Jay Leonard
Blogging, as part of your inbound marketing plan, has the potential to increase web traffic and give potential buyers a way to see that you know what you’re talking about.
But, there’s blogging—and then there’s exceptional blogging. What’s the difference? Well, in our experience it’s the little things that add up to big success. Anyone can blog, but to really do it well you to know the importance of blogging to inbound marketing, and commit to doing the little things it takes to get good results.
Here are 7 tips for ensuring that your blog gets read and shared:
1. Craft attention-grabbing headlines
Why do some blogs get read and others don’t? The answer may be as simple as the title. Your headlines are the reader’s first clue about the content, and if yours don’t hook them with an intriguing question, actionable solution or otherwise clever intro, odds are good that people won’t read further.
2. Incorporate links
Internal and external links are “value-adds”. Link to product pages on your site from your blog, and vice versa. Link to your blog from other webpages using keyword-rich anchor text. Links make navigation to product pages, resource articles and landing pages easier which, in turn, encourages readers to stay and buy.
3. Add visual content
According to SEOMoz, posts with videos embedded in them bring 3x more inbound links than those without. And, adding compelling images can actually drive traffic in two ways: 1.) searchers who find your images during search will be taken to your blog; 2.) your visual content can be shared with others via social media. Add keyword-rich “alt tags” (descriptions of the image you used. Remember that Search Engines can’t “read” photos…yet.) to your pictures, and SEO meta descriptions to videos and infographics, and searchers in your niche have another avenue for finding you.
4. Solicit guest posts
Your customers, colleagues and other industry experts can offer valuable information, insight and perspective to your readers. Solicit them for guest posts to expand your blog’s reach. Not only will other authors bring a fresh voice to your company’s blog—they will bring with them their own audiences. And, if they are active on social media, they will most likely link to their post from these accounts. Free content and free exposure for you!
5. Include a Call-to-Action
The most effective blogs not only inform and engage—they also tell readers what to do next. It’s not being pushy. Actually, if people like your content, they will want you to give them some direction about what they can do with it. Did you post information about how to use social media to drive traffic to your site? Follow up with a call-to-action that asks readers to tweet about it, or click the link for a special offer.
6. Develop a comment strategy
Subscribe to blogs in your niche and comment on them regularly. Include links back to your blog or site. And, take the time to respond to all comments left on your blog. It’s a networking strategy that pays off in increased backlinks and new connections.
7. Share on social media
Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Google Plus and Pinterest are ideal vehicles for distributing blog content. If you have any or all of these accounts for your business, set them up so that every time you publish new content, your social media accounts will automatically post them for readers to see them and click on them.
What are your best tips for inbound marketing pros? Which strategies for business blogging are working for you? Share them here!
This article was written for Business 2 Community by Jay Leonard.
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When writing a blog, be sure establish who you want to target with your posts. Once you know who your target audience is, pair it with these seven tips from Greg and you are sure to have an amazing, well-read blog. Great article, Greg!
Thank you, Qnary. You make a great point. Establishing your buyer persona will help ensure you blog is written in a way that will entice your prospects. I look forward to reading your blogs!