If you’ve spent any time at all comparing your website with those of your competitors, you’ve probably noticed: everybody has a blog!

Blogs really are a terrific way to drive traffic, connect with customers, and get people excited about what makes your business special.

To blog the right way, there are a few things to remember. Check out this blogging rundown from the business communication gurus at Communication Insights.

 

Quick and Clear

It sounds obvious: your clients and future customers are pressed for time.

When writing a blog (or any content on your site, for that matter), you should focus on three principles for maximum readability: clarity, concision, and cohesion.

• Clarity – Is your blog written clearly? Could you sum up the “point” of your post in a single sentence?
• Concision – How long is your post? Typically, you’ll want blog posts to come in at a maximum of 500-550 words. This is a comfortable length for a quick read.
• Cohesion—Does your blog make sense? Do sections and paragraphs flow seamlessly?  To lay out an effective roadmap, it might even be helpful to write the conclusion of your post first!

 

Research

No matter how well written your posts are, they aren’t worth reading without proper research.

To get started, you’ll want to look for sources that seem credible and accurate. Pay close attention to articles or other information hubs that are tied to a marketplace or product. Frequently, sites like these are sources of biased or misleading information.

 

Links

The best part about research? You can link materials and information to your posts!

Not only does this let readers know you’ve done your homework – it is also a huge boost to SEO efforts.

If, for example, you were writing a post discussing the benefits of running, you might want to feature and link articles like this one or this one to boost your argument.

 

Relevance

It’s a no-brainer: you should write about what people care about.

While this is easier said than done – it’s also relatively simple. No matter what industry, market, or area your business is in – your content needs to reflect the concerns of your target customers or demographic.

Own a car dealership? You’ll want blog posts totally focused on everything automotive. Has something big happened in the news lately? A blog post relating your products or services to the current moment is a very smart move.

 

Scheduling

Even after you’ve written the perfect post – filled with links and valuable information—the question remains: when do you actually post it?

In most cases, some strategy can be helpful here. Using the analytics tools that are likely already built into your site’s backend, you might want to look at the times when your site has the most traffic.

Alternately, you can almost always automate your posts to go “live” at a predetermined time. Once you’ve built a readership, this approach can be a big boost to driving repeat visits.

 

Get Blogging & Business Help

For businesses, large and small – communication is key. Communication Insights founder Kathryn Lancioni has the corporate communication skills and expertise needed to get your message heard.

For help with content, blogging, and everything else you need for your business, contact Communication Insights today!