When you first set up a business blog, you have two options for hosting – a standard blog platform such as wordpress.com or self-hosting via a variety of methods. If you sign up to a platform, your blog name will be generated for you in a format approximating:

yourcompanyname.yourbloghostsname.com/DD/MM/YY/title-of-blog

This has some SEO value (especially if you’re linking your anchor text back to your main site), but for maximum impact, hosting the blog on your own website is the way to go. A good web developer will have no problems integrating a Wordpress blog platform into your existing website.

However, if you do decide to host the blog away from your main website, spending significant time on choosing your title is a good investment. So what makes a good blog name?

The ideal business blog name should be reflective of your brand and industry, while retaining a descriptive element. Contrary to popular opinion it is not necessary to have ‘blog’ in the title; so many sites now have this as a keyword that it’s impossible to compete for high rankings – far better to focus on your USP and content.

You need to ensure that whatever name is chosen is also future-proof. Something that is very cutting-edge now may date quickly, forcing you to change the title. This will destroy any reputation you have built under that business blog name, essentially putting you back at square one.

Always check that no-one else is publishing under the same, or similar, title. As well as forcing you to directly compete for traffic, it can also lead to all sorts of nasty copyright issues which could, in a worst case scenario, force the closure of your business blog.

Otherwise, it’s pretty much a free rein. Business blogs are a great opportunity to showcase creativity, and that begins with your title.

If you write business blog articles regularly, one of the biggest challenges you’ll face is trying to come up with innovative, engaging, and original ideas. So how do you keep your content fresh and interesting week after week?

To keep both yourself and your reader engaged, you want to mix up the ways in which you interact. When you’re writing articles for your company’s blog, rotate between the three main types of content:  comment or opinion; list posts, such as ‘Top five ways to boost your business’; and news posts which react to current events.

If you focus more on articles for other websites (i.e. if you’re following a guest blogging strategy), then try to write for a variety of online publications. Keeping your style shifting and evolving will keep you engaged by making your brain work harder and appeal to your readers as they are always given something different and new.

But where does the content come from? Everyone has their own way of sourcing ideas, whether it’s through osmosis or research. Most writers keep a notepad in constant attendance, jotting down ideas as and when they come, whether it’s from a conversation held, a book read or a radio show listened to. The book can be a home for anything and everything; if it fires your imagination, write it down.

Don’t be afraid to mix these ideas up with your own thoughts and opinions either – the most important thing, whether writing articles or blogs, is to provide something people haven’t read before; so don’t just repeat ideas – improve on them.

With so many web pages and only so many hours in the day; potential customers will spend only seconds looking at your site before moving on – so how can you make those seconds count?

Your readers will be looking for web copy which is easy to scan, signposting key messages quickly and clearly. We’ve frequently discussed the importance of using clear and concise language on this blog and it comes into play again here. Potential customers need to be able to understand what you are saying or selling instantly; hence jargon-free, simple, effective prose is required.

For each page of web copy, you should be looking to front-load your content by putting your key message at the top of the copy, rather than reserving it for the conclusion; as is more common across traditional media.  This enables readers to decide instantly if they are on the right page or not and captures their attention. Sub-headings can have a similar effect by clearly signposting the site’s content and allowing users to find their target quicker and easier.

Once you have your content, there are several formatting steps you can take to achieve maximum impact, such as emboldening key messages. This instantly draws the eye of the reader to what you want to say. This will naturally happen on links, so make sure that your linking text says something you want to be read, not just ‘click here’.

By applying these simple steps you can be sure you’re web copy is more likely to turn a roving eye into a ready customer.

Talk to Write My Site if you would like to explore business blogging, article PR or SEO copywriting. All work is covered by our Quality Guarantee to ensure you’re 100% satisfied with your content.

Write My Site will be exhibiting at this year’s Online Marketing Show, which is one of four shows that comprise Marketing Week Live. It takes place on Tuesday 29th and Wednesday 30th June at the Grand Hall, Olympia.

As part of the show, we will be delivering a workshop called ‘Blogging for Business’ at 1.20pm on Tuesday 29th June.

Tickets for Marketing Week Live cost £20 on the door, but you can get free tickets in advance by clicking the banner at the top of this blog post and entering ‘Write My Site’ in the invitation code box.

Hope to see you there! (We’re at Stand A420, near the cafe).

P.s. We’re giving away free chocolate on our stand. Not that we’re trying to tempt you or anything …

So, you’ve written your new blog article, now the question is – how do you get people to come and read it? One way to attract attention is to spend some time thinking about your blog categories and tags, but what are they and how can they be used?

