Given the huge growth of content marketing over recent years, thanks largely to Google’s preference for good quality website content, blogging has become something of a norm for businesses everywhere.
I remember a time when blogging was considered novel in the corporate world. Prior to that, it was reserved for individuals – people who loved to write, or who believed passionately about something, or who just wanted to rant.
When companies started up their own blogs, no-one really understood why. Some thought it was a good way to air their wares. Others believed it could help them to connect with a wider audience. And a few cottoned on simply because their competitors were doing it.
Today, it’s a different story altogether. Content marketing is huge, and blogs are right at the core of it all. Of course it’s not just an SEO strategy. Try too hard to fill your blog with meaningless, heavily optimised blurb, and Google will knock you right out of the rankings. On the other hand a well-designed, carefully (and lovingly) crafted blog stands a good chance of improving your online authority and catching long-tail traffic.
SEO aside, it’s also a great way to engage your consumers. A blog is a form of social media, so it’s like having a conversation with your audience. Picture yourself taking off your tie or pulling on a comfy old fleece when you sit down to blog. It’s informal, and doesn’t have to conform to your corporate image. And when you write about things that matter, like your industry, your business and your staff, you’ll find that the keywords come naturally too.
There are all sorts of tips and tricks to help you blog better. We’ll start with this superb infographic from Who Is Hosting This, aptly titled The Secrets of A Killer Blog Post, which focuses on getting your readers’ attention.
As you may already know, the best blogs are informative and straightforward yet eye-catching, with those all-important attention-grabbing headlines. Take a look at the infographic below. It offers some handy advice on how to attract your readers’ attention, pull them in and keep them there.
What do you think? Are your blog posts of the ‘killer’ variety? What works best for you? Given the importance of content marketing, we’ll be returning to this topic more and more, so we’d love to share your thoughts too.
Infographic: The Secrets of A Killer Blog Post from Who Is Hosting This
