You can buy attention (advertising). You can beg for attention from the media (PR). You can bug people one at a time to get attention (sales). Or you can earn attention by creating something interesting and valuable and then publishing it online for free (Blog).
OK… I’m biased.
I’m a huge fan of blogging for business, and together with our email list blogging has been our main marketing strategy for the last 15 years.
Here’s what blogging can do for your business:
- A blog boosts your online visibility;
- It creates a platform where you can engage with clients and prospects;
- Blogging is much cheaper than any other marketing strategy;
- Blogging can establish your expert position.
Every business can (and should) use blogging, but it takes the right strategy to make it work. Unfortunately, many, if not most, business’ blogs are abandoned because the business owners don’t get the results they were hoping for.
Whether you’re new to blogging or have years of experience, here are 10 ideas how to use your blog to grow your business:
1. Know Your Purpose
There are many different reasons to use a blog to grow your business (e.g. brand awareness, expert position, engagement, lead generation, traffic to your website, sales…) It’s important you know your purpose because your purpose should dictate the types of content, engagement and calls-to-action you use.
2. Identify Your Target Audience
In order for your blog to be effective, you need to know who you’re writing for. Your target audience will impact the topics you cover (pasta recipes and history of Italian cuisine speak to two different audiences), your tone of voice (e.g. Baby Boomers vs. Millennials), the format of the content (e.g. written, video, audio…), where you promote your blog posts, etc…
3. Write Content That is Genuinely Helpful
No matter what your blog’s purpose is, it’s crucial you publish content that is genuinely helpful and appreciated by your readers. Even if your goal is to use the blog to sell your product or service, you need to make your content more than just a sales pitch.
4. Create Content Strategically and Constantly
Don’t wait for the muse to strike to create content. Be strategic, consistent and well-planned. Block time in your schedule for content creation. Make an editorial calendar with topics lined up to specific publishing dates (preferably 3-6 months in advance).
5. Get Recognized as an Industry Expert
Your blog can help differentiate you from your competitors and define you as the go-to leader in your industry. But here’s the catch. Your content must be consistent, authoritative and valuable. Valuable means – relevant to your specific target audience AND practical.
6. Include Calls to Action
Always. Always. Always tell your readers what you want them to do next. Read another article, opt-in to your list, join a challenge, buy a product, leave a comment, share the article on social media, book a free consultation…
7. Grow Your Email List
Make sure to have irresistible opt-in offers to convert first-time visitors into repeat visitors, and eventually loyal fans of your business. You’ll be able to stay in touch with them, get exposure for your new content, and establish a source of traffic that you control (as opposed to search traffic or social media traffic that is outside of your control).
8. Create Interactive Content
Think of ways to add interactivity and get your readers engaged. Take a poll, run a contest, ask them questions… any way you can think of to make your readers more involved. The more active your content is, the more likely readers are going to interact with it and return over and over again. And that’s when you’ll see real results!
9. Get Them Engaged
If there is no two-way conversation on your blog then you are missing the point. This is the most important part of blogging – you want to involve your target audience. When they start engaging with you they are taking you seriously. Encourage, incentivize and reward them for commenting. Do not view comments as a burden; take time to respond and draw valuable insights from them.
10. Build a Community
Use your blog to build a community around your business. A community helps your prospects and clients find people they can relate to, and in turn, builds loyal followers that will visit your blog and buy your products. Find ways to connect your readers and get them to start talking to each other…
Now It’s YOUR Turn
For five minutes… come up with as many ideas as you can… how can YOU use a blog to grow your business?
Let's Brainstorm
Please share your ideas (all of them or just one) in the comment box below… and let’s get WOWing.
Live fully, stay awesome,
Nisandeh Neta
Top Commenters – last 30 Days
Let's Brainstorm
Please share your ideas (all of them or just one) in the comment box below… and let’s get WOWing.
Live fully, stay awesome,
Nisandeh Neta
201 comments
I have a love hate relationship with blogging.
I know some people like them. I know some clients read some of them before they become clients. How ever it is a bit shooting with
"hagel" putting a lot of effort in, not knowing what comes out.
But I will still try
1. Use video
2. Do it regerlary like every other week
3. Use the ............10 steps to.
4. If you write a blog, make sure if they click in the email they end up in your website.
5. Just make sure that you use the "read more" line
6. Use blog for content, 90% and 10% selling.
In my case, people connect with me because of the fact that I show my expertism, Hardly ever because of a deal/ offer.
94 comments
1. use the rules of 3s - to mix brand awareness, problem solving, news, new products etc.
2. use structured data to get a place in the drop down in search results
3. use it with social media, using a mix of posts
4. like me journalist is saying 'recycle' and reuse the content
5. get good quality links to point to your blog posts
6. optimise your meta tags
160 comments
After all these years I still don't have a habit to write consistently. Every now and then I have a lot to write and tell, and then nothing for months...
For me using my blog is mainly to promote information on Facebook etc, so people know where to find my website.
112 comments
I blog once every fortnight taking into account that parents are very busy with their kids etc. I publish them on Facebook, which gives me the most engagement, and LinkedIn. As paper is patient it is one of my favorites to communicate with my audience.
And as Max already said a lot of possibilities for a CTA. Sometimes you can even combine the CTA's in case you are referring to another blog or blogs in your text and at the end I invite my audience to share it or leave a comment. I could be more strategically and give them something when they comment and in this way get even more engagement.
576 comments
I find engaging really a challenge! I’m all the time amazed by how you do it, I remember that I once had a blog that got over 100 comments, but that didn’t happen too often (actually only once:))
I would love to hear more about the type of questions that I can ask my clients, because so far I didn’t manage to engage them really. Although I must admit that I’m not having a mailing list yet and I think there’s a difference on a blog on my site and LinkedIn. But I don’t know 🤷♀️
What I found out is that blogs, to be valued,
They need to be super practical, but I also found out that it totally depends on the type of target audience! A few weeks ago I wrote two blogs with a very specific topic and it helped us to fill an online training. So that one was apparently very powerful.
I think what it also did is push on a pain button, so I think that this is also helpful.
Tough question to come up with new things! 😅
718 comments
In order for people to engage (comment) on your blog you need one (or more) of the following:
1. They care about you and your business - this is not gonna happen immediately with a “stranger” - that’s where a mailing list and building affinity and reciprocity comes to play;
2. It’s a habit they developed - meaning, they’re used to, enjoy, benefit from commenting often (either on your blog on on similar blogs in general) - this you can encourage and incentivize (see next point) subscribers over time.
3. You incentivize them - give them a reward for commenting.
276 comments
There's a lot already.
My take on which call-to-actions are available:
Answer a question in the comments
Share the blog
Opt-in to a newsletter
Call
Buy a product
Read a different blog
175 comments
Good list! Thanks Max
175 comments
I don't have much experience when it comes to blogging, but here's one thing I've learned:
CREATE AWARENESS - if you write about an unknown fact your readers really need to know, like abuse (een misstand) or something that can harm them, you create engagement very easily. They consider your information super relevant, which is good for your expert position.