in their daily lives? Find photos that convey your point, so the reader can take a mini-breather in between reading. If you can feature original images and videos, your content will make an impression for its uniqueness. That can result in more engagement.Seduce the audience with good headlinesConsider these two headlines:How to Maintain Your Pool During WinterOh No! It’s Winter! How Will Your Pool Survive? 10 Tips for Simple MaintenanceThe first headline is informative, but there’s not much more to it. The second headline, on the other hand, is also informative, but way more intriguing. It’s more unique and funnier, and it’s the one you’ll probably click on.Come up with catchy headlines! The reader should immediately get the point, but the title should also have that extra factor of appeal. Top lists work well, since they tell the reader what they can expect.Promote it!Since you already have a business, you understand the fact that every product needs promotion. Consider your blog as another one of your products. Here are some tips for promoting it:Invite the visitors to join an email list, so they will get informed whenever a useful article goes online. Share links on all social media channels. Don’t forget to pin the images on Pinterest!Invite people to comment, like, and share. Invite guest bloggers, who will contribute with free content in return for a link featured in the post. Write guest posts on popular blogs and include a link to your blog in the bio.Maintaining a successful business blog is not an easy endeavor. However, it’s necessary if you want to harness the full marketing potential of the Internet. Follow these tips above to help you develop a blog that creates conversion and takes your business to the next level.