Blogs are one of my favorite topics for presentations. So many business owners are reluctant to incorporate blogging into their marketing strategies, and I like to shine a light on the role that blogs play in building an audience, a brand, and a reputation. While I tend to jump straight into the many different ways a blog can have value, I often find that the questions I get in these forums are more fundamental. So, today, I don’t want to make any assumptions. I will share with you the #1 rule for blogs.
Now, if you do prefer to start by learning about the value of blogs and what they can do for your business, read here. I have a great deal to say about how a blog fits into your marketing plan, and this may give you the context you need to decide if and how you want to use this approach to market your business.
When presenting about blogs, the questions I get are often related to the technical side of this marketing tactic. Most frequently, I am asked about how and where to set up a blog, how long the blogs should be, etc. To the last question, although there are some parameters for text blogs, I want to direct you to another piece called “Blogs Don’t Have To Be Articles” which may give you ideas that go beyond a traditional word count.
To the first questions, I want to share the #1 rule for you to consider if you are going to start a blog for your business.
That rule is simple: Make sure your blog is ON YOUR WEBSITE!
Make sure your blog is on your website! #blog #blogging #blogs #business #smallbusiness #smallbiz #smb #marketing #biztips #marketingtips Share on XAs business owners, I know we are creative. Many of us look for DIY solutions. You may be thinking about setting up a blog somewhere that is easy for you to maintain. But, just because it is easier for you to set it up doesn’t mean that is the most effective way for you to market your business.
If you are thinking about posting to social media and calling it a blog, or if you are thinking about setting up another blog page and trying to link it to your website, you are going to lose much of the value of blogging. If you are going to spend time creating blog content, why not make sure it is getting the most mileage?
If you are going to spend time creating blog content, why not make sure it is getting the most mileage? #smallbusiness #smallbiz #smb #biztips #business #marketing #marketingtips #blog #blogs #blogging Share on XBefore you start mapping out content, integrate your blog with your website. Ideally, it is a tab on your website with your full menu visible.
One of the main purposes of a blog is to attract new visitors to your website so you can hook them in with content they need or want and then introduce them to everything you offer. You want to make it easy for them to see at a glance everything else that you have available on your website for that audience. You don’t want to encourage visitors to land on one page and then bounce off your website altogether. You want to keep their attention and have them surf around your website. The more time they spend there, the more they explore, the more likely they are to build trust, to find something that interests them, to buy something, or at the very least to remember you later when they do need what you sell.
Tactically, you have more options for how you drive traffic effectively to nurture your sales pipeline if your content originates on your website. By putting it on your website, you are ensuring that visitors to your blog will become website traffic – which ultimately helps your search engine rankings.
So, if you are thinking about setting up a blog for your business, start with this #1 tip first! Everything else comes after that.