You don’t need to be a blogging superstar

Okay, you’ve read the reports, talked to successful inbound marketers in Denver and know that you have got to be blogging regularly if you want to get above the competitive noise and get your website “found” by your future customers.

So you’ve decided to start blogging.  Great!  We know writing your first blog post can be a little intimidating; you want it to be perfect.  You want your first post to explode onto the scene and into fame and fortune.

Here’s a tip:  It’s not going to happen, at least not right away.  (Just saying.)

So, relax.  You don’t need to be a blogging superstar to make an impact.  Just remember these five tips for your first post (we’ll talk about “optimizing” your blog in a future post):

1. Don’t aim for perfection.  A good way to start is to just relate what your aspirations are for writing the blog.  Aim for your readers’ hearts.
2. Please don’t write about how you don’t know what to write about.  Everyone knows it’s a challenge to blog regularly.  You don’t need to remind us.
3. Keep your posts between 400-500 words.  Keep it crisp and simple.
4. Publish it right away.  It’s always good to edit, but don’t spend days trying to make the perfect post.  You have to publish it sometime, so get it out there!
5. Remember that this first post won’t be your best, and that is okay.  Blogging is about practice and improvement, so get started!

Now, how do you get your great blog posts read??

Writing for “Scanability”

Online, people don’t read, they scan.  Typical visitors to your blog will usually scroll down the page looking for words, pictures and ideas that catch their attention.

Researchers have found that change catches our eye and makes us pause.  Use paragraph breaks, photos, and bold or italicized text to draw your reader’s attention.  Used properly, these techniques can help readers get your point and help you stand out (be memorable) before they read your full post or move on.

Before people read your post from beginning to end, they want content that:

• Has no paragraphs longer than four or five lines
• Lists important points in numbered or bulleted lists
• Breaks  up major points with headlines
• Includes images to emphasize important points and to give the eye a break
• Includes  only one idea per paragraph
• Is short and concise
• Includes headlines that explain the copy that follow it
  • Good: Overview
  • Better: Writing for Scacnnability

Scannable content gets a chance to be read.  In other words, the post you spent an hour (or more) drafting and composing is more likely to be read.

Bottom line: These tips are just the beginning.  There are numerous additional tips and techniques that can help you get your blog posts read and shared.

But right now, the most important thing is to get out there and show the world (or at least your friends and clients) the inbound marketing pro that you will become!

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What do you think?  What are your best tips for a beginning blogger to get above the noise?  Give us your best thoughts below!

Want more ideas on great business blogging?  Download our “Better Business Blogging” report by clicking on the image below.  Let us know what you think.

 Three Essential Marketing Blog Tips

We are frequently asked about the value of creating and maintaining a business blog and whether it is worth taking the time to do.

The resounding answer is YES! YES! YES!

The power of your business blog is in its ability to accomplish multiple things at the same time. Of course, the overall purpose of your blog is to engage prospects and customers online and ultimately drive traffic to your website, but it does more than that.

In fact, a business blog has three major benefits:

1. It creates awareness for your brand. Use can use “keyword”- rich posts to convey what your products are and how they are used. Much of this content can be re-purposed from your existing marketing materials.
2. It helps your visitors to see your brand as more “human” and to establish you as a thought leader in your industry.
3. It drives purchase behavior. The best way to move your website visitors to take the next step is to show them how you can solve their problems.

Here are 3 Essential Success Tips for Business Blogging

1. Post Frequently and Consistently

Without a doubt, consistency is essential in your business blogging efforts. Keeping your blog updated with fresh, timely, and engaging content will bring your readers back looking for more while ensuring that new visitors aren’t greeted by stale posts.

Find a schedule and pace that works for you.   In the beginning, this might take a little time and experimentation. But, the payoff is that blog post frequency is highly correlated with traffic to your website. Tip: Your goal is to post a new article at least twice a week.

 2. Ask your Customers to Share Their Stories

The best people to share how your products and services solve your customers’ problems are your customers themselves. Studies suggest that those who solicit customer stories get higher click-through than those that don’t. For example, you may not be interested in giving an objective critique of a cruise, but you may be excited about sharing the experience you had on a cruise.

Norwegian Cruise Lines  has done a great job of rounding up different types of contributors with the “Stories” section on its site. This section encourages sharing and the stories capture authentic customer experiences, maximizing the number of people that share their experiences.

3. Create and Follow a Schedule

Blogging on a consistent basis is just like developing any new skill or habit. At first, you’ll need to be very deliberate about it. Over time, maintaining post frequency will become easier and more routine. Many marketers start with an “editorial calendar.” Here is a good blog post on editorial calendars if you need help.

Once you establish your blogging routine, stick with it! Remember, blogging is one of the best and least expensive ways to grow your business.  When you feel like you just don’t have time to write a post that day, the momentum you’ve built into your schedule will help you power through.

Bottom Line

If you are looking for an effective and cost-efficient approach to growing your site’s web traffic, there are few legitimate contenders to blogging.

For more information on how to set up a blog, or to get help with other aspects of your inbound (internet) marketing, give us a call at (303) 357-5757 or email us at dbc@dbcdigital.com.