How Understanding Blogging Basics Can Transform Your Marketing Plan
Blah, Blah…Blog!
By Alan Berg, CSP, www.AlanBerg.com, Kendall Park, N.J.
Blogging was once all the rage, but where does it stand now? The answer depends upon your approach to blogging and how it fits into your marketing plan. That probably sounds a little different than what you’ve heard or read before, so follow me down this path for a few minutes.
What is blogging?
Technically, according to Merriam Webster: A blog is short for weblog and is a website “that contains online personal reflections, comments, and often hyperlinks provided by the writer; also: the contents of such a site.”
Is anybody out there?
OK, so that’s the technical definition, but how do you or can you use this medium for your business? First, you have to understand your audience. Who is reading your blog? Is it clients? Potential clients? Your peers in the industry? If you don’t know who’s reading your blog, how can you possibly know what to write?
It’s possible that you’ll have multiple audiences for your blog, both current and potential clients as well as industry folks. So, how do you decide what to write? That depends upon your goal. What do you want your audience to do once they’ve read your blog? Do you want them to read more posts? Do you want them to look at other pages on your site? Do you want them to take a particular action? Are you making it clear and easy to take that action?
Where, oh where is your blog?
Is your blog on your website or is it living on WordPress or Blogger? Why does it matter? Writing new content can help you with search engines, so you want that new content on your website. If your blog is living on WordPress or Blogger, the new content helps your blog but not your website. Most blogs that are not on the main website don’t have the same links, contact info, look and feel as they do if they’re part of your website. My suggestion? Don’t dilute the value of blogging by having it separate from your site.
How do you know if it’s not part of your site? If your blog’s address is yourcompany.wordpress.com or yourcompany.blogspot.com, it’s not part of your site. If it’s yourcompany.com/blog it’s probably, but not definitely, on your site. Is the page design exactly the same as the rest of your website (logo, design, colors, headers, navigation menus)? If so, then it’s probably part of your site. If it looks different then it’s likely not part of your site.
All hail the mighty Google
Search engines love fresh, new content written in a conversational tone. They want you to talk to your site’s visitors, not try to fool the search algorithms by stuffing in keywords and phrases. What better place to put new content than on your blog? It’s the easiest and quickest way, and you don’t need a web designer to post them for you.
What should you write?
This, again, goes back to your goal. For most wedding pros, the easiest thing to do is to write about the weddings you do and the wonderful people with whom you work, both clients and other wedding pros. Every wedding is a story, the story of how you personalized the experience for that couple to make their day special. You could also write articles that set you up as an expert in your field. When you go to a conference or convention, write about the latest styles and trends. Write about how you’re continuing your education to be the best for your clients.
But I’m not a writer!
You don’t have to be an expert writer to blog. Just write as if you were talking in person to someone about that event. Make it even easier by creating a template, so you don’t have to write many paragraphs but, rather, just fill in the details. For example, you could create headings for the names (use first names), location of the wedding (helps your Search Engine Optimization or SEO), design theme, photographer (since you’ll be using great photos from the professional photographer at that event—hint, hint—give the photographer credit and a link), and then create a couple of other headings such as “Fun Facts” or “My Favorite Detail.” Top it all off with a testimonial from that couple, and you have a blog post.
What do you want them to do next?
The next important detail is a call-to-action to tell readers what to do next—such as “Click here to see more beautiful real wedding posts” or “To find out how we can personalize your wedding or event, call or contact us today, 770-555-1234” (and make the word "contact" a link to your contact page or email).
The key is to think of your blog as a conduit to attract attention and then move readers to do something else that gets them closer to doing business with you. If they read your blog and leave, you haven’t accomplished anything. Always think about the next steps, make them clear and easy to take. This will help you make your blog a key component of your marketing plan.
Blogs That Inspire…
