It’s no news that every day, more people – all around the world – are using the internet as a search tool to find places to eat, things to buy, services to use, and, of course, information. Smart phones have given access to the internet to even those without access to a traditional computer – including young people, the less affluent, and travelers.
As a website owner, whatever business niche you occupy, it’s never been more important to feed your website, regularly, with new content in order to stand out from your competitors. By implementing very simple content marketing strategies, including blog posts, you can help establish your brand, and give you and your business niche authority.
While modifying your main website pages every few weeks is not necessary, your blog section is a different matter. Blogs are so easy to update, and are the ideal vehicles to keep your readers informed of new business or industry developments – including new products and services that you are introducing.
Additionally, you can position yourself as an expert or authority by adding helpful blog posts that instruct, inform and engage (not sell!).
The majority of my clients these days have standing orders with me for a number of blog posts each month (the length and style varies). When you are weighing up whether to do the same, consider that with blog posts:
People love expert opinions. As people become more tech-savvy, they are aware that they have options. A simple Google search gives them so many to choose from. Branding yourself as an expert may be out of your comfort zone, but remember – if you are good at what you do, you are an expert!
• You are more connected to your audience. Depending on the niche, blog posts often speak directly to the reader using a more informal tone – as if you are talking to someone in person. This makes it easier for your audience to connect with you and the message you are conveying.
• You are offering real value. You have worked hard to get to where you are, and in the process you have developed certain skills and knowledge that is worth sharing. For example, a business coach may have useful information on finance, marketing, developing business plans and so on.
• Expert blog posts are ‘share worthy’. If your blog posts are informative and interesting, you can link to them through your social media platforms. Make it easy for your readers to share them as well by including well-placed social media share buttons on your blog. I like the WordPress plugin DiggDigg for this – it travels down the left hand side of the page as your reader scrolls.
Showcase your expertise through blog posts
Once you have decided to start adding blog posts to your website, real effort and planning has to go into selecting topics and making sure they are useful and interesting for your readers.
• Your web design should include easy access to your ‘Blog’ or ‘News’ section (or whatever you decide to call your Blog). Ease of navigation and access to engaging content are as important as aesthetics.
• Your blog posts should be informative, well-written, original and accurate. Best practice is to have properly tagged visuals – graphics, photos, videos, infographics or screenshots – to add interest and aid engagement. In this post I created a very simple collage of blog post examples – created using PicMonkey.
• Your blog section should be regularly updated. Having an abandoned blog section is worse than not having one. If you don’t think you will have enough time to regularly update your blog, think about bringing in someone else who can effectively convey your thoughts – like me and my team!
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