Have you heard that blogging is the way to get new business. Was your New Year’s Resolution to grow your business so now, here you are, trying to write a blog post? If you’re feeling stuck, we know how you feel, we’ve all been there.
Blogging and fresh content continue to be a great way to create a digital presence and remain relevant online.
Recently we mentioned 3 practical ways to improve your brand identity in 2016. Blogging is another means of getting your business online and making your audience aware of your brand.
At Designflair, we are constantly researching the latest best practices for blogging. Here are a few ways to make your blogging endeavors effective and successful.
Create Longform Blog Posts
Blog posts are getting longer, and they are likely going to stay that way. You may be tempted to think that since people have shorter attention spans, shorter blog posts are the way to go. However, research from BuzzSumo shows that “long form content gets more social shares than short form content.” Content marketers are finding that long posts are what readers are interested in because the content goes into greater detail and is actually informing the audience.
According to an article from the marketers at Doz, on important marketing trends, “the average length of a post in 2015 was 900 words.” Longer posts are becoming more popular for digital content creation. Possibly the best blogger out there, Neil Patel, currently uses over 4,000 words for his blog posts! He recommends you do the same because it will build your authority, provide value to your audience, and increase organic traffic to your site.
When creating long-form content, make sure that the important facts stand out – making your content digestible and shareable; create snippets of information that readers can pull from your content. One way to do this is also to use list posts or how-to’s. These type of blog posts allow your readers to skim your post and take practical steps. Also, don’t be afraid of white space. Using space between sections of texts and visuals will improve the user experience on your blog.
Another way to make certain information stand out is by adding images! If you’re a well-versed blogger, you likely already do this. Continue to include photos, graphics, and videos to your blog posts to break up chunks of texts. This leads me to my next point.
Think Beyond the Text
One prediction for the future of blogging is that blog posts will more often contain a variety of media. Think about some of the posts you have recently read; they likely included videos, infographics, and downloadable white sheets. As marketing becomes more consumer focused, a successful blog is relevant and offers valuable information.
Marketers are incorporating more visual content into their call-to-action and it’s a way to provide valuable information to your readers.
Hubspot is just one example of a company that provides downloadable content for their users. They refer to content such as ebooks and whitepapers as “educational content.” Get ready to see a greater variety of content forms in 2016. Offer valuable information for your readers, and you will be able to establish your blog as a reputable source.
Image: Hubspot Marketing Blog
Create a Plan
One of the most common tips for blogging we come across is to create a plan because it works. Also, having a content strategy will help you stand out amongst competition. According to Quicksprout, out of “86% of marketers who use content marketing, only 30% have a consistent content strategy.”
First, review your blogging schedule.
As your starting off the new year and taking a look at how you are spending your time, ask yourself whether you need to spend less time or more time blogging. We recently did this in order to reprioritize our time and ensure that we were staying on point with our content.
Second, stick to your plan.
Hold yourself accountable. Use reminders to make sure you are on top of your content creation. Do you have one person who is in charge of blogging? Choose another team member to keep track of the blogging schedule. This will help you stick to your schedule, get content out, and prevent mistakes.
Blogging takes time and effort, so you want the time that you spend on your blog to be worth it. We continually update our Pinterest board with tips and tricks for blogging!
Feel like you don’t have a direction for your business’ blog? Set up a meeting with us and we can help your business figure out a marketing strategy.
