If blogging isn’t currently part of your marketing strategy it should be.
Without blog posts, you’re missing out on an astounding 67% more leads per month and an opportunity to keep stoking that all important SEO fire.
Of course, it’s one thing to talk about blogging and another thing entirely to write one.
So, if you find yourself succumbing to writers block as you sit down to an empty page with that menacing cursor blinking at you expectantly—relax—we’ve got you covered.
Follow our top tips for writing great blog posts and you will generate more leads for your business while genuinely help your customers.
1. Write with your customer in mind
You want to write content designed specifically for your customers. Of course, this means staying within the boundaries of what your business offers, but it also means writing about subject matter that is genuinely helpful. Before you even think about putting words on a page, decide who you are talking (selling) to and what you are talking about (selling them). You might like to consider any questions or concerns your customers frequently raise with you, or common challenges people face in their everyday lives. Case studies can also make great blog posts in some industries, as a way to help potential customers understand how you operate and what they can expect when they engage your services.
If you’re still not sure, jump onto Google and research what other people in your industry are writing about. So long as you stay well clear of plagiarism there’s nothing wrong with drawing inspiration from what’s out there. It can even help you to identify gaps in subject matter your customers will find helpful that hasn’t been covered extensively.
Building trust with your audience is the ultimate goal of your content but don’t forget that your blog is a sales tool. Look for opportunities to subtly remind your audience of what you do and how you can help them.
2. Hook them with your title and intro
Your title and intro have the power to make or break your blog. Yup, they are that influential. There is so much content out there and people are time poor. They’ll just scroll right on by anything that doesn’t catch their immediate attention. So be clear, concise and engaging. Avoid click baiting (which is having a catchy title that has nothing to do with the content of your blog post) but hook your customer in with a title that piques their interest.
The first few sentences are also vitally important. If the title has drawn them in, you’ve got maybe thirty seconds to keep them engaged. Make sure the topic and benefit to the reader is clear in the opening paragraph.
3. Break up your content with headings
Remember that time poor thing we talked about earlier? 43% of readers skim blog posts. Don’t tell us you’re not guilty of it yourself! Break up your content with headings and subheadings that cover the main points of your subject and you might just prove interesting enough to turn a skimmer into a reader. Top tips and lists can be a great way to structure your content in easy to digest chunks.
With all this skimming and talk of being time poor, you’d think the shorter the blog post the better—right? Actually, no. Google favours content that dives deep into a topic and provides value to a reader, so most of the top-ranking blog posts are around 1000 words. This isn’t permission to waffle! More words for word count sake is not going to do you any favours. However, don’t be afraid to write long blogs and cover a topic extensively.
4. Optimise your content for SEO
Blogs can be a great way to add more specific keywords to your website that contribute to your organic SEO strategy. Your website keywords tend to be more generic, but people plug all kinds of questions into Google! So, hone in on those more obscure (but still valuable) keywords through your blog posts to generate more traffic to your site.
Also, add links throughout your blog post—to other blogs you’ve written and to other websites that cover similar topics. Don’t forget to share your blog post to social media too which (if it’s a great blog) will increase your chances of people sharing it which will help with backlinking.
5. Don’t be afraid to outsource
If it’s all too overwhelming, don’t be afraid to get a professional to write your blog posts for you. 62% of companies report outsourcing their blog copywriting. Not everyone is a confident writer and there’s a knack to writing engaging copy.
In all honesty, if you’re not sure you can nail it, you’re better off not doing it at all or getting someone who knows what they’re doing to handle it for you. And when you consider that, per dollar spent, content marketing has the power to generate around 3x more leads than traditional marketing, you can think of it as money well spent!
If you’re having a hard time writing blog posts for your website, let CSQD take care of it for you.
