To blog for business is a totally different beast to personal blogging that requires a unique approach and skillset. To become a better corporate blogger, here are 5 simple tips.
1. It’s not about you
Many corporate blogs like to talk largely about themselves – latest product releases, appointments, awards and the like. There is a place for this, but it shouldn’t make up the bulk of the blog content.
Instead, the content should be of real interest to customers – offering insight on industry issues, advice on how to approach certain tasks, perhaps offering downloads for further in-depth advice. A good place to start is developing some customer personas, from which you can create an editorial agenda which will appeal to customers.
2. Measure it
Ultimately, you want your blog to find new customers – or at least find new leads which your sales team can nurture into customers over the long term.
This is easy to say but much more complex to deliver. A starting point when it comes to blog performance measurement is to use Google analytics to measure increases in traffic, where it’s coming form and performance of content.
3. Find your niche
With so many blogs clamouring for attention, you need to quickly determine your specialist subject. Establish exactly what problem/s your company solves for people, and the one thing that you are best at.
Once you have established exactly who and what your blog will be the ‘go-to’ resource for, start planning how to dominate the conversation on that topic. Keeping your audience’s unique challenges and needs in mind, consider all the ways you can help them. Will ‘how-to’ blog posts work best, or could you expand your offer with videos, infographics, expert interviews and so on?
4. Stand out from the crowd
Successful business blogging is not a choice between quality and quantity. Both are absolutely necessary. Ensure you have the resources in place before launching, whether this means assigning a dedicated blog editor or outsourcing content creation. Blog posts should be consistent in quality and tone, relevant and shareable.
Coming back to your readers’ needs (priority number 1, remember), provide something that they can’t find anywhere else online to guarantee return visits.
5. Grow a community
Don’t be shy to ask your readers to interact directly with your business blog and all other social media channels that you use to share content and engage with fans, followers and prospects. When readers participate – reward, recognise and repeat. Valuing your community is a powerful way to build and cement fruitful relationships.
Image: Markus Spiske
