The internet has an insatiable appetite for information. Billions of searches are conducted every single day looking for everything from how to bake an apple pie to why zebras have stripes. For anyone who conducts business online, these searches represent a steady flow of potential customers who are looking for what you have to offer.
A blog is an easy, cost-effective method of being found by the exact people who most need, want, and are willing to pay for your services. But only if you have a good strategy in place first.
Know Your Keywords
These are the search terms your ideal client is using to find answers to her questions. When you know what your keywords are, you can easily create blog posts that will:
· Attract the right visitors to your site
· Position you as the expert in your niche
· Make it easy for your ideal client to find—and get to know—you and your services
Write for People
While it’s important to know and use keywords in your blog posts, it’s even more important that you write your content with people in mind over search engines. Your blog should be engaging, informational, and even entertaining, but above all else it must be readable.
Be Consistent
Content marketing—and blogging, by extension—is very much a numbers game. The more content you produce, the greater your results will be. That means setting—and sticking to—a content production schedule is a must.
For most websites, a weekly schedule is both attainable and sufficient to build a steady stream of traffic.
Keep Long-Term Goals in Mind
Blogging is not a fast business-growth strategy but it is excellent for long-term sustainability. Those posts you write this month will continue to work for you many years from now, bringing in more and more traffic and potential clients.
Use Good SEO Practices
Aside from keywords, great bloggers know there are many techniques you can use to bring in more readers, including:
· Link out to authority sites from within your blog
· Link internally to other, related content on your own sites
· Use graphics and sub-headlines to break up long text passages
· Take the time to write compelling meta descriptions
· Create content that other sites will link to
Get the Word Out
Each new blog post is an opportunity to be seen, so take the time to share your content socially, and encourage your readers to do the same. Share your post on your Facebook page, Twitter, LinkedIn, Pinterest and anywhere else your ideal client is likely to see it.
Mix It Up
Not every post has to be a 3,000 word article. Include other types of content as well, such as:
· Video
· Infographics
· Curated content
· Short opinion pieces
· Audio
Have Fun with It
Above all else, have some fun. Inject your personality into your blog. Not only will you more easily attract your ideal client but you’ll enjoy blogging a lot more if you use your authentic voice. And the more you enjoy it, the more likely you will remain consistent as well.