Happy 2013!
With the New Year here it’s time to get going on those business blogging resolutions. While most resolutions are forgotten by February these resolutions should improve your business this year.
Take these instructions and get 2013 started out right.
1. Find An Additional Writer
The biggest issues for business bloggers is not having enough time to write. Well, that’s what people say, but really I think they just don’t enjoy writing as much as they thought they did when they started the blog. They may enjoy writing the occasional post when they have a spark of creativity, but to maintain a regular blog more is needed.
You could hire a ghost writer to handle the number of posts you really want to publish on your site. They can publish under your brand name or your name. They’ll take your ideas and turn them into great blog posts that connect with your targeted readers and bring in additional leads.
Ghost writers could also really act as additional writers using their own name on your site. Our work here at GBW is split about 50/50 down the line for these two scenarios.
Guest writers are also an option. You can use LinkedIn to find bloggers or professionals that might need a platform to grow their brand. Give them your platform. They get access to your audience and you get content for your business blog.
You can also find bloggers by looking at blogs that haven’t quite broken out yet on the big scene.
2. More Images
Take screenshots like crazy this year. Most bloggers (myself included) ignore images because it takes time to find them, upload then, format them and get them organized. The fact is that images help blog posts succeed. It’s not an essential aspect of successful blogging, but it does help and it presents another opportunity for bloggers that want to stand out from the noise.
Take screenshots. Use Flickr Creative Commons. Get more liberal with your use of images on the Internet. It’s a gray area, but generally if you link to the source you’ll be alright.
3. More Niche
The blogging world is getting busy. Depending on your industry there are more blogs popping up all the time. This means you need to get more niche with your topics. Really focus in on the exact target customer. Find the one person you want to be your customer and write for them. Don’t worry about anywhere else. It’s better to get 2 new customers out of 5 readers than 0 new customers out of 1,000 readers.
4. More Controversy
I struggle with this all the time, but it’s important. You really have to get controversial with posts to get some attention. If you can’t do it yourself get someone on your team that is opinionated. Make sure they stay within the framework of your business personality, but let them go a little wild. You’ll find that people will love and hate you. It means you’re getting attention. You’ll need thick skin, but you’ll get tons more traffic to your blog with controversy in 2013.
5. List Posts
List posts take time to write. It’s much easier to create a stream of thought post with a few headings and an image. Creating lists that gather information from other sources or simply rank ideas or other items take some time. For this reason people still ignore list posts. That leaves opportunity for business bloggers.
Make a list of 10 items your customers have questions about. Answer those questions with a list post. That makes ten great new posts for your business blog in 2013.
Here’s a question I have for mechanic bloggers:
What are the most overlooked issues regarding vehicle maintenance that could save me money?
Conclusion
It’s a New Year and that means new opportunity for your business blog. Stop spinning your wheels and turn things around with these resolutions. In a year from now you’ll look back and realize that your blog is better off for it.