With the recent changes in Google’s algorithms for search engine optimization, good writing for the internet is no longer reduced to a mathematical equation of the mere sum of keywords. Now, in order to gain traction in online search engines, you need to be producing rich, original content that goes to the heart of your most unique qualities. Most websites now include blogs. These provide an opportunity to go beyond mere marketing and promotion of your product or services. They offer a platform for sharing your special knowledge and/or perspective on a variety of topics that may or may not be directly related to your business.
{A brief history of Blogging}
From the early 80’s when the technical precursors of blogs hit the scene as newsgroups and online newsletters, to the early forms of blogging which were really online diaries, and through to 1999 when the term “blog” was actually coined, this form evolved into what it has become today – a form of communication used by nearly every business, organization, media outlet, political candidate, artist and activist to get original ideas and information out to people in real time.
The earliest blogs were personal platforms where any writer could share whatever she wanted without having to wait to be published by a magazine or journal, and there are certainly still many, many of these types of blogs. The allure for a writer is great. Get readers!! However, as larger organizations recognize that a blog has become an almost required part of any website, the opportunities to lend an authentic voice and apply some creativity to a larger concern are vast!
Here are a few things to keep in mind as you develop your material for posting…
- Because the field is now so crowded, one of the essential things to remember is to let your passion and enthusiasm for your material flow. Don’t be afraid to take chances. If you are excited about something, share it! Blogging is a great vehicle for immediacy and personal connection. If you feel something strongly, let it rip! You want to create passionate followers and readers – people who really care about you and your brand.
- Blogging is a conversation. You want to engage your readers in an ongoing dialogue where you will share ideas and feedback with one another. It’s a tool of engagement. This kind of interactivity means that there is lots of room for developing a specific tone and style to your writing. For certain blogs, it might make sense to be very casual and friendly. To use terms like “we” and “us,” particularly if your goal is to develop community. In other situations, if you are presenting information from the perspective of being a thought leader, then you may want to project more authority in your language and tone.
- Blogging is NOT marketing. I can’t stress this enough. Yes, you may be talking about things that your company has done, and you may be sharing information about your products and services. But your blog should not read as a sales pitch. In fact, if it does, you will most likely lose readers rather than gain them. With so much to look at and listen to on the internet these days, there’s no reason to tune into your “commercial.” Unless you have the wit and production value of a Super Bowl ad, don’t waste your time.
- Presenting online information is an opportunity to share something unique about your company, your organization, or you, personally. If you offer content that is compelling enough, you will pull in your readers by connecting deeply with them. This is the goal. Once you make the connection, you can then offer them the opportunity to engage with you further by joining your group, purchasing your goods or services, or coming to your performance or event, etc.
- Understanding that you are now operating in an online community means that you will have to follow up by promoting your blog or website via social media channels such as Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Youtube or Pinterest. The way that Google, for example, registers your content as being unique and robust has everything to do with how it is shared online. The more people are tweeting about your blog, the better!
- Creating multi-media content will attract people on many levels, and create different channels through which people can engage with you. Strong images and graphics are essential. Audio and video content are wonderful. The main idea is that you create a network of links that lead back to your website, via the many social media platforms that currently exist.
The main point about all of this is that there is no one way to create robust online content. For everyone who follows one set of rules, there is someone else who has broken them, with great success. The important thing is that you understand your particular set of needs, identify the people you want to connect with, and then customize the content that you create in a way that best shows off your unique qualities to them. And do it all with passion and enthusiasm!!
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Good list of helpful strategies, Deborah.
Thanks, Debby!
Very genuine points Deborah :) I personally love to post unusual and interesting topics at time to keep monotony out and grab my regular readers attention more than often.
I hear you Sunita! People love to be surprised and definitely don’t want to hear the same things over and over again… thanks for your comment!
Enjoyed your posts and your approach. The rules are flexible with what works for a message in a blog. Passion and honesty are great starts.
Thanks Jennifer. I agree… I always enjoy feeling a gut connection with someone through their writing. For me, it’s a foundation to wanting to explore other kinds of relationships!
I would just disagree with the statement that “Blogging is not marketing”. Generally every kind of content creation is marketing, so blogging certainly is marketing.
Thanks for your comment, Kaloyan… I will, however, respectfully disagree. While I do believe that all content can be used for marketing purposes and certainly goes towards producing a brand identity, I think it’s important to specify the intention behind the writing. If one is writing merely to market a product, that will be obvious to the reader. If, however, one is writing about something that is of genuine interest or significance in and of itself, the passion or enthusiasm will come across. I believe that readers will be more interested in content that does not read merely as a sales pitch. This is the distinction I was attempting to make.