Due to some less than inspiring blog content, business blogs are sometimes regarded as mundane and unnecessary. After all, potential leads won’t be interested in a business blog that reads like self-promotional PR speak, which is something that the worst of business blogs overlook.
The truth is: when maintained properly, blogs remain a very ideal way for businesses to connect with customers, engage leads, and show off what makes their business unique — whether it’s their personality, product, or both.
For new and upstart businesses especially, engaging blog content plays an important role in solidifying credibility within an industry or niche. Customers need much more than a savvy advertisement to consider a purchase; an interesting business blog lets them essentially “meet” the company by gauging personality, passion, and knowledge — all things that can aid in a confident purchasing decision on a customer’s behalf.
Properly maintaining your business’ blog comes down to five things:
Focus on Your Industry, Not Strictly Your Business
Blog posts limited to your business’ products or services will come across like an advertisement to prospective leads. What businesses should realize is this: if a lead is reading your blog, you don’t need to advertise to get their attention — your priority now should be to show them why your company is the right choice for their needs. This can be accomplished by postinginformative, opinionated content that is niche-relevant, which will express knowledge and passion.
For example, instead of posting incessantly about their own software, a business specializing in tax reporting software can blog about useful topics like “How Businesses Can Save Money on Taxes” or “Why Tax Software Beats the Old-Fashioned Way”, while either not mentioning their product or doing so in subtle form. It’s fine to mention your product once in a while, but self-centered content should be posted sparingly.
Blog Regularly
This one is simple, but true; if you only post one or two blog posts per week, your readers will expect as much and not even check back more than that many times per week. This means your business is making less of a memorable impression that it could be. Fix this by posting at least 4-5 blogs per week. This will show passion and enthusiasm for your industry, in addition to making a more resounding impact on leads. If you’re tight on time, blog platforms like WordPress allow for scheduled posts that allow you to plan a whole week or so worth of blog posts with a few clicks.
Promote Your Posts
Social media is also a great way to show off your business’ enthusiasm and knowledge, particularly by engaging users by tying in interesting business blog content to your social media posts. For example, if you publish a blog post that touches on the benefits of new industry-relevant technology, then you can engage social media followers via a call-to-action, like a question along the lines of “Has anyone tried [insert gadget or tech name here]?” Facebook’s ‘boost post’ options can also expose a blog post to thousands of users for as little as $5 if you’d like a quick boost of exposure.
Interact with Your Readers
In addition to informative content, blog readers often enjoy calls-to-action, or interaction in any capacity. This can be in the form of something fun – like a poll or quiz – or even a contest, where readers can submit a funny photograph or video and the winner is awarded a discount or free product/service from your business. For an extra exposure boost, make it mandatory for contest entrants to ‘like’ your business’ Facebook page or follow its Twitter account.
Keep the Tone Fun and Consistent
Your readers will be looking for a consistent and comfortable voice, something that balances the line cohesively between fun enthusiasm and serious information. Inject humor into your writing whenever possible, even if it’s hard within a routine industry, while also keeping juicy factual tidbits in mind — like a recent scientific study relevant to your business’ niche, or a history-related fact that touches on where the industry was a century ago.
These five tips will ensure that readers will keep coming back to your business’ blog. For current customers, this will enforce sustained loyalty to your brand. For new and potential customers, a well-maintained blog can show why your business is better than its competitors. With industry-focused content that is published regularly, interacts with readers, and is written in a fun yet knowledgeable tone, your business’ blog can provide a huge boost in exposure.
