We Are All Publishers Now
Here at DBC Digital, we know that putting effective inbound (internet) marketing methods into practice isn’t always easy for many companies. It often depends on their existing infrastructure, resources, budget, and of course, a willingness for them to change their marketing mindset.
The fact is, we’re all publishers now. And if we’re not—we need to be. Informational content drives sales because it attracts customers.
Take blogging, for instance.
Studies have shown that businesses who publish blog posts at least 20 times a month increase their traffic by 5 times over those who don’t blog, or who only blog occasionally. More, these companies typically enjoy 4 times as many actual leads.
If you’ve decided that a blog would be a good idea for your business, here are a couple of tips to help you get the most out of your efforts:
Blogging should add value
If you’re going to spend time on a blog each week, what you say has to add value for your customers or they won’t be interested. This sounds obvious, but it’s surprisingly easy to go off track when writing content.
One of the biggest mistakes novice bloggers make is to give in to the temptation to sell, sell, sell their products and services.
Here’s the problem: those searching the web are doing so to find answers and information, and for these people, a sales pitch is not helpful.
To ensure that your blog remains useful to your audience:
- Don’t talk about product features
- Don’t try to sell your readers on your company
- Don’t go off-topic
- Don’t make it all about you
- Don’t include too many links in your content
Anything that smells like a sell is almost guaranteed to turn off readers. Remember—they’re looking for useful information that will help them solve their problems.
Your product’s features, your opinions and the “awesomeness” of your company are less important to them than the valuable information you can provide them with.
Blogs are meant to be shared
No blog is an island. If you’re not networking and sharing it, you’re not tapping into its full potential.
Don’t count on people finding your blog through your website—promote it! Here are some ideas for getting your business blog out there:
- Video: video posts rank well, and a clever and/or creative video that links to your blog page can give it great exposure
- Social media: auto-posting links to your blog through social media delivers your latest posts straight to your fans and followers
- Networking: consider guest blogging for sites in your niche, commenting on other’s blogs, even engaging in an email campaign that includes links to your blog
A business blog can be an effective tool to promote your brand message.
So, do it right! A commitment to quality content, and a regular schedule of promotion through multiple channels, gives your company’s blog the power to build strong customer relationships.
And that means more traffic, more qualified leads and increased sales for your business.
