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

Blogging about your business has many outcomes, but at its heart it’s a subtle form of advertising – with benefits. Blogging about your businesses is also gaining popularity because it can establish a business’ credibility, raise their profile and set the business owner up as an expert in their field.

Through blogging, you can create a valuable platform where you can demonstrate readily your experience, expertise, knowledge and talents.  Blogging also gives you a more effective way of presenting your business to the world and, most importantly, to your customers or clients.

Aside from enhancing your business’ reputation online, you can also use blogging to build the web presence of your business. Blogging gives you something to talk about on social media, and if you blog regularly it will positively affect your search engine rankings – because Google in particular loves websites that are frequently updated with fresh content. Blogging also gives you plenty of material to use in newsletters or on article sites.

Many people read blogs nowadays – in fact, research has found that 80% of web users look at blogs and social media sites regularly (i.e. at least once a week). If you post regularly, not only will prospective clients and customers be kept informed about the latest news and products you offer, but you can create a buzz about your business too. Often readers of your blog will also pass on the links to their friends, colleagues, and family members via Twitter, Facebook and the other social media platforms, which will introduce your blog to a wider audience.

Why would you want people to share links to your blog? Well, more readers and subscribers means increased traffic to your website – which can result in more customers, more sales and more profit. See why I said blogging was just a subtle form of advertising?

And the best news is you don’t have to be an expert blogger or even a talented writer to use blogging as a marketing tool for your business. Simply knowing the basics of blogging will help you on the way to success. When you start blogging have a look at the blogs of your competitors and other businesses in the same industry. You may be surprised to find out that not all business owners write their own blogs – some seek the help of expert bloggers to do the job for them …

If you’d like to find out more about blogging about your business or would like one of our expert team to blog on your behalf, give us a call on 01793 608777 or fill in the form on the right and we’ll get back to you for a no obligation chat over coffee about how we could help. 

Image: Kookkai_nak / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Blogging is a fantastic way to drive traffic to your website but sometimes the inspiration runs dry – and an outdated blog is almost worse than not having a blog at all. Variety is definitely the spice of life when it comes to blogging – here are some great ideas to get you blogging creatively.

Case studies

Have you completed an interesting project recently? Case studies can make really interesting blog posts – not only do they demonstrate your knowledge but they involve issues that potential customers can relate to. So long as your client is happy for you to mention them, write about the problem your client had and the steps you took to solve it. Include a link to your client’s website, and then you both get to benefit from increased traffic, as your readers are bound to want to find out more about the businesses you work with.

Q&A time

Start making a note of the questions that customers ask you about your products and services. Every one of those questions can form the basis of a blog post – and if one customer asked it, the answer is bound to be relevant to other people. Alternatively, ask around at networking meetings and find out what misconceptions people have about your industry –and then address them via your blog.

Photo Stories

Photo stories are really easy to create, and are especially useful if you run a hands-on type of business. Simply take half a dozen photos during your working day and post them on the blog. You don’t even have to add captions, because people will read their own story from the pictures. For example, you could take photos of a building project in progress; baking and decorating a wedding cake; beauty therapy session; plumbing in a washing machine; or changing the wheel on a car. I’m sure there are lots of photos you could take to show off your business!

Write a series of posts around one topic

Demonstrate your expertise in a series of posts that will keep your readers coming back for more. Think of a topic, brainstorm the issues around it and then post once a week on that topic. Here are some examples to get you thinking:

• A step by step guide to dog grooming
• How to build a website in 4 weeks
• What to do in the garden, month by month
• A recipe every week, using seasonal produce
• A six part guide to understanding the legal aid system
• Weekly SEO tips

Talk to the camera

Video blogs – or vlogs – are really easy to make and you don’t need any expensive equipment – your web cam or the video camera on most mobile phones will do the job. Think about a topic you are knowledgeable about, make some notes, turn the camera on and just talk! Don’t worry about making mistakes – once you get going you’ll probably find it quite easy to just speak your thoughts – and you can always edit the film at the end (just Google for “free video editing software”). You could even use a whiteboard to help illustrate your ideas – have a look at the video we made to see how simple yet effective a vlog can be!

If you haven’t yet discovered how effective blogging is as a marketing tool, and would like to know more, call the team on +44(0)8432 894 402 or use our contact form.