A Guide to Blogging for Businesses
For some businesses, creation and upkeep of a blog may be down the list of priorities, especially for small businesses which are limited in resources. For others, it may have been an idea which has been mentioned, however getting started and thinking of things to write about has become a hurdle.
In this guide, we will discuss the benefits to your business on having a blog. We will also discuss how you and your teams can start to think about blog topics which are relevant to your audience.
The Value of a Company Blog
No matter what your business size or the industry you work in, there is bound to be an area in which you can succeed in blogging for business. With some thoughtful consideration, you can develop a niche and a style of blogging to suit the business or brand.
Let’s start with the obvious benefits of having a company blog.
It is an opportunity for the people behind the brand to showcase its personality. A blog can be a little more informal, if you like, to the formalities and conciseness of your website overall.
Once you have written and uploaded a blog post to your website, you can then share it out across your social media channels. Using hashtags or tagging relevant companies or influential individuals related to the topic, you may see the reach of your blog increase beyond just visitors to your website.
More brand visibility means more opportunity to attract new prospects.
Things to Blog About
Generally speaking, there are a few broad topics you can think about when starting up your company blog. It is a platform to share anything relating to your business, people, and any other topics of interest relating to your audience.
You could use your company blog to share insights and updates about anything new within your industry.
Keep the audience at the forefront of your planning. There are likely to be many different stakeholders to whom different things will be of interest. You may also have some stakeholders who are more likely to be into reading blogs than others, so feel free to try different things out.
Generating Blog Ideas
While it may seem daunting at first, it can actually be super simple to get started with a company blog.
If you are looking for inspiration, try thinking about what a potential customer may want to know. Visualise the types of questions or phrases they may type into a search bar, and then create a blog which essentially answers the query.
Using Blogs on Social Media
For example, a blog by a local hairdressing salon which collates the “Top Five Up-Do’s of the Season” could help somebody find inspiration for a look for an event they are going to. If they are looking for an up-do, they may also be looking for a salon to get it done.
Throughout the year, there are weddings, birthdays, races and all sorts of events where people may want a classy up-do. This blog could then be shared out across social media in the run up to big racing events in the calendar and in line with peak search times, with links back to the salon’s Instagram or Pinterest pages. There is then more potential for this salon to be at the forefront of the person’s mind when it comes to booking an appointment. If they are local, of course.
If you have strong connections within or beyond your industry, where you feel it is appropriate, you could invite influential people to guest blog for your company. This would be another great tactic for sharing online, as the guest blogger could share it with their network too, reaching a broader and perhaps even more diverse audience.
Brainstorming for the Company Blog
You are blogging for your audience, whether they are paying customers, prospects or are simply seeking information.
- What will your audience be interested to find out, read into or learn?
- What are the hot topics or debates in your industry at the moment?
- Which big holidays and seasonal things can you relate your brand to?
- Which topics surround your broader industry, and can be written about?
Brainstorm what relates directly to your field, and around related products or services.
As an example, if your business is a supplier of conservatories or home improvement products and services, there is lots to explore in and around the home for blogging ideas.
- Think about paint colours of the year or the season
- Are there any styles from different countries or cultures which are becoming more popular here?
- Interviews for top tips with creative designers
- Do you have any case studies of installations which use your product or services?
- Could you team up with suppliers or contractors to create content which could be useful for both parties?
- Consider anything about interior design or home extensions and create a guide on how to get started
That was just a quick list of different topics to explore, but it is clear to see that if you think beyond your own products and services, there becomes a whole wealth of avenues to explore. When brainstorming for your own business, think up the supply chain, or if there are any key values your business is built on. Explore how you can use these to create unique content on your company blog.
Using Our Proofreading Services For Your Blog
It’s one thing to start a company blog, it is another to keep the momentum going. Make sure you can factor in time to update the blog regularly, be it every fortnight, month or week. Set a schedule and stick to it; this will make it easier to stay on top of.
Remember, if you would like a second opinion on your company blog before you upload it for full visibility across the web, we provide a comprehensive proofreading service. If you would like us to check anything, feel free to get in touch for an instant quote for our professional proofreading services. Our skilled proofreaders can check spelling, grammar, syntax and more to make sure it is the best version it can be, so you can rest assured there are no silly or accidental errors.