The Art of Blogging

Most businesses’ strategy for the internet starts and ends with a website. However, if you are able to put in the time and effort, you can do so much more. Facebook profiles, Twitter feeds and YouTube Videos all provide new ways to engage with customers and keep them up to date with latest developments. Handled correctly, they can also drive additional visitors to your main website and help improve your overall Google position.

However, before you dive into the world of social media, there is one addition to your website you should consider first. A blog. Simple to set-up, easy to maintain, and a definite advantage when it comes to your Google position. A blog is the perfect starting point for anyone looking to get a little more business from the internet.

So what is a blog?

Put simply, a blog is an online diary. You write an entry (called a ‘post’) and it is added to the blog in chronological order – with the most recent post at the top. You can also categorise your posts under different themes or headings, allowing posts on similar topics to be grouped together so it is easier for readers to find the information they are interested in.

The more posts you write, the bigger the blog gets with new posts always appearing at the top and older posts becoming archived according to topic or the month in which they were written.

Why should I have a blog?

A blog will allow you to communicate on a more personal and everyday level than your main website. This has two key advantages for marketing.

Firstly, it provides customers with a much broader understanding of you and your business. Instead of hiding behind the promotional text of your website, your blog allows you to ‘chat’ more personally to your audience giving them more information on products, tips and advice, news, or an opinion on latest industry changes. This can create a more engaging rapport with customers and will reassure them that you are an active and dynamic business with expert knowledge to share.

Secondly, in producing all this additional material, your blog gives search engines more information about your company in a format which is easy for them to digest. This gives support to the importance of your main website (potentially helping its search engine rankings), but also puts more written material about your business out onto the internet – increasing the chances of potential customers stumbling across you.

How do I create my blog?

Blogs tend to be less designed and more informal than a corporate website. However, if you are in a business where appearance and professionalism is everything then you are better off getting your blog professionally designed. Add Design can design a blog for you which builds your brand and integrates with your corporate website. We can also show you how to add posts and manage the content for the best search engine advantage.

If the appearance of your blog is a little less important, then a blog is also something which you can set-up and run unaided. Services such as Blogger (www.blogger.com) allow you to create your own online blog with a large range of templates and step-by-step instructions. No previous technical knowledge is required, and it is completely free.

What do I write in my posts?

What you write in your posts is entirely up to you – that is the joy of blogging. There are no rules on how often you need to write a post, how long it should be, or what you should write about.

However, these pointers may help you get started on your first post and make sure you get the best advantage for all your hard work.

1.Get the tone right.

The biggest thing people struggle with when writing is striking the right tone. http://blogsofnote.blogspot.com/ has links to a large number of popular online blogs which will help you get the right feel for your posts.

Remember, blogs are meant to be more personal so don’t worry if you sound too chatty or the grammar is not quite perfect.

2.Keep it original.

There is always a temptation to ‘recycle’ old information from the internet or your marketing literature to make writing your blog entries quicker. The problem is that Google puts a premium on original content, and so will your customers.

There is no problem with quoting and referencing other material, but the point of a blog is to give your own personal take on it.

3.Opinions.

When looking for something to write about it is surprisingly easy to fall into a rant about something that is upsetting you. Especially if you are writing your posts after a long hard day in the office. For a business blog, it is important to make sure that your posts are positive and that you do not alienate, offend or bait your audience.

4.Jokes.

This can be another area of misunderstanding. Not everyone might get your sense of humour, or even understand that you are joking – especially if they don’t know you. If you are writing in jest, then make sure that this is 100% clear to the reader.

5.Keywording.

To get the attention of Google, you need to make sure that you use plenty of keywords in your posts. Keywords are words and phrases which people might type into Google to find businesses like yours. So, if you lease cars for a living, then writing a post with the title ‘Leasing Cars will now become easier’ might help because you have used the phrase ‘Leasing Cars’.

Keywords in the post title will carry more weight that in the main text, but don’t try to overuse them. Not only will it make the posts more difficult for readers to understand, but Google will consider it as keyword spamming and ignore your efforts.

6.Back-linking.

To get even more advantage, turn your keyword into a link back to your main website. So, in the car leasing example above, once you have written the word ‘car leasing’ turn it into a link to the car leasing page on your main website. These backlinks will further aid your Google efforts but don't overdo it. 2 to 3 links per post will do fine.

ADD WEBSITES design and manage outstanding websites for all kinds of businesses, large and small. Our previous clients include companies from all different industries, from beauty salons and hairdressers to timber merchants and construction companies. For more advice on getting the most from the web, and a free quote, please contact us on 0845 6436395.