Many companies have effectively utilized blogging as a reliable platform for establishing their online presence, projecting their brand image and expanding their community of loyal customers. Whether your business sells fashion accessories or IT services, electronic equipment or apparel, financial services or telecommunication, you too can use this platform to gain popularity on the web and relay your brand message to millions of users all over the world.
The far-reaching presence of blogging can ensure recognition for your brand while its universal appeal as a powerful social media platform ensures that what you have to say is conveyed to the largest number of people possible.
Why Have a Blog?
Having a thriving blog has become a commonplace practice in the world of internet marketing. Popular brands like Apple, Microsoft and Pinterest, to name a few, leverage the capabilities of this medium to reach out to their customers and interact with them. Every major brand today has a blog with which it informs its customers and the web folk in general of upcoming events and the release of new products and services. Blogs can be used to provide readers a look into the interesting aspects of the inner workings of your business thereby establishing a more human connection.
In order to fully utilize this platform for establishing your company’s web presence and expanding your brand’s reach take a look at these tips and tricks. On being employed optimally these general guidelines can ensure improved visibility and widespread popularity for your brand.
Content is King
Bill Gates accurately predicted the future of internet marketing when he claimed that it is the content that is published on the web that will have the maximum impact on a company’s success on the internet. To turn your blog into a money making machine, you have to offer readers original and innovative content. What you write about in your blog could answer your customers’ questions, resolve their doubts or simply offer them snippets of interesting information. Just know what the people want by doing ample research and create blog posts accordingly.
SEO is the Key
The most essential aspect of blogging and using it as a platform to increase visibility is Search Engine Optimization (SEO). Since the whole idea is that the maximum number of people should be aware of your brand what better way is there than to feature on the top spots on search engine result pages (SERPs).
Search engines like Google and Bing list the most popular websites based on a variety of criteria and it should be your aim to bag the top coveted positions on SERPs. Follow these points to practice good SEO and achieve high ranks:
- Embed keywords. Identify your target audience and research on what they’re searching for. Based on that prepare an inventory of keywords that you should insert in your content. Be careful not to over stuff the keywords though as that would garner the opposite result of being classified as spam by search engines.
- Work on the title. The headline of your blog post is very important to search engines and the very first thing that they crawl. Select an appropriate title that is relevant as well as catchy.
- Don’t forget the meta tags. When search engines crawl the content all over the web they favor posts that have adequate descriptions and meta tags. Make sure they’re pertinent to the post.
- Keep it short. Brevity in your blog posts will go a long way in making them interesting and readable in a short duration without becoming tiresome.
Find Your Brand’s Voice
You can choose from an array of roles to play as a blogging brand. You could project yourself as an expert in your field and offer helpful advice to the problems people may be facing. You could provide innovative solutions to their trials and tribulations. Alternately, you could seek to inform your readers on a variety of subjects. Make them aware of the latest technological and other developments in your field and let them know of the many ways they can improve their lives by using your products and services.
Interact With Customers
A blog is the perfect place for a company to engage with its customers. While your company’s website may offer visitors a chance to contact you, the process of filling a form can be tedious for most people. Having a company blog on the other hand gives you the chance to receive valuable feedback and comments directly from your fans and also the opportunity to respond to their opinions and complaints. Set time apart to interact with customers and respond to their queries.
