One of the most important activities to increase traffic to your site is blogging. The more you blog, the more pages Google has to index from your website, and the more inbound links you’re likely to have. The more pages and inbound links you have, the higher you are likely to rank in search engines like Google and increase your inbound marketing results.

Things to consider when blogging

Things to consider when preparing your blog should be to make sure you write well and often. The blog should contain useful and relevant information that will direct potential customers and clients to your website. Blogging not only encourages brand development, but will also create an opportunity to build a rapport with your designated target audience, which will hopefully increase the chances of them returning to read further posts. Another point to consider with all blogging is to indefinitely syndicate your blog content with an RSS feed as this will give your demographic updates of your latest posts.

The increase in traffic from blogging will come in a variety of ways, however one of the most important and decisive ways of doing so is allowing each post to be SEO friendly. Therefore this will intertwine with your already detailed SEO strategy that’s already in place…if not, why not why haven’t you got one? Using tags and backlinks in the blog as well as having a post that is optimised with keywords appropriately similar to the objective of your site is a must. The benefits of blogging from an SEO point of view are endless, with images and video also playing a huge part in driving traffic.

When posting your blog, it is a necessity to syndicate this with social media platforms as this will generate heavy social signals, which demonstrate that your posts are relevant and useful to the end user. The result of long term blogging is that each time you blog you are creating another page for your website, leaving a catalogue of keyword rich pages that are spread out on social media platforms inevitably providing you with a heavier online presence. This will produce a link wheel effect where your site, blogs, tweets, and updates will link into each other pleasing Google and the other search engines. In addition, pleasing Google means higher listings and higher listings means more traffic.

In conclusion, ‘Hubspot’ stats suggested from research with B2B and B2C businesses, that those who blog ten times a month varying in length will receive 5 times more traffic in comparison to those who neglect this cheap PR opportunity.

Using a professional copywriter to provide article or blogging content for you, and subsequently write around the keywords and subject matter requested, saves you time and energy, whilst still ensuring that both your visitors and the search engines are kept entertained with fresh unique content each week.

Use the form at the bottom of our Social Media and Blogging page to receive a quote for regular article writing and professional blogging for your specialist industry. You can also call us the office on 01793 608777. Prices start from as little as £100+VAT per month and the HodgesNet team are willing to help today.

When it comes to the subject of blogging, there are many people who struggle to make it happen and get results from successful blogging. In todays post, we want to share with you our thoughts on how you can start, maintain and achieve real success with blogging online.

Why Do People Blog?

There are two reasons why business are blogging online today:

1. To get found online and in the search engines
2. To engage an audience they already have that is coming to the site

Your first thought needs to be about your aims for blogging. You need to decide what your reason for your blogging is. Is it to attract new people to the website and get them to take some form of action? (first reason above) Or is it to engage an audience that you already know and you will be asking them to come and read your blogs? (second reason from above)

If you are wanting to be found in the search engines for specific search terms (keyword/phrase), there is a whole raft of tips that we could give you (all related to Search Engine Optimisation / SEO) but without getting bogged down in all the techincal aspects of SEO, the things to remmeber are:

1. Ensure your keyword/phrase is in your blog title and H1 tag
2. Ensure your keyword/phrase is in the URL of the page you are creating
3. Ensure your keyword/phrase is in the description tag of your post
4. Ensure your keyword/phrase is in a subheading or H2 tage on the page
5. Ensure your keyword/phrase is in the first paragraph of your body copy
6. Ensure your keyword/phrase is in your body copy of your blog a few times (made bold at least once)
7. Ensure your keyword/phrase is contained in the filename and alt tag of any image that you are including in your post

If you are focussed on blogging for the second reason, considering some of the aspects for SEO will do you no harm, but you may not need to focus on this too much. ie If you have a large and engaged social media following or email list that will visit your blogs when you ask, this will suffice. For most people a joined up approach, considering both, will help

Successful Blogging Requires Planning

Once you have your aims in mind, you can the start blogging… and the best way to do this is by planning. Start by thinking about how often you can sit down and write. You will only need 300-400 words per blog post to keep people engaged on your niche or topic and if you find that you have written 1,000 words in one go, consider splitting it up into a 2 part blog.

We suggest that planning is done best in a a spreadsheet with 4 columns in it to plan:

1. Publish Date
2. Blog Title
3. Focussed Topic / Keyword
4. Main Points (3 to 5)

If you sit down and plan 2 to 3 months ahead, looking at how often you can blog, you can the be clear on:

• A pattern of messages
• If you are going to blog in a series format
• Have clarity on what you are writing about when you sit down to write

…And having a plan helps you to stick to it. Diarise time once a week, fortnight or month, to get your plan out and pull together your blogs. Successful blogging is about putting good quality content out there, commenting and giving opinion on other content online and being the voice of expertise in your industry.

