Why Blog?

Businesses should be engaging in blogging.

According to Hubspot, businesses that blog get 55% more visitors to their website than those that do not. Some of the benefits of blogging include:

• More website visitors mean more opportunities for lead generation.
• More leads mean more opportunities to convert those leads into customers.
• More customers mean more business.

How can businesses get the most out of their blog?

Top Five Strategies for Effective Blogging

1.    Content: Write to Educate and Engage

• Educate by writing about your industry. Considering the needs of the visitor before your own will enable you to begin building a relationship of trust as a useful, reliable, and relevant resource to those seeking answers.
• Engage with Three C’s: Aim for clear, concise, and consistent blogs. Clarity A clear focus will draw and maintain visitors’ attention.Concision  Less is always best, so leave your visitor wanting more.

  Consistency  Consistent offers of well written material addressing visitors’ needs, concerns, and questions will begin to establish you as an industry leader.

2.  Format:  Make your Post Skim-Friendly  

Help visitors locate the information they need quickly with the following tips.

• A title under 60 characters will state your subject, address a need, or offer a solution.
• Use subheadings, numbers, and bold font throughout to direct readers.
• White space and images help draw the visitor’s attention to the content you want him them to read.

3. Search Engines:  Enhance Your Ranking with Keywords                                                              

When writing useful content, consider readers first but getting noticed in a competitive global market means you must also write with search engines in mind.

• Keywords are those words search engines use to filter through content directing the searcher to the most relevant results.
• To select strong key words for your blog posts, first think about topics of importance to your business. Once you have chosen a topic, lengthen those key words into a phrase, or long tail keyword, that addresses questions people frequently ask about that subject. For example, those looking for running shoes are more likely to phrase their search as:  Most durable and affordable running shoes 
• Once you choose a long tail keyword, place those words in your blog title, content, URL, and description.

4.  Call-to-Action:  Include  Related Offers                                                                                    

Give visitors an opportunity to access additional information through a Call-to-Action at the end of your post.

• A Call-to Action or CTA, is a button, an image, or line text on a web page that asks someone to take action.
• Examples of CTA’s include:Order Now
  
  Sign-Up for a Webinar or NewsletterDownload a Free Ebook or White Paper

  Follow Us onTwitter, Facebook, Google Plus

5. Social Media:  Share Your Stuff                                                                                       

Promoting your blog through social media increases traffic to your website.

• Those in networking communities will want to learn more about you.
• These connections lead to customers down the line.

Social engines factor social sharing in your ranking.  

• With every post, make it easy for your visitors to promote what you have given them.
• Include icons to share or follow through Facebook, Linkedin, or Google accounts.

Implementing these five strategies will yield results. Every blog you post becomes a catalyst for business growth by attracting more visitors to your website, generating more leads, and converting more customers.