Do you currently have a business blog? If so, are you happy with the type of marketing you put out with that blog? Perhaps you would rather use traditional printed marketing material? We would argue that every digital marketing agency is now telling us to have blogs, but why? Many businesses have blogs, but they don’t really know what it is doing for them. They don’t know is it’s worth having, but are afraid to stop using it. Sounds familiar? Keep reading to find out how to make your blog a good content marketing tool.
Make your blog a content marketing hub
Blogs are like your “home base”. Think of it as an addition to your printed business card. They are sitting right in the middle of your content marketing system (a.k.a your website!). It doesn’t matter if you are a small or big business, your blog needs to be the heart of all the content marketing; as your blog will be fuelling the social media, sales process and the search optimisation.
Here are a few reasons to use blogs as content hubs:
- Blogs support search engine optimisation. It is due to their structure that blogs are user and search-friendly. You can consult a search marketing agency here if you need more advice. But basically, the SEO performance can be enhanced by focusing on each article and the keyword phrases that are linking to internal and external content.
- Blogs drive sales. In order to support sales, you need to be writing blogs about how to use your product or service and show them in a deep context which gives them prospects and the product information the customers need.
- Blogs come as part of a CMS (content management system). It’s normally at the core of a website and is easy to use (if it’s a low-cost content system).
In order to make your blog an aspect of the marketing plan here are the steps to follow:
Build a foundation to support the content marketing
In order for the blog to be sitting at the centre of the content marketing plan, you need to ensure that you are building your blog on a foundation that is strong. Use your own URL and the best option is to use WordPress with a self-hosted blog. Don’t use free hosting options like WordPress.com or Blogger.
WordPress
WordPress.org is a software that you can install on the server space that you are renting from a web host. You need to get technology resources in order to support blogging efforts. Your blogging should be integrated into the website. This can then translate into more ongoing technology support (instead of just a few minutes when people are available).
Know Your Audience
Before you start your blogging, you need to know exactly who you are writing for and what the audiences want to read. Use marketing personas to find out more about the audience. Create a group of marketing personas in order to clarify and give personality to your potential customers. It is so much easier writing for people you know, rather than those you don’t. Incorporate their content consumption habits and pay attention to their social media preferences.
Develop a content marketing plan
Different components will come into play when making a content marketing plan. There are a few things that you need to include in the content marketing plan such as:
Map out your promotional calendar
Start this by planning a marketing event for the year. The objective is to create a certain hook around in which you can then develop your content. In addition to the holidays and seasons, it is important to consider the annual events that will apply to offering of your product. Trade Shows, social media participations and conferences should all be included here. There are even trade shows in Melbourne to launch your product or business, if you decide that that would be a good way to increase your brand awareness.
Optimise your content to enhance the effectiveness
Your content is not complete when it’s simply written. You are still required to enhance the attractiveness to the readers by using a pleasing aesthetic. In short – it needs to be ‘on brand’.
Ensure that your audiences can relate to your content and the values of your organisation. Among the different branding elements, consider text presentation, sounds, colours, voice and language and visual representation.