Grab the
By now, companies are aware that they should be blogging. It’s how you raise visibility, pop-up in searches and create-to-maintain consistent messaging. Now that we’re all aware that we should be doing it, there is a next step involved: getting people to not only go there, but to keep coming back.
I’ve put together a few tips and best practices to help you get your brilliant blog out into the world and in front of your adoring readers. Some may already be in your blog arsenal, but for those that aren’t…take ‘em and run with it!
Enjoy!
©iStockphoto.com/fotosipsak
On your blog
1. Allow/link to encourage pings and trackbacks
2. Create a blog roll that showcases your industry thought leaders and go-tos
3. Reference past blog posts of yours if relevant, to encourage more poking around
4. Be consistent with posting; whether it’s twice a week or “every Wednesday,” consistency is key to develop a reader base
5. Comment on other blogs, linking back to yours to encourage dialogue
Integrate integrate integrate
6. Have social buttons available on posts, for easy sharing – if they can’t share it right then and there, they probably just won’t share it. Don’t miss out on the exponential reach!
7. Have an RSS feed so readers can easily subscribe to receive your posts automatically
8. Tweeting? Attach a “Share/RT if you agree” from time to time – you are much more likely to get the word out by placing a call to action at the end of your Tweet
9. Add your blog URL to your email signature
10. Change your Twitter bio URL to your blog link (as opposed to your company homepage)
Pump up your content
11. Feature exclusive content on your blog: videos, photos, event announcements, slide shows, etc. When sharing that link on (for example) Facebook, it will drive people back to your blog in order to view it, as opposed to just living on wherever it lives, which is….not your blog site
12. Feature guest bloggers – and enjoy sharing their blog reader audience!
13. After that: Request guest bloggers to post a preview of the guest blog they wrote to their site, with a link back to yours
14. Write about what’s current: Find a creative way to tie your point to the conversation that’s at top of mind (in the news, trending on Twitter, etc.). Bonus: When sharing on Twitter, it has a greater chance of being picked up because of the keywords
15. Have an opinion: Between Twitter, Google, newsfeeds and traditional media, people can find the scoop anywhere. If you become a consistent source with a view, people will come back to see your opinions
16. Acknowledge your readers: Reply to all comments that contribute to the conversation you’ve started
17. Blog a series: Feature a blog series alongside your regular posts. A part X of a series can catch someone at any time, possibly encouraging people to dig back or look forward to future posts in the series
18. Keep titles short: Provocative and intriguing titles are worth passing around. If you blow your story content out in one shot, there’s no reason to want to read further
19. Include an image. All the time, every time.
20. Have about 5-7 standard “blueprints” for content – consistency that readers can expect and contributors can work off of is always a plus
21. Occasionally feature a near if not completely visual blog, such as an infographic
Have any of your own that I haven’t listed here? Leave it in the comments!
Still grasping on to the blog world and need a little help decoding the lingo? Search to your heart’s content here.
Courtney
