10 Commandments of Successful Blogging for Businesses

10 Commandments Biz Blogging_SalesforceBlogging isn’t easy. In particular, for businesses using blogging as part of a content marketing strategy, it’s critical that blog content is interesting and makes people want to read, and perhaps share, the content. In addition, there are a myriad of variables that must be considered, such as length, relevance, which publishing platform(s) to use, and the best time to post.

But there are some other specific considerations that are essential for a successful business blogging campaign. These include:

  • Telling a story
  • Knowing your purpose
  • Targeting your known audience
  • Providing something of value
  • Tracking metrics to define success
  • Including visuals and images
  • Considering layout readability
  • Adding a Call to Action
  • Focusing on SEO
  • Setting a schedule

Matt Wesson of Salesforce expands upon each of these to provide businesses with useful guidance and some easy-to-apply tips for honing your blogging strategy for greater success. Read more…

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So Many Blog Ideas, So Little Time

blog ideas

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Maintaining and developing content for a blog can be tough. It’s natural to run out of ideas, and sometimes we all need a little help – writer’s block can be very frustrating! Whether you are running it yourself or you hire an experienced blog writer to manage your blog marketing, developing new and unique topics is challenging. So, here’s some help:

1. When trying to come up with a topic for your next blog post, one strategy is to think about specific areas of your industry that you might discuss, evaluate, or even demonstrate with images or presentations. You might create a poll and blog the results, share and comment on recent news in your industry, or list some industry resources you’ve found valuable.

2. Your business and customers, too, are key– they are who the blog is for, after all– so don’t be afraid to do a little self-promotion in your blogs. Blogging is a marketing tool, right? So, other ideas are to discuss what sets you apart from the rest, answer some FAQs potential clients might have, or provide some customer testimonials to showcase your history of satisfied clients and proven results. Topics like these that exemplify your expertise can be extremely effective.

3. Finally, don’t be afraid to get a little personal in your blog posts. Not only will it add a touch of personality to aid your brand and image, but it’s a great way to share who you are – and people like to buy things from people they know. For example, you could talk about a book you’re reading, some challenges you’ve faced, or what you love about what you do. A content marketer with creative writing skills can help you make these their best.

Effective blogging as a marketing tool results requires consistent effort over time– just a blog here and there won’t work. It’s about quantity as much as quality, so don’t let a little thing like having no ideas stop you from posting today! In a guest blog for the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), small business expert Anita Campbell expands offers some of the examples above  as part of her list of 36 great blog ideas to help you when you’re stumped. Read more…

Do you have any other ideas that you’d like to share? I’d love to hear them! Please comment below.

 

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Leverage the power of words.

Leverage the power of words.

As I grow my new business, I find I’m increasingly excited by so many fresh ideas and the field of Content Marketing overall. I’ve always had an innate talent for language – and the art of using words to produce the most powerful effect or persuasion – but it’s especially rewarding to be able to apply it more now in my career. I’ve long known I was WordWise, but I’m finding that I’m also increasingly MarketingWise, BrandingWise, and PRWise… and I’m just getting started.

30 Perfect Occasions for Your Business to Issue a Press Release

Press ReleasePress releases are the most important piece in the content marketing and growth plans of a business, a free publicity tool that can reap immeasurable returns. An experienced writer can produce a good, effective press release – one that markets without promoting –  to increase your visibility and improve your public appeal, and your releases can be shared with news media as well as social media sites. However, many people are unsure what topics are even appropriate for a press release when, in fact, almost every development or event in your business is newsworthy. Here’s a list of specific examples to help. Read more…

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