Blogging

Blogging tricks and tips

Let’s discuss on, "Blogging tricks and tips" 

 

CPRON is here to assist you. Step by step guidelines presented by Sohel Adi.

Recently, I have come across a number of brands that started blog years ago but have all but dumped it or never even created one to begin with.

In no doubt, both situations look shocking in this day, what with all the turnkey blog podium and abundance of data showing the benefits of having a blog.

Let's not dwell on their idling (usually due to a lack of resources that we may all empathize with). Instead, let us discuss how they can start fresh with a clean slate and a clear strategy.

If you are ready to reignite a neglected blog or launch your first one, you ought to consider the following 9 things before doing so:

 

1. What are your objectives?

Are you trying to craft top-of-funnel organic traffic from long-tail keywords? Do you need a hub from which you will populate social media channels? Does your brand have a subject matter expert that needs a podium to share their knowledge? Do you want to create a knowledge base for your loyal brand followers?

All of these are valid, but one objective doesn't fit all. You have got to decide which one(s) are primary and secondary for your brand. Once you have accredited your main objective(s), settle on how you will track performance by selecting the appropriate metricsand benchmarking data prior to launch.

 

2. What platform will you use?

Myriad content management and blog platforms exist that can make management a certainty. Before you go to do research all your options, make sure to see if the podium used to create your site has an easy blog add on.

If not, or if it does not provide the serviceability and form you need, WordPress is majestic choice that presents a great foundation and allows for near endless customization. 

 

3. Where will the blog live?

Host the blog on a subdirectory (for instance, www.examplesite.com/blog) rather than a separate site or sub domain (for instance, http://www.examplesiteblog.com or http://blog.examplesite.com). Usually, search engines treat sub domains as separate domains, and consequently your main domain won't receive the benefits of the blog's boostedtraffic, links, and contents.

Additionally, you should keep urlsas short as possible. Do not add supplementary directories for categories or blog date for a single blog post 

(for instance, www.examplesite.com/blog/category1/how-to/how-to-build-a-blog 

or www.examplesite.com/blog/05-05-15/how-to-build-a-blog). 

Make sure the urls are as short and saccharine as possible (i.e., www.examplesite.com/blog/how-to-build-a-blog).

 

4. Should you brand the blog?

Lots of brands use their blog as an extension of their brand narrative. Like, ModCloth has "Story," Method has "Soap Dish," Kia has "Kia Buzz." And some simply call it their blog, as NASA and Tesla do.

I would never want to shove a brand away from being creative and branding their blog with a name that is both fun and relevant, nevertheless, you should consider whether the name ismemorable enough to stick with users.

People do search for brand name + blog, and if you have not optimized for the term "blog", only the branded term, you may be missing out.

ModCloth, Method, as well as Kia have all optimized for "blog" in addition to using their branded blog name, and I would suggest you do so as well.

 

5. Who will write your posts?

If the entire responsibility to populate a blog on a frequent basis falls to one individual, and they enclose other job responsibilities, it is likely it will get pushed aside for more apparently pressing needs. That is perhaps the case with so many of those neglected blogs I've seen lately.

Elect a handful of folks to write for your blog that are enthusiastic and committed subject matter experts. If necessary, find copywriters to ghost write for any thought leaders that have the clout just not the time.

6. Will you accept guest posts?

Accepting guest posts can be a great way to reduce resource requirements, and inflate your awareness. When a guest author writes for your blog, they are likely to share it on their social networks, and if you have picked the right guests, this may help toincrease awareness and drive traffic.

Make sure you have a strategy for sourcing the right guest authors (i.e., industry experts, large social networks, compatible writing styles) and place guidelines from the start (i.e., 1K words max, at least two images per post and no more than two links per post, etc.)

Twist to your network of industry contacts to ask for guest blogs, and launch relationships with others you feel are a good fit. And be keen to swap posts if they ask.

 

7. How will you incorporate social into the blog?

Make sure to include sharing buttons at the top of each blog post. Include Facebook,Twitter, Google+, Pinterest, and E-mail (also LinkedIn if you are a B2B brand), and customize to make sure they pull through the right meta data and tagging.

There is some debate as to whether you should include share count on the buttons. If you have low sharing numbers, it might discourage others from sharing (they don't want to be the first). But if you have high share numbers, it might motivate others to share.

I recommend starting without the share count, then evaluating performance (making sure to tag buttons appropriately for tracking or use AddThis or ShareThis for their analytics). If sharing is high, you may well consider adding the count at a later date.

While comments can increase visibility in organic search and can be a good way to build a conversation around your brand, I stumble upon that spam comments far outweigh legitimate ones, generating more headache than they are worth.

Hence, I suggest not including comments directly on the blog, and instead encouraging conversation on your social media channels.

 

8. How will you generate ideas?

When thinking about the types of blog posts you'd like to write, you be supposed to use long-tail keywords and monitor social conversations to understand what your potential customers are searching for, chatting a lot about and what questions they need answered. Several great sources are:

Google Webmaster Tools: Look for long-tail and informative keywords that don't have a relevant landing page on your site (e.g., "how to…" keywords or those that start with question words). It is to be expected these keywords are driving down conversion rates on your product pages anyway, since searchers are still in the early stages of their purchase journey and not yet ready to buy.

Pinterest: Search for specific topics or see what users are pinning from your website and what boards they are pinning it on by surfing http://www.pinterest.com/source/www.yoursite.com.

Quora, Yahoo Answers, and Other Q & A Sites: Search for relevant keywords about your brand, products/services, or industry and see what types of questions are being asked.

Reddit: Stare for subreddits that are relevant to your brand and products/services.

Sales Staff or Customer Service: These employees field questions from customers all day long and can provide both broad and specific topics that will keep you blogging for years to come.

 

9. Who will manage the blog and ensure it represents your brand well?

It takes a village to build and manage a blog, nevertheless you still need to elect a singlechief to lead the effort and ensure quality control.

This person may handle the bulk of the management efforts- creating calendar, springing authors, assigning topics, editing and proofreading, and finally publishing all posts.

Or they could orchestrate a team of others to complete all these tasks. But devoid of this keystone, your entire blog process will crumble.

It is not too late to take advantage of the improved visibility, authority, traffic, and sales that blogs can provide. By following these 9 tricks and tips, you'll start with a solid foundation from which to build your blog strategy and make ongoing activity more manageable.

Thanks for being with cpron.blogspot.com. To learn more keep an eye on Computer Professionals Network -a gateway to Outsourcing in Bangladesh.

Sohel Adi is founder of CPRON -a Dhaka based Outsourcing Agency that provides Websites, SEO, SMM and a full suite of digital services to small and medium scale of businesses. CPRON also provides e-training for Business Owners, Executives and Students. CPRON offers Custom Training to Companies/Agencies around the GLOBE (preferably Bangladesh) on SEO, Content Strategy and other Digital Marketing disciplines.

          You may find Sohel Adi on Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter, Google+ and Linkedin.