Categories: Categories are the internet’s equivalent of a filing system. You can create your own category list, which should consist of very broad headings that cover a wide range of topics. A good example would be one category for each key business area and a miscellaneous.

These categories will form a key part of your website’s navigation strategy. Every blog should be filed under one category only, allowing those who visit your site to easily navigate to the content they want.

Tags: Tags work in tandem with your categories to provide more detail. They are more specific and can cover as many topics as necessary; however, there should not be multiple tags on the same topic. For example, an art blog should choose between ‘drawing’ and ‘sketching’ as a tag and use the same one across all relevant posts.

Tags are a search tool; they enable a customer to type in their keyword of interest and instantly see everything relevant your blog holds. If used effectively they can not only help you gain traffic, but ensure that visitors are seeing exactly what they want to see.

Talk to Write My Site if you would like to explore business blogging, article marketing or web content. All work is covered by our Quality Guarantee to ensure you’re 100% satisfied with your content.

When writing an article, for traditional or electronic media, you need to play up to the psychology of your audience. They’re only going to keep reading as long as they are getting something from you, so what is it they’re after?

In the first instance, they want to be empowered. When they click off of your webpage, they want to know or be capable of more than they were when they started. Whether you are writing an information or opinion piece, the same point stands.

If you are writing an information piece, Five Steps to a Perfect Blog, for example, make your five steps as clear as possible. That means not only saying what your reader must do to achieve their aim, but also pointing out potential pitfalls and traps that can be easily avoided. Knowledge should never be assumed. Omitting supposedly ‘obvious’ details is as bad as patronising your reader.

And always leave them wanting more – remember how Scherezade in Arabian Nights extended her life by never completing her story? Well, what will keep your readers coming back? There may be a tangential point included in the article, or you may wish to divide a major topic across several posts, but if your original article is giving something to your readers, they’ll be back for the sequel.

Talk to Write My Site if you would like to explore business blogging, article  PR or SEO copywriting. All work is covered by our Quality Guarantee to ensure you’re 100% satisfied with your content.

We spend a lot of time on this blog talking about the nitty-gritty of blog writing. The finer details of SEO, word count and Google rankings can sometimes obscure the entire point of writing a blog in the first place. So, why should you invest time in business blog writing?

First of all, it’s a cost-effective marketing tool. Publishing online can be done at little or no cost across many different platforms, whether you wish to utilise established networks through multimedia sites, create an account with an independent blog platform, or integrate a blog facility into your own website, ensuring continuity of brand identity.

Whichever route you choose, a blog provides an unparalleled opportunity for you to establish yourself as a thought leader in your industry, with a potentially massive audience. The instant, and relatively ephemeral, nature of blog publication means you can create and publish unique web content extremely quickly, reacting to industry developments and current affairs almost before they happen; placing you at the cutting edge of your field.

Returning to the golden rule of web content (i.e. it is all about the customer) blogs are an excellent way to provide advice, answering problems that you know are prevalent amongst your client base. This advice can act as a teaser for your own services, attracting more custom. They also provide a fantastic opportunity to interact with clients through a comments section, creating a dialogue.

Talk to Write My Site if you would like to explore business blogging, article PR or SEO copywriting. All work is covered by our Quality Guarantee to ensure you’re 100% satisfied with your content.

Welcome to the second and final blog post examining 10 classic marketing mistakes.

6.  Being a wallflower

If you don’t ask, you don’t get. Be bold and ask clients and former employers for referrals, and give incentives if necessary. Use your testimonials in all of your marketing material.

Raise your profile by speaking in public at networking events. This is a great way to enhance your reputation and to gain practice for when you hold seminars or workshops of your own.

7. Not leaving the office

You may not enjoy making small talk over canapés at business networking events, but nothing beats face-to-face relationship building, even in this digital age. Attending industry networking events and seminars remains a highly effective way to generate business and referrals. In fact, most people you meet at networking events will be referrers rather than clients. Start meeting and getting to know complementary professionals who sell non-competing services or products to the same customers you are targeting. These individuals will prove an excellent source of referrals (though do make sure you return the favour!).

8. Overlooking the potential for repeat business

Too much marketing is focused on generating new business, often at the expense of thinking about how to maximise revenue from current or past clients. Are there any ancillary products or services you can sell to your existing client base? In particular, can you think of any subscription-based services that would enable you to generate a regular, ongoing income?

