When you begin blogging for your business, you should be aware of certain blogging “etiquette” that will help you rise to the top of your reading audience’s list. There are many things that you should do, and of course, things you shouldn’t do, and knowing the difference will allow you to be far more effective in your blogging endeavors.
Tips for Successful Business Blogging
Three Basics for Every Business Blogger
#1 Direct traffic with your content
Content is the hallmark of every blog. Before you start a blog, consider the types of content and posts you plan on sharing. What are you posting about, and in what format?
When blogging, think of yourself as a traffic controller. As you are blogging, tell people when you want them to click the “subscribe” or the “buy” button within the natural flow of your blog posts. Call to action (CTA) prompts are one of the most effective blogging methods that will turn your readers into buyers. People need to be told what to do. They like direction.
Giving readers the direction they desire will lead to more warm leads, which in turn will lead to more sales for your business.
[Tweet “Call-to-action posts are effective blog content methods to convert your readers into buyers.”]
#2 Subscription Form
As a business blogger I’m going to presume you have something you wish to sell. As such, you will need a way to collect email addresses on your website.
Say what?! Email? I thought social media was the way to connect with people…
Yes, you will need to collect email addresses to build a list, so you have a direct connection with people interested in what you have to offer. Likes, shares and followers on social media – these are nice – but they fail in comparison with collecting people’s email addresses and being able to land in their inbox with your latest news.
Therefore, you will need to sharpen your email marketing skills. If you’re not yet familiar, you can sign up for an email marketing provider like MailChimp, Aweber, or Mailerlite to get started.
Once you secure a service provider, you will create a blog subscription form and list, and add the form to your website.
As a bonus, you will also want to offer your readers the option of subscribing to your RSS feed. Many blog readers use RSS readers to follow their favorite blogs and keep their inboxes clutter free.
Related Article “Email Marketing: How to Balance Selling and Relationship Building”
When creating a call-to-action post, consider the information or content you will give away in exchange for an email address.
#3 Exchange Value for Emails
You have several options when it comes to what to give away…a video sequence, checklist, report or ebook are common effective giveaways. These giveaways are commonly referred to as optin offers, as people must opt in with an email address to receive the offer.
Your ideal giveaway will be high-quality information that your buying audience truly wants or needs. Don’t underthink this – really give away great, valuable information!
You may think that by giving away your content, buyers will walk away without buying…but you’d be completely wrong! Business blogging is about being a resource for your audience.
By giving away great content, potential buyers will see you as an authority. “If this is what he/she is giving away, I can’t wait to see what I’ll get if I spend some money!”
[Tweet “Your freebie should be so valuable that people would pay for it. Don’t offer free junk!”]
These are truly the types of leads you want in your business. Sincerely interested parties are warm leads and will convert easily into buyers!
So, there are a few things to consider when creating your blog posts or giveaways.
In contrast, when it comes to business blogging, there are also things you shouldn’t do under any circumstances!
What NOT To Do As A Business Blogger
#1 No arguing online
First and foremost, avoid arguing online. This will simply make your business look bad. There will always be people online who will try to get under your skin. Take the high road and don’t let them! Besides, most people who get into arguments online wind up looking like crazy people. This is not a good look for a business person.
[Tweet “Arguing online makes you look like a crazy person. This is NOT a good look for your business. “]
#2 Auto-correct is not your friend, and neither is slang
Pay close attention to your spelling and grammar. Do not use text-speak (you know, those awkward text abbreviations) when blogging. When you create a professional image for you and your business, you attract a higher-quality clientele.
#3 Politics and controversy will steer you wrong
Stay away from highly controversial subjects when business blogging, and sharing those blog posts from others. Religion, politics, and the like will only serve to alienate a segment of your potential buying audience, and will result in less conversions and sales based on what it is you blog about.
Make your blog posts a great read for everyone involved, and reap the benefits as you watch your conversions increase and your authority climb the charts!
Ciao,
Miss Kemya