How to Blog for Your Business [Part 2]

Creating the Perfect Post for Your Business to Build Consumer Trust

In “How to Blog for Your Business [Part 1]” we discussed choosing your audience and understanding them. Knowing how to write a blog and who you’re writing it for is almost as important as the actual blog. They are partners in creating an optimum post with the most relevant information for your clientele. Part 2 delves into engaging your clients with content and through online interaction.

Pick the Most Valuable Content

When choosing a blog topic, it’s important to keep your reader AND search engines in mind. To bring traffic to your blog, and in turn your website, blog topics must be interesting, engaging and should usually include at least one of the following:

1. News or Updates
   Company news and updates are extremely valuable to your clientele and function as a very strong blog post. Keeping your customers informed of the workings behind your business builds a trust. Plus company news, updates, press releases (which can be turned into blogs), and more could be picked up by media outlets increasing exposure.
2. Current or Relevant Information
   Staying on top of what’s happening in the world or within your industry allows your blog posts to be highly readable and searchable. If a topic is trending on Google News or Twitter or similar it is wise to integrate it into a blog post. For example if “East Coast Rain Storms” is trending online and your company sells gutters a great blog post would be titled “5 Tips to Protect Your East Coast Home during a Rain Storm”. Remember: Don’t capitalize on a trending topic that is controversial or sensitive, like a death or national tragedy.
3. Keyword-Specific
   Oftentimes a quick keyword search (or even using common sense) can reveal multiple blog topics. Ask yourself a simple question “What will my clients be searching for online, and how will they search for it?” The client of an air conditioning company may not know what an “Expansion valve” is on an air conditioning unit so search queries for that term will be very low. Thus a blog titled “Quick Repair of an Expansion Valve” will bring few, if any, visitors. Using the quickest, easiest terms that are commonly searched will bring much higher traffic. Titling your blog “Quick Fixes for AC Units” will draw many more visitors than a niche topic with a nonexistent keyword.
4. Answer Questions
   This goes somewhat hand-in-hand with keyword-specific blog posts. This time ask yourself “What will my clients be asking?” Answering questions in a blog post is like creating an extended Frequently Asked Questions on your site. A lawyer may form a blog around the question “How long is jail time for theft?” or “What is a common law marriage?” A blog post for the latter might be titled “Understanding Common Law Marriage: Does my State Recognize it?” By answering questions a business establishes itself as an authority on a topic, and if the question is answered to the reader’s expectations, may turn that reader into a client.

Link to Social Media

With the ease of social media integration and social sharing it is unwise NOT to include it with your blog. All businesses should have a social media presence and should consistently be updating. A blog post is a quick was to update all social media sites and create a sharing atmosphere and increase traffic. By including social buttons within your blog, you allow your client to act as your salesman—spreading the word to people they trust, and who trust them. If the blog post is good and relatable, just one share can increase your visibility exponentially. Major social media icons that should be included are: Facebook, Twitter, Digg, Stumbleupon, Pinterest, Google+, Email, and LinkedIn.

Allow for Comments and Discussions

Be sure to allow commenting on your blog and check back regularly to engage in the conversation. Frequently readers and customers will comment or ask a question and it is best to answer it yourself as the face of the business. Knowing a company cares about them, their words, and questions is greatly appreciated by clientele and could turn a curious reader into a full time customer. This also humanizes the face of the business and creates a more personable company image. Remember: Be sure to authorize all comments before they can be published on your blog. This can be done through all blog providers. Many times over half of your comments will be spam from outside businesses trying to link build their own site within your comments. Carefully read each comment and if it seems spammy (doesn’t make sense, lots of unassociated keywords, a link to another site, or the commenters name is a business name) than delete it. Keep your comment boards coiffed and you will foster a conversation that is highly beneficial to your business.

(Click to go back to Part 1)