Archive for blog content – Page 7

Oscar Wilde: Advice on Better Blogging

OscarWildeYou know that your blog is a key part of your search strategy, but do you know how to get the most out of it?  What would Oscar Wilde advise for better blogging?

Thousands of blog guides exist, but do they really help or just cloud the issue further?

This is what you need to know when it comes writing to a better blog, one that’s really readable.

  • There’s no such thing as ‘blog style.’ However, the easier it is to read the better. Break it up, make it easy for the reader. That means short, sharp paragraphs and the same with sentences. If a paragraph is more than five lines, you’ve gone too far.
  • People don’t want to read blogs. At least, not ones that have no value. Put your point across early on, and they’ll read the rest of it.
  • The key to achieving a better blog, whether you measure that by how many people read it, share it on social media, or comment on it, is to make everything as clear and as simple as possible.

Cut It Out

Oscar Wilde once said that you should never use a long word if there is a short one available that means the same thing. Read More→

Online Content Marketing: Let’s Put the “We” Back Into Weblog

Follow-MeI get calls from small business professionals who want to start a blog or an e-newsletter. They’ve usually invested money in a nice website, and then suddenly realize that something’s missing… like customers and leads!

They’re genuinely surprised that with the money they spent on their website, no one is coming to see it, indicate they like it, let alone pick up the phone and call.

As for LinkedIn and Facebook, they’re baffled why people don’t interact with them. It doesn’t take a genius (and I’m no genius), but my guess is they have a “me-site,” a “me-blog,” and “me pages” on social media sites.

Instead of generously sharing information about their field of expertise, they share “me-formation.” There’s an “I” in information, but that doesn’t mean you should always talk about yourself. Content should be focused on readers, not you and your business. Sure, people want to know about you, but actually they want to know what you can do for them.

Start everything you write online with a focus on customers and the problems that you can solve for them. Then follow up with building trusting relationships with your readers that lead to sales.

Here’s how online content marketing works for small businesses:

  1. Relationships: Whenever you write content (blog posts, e-newsletter articles, emails), keep the focus on what problems you can solve for your customers. What are their struggles? What do they most desire? Connect with them by writing for them and about them. Read More→

4 Common Blog Writing Stumbling Blocks

Business-Blog-BlocksThere are many reasons to have a business blog but the most important is that it’s great for retaining clients and customers. Business blogs offer insights into your services, product updates, and compelling relevant content that solves the problems of your clients.

However, blog writing can be tougher than you might think. It’s important to keep posting fresh new content, in order to get readers coming back (thus increasing your visibility and site traffic). Here are some potential stumbling blocks that you might come across on your road to building a successful business blog, and their solutions:

1. Problem: Not enough time in the day

You may find that you just can’t carve out time in your busy schedule to write blog posts. Or, you don’t have a designated day or time to do your writing. This can lead to sporadic posting and going too long between posts, causing readers to lose interest.

Solution: Consider setting aside a specific portion of your day to dedicate to your blog. Think about when your head is most clear and you can focus. This will allow you to simplify the process and save you valuable time.

2. Problem: Figuring out the right schedule to publish

How often should you publish posts on your blog? If you don’t post often enough, you risk losing your reader base. Posting too frequently can also be problematic, as you may overwhelm your readers and yourself by constantly having to come up with new content. (Hint: It depends on your field or industry: some require daily postings, but others only once or twice a week.) Read More→

Content Marketing with Blogs:
6 Steps to Writing Awesome Fresh Content

Blog-by-renjith-krishnanWhat private Hell do you go through to write fresh blog content? How do you pick a blog topic that will score with search engines AND solve a problem your target audience frequently has? Do you scour the dungeon of your mind for new slants on old stuff?

I don’t know any business professional who doesn’t struggle to keep up a fresh supply of awesome content for their readers. It’s part of content marketing with blogs, but it can be easier and more fun if you make it so.

Here’s my typical blog writing experience: Up early when brain is freshest, check ESPN for tennis matches. Watch a 5-setter at Australian Open. Drink two large mugs of coffee. Check email. Find a blog feed that could interest my readers (small business professionals who do content marketing with a blog). Seek inspiration, find it, and start writing directly into WordPress blog platform.

First paragraph focuses on the problem using keywords important to my readers. Second paragraph either expands on the problem, or diverges off into a small story or personal anecdote. By the time I get to a third paragraph, I’ve often sparked a memory or an idea that could be useful to my clients. Then I make a list of solutions or suggestions.

Then the last paragraph is a call to some sort of action. I may ask readers a question or suggest a ‘next step.’ This may include a link to contact me or call me or download a special report. Read More→

5 Ideas for New Business Blog Topics for a New Year

Content-Matters-Blog-Writing-TipsLet’s face it – Business blogging can get repetitive. It seems as if there are only so many blog topics out there for your readers, and you’ve exhausted them all. We know the key to a successful business blog is fresh content, which brings more reader who might be potential new clients.

But what exactly does “fresh” content entail? New topics or a different perspective on a problem, or an innovative tip – these are all good. Swapping guest blog posts with another business also infuses new life into a blog. Sometimes hiring a new writer can help bring new ideas, views, and topics to a blog.

