Blogging generates exponential returns.
Every blog posts counts if done correctly and will compound your efforts over time.
Each blog post helps to improve your sites search engine optimisation (SEO), which will help it get found in search engines for different search terms relevant to your key audiences.
Each blog posts is a piece of social media that can be distributed and interacted with all over the web.
Ultimately content will increase your visitors numbers, levels of engagement and finally conversions into prospects or customers.
Now, if you’re convinced that you should be blogging then read on.
A little bit of planning goes a long way and you’ll save yourself a lot of time and effort in the long run if you have a plan for your blogging activity.
Identify your target personas.
Get to know the people you are writing for and the problems or desires they need help with.
Create content that your buyers (target personas) will gravitate towards.
Write about things that will help them learn and excite them.
Identify keywords to attract your personas.
Do some keyword research using tools like Googles keyword tool.
Include your keywords in post titles and post content.
Build archives full of your keyword focused content.
Create a mix of content.
Include tings like news, features, videos, reviews, opinion, examples.
The “How to” post – quick and easy, can be posted regularly.
The “Leadership” post – more detailed and high level, fewer of them.
The “Big” post – usually a series of posts, lots of links and discussion.
The “Hot” post – make a bold claim or statement, done with caution.
The “Sweet” post – be nice, have some fun, joke about yourself.
Write useful posts.
Use headlines that grab attention
Keep them 500-800 words long or shorter
Stick to one main idea or theme per post
Always include media like photos or videos from Flickr.
Creating ideas for posts.
You should find ideas all over the place.
Use the Internet to search for things that interest you.
Read RSS feeds of your favourite blogs.
Keep magazine articles and reference media like TV.
Write about experiences or books you’ve read.
Talk about the people you’ve met and places you’ve been.
Interview people on opinion or get others to write guest posts.
Do “best of” lists and “how we do that” posts.
Talk to people and ask them what they want or need.
Writing headlines that get read.
Start with your headline first, not the article.
Surprise readers with a new angle.
Use intrigue or the grey areas in a particular subject.
Don’t forget to include your keywords.
Keeping up your blogging activity.
Pick a schedule that suits you.
Stick to it regularly.
Remind yourself why your doing it and that it takes time.
Take a break if you run out of steam.
Charge up you brain for ideas and enthusiasm.
Spreading your blogging.
Comment on other blogs.
Send your posts out on facebook and twitter.
Link out to other blogs and people will link back.
Measuring your blogs activity.
Understand how far you’re reaching out into the blogosphere using analytics like Google analytics.
See how many page views you get.
Charts the number of comments you receive.
Understand where you inbound links are coming from.
Be clear on what causes conversions into leads or sales.
This covers a very basic and top level overview to get you going.
