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We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again: blogging is one of the greatest opportunities to engage with your clients and prospects.
To help you get started, or to help you stay on the right track, we’ve put together a list of blogging fundamentals.
Get the right writers on board
The best writer may not be who you think it is. And people with a lot of customer contact are often the best sources for blog topics. When putting your content team together, it helps to think outside the box.
Customers come first
Ask yourself: What advice can we provide? How are people using our products? The best posts often solve your clients’ problems.
Always look on the bright side of life
Given the changes that are happening in the financial services industry, it can be tempting to get critical. But there’s no place for snarky remarks, attacks or cheap shots in business blogging. Online readers can cut and paste – or take screen shots – and post them to social networks.
SEO is not your primary concern
Google is always changing its algorithms to be more social. That is, shareability is becoming fundamental to online success while keywords are becoming less important. Keep this in mind when creating your editorial calendar.
Find more readers
People often shy away from promoting things that aren’t perfect … especially if they think it might hurt the business. That won’t work with blogging. You need to promote your blog to get new readers. Social media and email are good promotion tools to consider.
Write a strong call to action
With a call to action, you’re driving your readers to engage with your company. A call to action can be as simple as including a link to another page on your website, a request to contact you with any questions or an invitation to connect on LinkedIn.
Blogging is long term
Blogging is a marathon, not a sprint. It’s like climbing up a mountain, not skiing down it. You need to stay dedicated, even when you’re struggling. And, as you build up content, you’ll see more successes.
Consistency matters
Every blog post is another opportunity to engage a client or prospect. If you post once a month, you’ll get 12 opportunities to share your message every year. If you post every week, you’re in the 50s. It won’t take long to find your company’s sweet spot.
Limit analysis, for now
Page views, bounce rates and pages-per-visit are all good to know. But they aren’t necessary. The same is true for keywords, unique visitors and loyalty. Be honest with yourself: if you think learning about all of this will sully your blogging adventure, don’t bother with it until you’re ready.
Get blogging advice
If you’re tight on time or resources, think about working with a blogging consultant who understands the needs of your business. A blogging pro will help you build a strategy around your resources, goals and brand.