Let’s take a realistic look at some blogging musts that can help you to increase your readership and boost the value of your brand.
Brand blogging is easy, right? Just write, post, and go viral! If it were only so simple. The harsh reality is that quality blogging for content marketing takes a lot of talent, finesse and hard work. Great brand blogs have great design that compels the audience to subscribe, opt in, follow, buy products and come back for more content. And to get your blog seen, you’ve got to invest in building your audience across all channels – email, social media, partnerships, guest posts traditional media and in-person marketing.
Even when it comes to the content itself, though, there are plenty of areas to drill down endlessly. As with any rich topic, one can always learn more about brand blogs. What we’re presenting here are the basic prerequisites for mastery. If you’re not doing these three things with your blog, then you’re likely to never become a true master blogger.
Always look your best
Appearance matters. Present a professional and credible face with a quality, eye-catching design. There are about a zillion WordPress themes out there. Do some research and find one that works for you, and then start customizing.
You might have to pay a few bucks, but believe us, it’s worth the relatively small expense. Your blog should serve as the hub for all of your inbound marketing efforts, with nearly all other channels driving traffic here. So make sure you’re looking good and that visitors have plenty of options for entering your brand’s relationship nurturing funnel when they’re on your pages.
Write good and write right
Write short, concise sentences and short paragraphs. Make it easy to read and draw the reader forward. Use subheadlines and visuals to break the space up and catch eyes. Use compelling titles for your posts exclusively.
Be sure to edit before you post. Look for grammatical errors and glaring spelling mistakes. Ideally, you should be working with an editor who is someone other than the writer. A second pair of eyes can catch things that the first pair might have missed.
Check your facts. As the blogger, you’re positioning your brand as an authority in your space, and you’re represent yourself as an industry expert. You want people to read your blog to learn something from you. Whether you are writing about the issues that matter in your industry, trends, or a competitor, be sure what you are saying is true. And if you do accidentally get it wrong (it happens to everyone), be sure to correct yourself.
Make the connection
Establish a routine and write regularly. This will help you to stay focused on your blog, and your readers will know when to expect a new post. Weekly series are great for this.
The specifics of your routine will depend on your products, your company, and how much you have to say. Maybe you only need to blog weekly, but schedule it and stick to it!
Email your readers and engage via Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and the like. By aggressively but tastefully courting email subscribers on your website and other branded presences, you can ensure audience loyalty. Email them with updates as part of your blogging routine. Trust us – it will drive traffic to your blog and you’ll see your readership grow.
Photo courtesy of Flickr user Shan213 under a Creative Commons license.
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