BLOGGING: Why Does It Matter?

Blogging is important for a few reasons….

Creates content – keeps website content fresh and informative – search engines like that Brands you as an “expert” in your field Posting on Facebook & Twitter creates links back to your site Drives Search Engine Traffic (see above)

BLOGGING OVERVIEW

1. GOAL: promote your company

   

2. FREQUENCY: frequency matters…the more frequent, the more chances your post will be seen
3. PHOTOS: photos add a visual element that catches the eye – make sure to give proper credit to the photo source.
4. AUDIENCE: important to keep your audience in mind…
5. SCHEDULE: a blogging schedule can help keep multiple bloggers ( or one blogger 😉 focused and on track.
6. GOOGLE ALERTS : set up a google alert for your keywords so you can get ideas from other bloggers; you can also see when google sees your blog (see above).
7. GUEST BLOGGING: Great way to get links back to your site from high PR sites.
8. BLOG & FORUM COMMENTING : Responding to questions and leaving comments on blogs is a great way to contribute to a like-minded community.  Just be sure not to spam and leave silly comments
9. SOCIAL BOOKMARKING: Share each other’s posts…use share buttons…get invlolved

A FEW MORE TIPS

• Your title is important – determine keyword and use it in title Give advice. Provide value. Solve problems.
• Break up text with headers.
• Use lists.
• Use boldface and italics to emphasize your point.
• Brief, simple and stick to one topic.
• What are your Competitors Doing?  Use their blog topics as ideas for your own content
• “Curate” content – find someone else’s post particularly interesting or on-point? Write your own paragraph of opinion and reference the post
• Don’t forget a call to action: “Sign up to be a shopper today” “Call us today to hire a mystery shopping team” Offer a free report if you have one – free consultation – something to entice them
• Determine what your target keyword will be and include in Title, First Sentence, and at least once in body.  Let each team member focus on a different target keyword.  Think of the different pages of the website that you want to promote. One great example is the Mystery Shopping Report Writing Tips on your website. If you search “mystery shopper report” CI comes up first.
• Keep a target website page in mind when writing – where on the website do you want to send your reader who, after reading your blog, is intrigued and wants more info.  If it is about Grocery store Mystery Shopping, we will send them to the Grocery Store page.
• Put the author name and title at the end of the article.  It is important to get your most important words up front.
• Every blog doesn’t need to be 500 words – Top 10 lists, Tips, Trends, are all great ways to create blogs.
• Everyone loves humor –  bloopers or things to avoid always make for a good  post.
• Search the internet to see what other people are blogging about in your industry – you can get lots of ideas from others… and make them your own.