Tips for using blogs for marketing

Blogs are becoming increasingly popular in today's business world. And while blogs can be a great way for a company to do some of their marketing, there are some specific tips that a person should know before they dive into the combined world of marketing and blogging. This article discusses seven tips to help a company be successful when marketing their business on a blog.

Get used to blogging

The first tip is for a person, or a marketing team, to get used to blogging. Though blogging is somewhat new, there is blogging etiquette, especially when it comes to businesses who are blogging. A person should read other blogs that companies similar to theirs are writing. This will allow them to see what the other companies are writing about as well as what is ok to do on a blog.

Another reason that a person or marketing team needs to read some of the many blogs that are out there is so they will be able to know what they can do to make their blog stand out. If a company is using their blog for marketing and it is similar to their competitor's blog, the marketing on the blog is likely not worth the time and energy.

Set goals

It is important for a marketing team to set goals when they start out to market on their blog. When they figure out what they want to do with the blog and the actual purpose of it, they will not be wasting their time blogging.

Meeting needs

As with any marketing strategy, the point is to show customers that the goods or services that the company offers will help them meet their needs or wants. A blog used for marketing should be the same way; it needs to meet customers' needs. Blogs can provide important information about the goods and/or services that a company offers, it can give tips about how to use the products, it can give news about the company or about the company's industry or it can solve the customers' problems that relate to the company and/or its goods and services.

Keep it professional

In general, blogs are a type of personal communication. And while a company' blog should be somewhat personal, it should also be professional. A company can do this by writing with a personal style on their blog posts and even by posting pictures of some of the employees.

Post regularly

Posting on a company marketing blog does not need to be done daily. But it is important that the posting is done regularly. For example, posts can be done on the same day each week, or a company can make sure to have at least three or four new posts each week. This will keep people interested in the blog.

Interact with the customers

A great way for a company to interact with their customers on their blog is for them to ask questions, do surveys or pools, and ask for advice from the readers. A company could also have competitions on their blog or even offer special discounts. This is a fun way for people to interact with the company.

A company should also decide how they want to handle the comments on their blog. Some companies may be fine to allow any comments that are made, to be shown on the blog, whereas other companies may like to moderate the comments beforehand so they can choose which comments to allow on the blog. A company can do whatever they feel they should with the comments on their blog. It is a good idea for them to let their readers know what comments will and will not be allowed on the blog.

Blog and website

Many companies like to integrate their website with their marketing blog. Usually this is done by putting a link on the website to the blog and a link on the blog to the website. If a company decides to connect their blog and website, it can be helpful for them to have a similar color scheme or design element on the website and the blog to help tie them together. Linking the blog and the website is also a great way for a company to build up the number of people who read their marketing blog.