The popularity of blogging is on the rise. Even though the number of internet users who engaged with blogs on computers in the United States has decreased from 32.58 million in Autumn 2013 to 29.1 million in Spring 2016, it doesn’t mean blogs have become less popular among online users.1
Rather, there has simply been a shift towards using another device when it comes to reading or contributing to blogs. The following graph visualises the increase in number of internet users who read or contributed to blogs on smartphone from Autumn 2013 to Spring 2016.
But why are these numbers important to you as a business owner? According to Statista, the number of bloggers in 2020 will increase to up to 31.7 million in the United States, which shows the potential other people see in blogging as an important channel in which to reach a global audience.
In case you haven’t started blogging yet, think about all the potential readers you could connect with by establishing a blog for your business.
As part of your content marketing strategy, developing a blog for your business can do even more than just increasing your brand awareness, building trust, or driving more traffic to your website.
Keeping the 9 tips from the video in mind, you might also want to consider the following questions before starting your business blog.
WHAT are you going to write about in your blog?
What is your audience interested in? Analyze your customers questions and use them as inspiration for your blog content. Chances are, you already have a couple of good topics to use for your next blog post. Pro tip: write about what you know.
WHO are you creating content for?
Define your target audience and always keep them in mind when searching for a new topic or creating your next blog post.
WHY are you covering this particular topic?
Why is it relevant today and what do you expect your audience to take away from it? Use your blog as a platform to educate, inform and entertain your audience about topics not only related to your products but also focussing on broader topics in your industry. This will help you finding even more engaging subjects to write about and, at the same time, it will help hold your readers’ interest.
WHICH media works best?
For each blog post, what represents your content the best? Be aware of the fact that most blog posts are only scanned by the readers. It’s not a secret that adding visual elements to your posts makes them much more aesthetically appealing and more likely to be read in whole. Pictures, videos, and maps, for instance, can help engage your readers for much longer, thus, increasing the duration of each session on your website.
WHERE will you promote your blog and website?
Choose the media and channel you want use to share it with your audience. Whether it’s Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn or Instagram strongly depends on your industry and business. Again, think about what media will suit your audience and content the best.
WHEN will your posts go online?
When you publish your content is another subtle point to consider if you want your blog to succeed. Several sources recommend many different days and times that seem to be best for publishing blog posts. Instead of looking at arbitrary proposals, analyse your industry and see what works best for your individual topics. Remember, frequency is key! Keep up with your work and publish content on a regular basis. Not only will it help your readers know when to expect new content but also creates a structure to follow when planning and scheduling your next topics and posts.
In case you are interested in other relevant topics related to blogging and enhancing your online presence, check out this information about web design gathered by Market Inspector.