9. No follow-up system for leads

Establish a system to keep track of all of the people who are interested in your product or services, and find ways to keep in regular contact with them. By keeping track of all of the people who’ve showed an interest in your business, you’ll turn more of them into paying customers.

Getting the lead is usually easier than closing the sale. The hard work starts after someone has expressed an interest in your product or service. Follow-up their interest in detail. If they have asked for specific information don’t send them something generic – tell them what they want to know, and strike while the iron’s hot. Leads invariably go cold if you don’t follow them up straightaway.

10. Not keeping in touch with prospects

Just because someone doesn’t need your services now doesn’t mean they won’t have a requirement in the future. If they consent, add everybody who makes an enquiry – as well as everyone you’ve done business with in the past – to your database of monthly newsletter recipients. That way, you’re still in touch with them and they can contact you - or refer someone else to you - as and when the time is right. As the old saying goes, “the money’s in the list”.

Including keywords in your web copy can be a delicate balancing act: too few and you’re invisible to search engines, too many and you get thrown straight in the spam bin. Add to this the fact that with any given website there are hundreds of keyword possibilities, and it’s no wonder you want to reach for the headache tablets!

Start with the message you want your web copy to convey.  Which words and phrases immediately spring to mind? Remember to keep your audience in mind: how would they describe your products and services?

Once you have your list, you need to check which keywords people are looking for. Google has a fantastic tool, free to use, which gives up-to-date search statistics. Often small changes in keywords can make a huge difference – ‘child’ vs ‘children’, for example. Don’t make the mistake of ignoring localities: many people run localised searches, e.g. “children’s nursery Ipswich”, and it’s the websites that have included local place names in their copy that are going to be displayed in these search results.

If you have website analytics, these will also help you identify which keywords are working for you. Although they won’t help you develop new ones, knowing what has worked previously can help you move forward and build on your existing success.

Talk to Write My Site if you would like to explore business blogging, article marketing or web content. All work is covered by our Quality Guarantee to ensure you’re 100% satisfied with your content.

I usually write about online marketing on this blog, but for a change I thought I’d address some of the wider issues of marketing as a whole.

In this two-part blog series, I’m going to discuss 10 classic marketing mistakes often made by small businesses.

1.     An untargeted approach

One of the biggest marketing mistakes is not really knowing who you’re trying to sell to. Too many businesses get wrapped up in the details of their product or service and do not spend enough time defining which group of prospective customers is likely to want to buy them.

Unless you have a marketing budget the size of Coca Cola’s, you will not be able to sell your products and services to everyone. Much better to choose a niche market that has the desire and the budget for what you’re offering.

2.     Relying on advertising

Advertising is expensive and usually ineffective unless you’re sustaining a high profile campaign where your brand will receive repeated exposure. There are other ways of gaining the exposure without spending money on expensive TV or print ads. PR, for example, is a way of generating free editorial about your business: in order to generate it, you need to become the first source of information about your industry. Run workshops, seminars and webinars in your area of expertise, and provide the press with free advice articles for them to publish in your name. And, of course, update your blog with quality content to demonstrate your industry knowledge.

3.     Relentlessly pursuing the hard sell

Nothing will alienate prospects faster than the hard sell. Building relationships is what will generate clients for your business. Nobody likes being sold to and your prospects will simply switch off when you start broadcasting to them. Instead, offer them the benefit of your expertise, and sell to them by helping them rather than by advertising to them.

4.     Poor communication

If a prospect has taken the trouble to contact you with an enquiry about your service, respond promptly and professionally. Don’t be hard to get hold of – this will come across as arrogant. If you can’t be in the office to answer every phone call, hire a VA or an answering service – it’s worth every penny.

When you send emails to prospects, make sure they’re personalised and addressed directly to the recipient – and again, make sure you contact them promptly. Sounds obvious, I know, but I’ve been addressed as “Hi there” in emails that have arrived two weeks after I’ve made an enquiry with a potential supplier, and trust me, it’s less than impressive.

5.     Not gaining the prospect’s trust

People like to ‘try before they buy’ – especially if they don’t know you and don’t have any reason to trust you. This is easy when you sell products in a shop, but can be more difficult when you sell a service. Think about what you can offer in lieu of a physical demonstration, such as a free consultation, a free e-book, or a free ticket to an event you’re running. Note the word ‘free’: it’s very important! For example, we offer free blog writing and SEO copywriting samples so that prospects can see the quality of our work for themselves.