Post on 09-May-2015
description
Business Blogging
Table of Contents• Business Blogging Defined
• The Importance of Blogging – Examples of Businesses that blog
• The Art of Blogging
• The Benefits of Blogging
• Blogging Best Practices – Do’s and Don’ts
• A Career as a Strategic Content Creator
• Blogging Skills
• How to start your own blog – Different Blogging Networks
• What is a Business Blog
A business blog is a hub where businesses and brands provide and share information to their current/potential customers to give them information about their product/service.
It doesn’t end there, a blog further gives businesses a platform to not only advertise but to give industry expertise that can further assist business’ and brands achieve their bottom line.
Why Blog?
Blogging creates more indexable website pages for search engines to serve up;
• It is a sustainable way to drive traffic to your site
• Blogs make you more visible in your industry; they introduce you as a thought leader.
• On the internet it increases your visibility on search engines.
• When done correctly and coherently, blogs can further convert that traffic into leads.
Search Engine Optimisation
Search engine optimization (SEO) is the process of improving the visibility of a website or a web page in a search engine's "natural" or un-paid ("organic") search results. In general, the earlier (or higher ranked on the search results page), and more frequently a site appears in the search results list, the more visitors it will receive from the search engine's users
• The Importance of Business BloggingFor an organizations inbound marketing strategy it is extremely vital to blog. As highlighted above you will notice that in an inbound marketing methodology, the process of attracting strangers requires an aspect of some kind of content strategy. Whether it is making use of blogs, social media and keywords and pages in order to turn strangers into visitors, visitors into leads, leads into customers and customers into advocates.
· It creates more indexable website pages for search engines to serve up· Sustainable way to drive traffic to your siteServe as Magnets for inbound links & social sharesAnd when you get more website visitors, you get more opportunities to convert them into leads. More leads means more chances to convert them into customers. And blogging is where it all starts.
Here’s an interesting fact…
• Companies that blog get 55% more website visitors than those who do not. – Hubspot.
Example of businesses that blog
• The Art of Business BloggingYour Blog makes you more visible.
• In your industry: your blog introduces you as a thought leader.
• On the Internet: GREATLY increases your visibility in search engines.
Whatever your goal, whether it is brand awareness, driving sales, or even building an online community, the people who are best at it are the ones who can tell a story that makes you sit up, listen, and understand. That’s my job!
• The benefits of blogging
• Educate
• Generate Traffic
• Convert Traffic into leads
Educate!Use your blog as a hub to give educational insight, and educational advice on or about your product or service.
Don’t only focus on your organisation, remember it’s not about you; it’s about your customers. Provide readers with educational content, this may result in them recommending your company to their peers, thus building advocates for your organisation.
Web Traffic!
Convert leads into customers!
Blogging Best Practices
Always have a goal in mind
InformProvide readers with informative, educational and insightful content. Give the latest industry news and allow your business to be a source of news for your readers.
EntertainTo add variety to your posts, and to cater for your various personas, create content that is entertaining and fun to read.
Tell a storyPeople love stories. Stories have a sit-up and listen effect, and there is always a lesson or two to be learnt.
Influence
Write consistently
One idea/topic per postRemember one topic per blog post – whenever you’re creating your post, make sure that it addresses one main topic at a time for SEO purposes.
Too many ideas on one page will confuse Google, therefore your website will be indexed beyond the first two pages, and that is something that you don’t want to happen.
Make your content irresistibleCaptivating titles and captions do half the job in helping you achieve that goal, you can further build on it by ensuring that your content is well cooked up.
Always add a call-to-actionLast but not least, ALWAYS add a Call-to-action to optimise your blog post – give your readers something to do after reading your blog post.
Offer them something, i.e. a free product trial or consultation, you can even add an offer (eBook, Whitepaper, Checklist, Cheat sheet’s etc.)
DoBe relatable, be yourself
Don’t
CopyrightThe copyright Law of South Africa, governs the following copyright; the right to control the use and distribution of artistic and creative works.
• Literary Works: including novels, poems, plays, film scripts, textbooks and reports etc.
• Musical works: excluding words sung with the music
• Artistic works: paintings, drawings and photographs etc.
• Published editions: particular typographical arrangements of literary or musical works.
Do
Don’tHave content heavy indigestible posts!
DoAdd images to your post, especially in between text just to make your post easily digestible.
A career as a Strategic Content Creator
• Skills- Nose for news
- Writing skills
- Strategic
- Creative THINKER
• How to start your own BLOG
Select a platform…
www.wordpress.com
bloger.com
www.tumblr. com
www.quora.com
www.squarespace.com
Once you’ve selected your podium…
Keywords
Promote your post
Develop relationships with other bloggers
END@ZASocialmedia