You might find our other articles on blogging helpful here on our blog – www.hodgesnet.co.uk/category/blogging.

If you still feel that you don’t have the time, space or capacity in your schedule to get down and dirty with your blogging, consider using our Professional Blogging Services to craft and publish them for you.

We have a team of expert researchers and copywriters that can help you and your business. All prices are dependent on the work required and the number of blogs produced in a month. For a free quotation, call HodgesNet on 01793 608777 or use the form on the left to send your enquiry to the team.

Image courtesy of Stuart Miles / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

While it’s easy to start a business blog it’s not so easy to keep it going. Time and work tends to get in the way, inspiration may desert you and before you know it your shiny blog is looking sad, tired and unloved. Here are some useful tips for business bloggers to keep you blogging effectively.

1. Use your blog to grab attention

The best blogs are those that grab your attention and don’t let go! Start with the heading of every blog post – make sure it gets straight to the point of what the post is actually about, and includes something of benefit to the reader too.

2. Write in paragraphs

Blog posts don’t have to be long – 300-600 words is fine – but a continuous stretch of text can be off-putting. Break it up into paragraphs and use sub-headings and lists to make the text look more attractive and be easier to read. If your post is longer than about 600 words, consider splitting it into short articles and publishing them as a series.

3. Be yourself

Your blog is a reflection of you – the person behind the business – so put your personality into it! Write in a conversational style, use humour and attitude and don’t be afraid to express opinions – a controversial post can often result in lots of comments and social shares.

4. Keep it real

While airing your opinions is great, make sure you stay true to yourself. Don’t write anything on your blog you wouldn’t say in polite company. Don’t exaggerate or lie – unless you’d do that in the real world. And never make promises you can’t keep – because you will damage your credibility.

5. Moderate comments

Hopefully you’ll get lots of positive feedback on your blog – but there are always trolls out there looking for a fight. Make sure your blog is set up so you have to approve comments – at least the first comment from a new visitor. That way you can delete the spam or offensive remarks before they go live. However, this doesn’t necessarily mean you should delete comments that criticise your post – see below.

6. Maintain the conversation

It’s not easy to get comments on your blog so if someone does take the time to leave one, make sure you respond to it. If they criticise something you say in your post, address their comment – it could lead to an interesting debate, which will attract more people to your blog. Just don’t make it personal, and keep it clean!

7. Promote your blog

While many people may find your blog randomly via the search engines, make sure you work at promoting it too. Include a link on email or forum signatures; promote links to new blog posts on social media sites; visit other blogs and leave comments, along with a link to your business blog.

Follow our tips for business bloggers and you’ll be able to build site full of useful content that brings traffic to your website and positions you as an expert in your field.

If you’d like more advice on blogging, or would like to outsource your blogging to a professional blogger, give us a call on 01793 608777.

Image courtesy of Stuart Miles / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Blogging is a great way to boost your website’s search ranking because Google places high importance on good, regularly updated content. But often people’s blogs suffer because they don’t have the time to write new posts. One way to stay on top of your blog is to dedicate one afternoon a month to blog writing and write as many posts as you can in that time, so you have a ready supply to add to your website. Here are some tips for writing blog posts quickly and painlessly.

Be patient
The first tip is to be patient. If you’re new to writing then it’s going to take a while to get into the habit of writing, and for you to feel comfortable writing. You might find that in your first session you only manage to write one or two posts. Bear with it. Good, fast writing comes with practice, and the more you practice the easier it will seem – and the better the quality of your writing.

Write about your areas of expertise
It’s much easier to write about things we know or are passionate about than about new areas. Especially when you first start writing blog posts, stick to the topics you feel comfortable with. Do a brainstorm session and pull out all the subjects where you have some knowledge, expertise or experience. You’ll be surprised how many topics you can write about without having to do much research!

Create a comfortable workspace
When writing it’s important to feel comfortable in your surroundings, so that you can concentrate. Turn the phone to silent, shut down your email notifications and try to avoid any other distractions, such as Twitter.

Start with an outline
Very few of us can sit down and write an article just like that. Start by planning out what you want to say. Think of a title and then write down half a dozen bullet points that relate to the topic. Once you have a rough plan it’s much easier to flesh out the facts. Write your introduction and closing paragraphs last, when you know what the “meat” of the article is.

