Is Blogging Bogging you Down?

Do you blog for your business? Is it bogging you down? Whether you’re looking to get started with a new blog or need some new fuel for an existing one, here are eight keys for blogging success.

1. The technical side

Buy your domain if you don’t already own one. Pick a simple hosting site and content managing system, like WordPress or Wix. Keep your plugins and features up-to-date. If necessary, consider hiring a tech person to keep your blog secure and stable. You can outsource writing your blog to a ghostwriter as well.

2. Poll your audience

Find out what your clients and audience want to hear from you. Consider their problems and why they might reference to your blog. What are they already reading and how can you enhance that?

3. Consider your voice

Do you want a research heavy blog, or a more causal, storytelling blog? Will your entries be short and snappy, or longer essay? Will you alternate, or have certain features, like guest posts, reviews or Q&As? You want your blog to be entertaining, informative and even inspiring. Blogs are a fabulous outlet to define your company’s voice and message, so honing in on the tone and style will work wonders for your brand.

4. Plan yourself out

Life gets busy and it’s easy for your blog to get onto the backburner. Work to stay ahead and plan out your blog weeks in advance. How much content you will want to have stockpiled will depend on how frequently you want to publish new entries. Ideally, blogs should be posted regularly, and many bloggers stick to weekly or biweekly entries at minimum. Feel up for shorter daily blogs? Go for it! Don’t be afraid to post content, as long as it’s good and on brand.

5. Define your areas of expertise and keep them broad enough so that you’re not stuck in brainstorming

Pick a few subject areas that you are passionate about and are relevant to your business or interests. Don’t be afraid to share personal stories and reflections. You want your blog to be creative but also not feel like a burden.

6. Keep it consistent

Make sure your formatting follows one style. If you’re going to include images, source and fit them uniformly. Make sure you’ve got a trusty copy editor on hand to review content and eliminate errors.

7. Monetizing

This can be a very personal decision that requires planning and consideration. Many bloggers take ads and gain revenue by teaming up with other companies to publish advertorials or market other products. Collaborations can come from many avenues and with the right care, this can be lucrative without compromising on credibility.

8. Share, share and share!

How will people know you’re blogging if you aren’t sharing it? Make sure you’re posting your blog to social media, that it’s easily found on your company website and it has good search engine ranking. Send your customers and email subscribers reminders to check out your blog. Even get followers to your blog with plugins. If you allow for comments on your blog, check and respond to those comments regularly located. Promoting your blog is just as important as getting it rolling!

With the proper commitment, a company blog can become a huge business asset, connecting your brand to clients and engaging in dialogue on the topics related to your passions and expertise. Hope you can jumpstart your blog and begin to enjoy this business outlet.

 Submitted by Daniela