Blogging is not dead. In fact, blogging is one of the most affordable forms of marketing tactics a small business can do. According to the HubSpot 2019 report, those who prioritize blogging efforts are 13x more likely to see positive return on investment (ROI). As a small business owner, you’re probably wondering where to begin. Here are 6 tips for small business blogging success:
Start with a plan.
Develop a calendar outlining special events, holidays, promotions, and product launches. This is a building block to your editorial calendar. Once you’ve finalized these dates, you can then tailor your content to promote.
Pro tip: blogs that promote an event or product launch should be published at least 30 days in advance.
Do your research.
Next you need to research what other blogs are saying about your topic. Is it a topic that has been discussed many times before? If so, you’ll need to find a fresh angle.
For example, there are a ton of posts about creating a YouTube channel. If this was your original idea, you need to think about what you can add to the conversation.
Pro tip: don’t overthink it. You don’t need to reinvent the wheel, but you do need to offer an interesting perspective or a new way of doing something.
Understand your audience.
Blogging is only effective if you’re writing for your audience. Before writing begins, ask yourself questions like:
Who are they are?
What do they want?
What will they gain from the content?
What inspires them?
Where will they read your content?
Pro tip: put yourself in their shoes. If you can’t, find someone in that demographic to interview or shadow. This will help you develop a better understanding of who they are and what they want.
Put pen to paper.
Writing accounts for about 10 percent of publishing content. Write a snappy introduction, small paragraphs for each point, and a conclusion. Keep sentences around 10 words each, and paragraphs no more than four sentences.
Pro tip: If you experience a roadblock, go outside and observe nature.
Edit. Edit. Edit.
Did we say edit? We can’t stress the importance of editing enough. In most cases, it is more important than writing. Never publish a piece the same day you edit it. Let it marinate and read it one last time with fresh eyes before it goes live.
Pro tip: when editing, read your piece out loud. This will help to catch errors, but also ensure your sentences flow.
Share on social media.
Blogging means nothing if people aren’t reading it. One way to drive users to your blog is through social media.
Pro tip: post the blog on several different occasions. Most readers won’t be inclined to click right away but will the more they see it. Marketing research says someone must see something seven times before they will make a decision, but some argue its more like 19 times now in our digital age.
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