Check, and check again
A good blog post can lose all credibility if it’s full of spelling mistakes. When you’ve finished writing put the posts to one side and then check them over the following day, when your mind is clear. Look out for spelling mistakes and grammatical errors, and don’t just rely on the spellchecker to spot mistakes!

For more advice on blogging give us a call today on 01793 608777. Alternatively, our professional copywriter can take over your blogging for you for a low monthly fee – contact us for details.

One step further?

As a team of bloggers we are looking at ways that we can take our blogging beyond just the odd post. We are in the process of producing a couple of handy guides and they will be available for you to buy from April 2013 onwards.

If you’re interested in taking a step further than blogging, consider publishing your writing with the self-publishing options at LuLu. This is what we will be doing. Keep your eyes peeled for news of when they will be up.

Whatever the size of your business – whether it’s just you, or a much larger enterprise – there are big benefits to be had from having a business blog. Blogging is a great way to increase the profile of your business and it’s easy to set up too. Many web platforms already have the capability to integrate a blog within the main website and even if yours doesn’t, you can start a blog free of charge thanks to sites like WordPress and Blogger. Here are 5 reasons why you should have a business blog.

Connect with your customers: Having a blog gives you a means of communicating with your current and future customers. People search for information about products online before they buy, and if you have something more than a catalogue site – perhaps product reviews, how-to videos, hints and tips etc – you’re more likely to be found. Even if clients come to you as a result of a complaint, your blog gives you an opportunity to address issues and respond to feedback.

Share knowledge: You can use your business blog to share your knowledge and industry expertise. Not only does this demonstrate your abilities but you may also find other people in complementary businesses will get in touch which, in the best scenario, results in new contacts, new ideas and even the chance for collaboration.

Become an expert: By sharing your knowledge, you take the first steps to setting yourself up as an expert in your field and the person to go to when your skills, services and products are needed. When there are so many people offering the same services, you set yourself apart by giving away a little of what you know, and you’re more likely to win the business over your competition as a result.

Increase your contacts: Having a business blog can increase your contacts database, because you can request that people sign up to receive updates or even offer them some free gift (an ebook, for example) in exchange for their contact details. When people do sign up you know they are warm contacts and can then start a subtle sales campaign to win their business.

Internal discussion: If yours is a large business you can use your blog as an alternative to an intranet. Publish news and articles that are of relevance to your staff and encourage discussion. Use this “internal” blog to foster a community spirit amongst your staff and increase interactivity. If you’re concerned about information being seen by the wrong people, you can password-protect specific blog posts so only people with the right level of access can see them.

Blogging is not a quick fix or a route to easy money. It takes hard work and dedication to build up enough quality content and a good following of readers. However, when you’re looking for online marketing strategies for your business, blogging is one you should definitely consider, as there are many benefits and it opens to door to many other online marketing opportunities too.

If you would like to find out more about how a business blog could benefit you, or you would like to outsource your blogging to our professional blogger, give us a call on 01793 608777 today.

Image courtesy of Stuart Miles / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

One of the best ways to promote your business online is by promoting yourself as an expert in your field. Your knowledge and skills, combined with your unique background and personality, makes you an expert like no other. You just need to know how to leverage your expert status to benefit your business, because once people get to know you and trust you, the loyalty they feel for you as a person (or personality) is easily transferred to your business, and sales will follow.

There are various ways you can begin to establish yourself as an expert, starting with your website. Brochure sites are great for showing off your product, but consider adding plenty of content on your specialist topic, perhaps through a blog area. Give away information and advice for free to demonstrate that you know what you’re talking about. This way people will feel valued and will return again and again, building up a relationship with you with the result that they will come to you when they are ready to pay for your service. Make it easy for people to keep up to date with your blog by giving them subscription options such as RSS readers and emails. Also make it easy to share your content on social media sites – if you’re that good your visitors won’t want to keep you to themselves!

Article marketing has long been another way for business owners to establish themselves as experts. However, the many changes that Google has made to its search algorithm now means that article sites no longer hold the SEO power they once had, and actually having duplicate copy can be damaging. Instead, join forces with other businesses that complement your own and offer to write a guest post for their blog. They benefit from your expertise, as do their readers, and you will get valuable exposure to a new audience.

Have a look round for relevant forums – either general business ones such as 4Networking or the UK Business Forums, or more specific ones tailored to your industry. Posting on there – especially in response to people’s requests for advice – is another great way to demonstrate your knowledge and begin building relationships with potential customers. You will also quickly start to build your contact list and forums are a great source of help and support for the areas in which you are not so strong.

Finally, email newsletters are another great way to build your reputation as an expert – so long as you use them properly and are not seen to be spamming people. You can reuse blog posts and articles in your newsletter, but try giving it a different spin or sending unique content that only your mailing list receive. Experiment a bit and see what gets the best response in terms of email opens, clicks through and replies – and then do more of the same.

