Posts Tagged ‘blogging for business’

Why should you blog? Well, it boosts your online exposure, positions you as an expert in your field and can drive traffic to your website as part of your search engine optimisation strategy. All you need is a blog, some ideas and a bit of time. It sounds easy, doesn't it? The problem is there are still many people out there getting it wrong. To make sure you don't, here are some of the most common mistakes made by bloggers: 1. Who is your audience? If your blog is to be successful, you must know who your audience is and what they want to know. This blog is about copywriting, marketing and social media because that is the type of thing my audience are interested in. If I suddenly started writing about organic fruit, my readers would get pretty fed up and head off to a blog that told them what they wanted to ...

Search engine optimisation isn't a great mystery. Yes, it will help you get found in the search results, but when it comes to copy on your website, the most important thing to remember is to write for your reader and not the search engines.Blogging is a great way to promote yourself and your business, but making sure your blogs get found by searchers is a whole different ball game. That's why it's important to remember the power of your page title. The problem is that many people get confused about the difference between a page title and a post title. The post title is as it would suggest, the name you give to your blog post. Your page title is automatically generated when you write your posts and therefore tends to be the same, as shown in  the image below:

'I don't have time' or 'it's a complete waste of time' (which usually translates into 'I don't understand it') are 2 of the most common responses when people are asked why they're not using social media as part of their marketing strategy. But those that have taken the time to understand the mechanics of social media and the effects it can have on your business profile, realise that blogging, facebook interaction and Twitter can all boost business and credibility. Many people still think its a passing fad - nope, it's still here. Many people think the only way to market it through old fashioned cold calling and mail shots - nope, most people won't buy from a cold caller. So if you are one of the stalwarts who refuses to acknowledge the benefits of social media, let me ask you... How ...

Blogging is a great way to get your name 'out there' and share your knowledge with the world. Plus, it's a great tool to have as part of your search engine optimisation strategy because it will help you build back links to your website. But you already know that because you've already set up your blog and are ready to start writing. Are you ready to lead the life of a blogger? Do you have what it takes to generate an endless stream of interesting content that will keep your readers coming back for more? Blogging is a commitment. It can be hard work, but it can also be immensely satisfying and rewarding. So if you're not sure whether you've got what it takes, here are 5 things you're going to need if you want to succeed - how many do you have? 1. ...

    First of all, congratulations for getting your blog set up and for publishing posts. Another blogger is born. But is it going as well as you'd hoped? Have you noticed that not only is your readership not growing, your visitor numbers are actually dwindling? The problem is that you're not being effective - your posts are simply not hitting the spot. A crash course on becoming an effective blogger Number 1 Read one of your posts - be honest, does it grab you? Are you writing in the second person (you and your), rather than the first (I and we)? By making a simple change like this, your posts will directly address the reader, drawing them into your post. You'll build rapport and trust. Number 2 If your posts are a single block of text, you need to work on your layout skills. People are put off by loads of solid text, ...

  Some people take to social media like a duck to water, others find it slightly trickier to get to grip with how to use it and how to get the most from it. If you are not sure about how to use social media and fear falling foul of what is seen as the correct etiquette, this blog post is for you. By the time you read the last word, you’ll be ready and raring to go. Most people find the biggest hurdles in social media (whether that’s Twitter, Facebook or blogging) are: Not knowing what to say Not sure how to say what they want to say Not knowing how to interact with other people Don’t worry, all is about to become clear. Let’s get right back to basics. Your social media look Don’t worry, this isn’t a blogging version of How to ...

  One of the most important aspects of your SEO strategy is the generation of back links. One of the best ways to do that is to blog. Constantly adding fresh content, in the form of blog posts, will help drive traffic to your website, enable you to build a constant stream of back links and attract links to your website. Blogging will also: Add value to your relationships with your customers Position you as an expert in your field Boost your online exposure because you’ll own more of the web No matter what your market sector, you can utilise the power of blogging to drive more traffic to your website and improve your rankings. Of course, you do have to come up with a constant stream of ideas. Idea generation Trust me, you have a wealth of ideas to write about – you just have to ...

