Content marketing has become one of the most powerful, and affordable, ways to increase your brand’s visibility and reputation.
One element that will help your brand grow and attract customers is a blog; as online platforms present a perfect opportunity to connect, engage and grow your customer base.
The problem with blogs however is they are ever increasing. You may be one in a million; so standing out amongst the masses will ultimately help you market your brand. If you want to know the anatomy of a good blog and how you can use your blog to maximise consumer interest, here are a few steps to take your blog to the next level and help you to stand out.
The heartbeat of your blog is to have unique and frequently updated content.
With search engines almost having a mind of their own, they detect which blogs provide new, regular and unique information and reward them by pushing them higher up in search results, which is exactly where you want to be. Online presence is a crucial component in ‘making it’ online, it can help you create a name for yourself and provide you with endless networking and career opportunities by establishing credibility and visibility for your blog.
For your blog to be successful, it must have brains. Although you may be posting frequently, each blog post needs to be thoroughly thought out and needs to tell a story. Keep your headline simple, concise and where possible eye-catching title. A subhead is always good, as it enables readers to quickly scan the text and gauge the topic. Readers also like strong, visual content, so ensure that you draw them in with images to accompany the text.
To maximise your content, use in-text links to referred pages, social sharing buttons, relevant information and a call to action button at the bottom for commenting and sharing. If you’re looking for inspiration, Buffer App’s blog has a wide range of awesome and actionable advice on blogging.
Make your blog pleasing to the eye. To establish an engaging blog, it demands a strong, visual layout. Readers and customers need to be entertained by what you are offering online, otherwise boredom kicks in. In saying this, your site must also be simple and easy to navigate. The overall design of your site is the first thing visitors see and can significantly influence your bounce rate, page views and conversions. These are a few elements that can significantly add to your page’s success such as a search box, images, links to your best content, sharing buttons and encouragement of comments. These elements add another dimension to your blog and increase the prospect of repeat audiences.
Give your blogs arms to reach out to other platforms. Taking advantage of other social media platforms can be beneficial for your brand as you can grasp coverage from almost anywhere. Posting frequently will also increase your presence across the entire social web and create visibility for your other platforms.
Your blogs voice must contain ‘keyword rich’ content. Having your headings, titles and overall content keyword rich means it should contain words or phrases that people could potentially search. For example, if you are writing a review for Mudgee Wine Region, be sure that your title, headings and Meta description includes the words ‘Mudgee’, ‘Wine Region’ and ‘Review’. This will increase your chance of your blog post being found on the first page of search engines.
To conclude, the anatomy of a good blog is good looking and intelligent; it’s got heart, brains, a strong voice and is visually pleasing on the eye. With a little careful thought and planning, you can use your blog effectively to connect, engage and grow your customer base.