The internet is the modern-day playground for inbound marketers. And blogging is one of the best ways to come out swinging at the top. It enables you to attract leads, boost sales and claim a prominent place in the industry for your business or the client’s company. But not knowing the rules of the playground can turn it into a battlefield for you.
If you are hopping on the blogging bandwagon, or wondering why your blogging efforts aren’t yielding the rewards that successful blog writers had promised, there are certain things you need to know.
For marketers, blogging is a lot more than writing about something that interests you. Although they might not necessarily be written in black and white, there are certain rules about blogging that marketers ought to follow.
Some of these will help you rank better on search engine results page (SERP) while some are basic internet etiquettes that will help you play in a decent manner and not come across as a cheap marketer. Others are actually hard and fast rules – disregard them and you are likely to find Google or some law enforcing organization hot on your heels.
So, without further ado, here is the go-to guide for marketers covering the unspoken rules about blogging.
The Title Is What Makes It or Breaks It
The title of your blog post is, quite literally, the magnet that attracts readers to check out what you have to say. When a potential reader comes across your blog post on the SERP or a social media site, remember that all they can see is the title (and perhaps a few other things like a thumbnail or the meta description). So, your title should be interesting enough to motivate the reader to click. Create something catchy that stands out amidst a sea of similar results, but make sure it is relevant to the content it contains.
You Need to Draft a Compelling Copy… Every. Single. Time.
Blogging has become all the rage these days. It is highly trending, and extremely popular. Hundreds and thousands of individuals, marketers, and professionals at copywriting services are typing away at their keyboards day in and day out. New blogs are uploaded on the internet with every passing second. The point is that there is hardly any topic that hasn’t been covered already.
Therefore, you need to bring on your A-game in creating compelling copy that readers will not just read till the very end but also take the required action that you want them to take – be it staying tuned in for more, subscribing to your mailing list, or buying your product right then and there.
Bigger Is Better When It Comes to Blogging
To keep the reader engaged and coming back for more, each of your blog posts should be at least 500 words long. 700 words each is better and 1000 or more is the best. This is because it assures the reader that they will find something of use and quality, and lets them know that they are not just wasting their precious few minutes reading a piece of writing that doesn’t contain anything of substance.
The frequency of blogging should be about 3 to 4 posts per week. If you can manage to publish a new post every day, that’ great! Whatever you choose, just make sure that you stick to the schedule and don’t keep your readers waiting in vain.
Your Footprints Are Etched in Stone
Before you start blogging, you need to decide on how anonymous you want to remain. Do you want to announce your presence as a content marketer straight and upfront? Or do you want to find a voice amongst your potential customers as someone who’s ‘one of them’, so that they can relate to your views and opinions on a closer and friendlier level?
Whatever the case might be, keep in mind that once you publish something on the web, it can spread far and wide – and in ways you might not have wanted it to.
Be careful of what you share about yourself in the author’s bio or in the blogs itself. Be cautious of the personal information that you give out and don’t post anything that you might regret later on.
You Can Be Sued for ‘Casually’ Referring to Other Businesses
As a marketer blogging for a particular business, you need to be careful about referring to or using the intellectual property of other businesses. Cite disclaimers when you use the trademarks of other business entities. This is highly crucial if your content can be considered comparative advertisement in any way.
In case you aren’t aware already, several brands hire special agencies to monitor the way in which their identities are being displayed across the web.
If You Are a Business Owner, Don’t Do It by Yourself
If you are a business owner who’s trying to market their goods and services through blogging, halt right here!
Blogging takes time and effort. Well, of course, you can type whatever comes to mind and publish it whenever you want to. But blogging in spare time will translate to inconsistent posts and unfocused content. It’s hard to create value for your brand this way.
Business blogging is a serious matter. It takes constant time and effort to plan things carefully and give them shape and structure in the form of writing. Plus, you need to be consistent with publishing content or you will lose the followers you might have gained so far. If you are a business owner, you must have hired accountants, IT professionals and the likes to handle different matters crucial to smooth business operation, right? Blogging should be no different.
Leave the task to professionals and hire a reputable blog writing service. They are a pro at what they do and can guarantee fruitful results for your business as well.
Follow these essential rules for content marketing and you’d be surprised at how quickly blogging helps you sell your goods and services like hotcakes.
Author’s Bio
Dave is a passionate content marketer who’s dedicated to helping others benefit from the insight that he has gained over the years in his line of work. When he’s not blogging or training his own army of blog writers, he can be found by his desk, brewing fresh ideas to help others make the most out of this golden land of opportunities.