  In the good old days customers would communicate with you via letter, phone or in person. Today things are very different. Now they can send you a tweet, post a comment on your blog or leave you a message on Facebook. In the past if someone was unhappy with your service the ‘bad press’ was usually limited to a few of their friends and family (unless it was seriously bad service and the wrote to the Editor of your local paper). Now a single tweet or Facebook message could potentially be seen by millions. Now, more than ever, you must have procedures in place to deal with social media communications. ...

  You’ve heard it time and time again that blogging will help your business’s online exposure. You’ve probably got your blog set up ready to go but there’s a question lurking in the back of your mind… How do I start blogging? If you’ve got this far you’ve probably already answered the question “why do I want to blog?” Just in case you haven’t, you need to think about it carefully. A blog is an online platform from which  you can give your opinion and offer tips and advice. It will add value to your customers and provide a rich source of back links for your website. ...

  Getting someone to find your website is one thing. Encouraging them to read your content while they are there is something entirely different. If you market your business online you probably spend hours producing content that is designed to promote you and your business and build links. To target your audience you would have done a mountain of research to come up with a list of topics for your blog posts, articles and website copy.   Once you’ve uploaded your fantastic value-laden information and hit publish… …absolutely nothing happens. No matter how often you check there are no tweets (not even ...

  STOP – LOOK – LISTEN Those three words were probably drilled into you when you were a child. You would also do well to remember them when copywriting. That might seem a strange thing to say but when creating sales and marketing content, many people just dive straight in. That’s because it’s usually one of those jobs that is squeezed in between other projects. And there’s the problem – content creation shouldn’t be seen as one of those jobs you have to fit in now and then. It’s vital for your business from an SEO perspective and for getting your message out to ...

  Are you a serial blogger? You know, the type of person who churns out a post, forgets about it and then churns out the next. The content you produce for your blog is very valuable so you must make the most of it. Unlike other forms of communication, a blog post won’t disappear or be used as tomorrow’s chip wrapper. Once you’ve hit ‘publish’ it’s up to you to make the most of that content and keep it alive. If you want a long shelf life on everything you post, follow these 6 simple steps. 1.  Follow up The world is constantly changing so your original ...

  Are you looking for some blogging advice? Be yourself. The mistake many people make when starting their blog is they try and emulate their blogging heroes. There’s nothing wrong with turning to them for inspiration but your blog should be a reflection of you and not a poor imitation of one of the blogging greats. Your blog is your opportunity to publish your thoughts and opinions and share information with others.   Moving from novice to expert Making the transition from a novice blogger to an expert is a gradual one. It’s not something that will happen over night but here are 4 simple things to remember which will ...

  Blogging is an excellent way to boost your business’s online presence. Yes it takes time but, believe me, it really does work. I’m a copywriter and have been blogging for several years now and it has really helped be cement my position within the Google rankings. Blogging means you are constantly putting fresh content out onto the web. This constant content feeding generates traffic which is vital for your search engine optimisation strategy. As you know SEO is all about getting found on the web for your chosen keywords. So by writing your blogs in line with your SEO strategy (i.e. using the keywords you want to be found for), you’ll attract readers and as a result, visitors to your website. To help you get the most out of your blog posts and their SEO potential I have ...

  What is content marketing? It’s all about building your reputation as an expert online. That doesn’t mean posting loads of mediocre articles and blogs in the vain hope that someone will read them. Content marketing is about providing quality, informative and interesting information that will add value to your readers. The 3 elements of content marketing If you want to excel at content marketing there are 3 things you have to do: Create content that sells you Write content that’s optimised for the search engines to increase its longevity Repurpose your content and spread the word ...

