5 steps to success
Do you want to start blog writing for your business but don’t know where to begin? Or have you been blogging for a while, but finding your articles aren’t getting the results you want? Blog writing isn’t exactly a dark art but as with all types of marketing, there’s a right way and a wrong way to do it. In this article, we’ll look at a few simple steps you can follow which will help you create or refine a blogging style that works for your business.
Step 1. Know your audience
If you don’t know who you’re talking to, you can’t expect to connect with them! So find out. Look at your existing client base and social media followers to identify the type of audience that engages with your brand. You could also carry out some market research into your industry sector and look at who your competitors are targeting.
Once you have an idea of your target audience, it’s time to identify the type of content they want to read. Useful tools for doing this include online polls, keyword research software and ‘question answering’ websites such as Answerthepublic.com and Quora. You’ll probably find lots of topics to choose from, but make sure your selected blog content is always interesting and useful as well as relevant.
Step 2. Speak their language
This is all about tone of voice. How do your target audience want to be spoken to? The language you use in your blogs must resonate with them if it’s to make an impact – no matter how good the content. Think about a creative agency writing blogs for one client who’s a lawyer and another who sells funky clothing to teenagers. It doesn’t take a genius to work out that the tone of voice needs to be totally different for each blog!
So, put yourself in the shoes of your ideal client and think about they’d speak and write. Would they be formal or casual? Funny or serious? Concise or verbose? Are they OK with a conversational style, such as using ‘won’t’ instead of ‘will not’? Or would they make a fuss about split infinitives and sentences starting with ‘And’?
Step 3. Structure your blog
A killer headline is absolutely essential to grab people’s attention. Anything quirky, a little controversial or that asks a question is often a good start. But don’t be too mysterious – your audience still needs to know what your blog post is about at-a-glance. Next, give the gist of what the article is about in the first paragraph.
When writing the body copy, break this up into chunks with just one or two points per paragraph, signposted by a sub-heading. This will help keep your audience’s attention as well as enabling them to grasp the key points of your article if they just skim-read the sub-heads and nothing else. In terms of length, aim for at least 300 words. You don’t need to write an essay, but bear in mind that some subjects do lend themselves to longer blogs.
Finally, consider whether you need a call to action or just a conclusion at the end. It’s not always a good idea to use blogs as a selling tool, although this depends on the content. If in doubt, add a simple message asking the reader to get in touch or keep following your blogs if they’d like to know more.
Step 4. Put the icing on the cake
Before you publish your blog, you’ll need to pick a good photo to go with it, optimise the content for SEO, add relevant links and check you’ve included sources if relevant. Don’t forget to proof-read your blog before you publish it – and give some thought to the best days and times to put it online.
Step 5. You’re not done yet!
Once you’ve published your blog, it’s time to promote it. Link to it from your social media accounts, email shots and any other digital marketing channels you use. After it’s been online for a couple of weeks, check how it’s performing using Google Analytics, social media insights and other tools.
You’ll also be able to gauge its success from audience reactions such as Likes, Comments and Shares. As you publish more blogs, you’ll start to see patterns emerging around what works well and less well.
Finally, get the most from your blogs. Repurpose them for LinkedIn articles, collect them into an e-book, or write an extended White Paper about a suitable topic. A well-written blog is a powerful marketing tool and it makes sense to make the most of it.
Like to know more about blog writing?
Why not book a Power Hour, group workshop or seminar for yourself and/or your team? I’ll help you address your specific blog-writing challenges, whether that’s brushing up on your keyword research skills or writing eye-catching headlines. Get in touch today for a chat.