Is business blogging worthwhile? In short, absolutely. In long, the answer is slightly more complicated, but still a definitive yes. A great communication channel, a well written blog can give a company personality where it might otherwise remain faceless, and open the door to conversations with customers and peers. It can also boost a company’s reputation as an expert in their field whilst simultaneously entertaining – but it all comes down to how you do it.
The internet is awash with blogs (74,652,825 on WordPress alone) and some of these are stellar examples producing great content. Some aren’t, but it is possible for any business to make a success of a blog if they get it right. So, here are four steps to how.
1. First, let’s take a look at those blogs that miss the mark. Arid dry descriptions of someone’s bumbling day, an opinion on something that doesn’t stretch beyond an ill-disguised rant, or regurgitated advice so old it’s bordering on being nostalgic. This will not entice customers to come back to your site or help build that connection and sense of trust. In fact, it’s more likely to turn them right off. What we might think is great content to us, could be dull and uninteresting to others so it pays off to write lightly and entertainingly with lots of added real-life stories. Go Compare’s ‘Covered’ blog is full of amusing first person posts such as ‘I went cash only for a week and it was a nightmare.’
2. The secret to providing great content to your target market is relevancy. This isn’t just common sense, there’s science behind it. A blog will fuel your SEO and give you more indexed web pages, which search engines will lap up and reward you relevant and current content. Relevancy though, is a relevant concept. You should think of growing your blog in the same way you’d win friends – by being engaging and useful. Readers are more likely to be won over by content that offers something of value in your shared industry. Online retail platform Shopify does a brilliant job of giving its users practical advice and inspiration such as ‘How I Built an Online T-Shirt Business and Made $1,248.90 in 3 Weeks’. It’s one of the ways it sells itself and it’s doing a bang-up job – it’s currently one of the UK’s most successful business blogs.
3. Variety is the spice of blogging. Anyone faced with pages of copy probably won’t stick around to read it all, but making use of visual content such as eye-catching images, short informative videos and infographics help to make a blog that bit more appealing to browsers and can offer readers an easier way of digesting information. Visuals have a greater immediate impact on readers than text and can have a long-lasting emotional imprint, so it’s worth putting thought into any accompanying images. Also, never underestimate the power of a listicle. One of the most read types of posts on business blogs, they make information easy to digest and understand.
4. Lastly, perseverance. No blog will amass hundreds or even thousands of readers or serious traffic overnight. Co-founder of Moz and serial blogger, Rand Fishkin, stated that it took him five years of blogging five times a week to be producing a level of posts that people were willing to read and share. Blogging regularly helps, but taking time to research a topic, write captivating copy, and linking it to social media are the real keys to doing it well. It can also act as a barometer of what is making your customers tick, current tastes and trends. Keeping an eye on these interests can help a blogger to know when to post and what to blog about.
By James Williams, Head of Digital at Moneypenny.
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