The 5 “W’s” of Business Blogging

Blog, Business Blogging, Social Media, Uncategorized

If you haven’t already heard, the invasion has already happened….

The company blogging frenzy.

If your company is not up to 2011’s social standards it is most likely that your competitors are already blogging about your industry, their products and customer service. You better watch out because they may already be interacting with your clients.

You know-the clients that you could have maintained had you branded yourself as the expert and built up a trusting relationship?

It’s time to jump on the wagon and track what is being said about you, your company and your competitors. Start to engage in conversations with your audience that are completely transparent, build trust, gain business and let your client feel they are valued and appreciated.

This Time Will Be Different I Swear…..

As with most resolutions it is easy to promise yourself that this is the time that you are going to start anew. You are going to write the next great blog, people will be moved by your words, their activity and excitement will be a result of your pearls of wisdom and talent.

Wrong.

Blogging needs to be treated as any other marketing tool. It needs to involve planning, strategy and most importantly passion. Sitting down to write with no strategy in place will leave you frustrated and wondering what the blogging fuss is all about.

Make a Plan Stan

Approaching blogging with a well thought out strategy will pave the way for social marketing success. Knowing what you want to say, who you want to say it to, how often and using what kind of content are the first steps to getting your blog set up. The planning can be as simple as the answering the Five “W’s”: Who, What, Where, When and Why?

Who are you creating a dialogue with? Your established clients will be the first people to give you feedback or suggestions but it is your job to engage them. The days of “don’t ask-so we won’t tell” are long gone. The power has been turned to the people and they have a voice. If you don’t know who they are how do you know what they are saying about you, your business or your products and services?

What are you going to talk with your audience about? Notice that I said “talk with”? Marketers that speak at the audience are an example of what not to do when constructing your blog or engaging in any social media platform. Blogs are a way of spreading a message, establishing authority, engaging in transparent conversations and allowing companies to show their human side. Deciding and planning a schedule of what you want to discuss with your audience will give you a streamlined approach to staying on top of your blogging resolutions.

Where are you going to place your content? Your efforts to building a blog are futile if you cannot be found. Put a link on the home page to your new blog. Instant Traffic. Sign up for a free Word Press blog account which can be easily installed on your own website. There are also a growing number of blog networks that you can join and be surrounded by like-minded people. Additionally, submitting your blog posts to social bookmarking sites like Digg.com, and Reddit will increase your traffic to your blog and your website. You hold the content–now let everyone know!

When are you going to blog? When you first start blogging it is recommended that you create and follow a frequent blogging schedule. Sit down, brainstorm and write out a calendar of topics you want to cover. By building your archive you will be in turn be building your quality followers and internet traffic. No matter what you decide consistency is the key. My recommendation is to aim high in the beginning (Two posts a week for at least three months) to build your base and re-evaluate the schedule after the third month. If you decide that you want to write once a week–then write once a week. Want to send out a monthly blog–make sure it goes out on or around the same time every month. Inconsistency can cause more damage then good.

Why is blogging so important? Offering great content will give you increased traffic, direct interaction with your audience, and will brand you as the expert in your business field. However, another way of building your quality followers and traffic is interacting with other sites as well. Engaging in conversations on other sites and forums will encourage people to regard you as a seasoned professional in your field of ability.

So there you have it-a recipe for success. The only thing that the recipe is missing is you. So give it a shot. Don’t forget to let us know when you make it to the top and what blogging tips you thought were most helpful in reaching your blogging stardom!

Want to learn more? Check out all of our work at www.lmsagency.com