[Your social media strategy should include a host of different approaches. Many marketers utilize popular media like Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn to build their online reputations. Although these are great tools, a well-written blog, with a powerful strategy behind it, can be a valuable and fast way to build your reputation, authority and expert status.
The following are six tips that we use to create powerful blogging strategies for our clients:
1. Carve out your own niche.
You need to make the most of your expertise by developing a blog that talks about your specialty market and its news, participants or challenges. Offer tips and insight and always invite comment from your readers. Your goal is to become the thought-leader within that niche. We call it “becoming famous for something.”
2. Love the niche you’re in.
It’s always helpful to talk about the things you love about your business. Work on providing insight on the latest stuff happening that is relevant and timely to your reader. Report on what your industry is doing well and point out why some things need to be changed. Everything you write has one goal, and that is to become the thought-leader and expert in this niche.
3. Talk with other bloggers.
Don’t live in a bubble. Try to comment on other blogs. Be smart, funny and wise-but always remember to be relevant. If appropriate, add links to those blogs.
4. You want everyone to know about your blog.
If you don’t let everyone know how to find you, they will never read what you have to say. Be sure to include your blog link in your email footers, on the home page of your website and in all forms of outbound communication. Also, be sure to offer a news feed or regular email alert whenever a new post goes up.
5. Think Search Engine Optimization.
Blogs can significantly enhance your SEO results. Whenever you can, try to optimize your blog posts with relevant keywords. These would be words or phrases that you want search engines to find in order to increase your page ranking resulting from organic searches.
6. Keep it fresh and relevant.
Once you start a blog, you have to frequently update it with new posts and content. Blogs that stay idle for long periods won’t show up on the top of search engine results, and anyone who liked your blog on first reading will stop coming back when there is nothing new or noteworthy.
Writing a blog can be a very powerful marketing tool. But in order to make it successful, you must commit to writing or adding worthy thoughts or relevant information regularly. We recommend one to two posts weekly, at the minimum.
We have seen many of the blogs that we have created for clients bloom into powerful marketing and lead-generating strategies. So start blogging today and become “famous for something.”
On a personal note… The Gumas Team would like to congratulate Brendan and Angela Jones on the birth of Harper Louise Jones, born March 20, 2010. Mom and baby (and father) are all doing well!
