by Amanda Washburn, Rough Draft Solutions, CaerusNet Jackson Wednesday 8AM Team Member

The world of blogging is no longer just for documenting study abroad trips and personal weight loss journeys. The blogosphere has exploded across the business world with strategic ways to stay relevant to your customers and provide them with the information they want at the touch of a key.

Blogging increases repeat traffic, keeps your business relevant, and improves customer positivity, according to Neil Patel’s article Why Every Business Should Blog. These are just a few reasons why maintaining a blog for your business is a 21st-century necessity.

Let’s take a deeper look at a six unique ways you can make your business blog more successful.

Boost Your SEO Traffic:

1. Use inbound and outbound links  

Google uses ranking algorithms designed to help people find what they are looking for. With more than 200 unique “clues” that help direct traffic, links still rank number one. An inbound link is any link that brings incoming visitors to your website. If your website has content that is relevant and unique, many people will be eager to link to your website for that information.

Businesses that blog typically have 97% more inbound links to their website! The more inbound links there are to your site, the better Google can direct visitors to you based on a variety of keywords entered into their search engine.

In the same manner, outbound links send visitors away from your website. You have more control over outbound links, and it is important that you use them to link to helpful and informative content. By doing this, visitors will continue to return to your site to find clear, unique information supported by other relevant websites.

2. Use clear, searchable titles

Again, using clear, searchable titles will enable Google to help visitors find your website. According to the website hobo, “An effective page title is created with how people search for things on the page in mind.” Using keywords and keyword phrases are going to reemphasize to Google what kind of information you are providing. For example, if the title of your post is “Writing a Business Blog,” throughout the post you will want to use phrases like “blog,” “business blog,” and “writing relevant blog content.”

3. Share on social media

Once your blog is up and running, you need to share it! Social media such as Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Google+ carry the bulk of online traffic, and the more people who share your blog posts, the more people will check out your site. To do this, first post your blog to all of your business social media accounts. Second, include catchy images and use a program like SumoMe to add social sharing icons to the image, encouraging people to re-share ones they like. Third, continue to re-share! The online landscape is constantly changing, so every time you re-post something you could reach an entirely new audience. Buffer has a scheduler that allows you to do just that on a custom-timed calendar.

 

Connect With Your Customers:

4. Be unique

To catch visitors’ interest, and hold it, add helpful and interesting links to your content that reinforce your company’s purpose. People love the ease of immediate information and they love quick, little videos that clarify the points your blog is making. 61% of consumers have made a purchase simply based on a blog post, so make your blog interactive and appealing to take advantage of customers who may be ready to engage.

Don’t be afraid to try a new spin on things. Only your company knows what its purpose is. Reach out to potential customers by making your blog one-of-a-kind using color, images, unique opinions, or insightful infographics.

5. Ask for feedback

Consumers appreciate the chance to respond. At the bottom of your blog should be an area for customer comments and questions. This makes your company approachable and conveys the message that you care about each customer’s experience. To take full advantage of this feature, make sure you respond to questions often and express your appreciation for reviews. Strengthening your brand is directly related to pleasing your customer base, and the best way to do that is to listen to them.

6. Be consistently present

When it comes to blogs, one thing cannot be over stressed; you must write consistently. A blog’s strength is based on its continued relevance through new posts on a weekly, if not daily, basis. There is no faster way to lose customer interest than if your blog sits on your site with a “last updated” date of over a month ago. 82% of consumers say they enjoy reading relevant content from a blog – give them that content and they will return, re-share, and revitalize your company.
Contact RDS today if you are uncertain about how to create or maintain blog content. And if you need more ideas, look at our blog for inspiration!