How to write a successful Blog that will get read – and reread

Blogging can help you raise your business profile and lead to new customers and sales.

However, according to the latest stats, there are over 175,000 new blogs created everyday. So if you are blogging – or thinking about blogging – there is a lot of competition. But don’t despair – following the tips below will go a long way to getting your blog read.

Tip#1 – 1. Be relevant

You and your friends might be interested in your views on everything from the England football team to the price of fish –  that’s a good reason to get a personal blog. Your customers, however, are mostly interested in your business ideas, expertise and advice so stick to that. It doesn’t mean you can’t be personal, friendly and talk about your own experiences – but remember the aim is to create new business, not massage your ego

Tip#2 – Stir things up

Newspaper columnists get paid big bucks, and it’s not for sitting on the fence or being nice about everyone. Likewise a blog will be noticed if it stirs controversy. So if you think something or someone is wrong, then say so; if you think there are bad practices or expensive prices in your specialist field, then speak out. You need to be sure of your facts and avoid being malicious or plain nasty but a bit of controversy will soon get you noticed

Tip#3 – Stay positive

No one likes a whinger, so even if you are being critical then you should also provide a positive solution that makes your reader’s realise you have a constructive approach – not just a negative one

Tip#4 – Be yourself

Blogs are about all about being you. Don’t use them to repeat lots of corporate PR, industry jargon or stats. Keep it relevant, talk about your own experiences and offer advice you know will work.

Tip#5 – Keep it short

Blogs should be a short snapshot that will lead readers back towards your website, where you can provide much greater detail and information. Put yourself in your readers’ shoes – they are probably busy people who have perhaps a couple of minutes to read what they hope will be a friendly but informative ‘article’. If what you write tempts them further, they will check out your website. But if they faced with lots of paragraphs to begin with they may not bother to start reading

Tip#6 – Ditch the sales talk

Your blog will be read because your customers [existing or potential], peers and even rivals recognise you write well about subjects you are expert in; you give good advice, you make them think, you might even make them laugh. They will forward your blog to other potential customers, peers and even more rivals. But they won’t do any of this if they get a constant barrage of sales. Eventually you may blog about a great offer and you will get a great response but be patient to begin with.

Tip#7 – Double up

If your business has two different parts, then run two different blogs. If it has three parts, run three! It will help keep each blog relevant to that side of the business, and help with you get your website noticed by search engines – and that means more business

Tip#8 – Typically topical

A blog which links to a news story or forthcoming event can attract lots of attention – and go viral if the angle is interesting enough.

Tip#9 – Get connected

Setting up a Facebook fan page and Twitter account is easy, and it’s a great way to let your fans and followers know that you’ve posted a new blog. Add an RSS feed on the blog – it makes it easy for every to sign up for more. Scan industry forums and start responding to posts to gain some name recognition.

Tip#10 – Make a list

Top 10s, the 20 Best…, the Worst…. the Most…. all make for a good read and are the type of blog people forward to friends and family; they can arouse debate and often get a lot of posts in response. To implement these top 10 tips you will first need a Blog. It’s never been easier than now, with providers such as WordPress and Google Blogger providing a platform to set up, design and run your Blog, for free. If you are looking for something a little bit special, you can consult a reputable web design and SEO company as many will specialise in solutions like WordPress design and will be able to support you in building an exciting and informative Blog within your very own website. Some may even provide copywriting support and consultancy to help you to formulate your blogging strategy and deliver your key messages. Author: Brett Sidaway – freelance writer contributes to a number of websites on a range of topics from health, design and the internet. Follow Brett on Twitter.