How To Write a Blog that's Great For Business

Studies have repeatedly shown that businesses are taking content marketing more seriously than ever before. According to the Content Marketing Trends survey by Ascend2, 89 percent of companies with a content strategy in place claimed that it works. You'll have to look hard to find any evidence to the contrary, but in spite of the effectiveness of content marketing, many people don't approach it in the right way.

One of the simplest and most common content formats is the business blog. Typically powered by a user-friendly content management system such as WordPress, these websites exist to deliver a regular stream of content to their readers. A business blog is typically a part of the main company website. A great business blog serves to help drive traffic to your website, build up authority and increase conversions.

The SEO Report - Get your website or Blog appearing at the top of the search engines

1 - A Clearly Defined Audience

One of the most common reasons for a business blog to fail is that it doesn't have a clearly defined audience. Without this audience, you'll never be able to establish a consistent voice and appeal to the right people. As a result, your bounce rate will skyrocket, which, even if you do have a lot of daily visitors, still spells failure. Defining your audience is the first thing you should do before your blog is even live.

If your business is already well established, you can define your blog's audience based on your existing customers. An excellent way to start is to create some hypothetical profiles defining the specific type of consumer you want to appeal to. In addition to defining their demographical information, consider their needs, desires, preferences and hobbies, so you can better appeal to their sensitivities.

Related: How To Create The Best Blog Post For Hyperlocal Marketing

2 - Irresistible Headlines

A headline is one of the most important elements of any blog post, since it is usually the first experience that people will have with your content. It appears in the search engine listings, in shared content on social media, and of course, on the page itself. The primary purpose of a headline is to encourage the reader to click to find out more, but it is also essential not to try to lead people astray.

Always use clear and relevant headlines targeted to human readers rather than prioritizing search engine optimization. You don't want to confuse your readers, since that will serve only to increase your bounce rate. A great headline is benefit driven, effectively telling the reader what's in it for them. Common formats, such as numbered lists and how-to guides, tend to be particularly effective.

You might Enjoy: Tips for Creating powerful Headlines That Sell

BONUS TIP: A Cool Tool for measuring your Headlines is by Co- Schedule. Check it out: http://coschedule.com/headline-analyzer

3 - Unique Content

Unique, quality content is what sets a great business blog apart from the rest. While most digital marketers already understand the importance of unique content for the purpose of search engine optimization, your first priority should be your readers. A good blog doesn't take shortcuts by rehashing existing content, but instead provides unique insights into the subject matter.

Coming up with new ideas can be tough, particularly since you will need to post content regularly in order to hold onto existing readers. However, with a little brainstorming and by keeping informed about trending topics, you shouldn't have difficulty finding inspiration. Check out services like Google Trends, and keep a close eye on social media to get a better idea of what your audience wants.

Here's a tip: Start a facebook group for your audience. Watch for their questions. Creat content that answers their questions. This is very valuable in situations such as a real estate agent with a hyperlocal / geographic farm.

Others have Read: Why Write Hyperlocal Content that has Nothing to do with your business

4 - On-Site Search

User experience should be a major priority for any website. An on-site search function can benefit a business blog as well, since it helps both your visitors and the search engine crawlers to better navigate through your content. If you're using WordPress, you can use the built-in search function, although there are many other options to choose from, including a custom Google search engine.

WordPress also includes many useful widgets that visitors may use to navigate your website. For example, you can categorize posts and let your visitors search for posts in a specific category. You can also assign tags to posts and place a tag-cloud widget on your blog to help your readers find related content quickly. Be sure to make use of these features to optimize the user experience as much as possible.

Check Out: WordPress for Real Estate, a Beginners Guide

5 - Excellent Imagery

Most blog owners understand the importance of images, but relatively few get it right. One of the most common mistakes is to use clichéd stock photos, such as those that depict happy business people. More often than not, they are easily identifiable, and they don't give much of an impression of uniqueness. It might take some time to source the best images for your business blog, but it's worth the effort. Canva.com is a platform that allows you to add filters, text, and even blur the image for a more artistic approach to your stock images. Anytime you can use real pictures, that are still quality, it's a win.

It is also important to properly optimize your images for performance and appearance. Poorly optimized images can slow down your website, hindering the user experience, and they also have a negative impact on your SEO efforts. Be sure to find the right compromise between quality and file size, and if your hosting company is slow, consider embedding images hosted off-site instead.

An Excellent Article: WOW! 10 Best Free Photo Sites

6 - Mobile Compatibility

Perhaps the most important factor of all, when it comes to modern Web design, is mobile compatibility. Mobile Internet use is already overtaking desktop use, and if your website does not provide mobile users with an excellent browsing experience, it will receive far less exposure in mobile search results. Mobile optimization is no longer an option, but fortunately, it's not difficult with regard to blogging.

Assuming you're using WordPress, or almost any other content management system for that matter, you'll find that there are many mobile-optimized themes available. These themes are responsive, meaning that they scale automatically to the size of the screen that the website is being displayed on. Don't take responsive themes for granted though; you should thoroughly test your blog on mobile devices yourself too.

