Entrepreneurs who were seeking to build client capital and expand their market presence in the past would conduct seminars, host events and write regular columns for local newspapers. Those tactics continue to be strong components of a multichannel marketing strategy, but corporate blogs have emerged as another popular platform for reaching an audience beyond your immediate circle of contacts.
It’s easy to get discouraged when you spend hours researching and writing a blog post to inform clients, prospects and other audiences, only to get no response. After a while, it can feel like a waste of time. But persistence and self-reflection are key components to successful blogs.
Have you started a blog as part of your marketing strategy? What do you do to determine post subjects that will be interesting to and engaging for your readership? Do you sometimes struggle to find subjects that will resonate with readers?
Ask yourself: What do my ideal clients care about? How can I grab their attention?
- Ask questions in the content of your blog. You want to prompt the audience to offer their own opinion, which can, in turn, generate more responses from other readers.
- Pick a controversial topic or an oft-debated issue. You can discuss both sides of to inspire lively and thought-provoking conversations in the comments section.
- Reflect on a recent article you’ve read to generate discussion around its content. Share the link to the article and encourage your audience to read it and offer their own opinions.
Asking for topic suggestions or question submissions will establish a stronger sense of community for a blog, as it shows readers that the site is meant to facilitate a two-way dialogue and is there to satiate their curiosity.
Writing articles for a hard copy newspaper or a blog post is a fantastic way to promote your business’ brand and establish yourself as an authority in your field. Offering advice or discussing complex topics in a public channel can make your name familiar and establish trust in the minds of readers.
But in order to make your blog or articles less of a soapbox and more of a forum for discussion, it’s necessary to talk with your audience, rather than at them. As you brainstorm article topics, conduct research and write your columns or blog posts, always strive to produce something the audience should and wants to know about, rather than focusing too heavily on the marketing message you are trying to distribute.
