Think blogging may be for your business? You’re in the right place!
Blogging can be an invaluable resource that allows companies to shine a spotlight on specific elements of their product/service. Before you dive in, there are some things to consider gaining the most from this resource and ensure your blogs pay their dividends in the long run.
WHY?
What is your main objective from starting a blog?
- Promote company services?
- Educate your audience?
- Improve client engagement?
- Share your company’s passion?
- Showcase your work?
- Inspire your audience
with creative content?
Before getting started, brainstorm where you see your blog in the future. What achievements do you want to make from blogging?
WHERE?
While most companies opt for their blog to be hosted on their website – you need to ensure that your team is comfortable in building this and posting their blogs on your website. (If not, we can help!)
Writing not your thing? No problem! Video blogging could be for you. Prepare your script in advance, brush up on your video editing and choose a video blog instead.
Some things to consider where will host your blog –
- Will my blog be mostly text or video?
- Will I sell products on my blog?
- Do I want people to find me through search results?
- Is my blog mostly visual (photography/graphics)?
WHAT?
Before starting, refine the topic(s) that your blog will delve into. This, of course, will be dependent on your company offering and your target audience.
Search engines will point to your blog when it’s naturally littered with keywords that hone in on a niche. Yes, your blog can be broad and cover several topics, however, you’re more likely to be shown to clients who have searched for a specific topic that your blog covers.
For example, if you’re a photographer, and want to share your work with the world, rather than a basic ‘photography’ blog, try to narrow your focus to your passion; for example, ‘Irish wildlife photography’ blog.
What’s the message you want to share?
WHEN?
How often can you dedicate time to your blog? To maintain a following, you need to stay in the mind of your readers. Blogs should be posted regularly, supplemented by your social media posts/newsletters.
We all struggle to be motivated or creative from time to time. To combat this ‘writer’s block’ of sorts, dedicate 30 minutes a week to plan your schedule for the coming weeks.
Having your schedule on hand, preferable a shared document that all the team can use, your team can share ideas that come to mind for future inspiration.
WHO?
When starting out, you need to plan your target audience. While this may be the same as the company target audience, consider if blogs are relevant to them?
Would a blog enable you to grow your audience and raise awareness of your brand?
If you decide a blog would be beneficial for your brand, you should also consider some points for your audience –
- While some clients may be used to the everyday jargon we use in Digital Marketing, some clients are just dipping their toes in the water. Throughout our blogs, we try to keep our style accessible to all. Bear this in mind with your blog – it could be the reader’s first introduction to your blog.
- Choose a platform that is popular with your target audience.
HOW?
So, you’ve decided a blog is for you. Before you start posting, plan how you will blog and communicate this with your team.
STYLE
Blogs are supposed to be informal and informative. Develop your blogging style to reflect the human face of your company, while also engaging your customers. Also, decide your tone of writing. For Sprint, we aim to be friendly, simple, and helpful.
SHORT AND SWEET
While the author of the blog may be passionate and could write multiple pages on the topic, in today’s hectic lifestyle, readers will seldom have the time to read and soak in all the information thrown at them. Keep your blog to the point and avoid tangents.
If references need to be added, add hyperlinks to your blog. If the reader is truly interested in the topic, they will be happy to click through.
RESEARCH
For informative blogs, research other sources for your topic. Look up studies, infographics, or reports. Make sure you include the full story.
OPENING/CONCLUSION
Ensure you introduce your blog, what you will be covering and why it’s relevant to your reader. Your conclusion can invite your reader for a call to action.
PROMOTE
Decide how will you promote your blog. When linking to your blog, ensure you track your links on Google Analytics to see where your traffic is coming from.
Images
Choose what image/images will work for the topic and promotion of your blog.
We hope you found our tips on how to start blogging helpful. Remember choosing a topic that your company is passionate about and you will never struggle to find content for your blogs.
Need more inspiration? Check out our previous blogs to get you started on your blogging journey –