This is Important: Your Website is now Responsive, but are your videos?

7 - Powerful Calls to Action

Your business blog ultimately exists to drive traffic and increase conversions, so a call to action is a critical component of many blog posts. However, as is the case with any form of content marketing, it is important not to be excessively promotional. The more promotional calls to action are better suited to traditional forms of advertising and paid online advertising platforms.

Every blog post should have a goal. For example, you may be trying to increase email newsletter signups, expand your social media follower base or encourage people to download an e-book. These examples are all part of the conversion funnel, even if they don't directly lead to sales. Almost all successful blogs also integrate social sharing buttons, allowing people to easily share content they like.

Don't Miss: Best Call To Action Examples for Real Estate Agents

8 - A Solid About Page

If your blog is a part of your main company website, you probably already have an About page. However, you should approach your business blog as a separate entity in certain respects. In order to build up credibility, you'll want to be able to show your audience that you are a human being that they can relate to. Your blog's About page should reflect your own personality as well as that of your brand.

About pages often get overlooked, in spite of the fact that they are among the most important. They give you the opportunity to humanize your brand and your business blog. People want to be able to make a connection with the character behind the content they read, and if you have multiple writers for your blog, you should have a short profile for each one of them on your About page.

Another One: How To Create a Perfectly Marketable Social Media Profile

9 - Minimal Clutter

Today's content management systems are undoubtedly packed full of useful features, but this does not mean you should clutter up your website with every widget imaginable. Excessive clutter will serve only to complicate navigation, slow down your website and confuse your visitors. Successful blogs and other websites typically use a clean, minimalist design.

While it might be tempting to keep activating widgets in WordPress, you should always think before you do so. Ask yourself what purpose it serves and how it will benefit your visitors. If you can't find an answer to these questions, then it's better to leave it out. Only provide the features and functions that your readers need, such as a search box, RSS feed and category index.

10 - Clear Branding

Even if your business blog is completely separate from your company's main website, you'll still want to take branding into account if you want to promote the latter. Branding refers to the distinct style that you use on all of your online and offline marketing portals. Branding isn't just about logos either. People will also recognize your brand by the colors, typefaces and written style that it uses.

You don't need to be a graphic artist to apply your company's unique branding to your business blog or other online portals. The colors you choose and even the size and type of font you use on your blog say a lot about your business and its style. Be consistent with your other online portals so that people can come to recognize this style when they visit your blog and subconsciously associate it with your company.

Ultimately, what makes a great business blog is a website that helps or entertains people in some way. You should not see it as a promotional platform in itself, even though its purpose is to increase traffic and conversions. Your blog presents the opportunity to build up trust and authority by offering a real value proposition to its target audience. It exists to help or entertain them and not to intrude or manipulate.

Finish with: the Report, Getting Your Website to Appear High On The Search Engines in a Very Competitive World

You may not be familiar with Lori Ballen, Ballen Brands, or The Ballen Method - but I’m almost certain one of your respected professional peers is. Someone you know likely knows my name. Talk to your associates, your friends in real estate, and ask what they know about the Ballen name. I’m confident you’ll be intrigued. My reputation wasn’t crafted by accident, irony, chance, or luck. I earned respect (and rewards!) the hard way. Using the stepping stones I’ve spent more than a decade constructing, you, too, can build your success story in business. I share my failures (and my win/wins!) to help you succeed.

 

Long before 2010, I was a business owner faithfully (and sometimes embarrassingly!) practicing my motto, “fail forward”. I built millions in various business ventures, and I threw millions away through haphazard mistakes, dangerous habits, and bad choices. Although I lost millions, no one can subtract experience. The valuable lessons I learned were engrained in my being. My marriage was also on the brink of disaster. But my husband and I held on by the tattered threads of our rags to riches dreams, gathered up our life lessons, and joined Keller Williams Realty in September of 2010 with a wish and a prayer. When we became a part of the Keller Williams family, all we had was a computer, faith, and an undying need to succeed. By the end of that year, we closed 100 internet driven transactions… with no database.

 

In the six years that followed, growing organically through trial, error, and triumphs, I also launched a training and marketing company, Ballen Brands, to assist honest, hard-working professionals like you. I know how difficult the road to success is, and I know no one needs to walk it alone.

 

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I’m so excited to meet you, to shake your hand, to answer your questions, and to help you grow your business.

 

Sincerely yours,

 

Lori Ballen

Digital Marketing Strategist

Ballen Brands - Helping Business Professionals Rise Above the Noise.
702.917.0755

 

 

P.S. You may just love my new B.R.E.W. websites!  B.R.E.W. stands for Ballen Real Estate Websites, and they’re gorgeous as well as functional. To learn more about B.R.E.W.s and other Ballen Brands services, you’re invited to visit us at BallenBrands.com, or call Jeff at (702) 917-0755. 

 

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