Blogs and social media are hot buzz words right now. Many companies know that they should have a blog and get involved in social media but lack a real plan. So, your company decides that it needs to have a blog. Great, why?

Why do you want a blog?

Blogs can be powerful tools when used correctly. You probably already heard that which is why you want one. But you still have to answer the question as why you want a blog. Does your website need an outlet for more content? Are you looking to garner some inbound links? Do you want added exposure? To help sales? I could go on.

Essentially you should have this question answered BEFORE you begin building your blog. Why? Because you need to know your goals so you can outline a roadmap as to how to achieve them. There are many different ways to use a blog and knowing what you are going to use the blog for before you begin will save you time in the long run.

For example, if you are using the blog for additional content for your website, well then, your posts should be full of content. At least 400 words per post if you really want to get the benefits from the search engines. It would also behove you to do a little keyword research so you can properly optimize your articles as well. If you are looking for added exposure, you would want to incorporate social media sharing options throughout your blog. You would also want to get involved in social media so you can promote your content throughout the social networks.

Who are you writing for?

This is important. You should know your audience or target audience. Just like in sales where you want to know your customer, in blogging, you want to know your reader. Find out what they are interested in and the best ways to communicate with them. This being said, find out what social media outlets they spend time on and try to network with them on those networks. Writing for your readers encourages reader engagement and will help your content spread.

Be sure to listen to your readers as well. Encourage comments and listen to your readers feedback, both positive and negative. This will help inspire you to write more and match your topics to what your readers are interested in.

Don’t leave any stone unturned

Blogs are highly customizable. There are many resources out there to help you integrate social media sharing, promote following you on various social networks, increase engagement and subscribers and even sell products. If you use WordPress (which I highly recommend!), there are an abundance of free plugins to enhance your blog.

All this being said, if you are on the fence about installing a blog for your business/website, then stop thinking and do it. Just be sure not to just mindlessly add a blog. Just like building anything else, you need a plan.

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