If you would like to find out more about how you can use your website, blog or email marketing to help establish yourself as an expert in your field, give the team at HodgesNet a call today on 01793 608777.

Image courtesy of Grant Cochrane / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

So you’ve built a blog and populated it with great content – but nobody’s visiting. That can be really frustrating, and often people give up on blogging because they just don’t see it as a valuable use of their time. The first thing to do is check if you really do get visitors – it’s notoriously difficult to get people to leave comments but that doesn’t mean no one’s reading. Make sure you have analytics tools installed – such as Google Analytics – and check it regularly. You may be surprised to discover you actually get a steady stream of traffic to your blog – but if you want more, here are 7 tips to help get your blog noticed.

1. Format your posts so they can be found
In our last post we talked about On-page SEO and how to format a post to give it the best chance of being found in the search engines. Follow our recommendations and your posts will rank higher and be found more easily, meaning more traffic to your site.

2. Write catchy headlines
The headline is often the only information people see about your post, whether it’s via social media or a search engine, so make sure it grabs their attention. Include words like “tips”, “quickly” and “how to”; numbers are also good to use in headlines.

3. Make sharing easy – and share posts yourself
When people read articles they find useful or entertaining they want to share them with their friends – so make it a really easy process by adding “share” buttons to every post. And make sure you share your own web content too, on as many networks as you can.

4. Check your site is easy to navigate
Once someone lands on your site you want them to stay a while, so make it easy for them to navigate the site and find relevant content. Use categories and tags so they can find interesting posts, and use plugins that link to other relevant posts, too.

5. Encourage comments – and always respond to them!
It is difficult to get people to comment on blogs – nobody likes to be first – but if someone does leave a comment make sure you reply and start a conversation. End your posts with provocative questions to encourage comments in the first place.

6. Participate on other blogs
If you don’t get involved on other blogs why should people visit yours? Spend time each week visiting relevant blogs and taking part in the conversation. Leave comments that actually have some value and prove you read the post – and always leave a link to your blog if the site allows it.

7. Link to other bloggers
If you come across a blog you like, link to it. The other blogger will be curious to know who is linking and if you’re lucky they might link back to you – which will bring new readers to your blog.

Do you have any tips for getting your blog noticed? Let us know in the comment section!

Image: FreeDigitalPhotos.net

While it’s relatively easy to set up a blog and start writing on it there are a few basic blogging guidelines that will help enhance your blog, make it easier for your readers to use and keep you on the right side of the law.

Basic blogging guidelines 

DO:

Use pictures and videos on your blog. Images help liven up a page of text and videos can explain complex ideas easily. Do make sure you have permission to use the images/videos though – use your own images, source them from free-to-use sites or purchase them from a stock photography site.

Use tags and categories to organise your blog. Create several topic categories for your posts and add additional tags to further define what each post is about to help readers find relevant content.

Break up your blog posts with headings, sub headings, paragraphs, bullet points and numbered lists. A block of plain text can be hard to read; a well formatted post is much more attractive.

Ask for feedback and respond to comments promptly. Finishing your blog post with an open question can encourage readers to leave comments but if you don’t respond they won’t bother in future.

Use plain English. Unless you are writing specifically for a defined market, you want as many people as possible to access your posts, so write in a straightforward style and avoid jargon. If you do need to use jargon include an explanation of its meaning.

Respect your readers. Being controversial is fine, but you never know who will read your blog, so don’t voice any opinions you would not be prepared to say in public.

Update your blog regularly. If you post once in a blue moon you might as well not bother. Give yourself a schedule – once a week, once a month – and stick to it.

Advertise your blog. Include a link on your email signature, in forum posts, on your business card. Comment on other blogs and leave your URL in the info box.

DON’T:

Break any laws. This is especially important if you use a host for your blog such as WordPress.com or Blogger. Make sure you read and understand their terms and conditions so you don’t breach them. Even if you host your own blog you still need to be aware of the risk of breaking defamation laws – so don’t write anything you can’t prove is true, especially about people or companies.

Use other people’s content without their permission. This applies to the written word as well as imagery. By all means draw on other people’s ideas but always use your own words. Always give credit where it’s due, whether it’s by quoting another blog or using a Creative Commons image.

Post rubbish. Make sure you post quality content and you actually believe any opinions you post. Your blog is a reflection of you, so make sure it’s a good one!

Start fights. While controversy can be a good thing, don’t be deliberately shocking just to stir up a reaction. This applies to comments as well as posts – if someone responds negatively to your post, acknowledge their opinion and then let it go.

