How to Turn Your Blog into a Content Marketing Ferrari

Simply setting up a blog and writing on it 2-3 times a week isn't enough to qualify as effective content marketing. It's a start, and there's more to it. How do you attract clients and make your blogging pay off?

Many professionals I know have a blog, but like a Ferrari that's too "fancy" to drive every day, they leave it parked in the garage! Get that baby gassed up, tuned up and let's drive it.

When you write content for your blog, you have an opportunity to communicate with your ideal clients. You connect with readers who want to learn something from you, who may have a problem just like the ones you know how to solve.

By far the best way to get traffic and results from business blogging is through the quality of your posts (blog content). There are five important keys for writing effective blog content that markets your business.

1. Post 2-3 times a week on your blog (depending on your niche, daily may be better)
2. Write quality posts, compelling, to the point, linking to sources: Educate, entertain, and engage your readers
3. Stay relevant to the purpose of your blog, always writing with the needs and wants of your readers in mind
4. Include a call to action (ask readers to think, try something new, leave a comment, share, register, buy)

A call to action is often left off because some bloggers want to avoid the appearance of trying to sell on their blogs.

This is a mistake. A call to action can be for many things besides an overt sales pitch. (If you're selling something, leave that for a landing page and link to it from your blog.) But don't avoid asking your readers to do something even if it's a simple call to think and comment.

In any case, your call to action is a way of reaching out and engaging with readers. Get them involved. Ask them questions. Find out who they are and what they need.

Your writing should be about building trust and credibility in the mind of your reader. In many ways, blog writing is different from writing articles, special reports, web pages and white papers.

It is more like a conversation than a one-way knowledge transmission. All readers look for what's in it for them.

When I see someone drive a Ferrari down the street, I turn and look. It's a beautiful car. I know it's a finely engineered work of art. There's much more to it under the hood. When you write a piece for your blog, you want readers to know that you represent quality in both design, content, and performance.

Brooom, broom, get driving! How can you rev it up and get more traffic to your blog through quality content? You don't even have to go to a gas station and fill up with expensive fuel.

All you really need is time to write and post, and good ideas. We've all got that, right?

Comments

[Jenny Pilley]

Great analogy. Obviously people are worried about over using their blog and readers not being interested. In the theory of the Ferrari, drivers think observers will be more amazed if they drive it once in while and keep it looking new, rather than driving it all the time. But like you say if there is something worth seeing why not show it off!