  The power of a blog is a wonderful thing. It gives you the opportunity to get your personal view of things out there in the open where others can read them. You can share tips and advice. Engage your worldwide audience and share your knowledge to position yourself as an expert in your field. You can create a buzz and a following that gets your name and your business noticed by potentially thousands of people. Of course there is one downside that puts many people off: A blog is for life, not just for Christmas If you want to make an impact with your blog you have ...

  Why do you want to blog? That’s the first question you need to ask yourself. You’ve probably read quite a few, seen people become established experts and gather loads of loyal readers. In fact it’s probably the content of your favourite blogs that has inspired you to become a blogger. So how can you replicate the success of your heroes? First off, you can’t. If you’re going to blog you have to be yourself and offer people something new. What’s the point in producing a copy-cat blog? No one will read it. So how can you become a better blogger? These 5 tips should help. 1. Don’t compare ...

  People blog to get readers. Those readers then (hopefully) see them as an expert in their field, grow to trust their opinion and consider doing business with them. Producing great blogs will facilitate this trust process, but your blogging platform and look will also have an impact. Prolific blogger will write numerous posts. A few will grab people’s interest and be linked to, tweeted and referenced by other bloggers. Many however will be posted and then instantly forgotten about. So how to the big hitters manage to hit gold with their blog posts time and again? Why are their posts so readable? It all has to do ...

  As a freelance copywriter, I have used blogging as a way of promoting my business, my knowledge and to help other people out there who need a bit of help when it comes to copywriting, marketing and general social media issues. But if you are coming to blogging without any experience the whole concept can seem quite daunting. Blogging is great if you do it effectively – so what steps can you take to make sure you’re doing it right?   How to be an effective blogger If you want to blog well, blog regularly. It’s a bit like social media – ...

  How’s your website doing? Are you getting loads of traffic or is it floundering? If people aren’t finding your website it might as well not exist. Of course the best way to get found is through the search engines. But even if your site has been structured well and it contains good SEO copywriting, you still need another element to keep that traffic coming – back links. A link to your website is like a thumbs up; it shows Google that your site has authority. So the more back links you have the better. One very effective way of generating a consistent stream of back links ...

  There are masses of blogs out there, some great, some not so great. Everyone seems to have something to say, so how can you make an impact in the blogging world? The best place to start is to look at the structure and presentation of your blog posts. How you write and the way you present it can be more important than what you write when it comes to drawing readers in. Admittedly if what you’ve written is poor they won’t come back, so you have to make sure you tick all the boxes – simple then really. Producing a constant stream of ...

  Every marketer’s dream is to come up with a piece of collateral that markets their business forever. Wouldn’t that be amazing? Well, not only is it an amazing thought, it is also possible to achieve. Don’t believe me? Read on. Eternal online marketing In years gone by most of your marketing would have been done off line – so we’re looking at things like leaflets, brochures, magazine adverts…that sort of thing. The main problem with these are they only reach a limited audience and they are soon forgotten about. Once your brochure is binned or the magazine recycled, your content is lost forever. ...

Does it seem like everyone else is blogging except for you? There’s an exclusive club out there and you’re not part of it. So what is blogging all about anyway and why are so many people doing it? What on earth do they have to write about? What on earth would you write about? Does any one really read blogs anyway? The answer to that last question is yes – after all, you’re reading this one! What is a blog? A blog is quite simply a web page that’s full of articles – known as posts. They can be on a variety of subjects from personal inane ramblings to industry specific topics. The posts are arranged in chronological order (with the latest one appearing first) and each carries a permanent link which can be referred to ...

If you want to rocket propel your business into cyberspace you need to blog. Before you roll your eyes at the screen, blogging departed from the geek platform a long time ago. Practically everyone has a blog these days – so don’t get left behind. You might think that just because you have a website, you have all the exposure you need. That’s fabulous if it were true. Where does your site feature in the Google rankings? Page 1? 2? 3? Lower? Help your rankings go into overdrive Using a blog to promote your business helps in two ways: It allows you to have a ‘conversation’ with your customers – a great way to pass on knowledge, tips etc. It helps you build valuable one way back links to your website which are vital as part of your ...