Effective business blog posts
Thank you to everyone who attended my talk on blogging at last week’s Geek Girl Coffee Tech Talk. It was great to have such an ethusiastic gorup.
While we were talking, I mentioned my top types of eight business blog posts and promised that I’d list them here. Without further ado, here they are.
- Customer success stories. It’s not unique to blogging for sure, but boy is it effective. Such a post demonstrates how you solved a problem for a customer, and implies that you can do the same for your readers. Plus, it shows that you truly care about that customer’s happiness.
- Tutorials. I’ve written tutorials and tips on using WordPress on my own blog, as I know that many of my readers use WordPress every day. This keeps your readers informed with up-to-date information and presents you as a knowledgeable professional.
- Upcoming products or services. Remember, your blog is a means to an end, not a business in itself. That’s an important distinction to make. The purpose of your business blog is to create a community, share your skills and ultimately sell your product or services. Announcing future products and services lets your most loyal readers — your fans — know when they can get the latest and greatest that you have to offer.
- Request feedback. Once you’ve got a good, core group of active readers and commenters, you’ve got a built-in (and free!) focus group! Put up a poll, write a survey, ask questions. The feedback you’ll receive is invaluable.
- News. Got a gallery showing coming up? Will you have a booth at Brewster in Bloom? Are you offering any special deals this month? Let your readers know.
- Industry news. You and your readers share a common interest, and that’s your industry. What’s happening in your industry outside of your company? Sure, these posts might promote the other guy, but they also demonstrate that you’ve got your eye towards what’s happening in your field. Industry news posts demonstrate that you’re informed and timely. Which leads us to …
- Related interests. I write about blogging primarily, but I’m also interested in technology and computers in general. Chances are my readers are, too. Writing about these things highlights our common interests. “Hey, I like that, too! This Dave guy is pretty cool.
- Explain your process. Customers want to trust you, and explaining how you work and why you work that way serves that end.
There you have it! Remember, you can find me at Kaylow Media. Thanks for reading!
