We’ve discussed why blogging is important. You get it now, but how exactly do you blog? Let’s briefly examine the art of business blogging.
Step 1: Find A Topic
The very first thing any blogging professional must do is decide what to write about. To figure this out, answer these questions:
- Who is my audience?
- What does my audience care about?
- What questions does my audience have?
- What problems can I solve for my audience?
Let’s say you’re the owner of a women’s clothing boutique, and you’re interested in blogging to increase your business. Your audience could be (1) women who shop at your boutique already, (2) men who buy gifts at your shop, and (3) men and women you want to gain as customers.
These three audience sectors provide you with ample blogging fodder. Current customers want to know what’s in stock and what’s coming in stock soon; what’s in fashion and what’s projected to be in fashion next season; and what sales and deals they can find at your boutique. Likewise, potential customers are interested in similar topics.
Step 2: Create A Content Calendar
Once you have a list of blog topics/ideas, organize them. It’s very simple, really: Some topics are more timely than others. Businesses often go through sales cycles; align your blogs with these cycles. As a boutique owner at Christmastime, you should plan to publish blogs that promote gift ideas, for example.
You must also decide at what frequency you’d like to blog. ROI Online suggests our clients' blogs at least 2 times a week, though this may vary depending on the industry. As a general rule, the more you blog, the higher the return on investment. Marketers who consistently blog are 13 times more likely to see a high ROI, according to HubSpot.
Step 3: Write The Blog
Now for the hard part — actually writing the blog. The blank page can be quite daunting, so follow these steps to get through it:
- Create a working title. This should be the name you give the document on your computer, not the finalized title. This can be something like, “Winter Fashion Trends” — anything that will help you remember what the blog is supposed to be about. This helps you stay on topic while simultaneously preventing you from getting sidetracked by crafting the most awesome blog title ever.
- Write section headers. Writing your section headers first helps you organize your blog, ensuring you don’t forget any key information. This also breaks down the hardcore writing into bite-size pieces.
- Write the body of your blog. Use the section headers to guide your writing instead of getting overwhelmed by the entire blog you have to write. Easy peasy!
- Create a Call-to-Action (CTA). A CTA is a “link between the regular content that your potential customer is interested in, and a page with a more high-value offer on it (the landing page) that is relevant and interesting enough to persuade your visitor to complete a short form (Hubspot).” The CTA should always relate to your blog topic. Craft a final paragraph that segues into your CTA.
- Insert inbound and outbound links. Inbound links are those that link to pages on your website (these can be other blogs or webpages that relate to your current blog topic). Outbound links are those that link to outside sources (credible websites that give additional, valuable information to your audience or links that support an argument you’re making). Note: Make sure outbound links always open in a new tab so as not to direct your audience away from your website.
- Craft a title. Unlike the working title you created in step one, this title will be seen by the public. A title needs to grab reader's attention immediately. If it doesn’t, they most likely won’t read your blog at all.
There you have it — one blog down! Congratulations!
Now, on to publishing your blog. Check back with us for instructions on publishing your blog for best results.
