While you are planning to launch your business blog, you need to keep a few things in mind. At the outset, let me state that there is no magic formula or a set of winning norms in the blogosphere. What holds the key is to know your target audience, and follow the best content and SEO practices. Patience and perseverance more than flamboyance are what will help your blog become a success.
Define the purpose of your blog
You should know why exactly you are putting it up. What is your ultimate goal behind serving a blog? Is it just to establish yourself as an expert in your niche? Is it to inform readers about your products and services? Is it to achieve higher sales? Is it to build your brand image? Are you writing a blog for SEO purpose so as to enhance your site’s visibility?
Priorities may differ from one business owner to another and accordingly the focus will change. Clarity about a blog’s purpose, its goals, and a broad idea of your reader base or target audience will make the process of setting up a blog simpler. It will also help create the content in a correct tone for your business blog.
There are a few obvious elements that you need to incorporate in your blog. First and foremost, strive to make your blog reader friendly. Vital elements of an interesting blog are:
- Compelling topic
- Focus on your target audience
- Absolute clarity about the subject matter
- Quality, reader friendly content
- Good design and simple navigation
Here are a few more practical tips for successful business blogging
Stick to your argument
You should also know what to avoid. For example, do not ramble on sans any concrete argument. Don’t stretch or elongate your copy to display your command over vocabulary. Flowery language without any substance is not going to impress your audience. Keep it precisely to the point.
Contact/ feedback fields
There are quite a few overlooked or not-so-obvious albeit important aspects that can help make your blog stand out if you pay more attention to them while conceptualizing it. For example, many blogs do not prominently feature a contact page, a feedback option and even an about page. This deters readers from posting their replies or suggestions. Make it convenient for your readers to connect with you.
Opt-in mailing list/ autoresponder
Make it a point to create an opt-in mailing list as well as autoresponder. Do not solely rely on an RSS feed for your audience to receive your updates. Not all are conversant with an RSS feed and may not know how to opt in for receiving an e-mail. Many blogs fail on this count. So do check out Feedblitz, AWeber and Feedburner for email delivery of blog content.
