you're the expert: establishing yourself through content
In the age of Twitter, Snapchat, and Instagram, traditional blogging can seem like an outdated platform. But maintaining an engaging blog can be crucial in establishing a brand, or individual, as an expert in their field. Perhaps even more importantly, hosting a blog on your company's website can increase traffic and bring more frequent visitors to your site.
Plenty of people start blogs with the best of intentions, but soon other obligations take over and before you know it the blog hasn't been updated in months. Not every team can have a dedicated content writer on staff, and it can be hard to prioritize posting among busy staff members. But it's important and can make a meaningful difference for your business or brand.
tips for maintaining a successful blog
- Write Often. Post daily if you can. If your team can't write a daily post, make it weekly but stick to the same day each week. That way your readers/customers/followers will come to expect new posts and look forward to hearing from you.
- Craft Intriguing Headlines. Your blog may not be competing with The New York Times, but with countless other blogs and social media content vying for your audience's attention, the title of each post is one of the most important ways to draw in readers. Make your audience want to click.
- Publish Original Content. Once you draw someone in with a catchy headline, make sure you've written content that actually rewards them for reading. Don't just link to other people's posts. Write content that is specific to your industry and expertise, and write in the voice of your brand. This is what will establish you as an expert in your field and is likely the primary reason your audience is reading your blog.
- Answer Questions. Do your customers approach you with the same questions over and over? Is there something new happening in your industry that you can explain well to others? Do you you have a comments section on your posts that has been neglected? By engaging with your readers, you'll create an online community that is more likely to keep people coming back for more content. Answering questions or providing step-by-step tutorials is also a great way to be found on Google searches when people are looking for help!
- SEO is Key(words). One of the most crucial ways to increase traffic to your website is by strategically using Search Engine Optimization. Keywords and repeated phrases are important, as is using photos within your posts that include keywords in the Alt Image tag. Linking to other relevant sites within your articles will improve your searchability as well.