Covering new topics is one of the best ways to get new readership as well as appeal to your current audience.

Here are some ideas for new blog content for the New Year:

  1. Guest bloggers – having a guest blogger can breathe new life into your blog. Guest bloggers offer a fresh perspective and new topics. Consider asking a guest blogger to contribute a whole series of posts rather than just one.
  2. Cover current events – instead of just focusing on what is going on with your business specifically, scour the web for business news articles that are related to your area of expertise. You can put a personal spin on the story as well as offer tips or advice that are related. Read More→

Blog Writing: 5 Tips to Break a Blogging Rut

Business blog writing is tough. No matter how long you’ve been writing on your business blog, sooner or later, you’ll find yourself in a blogging rut. How do you break out of blogger’s block?

There are many reasons that people blog – the most important being to convey their personal message in a clear, concise way.

Here are other key reasons blog writing is key for your business:

  • Building an online base of targeted customers
  • Reaching customers on an individual level
  • Improving your “findability” through online searches

Whatever your blogging motivation, one thing is vital for traffic improvement – blog writing consistency.

Posting content for a business blog on a regular basis sounds easy enough, but seasoned bloggers know that it is tough to keep posts fresh and meaningful to their audience. Sometimes there is just not enough motivation – or coffee – to get the creative juices flowing and break writer’s block.

Instead of staring blankly at a computer screen, or giving up completely, give these ideas a try to keep your business blog writing consistent: Read More→

Better Blogging: Messages that Inspire Desire…

Better-blog-writingWhy should you be writing and publishing blog posts and Web content for your business? No, it’s not because of search engines in order to get indexed and found. That’s important but it’s a side-effect of doing Content Marketing right.

The only reason “you should be blogging” is to get your message across to the people who need it. All the other reasons pale in comparison:

  • My business needs a good website/ blog to look professional
  • My company needs to build credibility and trust
  • A good-looking professional blog or website will build a marketing list

What’s your message? How can you inspire desire? I suggest that your blog messages should focus on what truly matters to your target audience of potential clients. What’s their beef? What problems do they encounter that your product or services can solve? How will you make a difference in their lives? Read More→

5 Steps to Quality Business Blog Writing

One of the most frequent question small business owners and coaches ask me is “What should I write about on my business blog?” It’s not as daunting as you might think, if you follow a few guidelines. These five steps will help you master business blog writing with quality content that attracts readers every time.

With practice, anyone can start and finish writing a blog post in under an hour. It may take longer to add an image, link keywords and edit, but aim for 30 minutes and 300 words and you’ll soon become good at it.

Most small business owners recognize that fresh content published on a blog is simply a required marketing tool. I like to point out that an online business blog is the smartest way to get found, get known, and get clients.

People – your target audience of ideal customers – want to know what you stand for and what you can do for them. A blog is your platform for establishing your business as trustworthy.

That said, I know not everyone loves writing, and as a business owner, you have a lot of plates to keep spinning in the air. Whether you write on your own blog, outsource to a ghost blogger, or have a designated writer on staff, you are still faced with a content marketing strategy for your business blog.

Here are five tips to simplify the process and save you valuable time.

  1. Get started, pick a topic.Getting started is often the hardest part, because there are a lot of choices. It’s never a good idea to start by staring at a blank screen. Keep a list of categories or major keywords that are important to your ideal customers. Here’s the way I do it. Read More→

Business Blog Attacks: How to Keep Comments Civil

What happens when a business blog is attacked by rude comments from readers? It can happen and does.

Blogging connects business owners with customers and potential clients in ways that a basic website cannot. One of the best features of a blog is the comment section because it makes it possible for the writer to hear back from readers. New ideas are gleaned from reader comments and they just make the blogging atmosphere a little more fun. (Image: freedigitalphotos.net)

This blog recently discussed the many ways celebrity blogger Perez Hilton does his job right and on that list was taking time to understand your target audience. A great way to do that is by inviting them to comment so you can hear from them directly. Read More→

Quality Content: How to Write Great Blog Posts Every Time

How do you create quality content that attracts online readers and yet works to promote the growth of your business?

Creating great content for your business blog is a what and how issue, as in what constitutes “good” content, and how does one produce that content so that it brings in the readers that a business blogger wants. Quality content stimulates reader/ customer engagement.

Here’s what quality web content looks like: It’s short, sweet, smart, and funny.

  • Content has to be short to accommodate the average reader’s attention span and need to scan quickly.
  • Sweet because it has to attract readers to your article (think arresting titles).  You want to hit that sweet spot right in the center of their curiosity and desire to know more.
  • It has to be smart to stimulate the reader to think, tell them something they don’t already know, and trigger them to join in on the conversation, to share or comment.
  • And finally, the content needs to be funny or at least clever to hold their attention and trigger good feelings. (Note: an alternative would be to be outrageously negative, which also stimulates comments and sharing.)

Without any of these factors, you risk losing readers to boredom. It’s click and bye-bye!

How do you keep readers interested and coming back to your blog?

Read More→