With the emergence of social media and micro-blogging, many marketers and business people are neglecting their own blogs.
Is this wise?
No, for several reasons:
- You own your blog
Third-party blog sites and social media sites are subject to change or closure, along with the content. Think about the fate of sites such as Friendster, MySpace, or Geocities. At the moment, people are actively searching for replacements for Facebook. For example, the recent exodus to newcomer social media website Ello made headlines.
- A blog re-enforces branding
One primary goal for many marketers is to drive traffic to their primary website. A fresh, frequently-updated blog shows visitors that this website is up-to-date, which adds to its authority. A blog is also an excellent place to re-enforce your brand message.
- Better analytics
While social media sites and third-party blog sites offer analytics tools, nothing compares to the data you can gather from your own, hosted website. A blog is the perfect place to publish and study content at a very detailed, or granular, level.
In addition to the analytics tools available on your webhost, there are several high-quality analytics services such as crazy egg and Kissmetrics help you gather even more targeted data. However; all this begins with your own web property, including your blog.
- Google loves blogs
Blogs are great for SEO for a couple of reasons. One is that blog content offers ongoing opportunities for keyword ranking. In particular, long-tail keywords. Blog posts are the perfect place to insert keywords and key-phrases where they will fit in naturally.
Additionally, Google gives websites with fresh content higher ranking priority over websites that are not updated on a regular basis.
Are you convinced that blogging is still relevant and important?
If so, read on for tips on effective blogging.
Blogging Best Practices:
Blogs are much more than a place to put keywords for SEO purposes. The real goal of a blog should be to engage with your audience and display your expertise. There are several things you can do to make sure that your content is interesting and appealing.
Get inside the mind of your audience
Perhaps the most important thing to do is get inside the mind of your audience. Some companies take the step of creating personas to help them visualize and relate to their customers. The better you understand who your audience is, the better you will understand how to write for them.
Show some personality
Many people write in a dry style that is very different from how they would speak to a friend or colleague. What makes a blog interesting; however, is the writer’s personality. Try to write the way that you speak. One way to do this is to record yourself speaking on a topic. Then transcribe your recording. This will help you bridge the gap between how you speak and how you write. Your personality will help to set your blog apart.
Be consistent
Try to write at least one blog post per week. It also helps to post at the same time on the same day. Experiment to find the day and time that most of your readers are likely to read your post and then make that your time to post every week.
In spite of the rise of social media, blogging continues to be an important content marketing tool. If you write interesting posts with lots of personality on a consistent basis, you are sure to increase both engagement and traffic.
Monitoring the social media marketing landscape is vital to your success. If you’d like to have access to even more powerful marketing tips, as well as a way to generate conversion-ready Internet marketing prospects each month, click here to learn about my done-for-you system.
About the Author
Jay Cradeur is an author, blogger, internet marketer, world traveler, and coach. Jay has helped thousands to achieve their dreams of financial independence. As an internet marketing coach with a focus on personal development, Jay may be able to assist you in reaching your goals. You can work with Jay for a 100% refundable fee of $49 by clicking on this link and committing to your future. Work with Coach Jay.