Grow Your Company Blog With These 5 Pro Tips

Published on April 7, 2015

Traffic. Leads. Hits. Comments. Shares. Reposts. Bookmarks.

There are a barrage of words that we associate with internet success - words that we hope become attributed to our blogs. But how?

As we each forge our pathways through the vast inner-workings of the internet, it can feel like a solo journey, when there are really plenty of other top marketing bloggers from whom we can draw our inspiration. In fact, Hubspot recently reached out to some of the top marketing bloggers (as ranked by Inboundrank) for their tips, and there are some great gems to be mined here.

Take advantage of these top 5 pro tips, as recently outlined by Hubspot, from top marketing bloggers across the web.

1. Consistency is key.

Building an audience requires trust, and building trust requires consistency.

Graham Charlton of Econsultancy agrees that setting expectations around quantity and frequency of your articles is essential in developing a positive rapport with your audience. If you post 5 articles one week and then are silent for a couple months following, it sends a mixed message to your audience.

Econsultancy aims to post 5-7 articles per day. While we all probably can't aspire to such a high frequency, the point is that you make a decision and stick with it. Even if you can only post 1 article a week, then post 1 article a week without question. Your audience will gradually trust that they'll always find something new and interesting on your site every time they come by.

2. Quality over quantity.

Quality content works. Churning out 7 blogs may seem appealing, but when they're each a mere 100 words, riddled with typos, and just kind of boring to read, why bother?

Here's what Dan Sharp of Screaming Frog has to say:

"A couple of really unique pieces of content a month which your audience wants to talk about and share, is much better than forcing yourself to write a couple a week."

Take the time to research and develop content that actually grants genuine value to your client base, and release this content on a timely basis for an optimized blogging experience. 

What makes valuable content? Content that answers questions, artfully informs, or sparks conversation is inherently valuable.

3. Get to know your audience on social media.

Most bloggers start out in deep need of traffic without any idea of how to send an audience there. The best way to figure out what your audience likes is to observe them on their social media platforms.

What problems are your targeted audience facing? What do they enjoy sharing?

Create your content directly out of answers to those questions, and then go back and respond to your audience directly. Build relationships with individuals, and start conversations.

This is what Matthew Woodward (MatthewWoodward.co.uk) strives to do: create genuine relationships with people. This comes out of the principal of social media listening, which puts the "social" back in social media. Instead of posting a link to your blog post over and over again, why not make direct contact with individuals who could find instant value in what you say?

4. Use strong imagery.

There is no greater turn-off than no graphic imagery on your blog (or worse, BAD graphic imagery). Cheesy stock photography looks like, well, cheesy stock photography. And yes, your audience can tell.

Instead, take our advice - invest in some real visual value to your post. Avoid images that your searcher has already seen. If you have access to professional photography or designers, use them. A valuable image can take your blog writing to the next level, and be an enticing way to lure in readers.

5. Define your value, and stick to it.

What is your company really about? What type of value to you bring your audience?

Dr. Dave Chaffey of Smart Insights uses a "less-is-more" approach. Optimize your digital strategy by reporting the need-to-knows, rather than a constant stream of lukewarm information.

Not only will this boost the value of the content that you do share, it will help you develop a voice and solidify your company message over time.

Unsure where to start? Need some guidance? Don't hesitate to send us an email or give us a call. We'd love to help!