If implementing a strong blog strategy was on your to-do list for 2012, and you never quite got it off the ground, now is the time to dive in. It’s no secret that quality content can bring customers to your website, but do you blog often enough that they check frequently for new content? According to Hubspot, companies that blog six to eight times a month generate twice as many leads as those that only blog twice a month. For part two of our series on developing your Internet marketing in Calgary, we focus on creating and implementing a blog strategy that engages your readers and keeps them coming back for more.
Define Your Voice
Your blog tells the story of your brand, giving you the opportunity to control how the public perceives your business. Take the time to consider each post carefully, and always ask yourself, “Does this reflect who we are and how we can help?” Your blog should be written to educate and engage your audience. Don’t just blog because you read that it’s an important tool for Internet marketing in Calgary. This is your opportunity to show how your company is different from everyone else!
Offering professional guidance in your field is one way to bring readers back, but readers also want a sense of the person or people behind the company. This doesn’t mean you should blog about your weekend visit with your in-laws, but your blog should still feel human. “Internet marketing” is for business, but readers care about people; they seek trustworthy relationships. Finding the right balance may take time and practice, but you are going to be doing this frequently, so you will have plenty of opportunity for both.
Create A Plan
Never let your blog stagnate. By planning your blog content with an editorial calendar, you can be sure to keep producing interesting and engaging content. This doesn’t mean you should ignore an opportunity to write a post on a timely matter. The plan is a guide to keep the story of your brand moving forward. Define the topics, titles, tags, categories, and keywords you want to cover, but just as importantly, develop a schedule. Include how, when, and where you plan to promote your posts, and allow for ways to re purpose blog posts in the future. Your blog isn’t just an investment in content creation; it’s a way to build your reputation.
As an experienced professional, you will probably have a long list of topics that spring to mind when you sit down to create your plan. Don’t let that list run out. Pull topic ideas from customers’ emails, comments, frequently asked questions, and voicemails. As a writer, you should also be a reader. Keep up to date on other blogs and articles in your field. This will allow you to put your own spin on others’ ideas, which is a great way to show your own expertise and relevance.
Your plan should also include who will write your blog. If you’re not a writer, and no one else in your company can do the job, hire someone who can tell your story in an insightful, interesting voice. Don’t neglect the value of guest posts either. They allow you to highlight the expertise of others in your field. Consider including occasional guest posts because they can increase the number of authentic links to your website, which will improve your search engine ranking.
Optimize With Care
The purpose of optimizing should be to make it easier for search engines to bring readers to your content. Internet marketing in Calgary is not about gaming the system. Last year’s Google Penguin update took steps to penalize websites that engaged in keyword stuffing to improve rankings. You have taken the time to create quality, engaging content, so help your audience find it by using the keywords they are looking for. While you’re at it, remember to optimize for social media by including share buttons to the sites your readers use most. Pay attention to your analytics to get an idea which social sites your readers use most. Too many buttons can slow down your site, making you unpopular with everyone.
Blog Early And Often
Relevant, engaging, and frequent updates are essential to your Calgary Internet marketing. Readers crave writing that is crisp, new, and informative. Update your blog at least a twice a week—more often if possible. Regular blog posts are the best way to establish your website as a reliable source of trusted information. We recommend posting early in the day to improve your odds of linking. Inbound links occur most often on Mondays and Thursdays. Blog traffic tends to be heaviest on Mondays, but blog commenting tends to be the highest on Saturdays, so consider posting on weekends to improve your exposure.
