First, why should you or your team blog?

After all, it’s time consuming. It takes dedication. And it takes time to gain traction. So let’s go back to the basics to understand the value of persistent blogging.

• People are buying differently. Stats say they self-educate first (mostly online) with more than 16 different sources of information.
• HubSpot stats show nearly 40% of US companies use blogs for marketing purposes, and companies that blog have 55% more website visitors.
• Google rewards fresh website content, and a blog is one of the easiest ways to quickly add new content.
• Blogging can educate potential customers, create a niche for your organization, add power to your online brand, and fuel social media. 

A good blog shows up in online searches

Rather than just expressing an opinion, successful blogs answer the questions people are typing into Google. Most people won’t pick up the phone or stop in to talk to a sales person any more. They’ll search for answers online instead.

That’s where to start. Answer people’s questions.
For a case study of amazing sales results that started with this simple premise, look up Marcus Sheridan, the Sales Lion.

A good blog is clear, succinct and easy to read

There’s more detail in our “12 tactics for better blogging” guide but here’s a summary:

• Use natural language, avoid acronyms or jargon.
• Use the Flesch Reading Score in Word to check content for grade level and active/passive copy. Shorter words, sentences and paragraphs will lower your score (that’s good!).
• Choose a topic keyword (that people are asking you or searching for) and write a 300 to 500 word post focused on that topic.
• Format for easy reading—bullet lists and subheads will break up long text.

A good blog inspires action

Don’t leave readers hanging at the end of a post. Guide or link them to other content on your website, to a download, or to related posts. The goal is to keep their interest.

A good blog builds your online brand

Blogging integrates into other online strategies, from email marketing to social media. Content, pictures and stories on your blog enrich your online presence and provide more ways for people to find you and learn what you offer.

Yup, here’s the offer. Our new, expanded blogging guide covers 12 tactics for better blogging. Yours to download. Gratis, free, no cost (aren’t we helpful?).

Still wondering how to get your brand working better online? We can help. We recently retooled a local website with fresh messaging and an updated look. It’s delivering both increased traffic and better leads.

Next we’ll dig a little deeper into the world of blogging. Got questions? Just hit reply and we’ll answer in our next newsletter.