So, you’re interested in having a blog on your business’ website? Great! You’re on the right track to generating leads, establishing thought leadership in your industry, and being found in popular Google search results.
But with a payoff that big, there has to be some strategic planning and execution that goes into the blogging process. Today, our goal is to help you understand that process as we discuss how to write a blog that produces consistent results for your business.
Why Are Blogs So Important?
Let’s begin by discussing some of the most promising benefits of having a business blog. One of these benefits is improving your business’ SEO. Having "good" SEO allows your business to rank highly in popular Google searches, resulting in increased website traffic.
Blogs also have the ability to position your business as a thought leader, or an expert in your industry. Consumers want to purchase from the most knowledgeable and helpful businesses they can find. This means that they are willing to do ample online research before purchasing in order to find out who the true industry experts are.
So, the question becomes: Are consumers seeing your business as the expert due to your informative website content, or are they reading your competitors’ blogs to find the answers they seek? In order for your business blog to reach its full potential, you first need to understand how to write a blog that is designed to convert website visitors into paying customers. The following are five must-have components that every blog post needs.
MUST-HAVE: A Solid Inbound Marketing Strategy
You should never blog just because you think it’s the popular thing to do. There must be a solid inbound marketing strategy serving as your foundation. Without an inbound strategy in place, aimlessly blogging is a waste of your time. Your business blog must be a part of an all-encompassing inbound strategy that’s created to reach a specific target persona or your predetermined ideal customer. Blog posts should be strategically designed to move consumers forward in their buyer’s journey and closer to making a final purchase decision.
Remember: The purpose behind inbound marketing is drawing the right people, at the right time, on the right platform to your site.
One way that inbound marketing accomplishes this is by utilizing keywords within the blog content. Keywords help your blog rank for popular Google searches. Looking ahead, once you have consumers on your website reading your blog posts, you'll want to eventually educate them even more through the use of premium content in the form of eBooks, infographics, webinars, and more.
This section simply provides a snapshot of the basics of inbound marketing. So, what's important to know for now? Blogs are vital to a business's success because they are the starting point to lead generation.
Must-Have: A Target Persona
As we previously mentioned, target personas are your predetermined ideal customer. Your target persona should be your “perfect” prospect and customer that you’re wanting to attract. Knowing your customers’ and prospects’ demographics, behaviors, buying patterns, motivations, and goals can help you create the type of content that is most suited for them and most likely to convert these visitors into customers.
It’s worth noting that determining a business’ target persona takes back-end research and expert insight into the minds of your ideal customer. fuze32 is well-versed in such tactics and can help your business determine your exact target persona in order to start leveraging your content to the "right" people.
Must-Have: Keywords
As we stated above, keywords are essential in causing blogs to rank for popular Google searches. For example, if you’re a lawn care service, a popular Google search for your business may be, “How to keep my lawn green?” The more those keywords are utilized within your blog content, the more likely your site will be listed on Google when consumers search for those answers.
Must-Have: Calls-To-Action
A blog without a call-to-action is simply a dead-end. A call-to-action, or a CTA, is linked text or a linked graphic that leads people from a blog to another landing page. Landing pages have forms on them that request information in exchange for more content, thus generating leads. Every business blog should include a CTA, as they are a part of any effective inbound marketing strategy. CTAs allow consumers to move further through the buying funnel and closer to making an informed purchase from your business!
Must-Have: A Quality Design
The design and layout of your blog itself is key to having a successful business blog. Remember: Every page on your website must be optimized for mobile, allowing consumers to access it on various platforms. No one wants to navigate through a confusing site, so it is crucial that your business ensure your website is clear and easy for consumers to use. Your overall design should be attractive and appealing as well. Make sure that CTAs and images used throughout your blog are high quality and aesthetically pleasing.
Feeling overwhelmed with all that goes into a successful blogging strategy? That’s where we come in! Schedule a free consultation today and let fuze32 help your business excel at inbound marketing and content creation. Your future customers are waiting!
Originally published 5/5/2019 - Updated 2/23/24