Over the last several years blogging has become the foundation for social media campaigns of businesses big and small. Where Facebook and Twitter help keep companies in the limelight, spreading the word about special events, discounts and newsworthy items, blogs are the place where companies build their reputation and make sales.
As popular as blogging has become, I often hear from home-based business owners who are trying to figure out exactly what a blog consists of and how they can use one to benefit their business. Below are three tips that can help maximize the impact of your business blog.
1. It's All In The Name
Be sure to choose a name for your blog that is both descriptive and easy to remember. Try to stick to either your business name or the name of your star product/service. If none of these are available consider using your name or business tagline. Also, consider possibly adding in your keywords ... such as Publicity Virtual Assistant.
2. Use Keywords Effectively
When you write posts for your business blog be conscious of the words that you choose. Pepper your posts with keywords relating to your business, products, services and brand. These keywords will trigger Search Engine results and help you reach the top of the results for your keywords. Be careful not to overuse keywords, though, because readers will get frustrated and the Search Engines consider that against the rules.
Also, consider keyword phrases - often called long tail keyword phrases (why, I'm not sure!). Long tail keywords are simply a sting of words that make up a phrase that represent your keywords. Think, what would people type in Google to find me. Examples, "how to start a business." Think ... how can I define my blog more (or this particular post). I wrote this blog post on ... (fill in the blank), now what keywords do I need to put in so others can find me?
3. Quality Information (No Fluff!) & Fresh, Regular Content
Another thing to consider when writing business blog posts is to keep your posts informational. The more quality content you offer to readers, the more often they will visit your blog. Also, by posting regularly your readers will get to know the schedule and tend to visit your blog on a regular basis because of it.
You know your audience best. What do they want to hear? Need to hear? Solve that problem that you've been having and you know others are having too. Consider adding in reviews, recommendations, etc. Your blog can be so much more than you talking about your business. What fun thing can you add? Contest, giveaways, etc.
There are many ways to use a blog for business use. If used correctly, a blog can be a terrific tool to inform potential customers of your business. Be sure to update your blog regularly so that the content remains fresh and people coming back for more great information.
Jill Hart
of Christian Work at Home Moms,
CWAHM.com
and
Diana Ennen
of
VirtualWordPublishing.com
have over 35 collective years of experience helping women build careers from home. For more tips visit
http://SoYouWantToBeaWAHM.com
or check out their book, So You Want To Be a Work-at-Home Mom. Permission granted for use on DrLaura.com.
