Posting high quality content through blogging helps companies reap many marketing benefits including increasing search visibility, streamlining customer service and boosting credibility. Blogs use content management systems (CMS) for publishing information and delivering results.
However, blogs are effective only when well executed. The following are 5 which will help answer questions such as: What can I write about? What content suits my blog best? How can I find the time to write?
Tip# 1: Recycle previously created material.
Recycling can boost your blog success significantly. You can re-purpose previously created material on your blog. These are some examples:
- A press release can be re-purposed into a brief blog post which links to the complete press release.
- Educational content which is sent by ‘snail mail’ to customers could be recycled into great blog posts.
- Newsletter content can be broken down into multiple posts for your blog.
- Usual customer service questions can be answered on your blog. This is a way of creating more service-centered content. In addition, it will save on the time spent replying to customer queries. When people have questions, just send them a link to the blog post which has the answer. Alternatively, people can just read the blog’s FAQs and find answers to their questions.
- Articles you might have written for other websites can be used to write blog posts, with links to the original content.
Just because you have content in one place, for instance an email article, video on YouTube or press release, does not mean that your target readers will see it. Leverage on material already created so as to keep the blog fresh and alive.
Tip #2: Use free tools to get content ideas.
To get great ideas for content, use free tools such as Google Alerts. You will receive emails with links to posts on subjects you choose. Whenever there is a relevant or interesting link, blog concerning it. Find out what content would educate, entertain or help your target audience. When signing up for Google Alerts, make use of phrases which would interest them.
Tip #3: Initiate weekly rituals.
Initiating weekly rituals will give readers something to look forward to and enhance successful content creation. For instance, you could post something funny every Friday. It could be a funny video, image, link or quote. Such a ritual forces you to be disciplined and to think ahead.
Tip #4: Make use of user generated content.
User generated content helps create connections. To interview other professionals or bloggers, simply send the interviewee a brief questionnaire which they will fill out for you. Another way of gaining great content is inviting guest writers.
Inform the guest writers about the general theme of your blog and who the target readers are. User generated content relieves you of the burden of creating content by yourself.
In addition, it adds marketing power because your interviewees and guest writers will share the post with their community. Therefore, user generated content builds your blog, as well as increasing traffic to your blog.