In our inbound marketing strategies at DBC Digital, we find that business blogging is essential to maintaining an active connection with our local customer base. It’s also a very effective way to reach beyond Denver business centers to all points nationally as well. Our clients often ask us to help them do the same, so we’ve established some fundamentals for them to follow.
I. Make blogging an integral social media marketing component. It’s not an afterthought. It’s not a standalone item in your strategy. Blogging is powerful. It should be woven into a comprehensive business model. It extends and continues the story you tell to sell your products and services. Make sure that everything in your blog is consistent with that – logos, colors, tone, points of view and much more.
II. Do your homework. There’s no point in writing about something you know little about to an audience looking for something else. Write about your business. Write about how your your business can solve your prospects’ problems. Research those keywords that will lead your prospects to your blog for the solutions they’re seeking. It’s not that difficult. When in doubt, see what seems to work for other businesses. Don’t be afraid to try something out. If it fails, try something else. Keep learning. The Wright brothers didn’t achieve flight on their first attempts either.
III. Write for people. The temptation is to out-SEO, out-tag and out-content your competition in the flashiest way possible. Admittedly, those are all vitally important factors to consider in your writing. Google and other search engines are, however, increasingly looking for authentic quality in determining their rankings. Make your content readable, educational and entertaining for the people involved in the buying decisions. Provide appropriate “share” buttons for your clients and prospects to virally spread your marketing message.
IV. Be patient and consistent. Successful business blogging takes time. You need to grow a community of followers who appreciate your expertise and the validity of your inbound marketing message. They need to depend on your consistent sharing, whether you’re on a daily schedule or a couple times a week. Whatever it is, trust is an intangible component that cannot be overstated. Be reliable to your readers and you will earn their confidence.
V. Prepare for Success! You will need to make some changes to accomodate all this new business that your blog creates for you. You may need to add a sales person or two. Maybe your customer service department will require more training. For each individual company, success is going to look different. Imagine what it is going to look like for your business and get ready to put the systems in place to handle that success as seamlessly and as effectively as possible. Congratulations!
What has your experience in business blogging been like? How has its success affected your business? What kind of changes have you needed to make? Please let us know in the Comments section below.
