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Blogging has reshaped industry.
Today there are millions of blogs across the internet, many updated on a daily basis, cataloging all kinds of interesting information.
More importantly, blogs coupled with social media provide a simple, minimal-cost medium for businesses to connect with their target audience.
During this episode we discussed what blogging as business is, how it helps with company outreach, and the 7 key components of a blog.
The Timeline of Blogging History
Before we discuss how to start a blogging business, let’s take a look at the history of blogging.
In January 1994, a student at Swarthmore College named Justin Hall created the very first blog. His blog is still active to this day, and is called Links.net.
A few years later in 1997, Jorn Barger, an online diarist first used the term “Weblog” for “logging the Web.”
Two years later in April of 1999, Peter Merholz, a computer programmer shortened the term “Weblog” to “blog”–the term still in use to date.
Then in August of the same year, Blogger rolled out the very first popular free blog-creation service.
Three years later in August 2002, Nick Denton launches what will become a blog empire: Gizmodo.
Four months after that Gawker, the original gossip blog, launches.
By June of 2003, Google began rolling out AdSense, which allowed commercial advertisements to be matched to blog content.
Then, in 2004, “blog” is declared the word of the year by Merriam-Webster, permanently etching it’s place in the English language just five short years after first being mentioned.
Today, blogs are an indispensable part of daily online life. Not everyone may run a blog, but just about everyone on the internet clicks on or reads on every single day.
You can read more of blogging platforms evolution here
How a Blogging Business (or Blogging for business) Helps Businesses Today
Today, blogs are readily customized and help provide a “face” for online businesses.
Personalized blogs help customers identify the online business where they can have a voice.
Blogs, along with social media, are an integral parts of today’s business communication platform, allowing consumers to engage in direct dialogue with businesses and their associated personnel.
“We are all in the media business” – Gary Vaynerchuck
Blogs also help companies understand what their customers are thinking, by providing a forum for feedback and Q&A.
5 Keys to Keep In Mind:
- Businesses can use blogs to provide value-added content
- Blogs allow for relationship building with readers
- Blogs build credibility if they are accurate and informative.
- Blogs help to create awareness about product offerings.
- Blogs are a great way to bounce ideas off of customers and potential target markets
How to Direct Readers to Your Blog
The first and most important thing to remember is this:
Content is King.
Quality content is the cornerstone of any accomplished blog.
Why?
Because content will ultimately define you and your business.
Other strategies include:
- Listing in a blog directory directory
- Optimizing content with targeted keywords to improve search ranking
- Creating a good linking structure within your blog to help others link to you
“Be Everywhere” – Pat Flynn – Smartpassiveincome.com
How to Acquire Customers With My Blog?
- Have relevant, topical content
- Have a Unique Value Proposition
- Be an accessible host
- Apply some type of email capture
- Start doing some list building
Top 7 Components of a Good Blog
1. A CTA button
A CTA (call-to-action) button can be a banner, graphic, or text that encourages the readers to click. Include “share” buttons, particularly those linking to social media sites like Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest, so your blog post can be virally with a just a few clicks.
2. Have different landing pages
It’s important to have different landing pages.
Why? Because there can be different audiences for your blog and different audiences have different needs.
Besides, the more content, the more potential visitors.
Give readers access to more information than they may be looking for. On the sidebars, put related posts so readers can continue to browse through your blog.
3. Speak the language of your readers
It may not always be grammatically sound, but write the way your audience wants to read. Speak the language of your people if you want their trust, loyalty and readership.
4. Research keywords in advance
High search engine ranking is impossible without good keywords. Do the necessary homework. Inject strong keywords and phrases.
5. Featured images are important
A picture says a thousand words and nowhere is that more true than on the internet, where memes, GIFs and viral videos reign supreme. Nothing will increase your page views faster than having great images.
6. Blog like the journalists
All successful blogs, even opinion-based ones, discuss tangible facts and figures.
Why?
Because people love “trusted sources.”
Establish yourself as knowledgeable and professional in your blogging, Again, that’s not to say write dryly and formally. Feel free to break grammar rules and write in a colloquial style, so long as you’re keeping the facts straight.
Don’t forget to cite your sources and use spell-check.
7. Chose the right title
Headlines are important.
A good blog title will catch the eye of potential readers and customers.
Keep the title on-point and concise.