by Brenda Berg
As a small business owner, you’re required to oversee all your own marketing efforts. This includes your blogging strategy, which you may not feel comfortable with. If you’re just starting out, this is the guide for you.
Here are some smart tips that will help you create a good blogging strategy, and get the most out of what you put online:
Listen to your audience.
First of all, you need to get out there and listen to what your audience wants. If you’re on social media, follow the other ‘likes’ of your followers, and look at what they’re saying online. What are their needs and wants? What’s their biggest problem right now? Your job is to understand what they need, so you can write blogs that they can find value in and use.
Write blogs with substance.
A blog post that simply tells your audience about your product isn’t going to get you the clicks you need. This is because it isn’t reaching out to them, it’s simply advertising yourselves. Instead, you need to take the data gathered during the listening phase, and use it to write blogs that are actually useful. Instead of just talking about your product, write about ways in which your audience can solve a problem, one of those being buying your product.
Use sources.
It’s hard to come up with good content if you’re not doing your research. If you’re writing, use that research to back up what you have to say. It’s easier to respect a writer if they show you where they’ve done their research. How you display that research is up to you. Many bloggers will simply link to the correct articles, but others will go more in depth. Make sure you’re citing these sources properly, as Google will penalise sites that plagiarise even accidentally. Bloggers use Academized and Plagium amongst other tools to check for plagiarism before they publish, to be safe.
Keep it short.
A good blog shouldn’t be too long. This is because most readers online will simply switch off a certain amount of words, and head elsewhere online. The internet is a big place, after all, and you want to keep them from finding their information somewhere else. The optimum blog length is around 500-1000 words, depending on your topic. When you’re writing, use Easy Word Count or your word processor word count feature to keep an eye on length.
Always proofread.
No matter what you’re writing, no matter how soon it needs to go up, you need to proofread your blog before it goes live. This is because even the simplest mistakes can make you look less professional, and that’s the last thing you want with your marketing. It’s simple to do your own proofreading if you put aside the time to do it. If you don’t have time, it’s not a problem. Bloggers often use Paper Fellows or other proofreading services to get the job done when they need to.
Remember to edit.
This is a separate tip to proofreading, as editing is something different. When you’re editing a blog, you’re making the content itself better. This is why it’s a good idea to set aside time for this every time you write. No one writes perfect copy first time, not even the experts. You can use online tools like Online Correction to get the job done or hire expert writers from Assignment help to create the best possible version of content.
Blogging is a highly effective marketing tool if you do it right. Use these tips and take advantage of the tools available to you, and you can write excellent blogs every time.
Brenda Berg is a professional with over 15 years of experience in business management, marketing and entrepreneurship. She works as a business developer at AeroBase Group Inc. Also, she is a part-time consultant and coach for college students and entrepreneurs. She is self-motivated results driven individual who is encouraged to travel and share gained experience in career, business and self-development.
