Blogs are one of the easiest ways to connect with your customers and prospects and keep them engaged with your business. When blogging, you can write in a casual tone that helps your readers identify with you and your topic. Since content marketing has become a primarily way to introduce people to your company, you can use your blog posts to answer questions, introduce new products and talk about the people behind the business.Our tips will help you get started:
1. Target persona
Who is it that you are trying to connect with when you blog? Defining the personality of your ideal customer and their interests will help you determine what to write to attract their attention. Think about your brand and what marketing concept you are using, then direct your blog post to your customer using that theme. One hint is to picture the person in your mind as if they were sitting in front of you.
2. Article goal
Each blog post should focus on a single goal. Before you start writing, decide what you are trying to accomplish with the current post. Our suggestions are to use one of the four "E's:"
- Educate--teach your reader
- Engage--tell a story or inspire action
- Entertain--offer a pleasurable interlude
- Expert--show yourself as an expert in your field
3. Knowledge/Skill level
What is the knowledge or skill level of the reader? For instance, is your blog written by a medical professional for other medical professionals? Or instead, is it written for patients? Consider the level of understanding and interest that the reader will have in your topic. Then write to that level.
4. Buying cycle
Where is your reader in the buying cycle? Are they reading your post due to a social trigger or email? Or is this an ongoing blog that you write weekly? If you sell a complex or expensive product or service, your blog can be a way to answer questions that typically come up in the buying cycle.
5. Content structure
Another consideration is how to present your content. There are numerous methods of writing a blog post including list, how-to, FAQ, narrative or review. One key factor is that most people scan articles online instead of reading them; therefore, having the text broken up into sections that can be read quickly is helpful.
6. Great title
Your post title should tell the reader in about five words what the article is about. However, it should also contain the keywords that will help the search engines know what the topic is, and when to display it in search results.
7. Call-to-action
The blog post should end with a call-to-action. A call-to-action is exactly what it sounds like--calling the reader to take an action. The action can be to call or come into your store, go to your website or a landing page or make an appointment. Whatever you want the reader to do once they have read the post is the call-to-action.
Using these tips, start on your blogging journey now. Think about what you want to tell your readers, then write your first post.
Comments