In this practical tips episode, host Andy Near and guest Tim Brown focus on blog posts. Tim has written more than 500 blog posts for his company but is not suggesting you need to do the same. He says, “Feel free to outsource it to a marketing company.” Either way, start blogging.
WATCH EPISODE ON YOUTUBE
https://youtu.be/YD6tbJOj9tY
SUBSCRIBE VIA YOUR FAVORITE PODCAST DIRECTORY
http://www.buzzsprout.com/8974112
Tune in to first hear a recap the events of RoofCON 2021 where keynote speaker John Maxwell delivered his reliable uplifting leadership message, fitting to the theme of leadership and legacy of the convention.
As Andy and Tim continue the conversation, Tim explains, a blog is some form of writing on your website that gives more targeted information to visitors, hopefully brings profitable traffic and gets people hooked on your content. The ideal length of a blog is typically between 400-800 words.
Picture a sales funnel with the top as awareness and the bottom as the sale. In between, you can answer numerous questions perfect for blog posts. Find out what questions your salespeople are being asked on a regular basis. If people are asking, then answer those questions in a blog.
What is being discussed within your industry? Some posts will be basic, others more detailed or forward thinking. A good blog is written with keyword research planned out and a topic of interest to those you want to reach. There are many ways to approach it but creating lists and bullet points that are succinct is often a good strategy.
Post in clusters not just one and done. For instance, consider the topic of roof maintenance. This is easily written about in several different articles. One blog could discuss the benefits of routine maintenance (lower repair costs, less damage), the next detail damage risk when a problem is left with no inspection, and another post explain programs you offer or the importance of preparing for winter. So many subtopics to choose from!
Helpful tools like Ahrefs.com or Semrush.com determine keywords that have good traffic. It really is as simple as “come up with an idea, type that idea into a Google search and see the top keyword suggestions pop-up.” Put those suggestions in the tool to see how each one is ranking and now you know how much demand there is to learn about those topics.
It’s usually better to find what others are already searching for and expand on it rather than try to create demand; though, there is a reason to write about something that you don’t know its rankings or interest to others, but we’ll get to that in a minute.
Be sure to spend time on the title of your blog and use powerful words to capture attention and add value. Using words like free, new, instantly, and adding brackets or numbers (7 ways to….) intrigue the reader. Grammar, spelling and the mechanics of writing should not intimidate you it is easy to check your writing online. Providing value is more important than being perfect. If you make a mistake just correct it.
Have a strong first paragraph and make the article easy to read. Allude to a main piece of information in the beginning but save it to the end to keep them hooked. Begin by asking a provocative question or exposing a myth. Include statistics and graphs where applicable to further encourage others utilize your posts and link to them.
Go through your blog one last time before posting and be sure your main point is in the title. Post your blog and add it to your social media accounts to maximize visibility.
Finally, what is the reason to write about something even if you don’t know the keyword rankings or if the topic has any interest? It’s content YOU wish you could find when searching online.
If you’re thinking of it probably several others are as well so put it out there, you may be surprised by the traffic generated because finally someone wrote about THAT! Because you started the conversation and presented the topic in an accurate and valuable way, your blogs may become the must-read content of a trusted expert.