Be too wordy.  Blog posts don’t have to be long – 300-600 words is fine. Don’t use eight words where one would do the job just as well, and don’t search the dictionary for the longest, most obscure words either!

Make personal attacks. Internet forums often have the rule “attack the post, not the poster”, meaning you can disagree with the contents of a thread but don’t make it personal – and the same rule applies to blogs. If you’re writing about a problem you had with a company, keep it objective and report the facts only. Don’t make rude or personal remarks about individuals.

For more help with blogging give the team at HodgesNet a call today on 01793 608777. 

Image: FreeDigitalPhotos.net

As a business owner you probably understand that blogging is a really effective way to increase traffic to your business, but you may find it difficult to maintain your blog regularly. It could be that you don’t have the time to blog, or you struggle to find topics to blog about – but it can also be that you  started off your blog all fired up but soon ran out of steam. If you want to rekindle your passion for blogging here are some tips to help you manage your blog.

Be interesting (and interested)
It’s really difficult to write blog posts about topics you’re not interested in – because your disinterest will show and your readers are likely to be disinterested too. Even if there are topics you know would generate a lot of traffic, forget them unless you can get passionate about the topic. Stick to things that you love, or are fascinated by, or have a lot of knowledge about – and make sure your interest comes across in your writing!

Be original
There’s no right or wrong way to write a blog post. Lots of people think they have to write in a formal style but actually, on the internet just about anything goes. So write in a style that feels comfortable to you – if it’s quirky or funny, so much the better. Don’t be afraid to approach topics from new or unusual or controversial angles either – you’re more likely to provoke a response when you go against established ideas.

Be creative
Blog posts don’t just have to be blocks of text. Shake up your blog with some variety – picture posts, lists, videos, infographics and so on. Also vary the topics you write about – if you just keep rewriting the same old stuff your readers will soon get fed up.

Be visible
Don’t post once and never again. By posting regularly – once a week, twice a week, once a fortnight – you’ll remain visible both to your visitors and the search engines. Plan ahead if you can – you can even schedule posts in advance so there’s always content ready to go if you’re too busy to write.

Be sociable
Encourage your readers to get involved by using polls, asking questions and responding to comments. Read other blogs too, and comment on them – not only will you broaden your knowledge (and find ideas to use in your own blog) but you’ll encourage other bloggers to visit your site too.

By following these tips and being interesting, original, creative, visible and sociable you’ll find blogging much more enjoyable and you’ll keep your readers loyal to you – so when they want what you offer they’ll know where to go!

For more help with blogging, or to engage our professional blogger to write for you, give HodgesNet a call on 01793 608777.

Image: FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Many of your web visitors are interested in what you do or sell but need encouragement to buy from you – and that can involve giving them reasons to return to your website again and again, until they are ready to buy. But how do you encourage web visitors to return? Here are five ideas:

Start a blog
Having a blog is a great way to encourage people to keep coming back to your website. By writing informative, entertaining or useful content that people enjoy and get value from they’ll keep returning for more of the same. There are many other benefits too – you can improve your website’s search engine ranking, for example, and you position yourself as an expert in your field so when people want what you offer, they come to you rather than the competition. Blogging also shows the “real” person behind the business, which helps you make connections with your visitors.

Keep your site updated
If your website never changes you’re unlikely to get many repeat visitors. While having a blog does most of the job of keeping your content fresh, it’s always worth rewriting your page copy, adding new features or even changing the entire look of the website to give people something new to look at. If you have an email sign up box offer a free report or download and change the offer regularly.

Run polls and surveys
People love expressing an opinion, and will welcome to chance to speak their mind by filling in polls and surveys on your website. Quick one question polls should get people clicking and if you run a new poll every week, on a relevant, topical or controversial issue, people will keep coming back. Surveys can take more time to complete so consider offering an incentive such as a free gift, prize draw or discount voucher.

Hold competitions or host games
Everyone loves the chance to win prizes. Run regular competitions on your website. The prizes don’t have to be expensive – books, vouchers or even just the chance to have their name on screen can be enough to encourage people to enter! You can also host Flash games and offer prizes for the top score, which will get people coming back for just one more go!

Open a forum
Following on the theme of people expressing themselves, forums can be a really effective way to encourage visitors to return to your website. However, they can be hard work too, and getting people to engage initially is always difficult. Start your forum with a few relevant topics and encourage friends and family to take part to make it look busy – no one likes to be the first to leave a reply! Gradually conversations will build up and your forum will develop a sense of community which will encourage people to come back regularly.

Image: FreeDigitalPhotos.net