Although they already exist several years ago, blogs have become a strong marketing tool even before the explosion of social networks, and now with them, even more.
However, the idea is not to start a blog without being clear about why, how and who will manage it.
More than half of blogs are abandoned in their first three months.
Although this is not really important if you are writing a personal diary, politics or celebrity blog, but it is very important if you start a blog for your company or for yourself as an independent entrepreneur/professional, and you do not maintain its publication constantly and with a goal.
When a prospect arrives at a blog that hasn’t been updated in months, it’s similar to going into an empty business with broken windows and full of dust.
It definitely doesn’t look good and doesn’t help you with your image or your online reputation.
Don’t let that happen to you. Start the right way and do things smart. Let’s go over some basic things:
What is a Business Blog?
Because a blog is a cheap and quick way to build an Internet presence, it is an ideal way for entrepreneurs, technicians, consultants, speakers, writers and other professionals to build trust and credibility with the conversation generated through people’s comments.
Needless to say, the blog should be in your own domain (not free as tunegocio.blogspot.com or as tunegocio.wordpress.com).
I have nothing against free blogs, but if it is your business blog why should anyone read it if you are not able to invest US$ 10 per year in your domain and US$ 60 per year for its web hosting?
By its very nature, a blog is perfect for busy professionals. Blogs are quick and easy to update. You’ll be creating fresh content frequently (two to three times a week is recommended as a minimum) that’s useful for your potential and current customers, plus that’s adored by Google.
Unlike the static “traditional web”, a blog is a dynamic site that encourages its visitors to interact with you through comments so they can get to know you better.
When you create a conversation with your audience (visitors, readers, prospects), you create trust. You are building your network and increasing the visibility of its products and services in a natural way.
A blog is basic to your internet marketing strategy with social networks. Combined with the website of your products, services and / or your company, you will have everything you need to develop and manage your business worldwide from the Internet.
Steps to get started with your Blog
As Robert Kiyosaki rightly says, “every badly planned business from the beginning will be difficult to expand. This applies perfectly to your business, your blog is key to the success and expansion of your business on the internet and social networks.
For that, it has to be well planned from the beginning. These are the steps I recommend you follow:
Before doing anything else, analyze the reasons why you want to publish a blog. Some people use a blog as a prospect generator to build their database, their list of subscribers.
Some are looking to build a visibility platform, while others use the blog to develop content for other purposes, such as books, articles and programs. What is the purpose of your blog? How is the purpose of the blog related to your business objectives?
Who is your ideal reader? For most companies and businesses, the ideal reader is similar to their ideal customer. It’s important to know your target audience so you can satisfy their desires and needs and focus on that.
How do you want your readers to feel about reading your blog? This may seem like a strange question, but it will help you take advantage of your audience’s emotions. Do you want your reader to be inspired, motivated, and take action?
How much time will you devote to your blog each week? This is the essence of a blog. If you can’t commit yourself to writing a lot of valuable content, then I recommend that you do nothing.
The most effective and successful blogs are those with fresh content available at least two to three times a week. Is that reasonable for you to handle? Are you going to have a team of bloggers?
Remember, there are many, many ways to create content. If it’s not your personal blog, it doesn’t have to be your own content all the time.
What is the central message of your blog? This relates to the topic of your blog and the niche you focus on. What do you want your readers to learn? Why should someone read your blog, and more importantly, why should they subscribe and follow you?
Create your editorial calendar. It’s no secret that content rules a blog, so it’s useful to have a content plan. A key element of a good blog is to have a list of 5-10 categories rich in keywords.
Once you determine the categories of your blog, you can plan your content calendar. If you plan to publish three times a week, make a list of 5 topics from each category. Then, fill in your calendar. Five topics per category, with ten categories: you have 50 blog posts in your diary.
Build your blog. Now that the research is done, you know your message and your content is ready to go, it’s time to get to work and build the blog.
This is where the fun part starts and I don’t think it can be covered in one more point of this article. You have two things to think about: 1) Are you going to do it on your own or will someone else build the blog for you? and 2) Are you a fan of web technology or not? There are many blogging platforms, each with pros and cons.
If you have basic knowledge, you can prefer WordPress (it’s the most used and supported platform, I use it and recommend it). Another good option is TypePad.
As you can see, there are many more things to take into account for business blogs than may seem at first glance. The more preparation and dedication you put into and above all before starting your blog, the more successful it will be.
Once the preparation work is done and the blog is built, you will have a powerful marketing tool to make a presence on the internet, increase your visibility tremendously and attract the right people for your business.
Do you have anything else to add to this guide for preparing a blog? Feel free to share your blogging tips in one comment.