In an article published by E-Commerce News at the beginning of this month, Paul Salvaggio, Director of Marketing Services and Technology for Backbone Media, was quoted as saying, “Corporate blogging should be the foundation of any content marketing strategy.” The article asserted that corporate blogging isn’t an option, but a necessity. Since blogging is of the utmost importance when producing a solid online content strategy, below are four tips for the beginning blogger.
Believe you’re an expert – Many first-time bloggers are timid because they believe there is someone else with greater knowledge who could write a more eloquent blog on the topic at hand. While that may be true, it is in no way an important consideration when writing a blog. You are an expert, not just because of your knowledge, but because of the personal life experiences that are uniquely yours. The first step to becoming an expert blogger is to believe you have something of value to share.
Listen to your audience – Make sure the topic you write about is relevant to your target audience. The best way to pick engaging content is by asking those you want to engage what sort of content they want to read. The saying “if you build it, they will come” is not necessarily true if you don’t build something people actually want to visit. So ask. Then write.
Organize your thoughts – A blog is not a white paper. Keep in mind a majority of readers will view your blog on a mobile device. They’re not likely to keep scrolling down in an effort to read your blog in its entirety. So keep it short and put what’s most important at the beginning of the blog.
Generate buzz – After you’ve written your blog, make sure people know about it. Post a link on your organization’s Facebook page, Twitter feed, and other social outlets. Ask your staff, members, and friends to share what you’ve written. Writing the perfect blog post won’t matter one bit if no one reads it.
So there you have it, four simple but vital tips to aid you in your quest to blog.