How to create a successful business blog

The best business bloggers know that we’re not here to write like Dickens. Our goal is to give information to our niche target market, so they will choose to do business with us. This article aims to give you key ideas to create a successful business blog.

Tip 1: Ask the right question.

Before starting any blog, it is important to know the following:

- Who is my audience?

- What are the problems my readers want me to provide solutions for?

- What topics or news will they find interesting

This where you need to start before you even write. Understand your audience first and continue to watch what sort of articles resonate and receive the most retweets and comments and write more of that content type.

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Tip 2: Write a good headline.

Headlines are vital to attract readers to your article. The headline will appear on Twitter and Facebook and you have a few seconds to tempt them to click on the link that follows your headline.

Tip 3: Write a good introduction.

A good introduction leads the reader into the article it could be an interesting story, analogy or even some attention grabbing facts and figures.

Tip 4: Add an image to every post.

An image at the top right or left of the post that adds to the professional nature of the article is essential and lends authority and credibility to the writing. Sourcing iconic images that can add an air of mystique or interest to your content can really provide a beneficial boost to your post. Choose your images with care!

Tip 5: Utilise different multi-media on your blog.

Adding multi media whether that be images, screen shots, infographics or video provides curiosity, capturing elements that readers love. It is not essential for every article, but always ask yourself the question… would an image, graph or screen shot tell the story better?

Tip 6: Do not use long blocks of text.

This makes readers click away so fast that that you can only see their dust. Write sub-titles that keep drawing readers into your article. Bullet points also make it easy for your audience to capture the important elements of the post.

Tip 7: Use large fonts.

Have you ever picked up a magazine and the font is so small it almost hurts your eyes. A lot of top bloggers are now using 14-point font sizes and often in an “Arial” font as it is easy for most readers to view without pain and squinting!

Tip 8: Use the blog post to redirect readers elsewhere.

While you have them on blog, don’t forget to remind them about some of your other top posts on the topic by including a short list at the bottom of the article that are hyper linked.

Tip 9: SEO, SEO, SEO.

Search engines can drive a lot of traffic your way. To ensure that you are optimising your blog for Google and Bing so people can find you for those all-important key words and phrases install a plugin for your Blog such as “All In One SEO Pack” downloadable from the wordpress plugin section.

Tip 10: Promote, Promote, Promote.

After hitting publish, it is then time to market your blog on your social media channels. Tweet it, post it to your Facebook page, share it on Google+ and publish it on LinkedIn. By the way you are allowed to tweet your article more than once. I promise you that you will not be struck by lightning if you tweet it three or four times in one day!

*Katie Rishi is the co-founder of Cetas Kinetic, a training and business mentoring company offering support to business start-ups and small businesses. You can find Katie on Pinterest, Twitter and Facebook. Connect with Katie via email. Picture credit: Stuart Miles and www.freedigitalphotos.net.