FOUR REASONS IT PAYS TO HAVE A

COMPANY BLOG

Meredith Hite, VP of Corporate Communications,

Dallas Market Center

@MerHite

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A blog is a webpage on which an individual

or group records opinions and information

on a regular basis.

Blogging and social media as a whole

represent a fundamental shift in the way

the world communicates.

A company blog should be an addition to

your current marketing activities – it should

never stand alone.

What is a blog and what does it do?

How big is blogging anyway?

With more than

152 Million blogs,

if blogging were

a country it’d be

larger than the

population of

Russia!

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Do you think your competitors are blogging?

YES!

60% of businesses have a

company blog

B2B companies with blogs

generate 67% more leads

per month on average than

non-blogging companies

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Can a blog help your sales?

YES!

81% of U.S. online consumers trust

information and advice from blogs

BlogHer

74% of consumers search online for

electronic reviews before buying

Weber Shandwick

77% of buyers say they are more likely

to buy from a company that uses

social media

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And now, the four reasons it PAYS

to have a company blog…

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Blogging is key for good SEO - to build incoming links, create content around keyword hit list, and build

a following that regularly posts your work to social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter

Reason #1: SEO

Here are a few ways blogs benefit SEO:

•Crawlable URLs - Making your content more search-

friendly

•Keywords - Sites with regularly updated, relevant blogs

will undoubtedly have more industry-related keywords

than sites without a blog, ranking them higher within

search engines

•Fresh content – Both readers and search engines reward

fresh content with repeat visits. From a search engine

perspective, that means your site can be crawled more

frequently, allowing your new content to become

searchable more quickly.

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Reason #2: Enhance Brand Personality

Blogs often have the ability to enhance your brand personality and reputation. A brand

personality is something to which the consumer can relate, and an effective brand will

increase its brand equity by having a consistent set of traits.

Questions to ask yourself when thinking about brand personality before you start blogging:

•How do we want our customers to see our brand?

• Is there a gap between how we want our brand to be seen and how clients presently see us?

•What could we use to show our brand personality?

•Does our brand have a story that the target market will like to hear?

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Reason #3: Create Sharable Content

Your content should be four things –

Relevant – Know your audience.

Emotional – We choose what makes us feel.

Attractive – The visual web is here.

Convenient – Allow for flexibility across devices.

Some additional tips for creating sharable content: Have

a heart, react fast, make them laugh

You’ve heard it before – content is king! Well, what’s the point in developing all of this content if

no one wants to share it?

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Reason #4: Relationship Building

Empower fans to become brand ambassadors

•Demonstrated through fans:

•Sharing your content with their followers

Provide useful, entertaining and relevant content to

inspire 2-way conversation

•Highlight interesting, authentic stories behind

your team, brand, product and company

•TIP: Have a variety of authors, across all

departments – execs, sales, marketing, PR,

design, etc.

Respond positively and in a timely manner

Form relationships with industry professionals through

guest blogging opportunities

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Let’s Review!

#1 - SEO

#2 - Enhance Brand Personality

#3 - Create Sharable Content

#4 - Relationship Building

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What You’ll Need.

What You’ll Need

• A social media champion or team

• A social media plan

• A URL

• Blog software

What You’ve Got (or should have)

• Your brand

• Your history

• Your programs

• Your products

• Your network

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Next Steps…

Do your research – scope out your competitors (content, design, sources)

Identify your website’s key words. (Google AdWords keyword tool)

• Use these keywords when tagging your posts. Remember, this helps boost you in the search

ranks!

Begin planning content editorial calendar around key dates (i.e. conferences,

industry events, holidays, etc.)

• Set calendar reminders for guest bloggers reminding them when their “assignment” is due.

Start blogging & have fun!

• Try a few different approaches and see what your customers respond to.

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Q & A

/dallasmarket

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Sources

Jeffbullas.com – 10 Compelling Reasons Why Your Business Should Blog

Dr. Brian Monger/CEO MAANZ International – Brand Personality

Constant Contact – 8 Ways to Create Shareable Social Media Content