Business Blogging Essentials: What You Need to Start a Blog

If you turn to the internet for answers to questions, chances are, you’ve ended up on a post from a company blog. The great thing about blogs is that they answer common questions to make it easy for consumers—like you—to get to know the brand better. By providing answers, tips, and solutions, blogs let the brand introduce products and services in a way that builds trust through valuable information. If you’re looking to start a blog for your business, these blogging essentials will guide you through the process of how to get started on your business blog.

Why Your Business Needs a Blog

A blog (shortened from “weblog”) is an online platform where an author shares information or views on a subject. In the context of business, a blog is a marketing tactic that gives the business more visibility. When website visitors find and read your blog, they don’t only get answers to their questions; they also learn about your brand, understand your services, and possibly become your next customers.

While having a business blog has endless benefits, we’ve written down the top benefits of blogging for businesses to encourage you to start blogging today.

1. Blogs create brand awareness
   In a world packed with businesses and competitors, it can be challenging to reach your target market so that they learn and get to know your brand. However, consistently producing new and original content can make your brand stand out from competitors and allow your readers to get to know your business better.
2. Blogs help you understand your target customers’ needs
   When your blog posts answer your readers’ questions, it doesn’t just benefit them—it benefits your business too. Blog posts help you learn what kind of content resonates with your audience. This provides you with a clearer picture of their needs and where you can help.
   
   Understanding your readers’ needs also lets them see that you are genuinely happy to help them. This encourages them to understand your business too, and may even lead them to become your customers.
3. Blogs establish trust and loyalty
   Your business blog is your way to connect with your audience. Leverage this platform to answer questions from your target customers and build credibility with your audience. Since you’re an expert in your industry and specific niche, it becomes easier to build a loyal fanbase. Here are some examples of brands that leverage their blogs to do just that:
   
   • Mailchimp’s resource center understands that its target audience includes freelancers, agencies, and businesses both big and small. Their blogs dive into topics such as building client relationships, improving communication, and using great emails to make these possible.
   • Dropbox made a name for itself as the file-hosting service that lets users easily save, access, and share all kinds of files. This makes them an authority on topics like organization and workflow tools which they feature specifically.
   • Airbnb is big on providing helpful tips not only on home improvements and travel experiences but also on how their app’s features can help people host guests better. This makes their blog a valuable resource not just for their clients and guests, but also for a wider audience looking for alternatives to hotel stays.
4. Blogs can convert traffic into leads
   Website visitors are not just random visitors to your site. Sometimes, they can turn into viable leads! When potential customers find answers to their questions through your posts, your brand begins to earn their trust. Since your brand has provided valuable information that’s helped them before, this can be a great opportunity to introduce a lead-generating call to action (CTA).
   
   Your CTA can be as simple as a “Contact Us” button at the bottom of posts that directs them to fill out the form on your contact page. Alternatively, it can be a content offer like a checklist or a free ebook. Whatever you decide, your call to action is an opportunity to present your readers with the next steps that guide them through your sales funnel.
5. Blogs produce engagement
   Don’t make the mistake of thinking that your website is the only place where your blog content brings value. Instead of creating brand new content in different formats for different platforms, you could use your blog as the primary source for assets that you can repurpose for social media and email.
   
   Share these assets to drive awareness, amplify your brand, and reach new people who can, in turn, share them with their social networks.

How to Start a Business Blog

Don’t just jump into making a blog for your business website. Make these business blogging essentials part of your checklist:

1. Choose your blog platform
   Creating a great blog begins with choosing the right platform. Blog websites or content management systems (CMS) like WordPress, Wix, and Medium have pros, cons, and features that allow you to produce blogs.
   
   If your business has an existing website, find out if the platform you use can host your blog. This allows you to develop and create your blog so that everything is under one platform. Determine the platform that works best for you and your business so you get the best out of your blogging efforts.
2. Identify your goals for the blog
   In everything you do, it matters to have a goal. What are your goals for the blog? Is it to establish authority? To attract new customers? Having realistic and measurable goals allows you to have a better vision for your blog and makes it easier for you to reach it. Here are some things to consider as you work out your goals and the ways you can achieve them:
   
   • Understand your niche — Your niche is your area of expertise. It lets you set your products or services apart from your competition and informs the kinds of topics you can cover on your blog.
   • Know your audience — After you determine your niche, figure out who you’re writing for. Who benefits from reading your blog posts? By determining your ideal audience, you can tailor your content to better solve their needs and challenges.
   • Work out your posting schedule — How often should you publish, and can you do this consistently? While you may encounter several suggestions on the number of posts to publish, your publishing schedule should focus more on consistency than volume.
3. Figure out your blog’s personality
   Just like people, blogs have personalities. Figure out what your blog’s personality should be—it should reflect both your business and yourself as a person to make the blog relatable. After all, people relate to people. No one wants to read a blog that sounds monotonous and bland.
   
   Think about your blog’s personality and how this aligns with your business’s overall tone and voice and how this can help drive the tone of voice of your blog posts.
   
   

   Tone and Voice	Tone of Voice
   Tone and voice are how you say things and how you sound. They essentially manifest in the way you express yourself.	The tone of voice elicits the mood of your message. Do you want to sound funny? Formal? Enthusiastic?
   Example: “I have news.” vs. “I have news!”	Example: “If you’re looking for writers, allow us to help. We’re a team of writing experts with 5 years of experience.” vs. “Hey! Looking for writers? We’re here to help! We have 5 years of experience under our belt, and we can’t wait to work with you!”

   One of the most effective ways to establish your brand personality is to have an established set of brand guidelines. These guidelines communicate who your brand is—both internally across the organization and externally to your customers and the general public.
4. Remember the importance of design
   While we know that a great design doesn’t always equate to great content, many website visitors tend to judge a blog by how it looks. Your blog’s design and content should work together so visitors have a better grasp of your brand. Consider how your blog’s personality reflects in its design.
   
   For example, if you have a jewelry brand with an elegant personality, your blog’s design could have colors and high-quality images to exude a sense of luxury. If you have a gaming company with a fun personality, your blog’s design could have creative elements and animations to convey playfulness. It’s all about connecting your design to your brand personality.
   
   

   Blogging Tip: For your content and design to work together, your writers and designers must be on the same page. For that to happen, implement an editorial calendar that your writers and designers can refer to. This will make it easier to share, edit, and track your content plans and ideas since a comprehensive calendar gives you an overview of what you’ve created so far.

5. Establish your SEO Strategy
   Organic search is often the main source of website traffic, and to benefit from it, you need an SEO strategy.
   
   SEO, or search engine optimization, is a digital marketing tool that makes it easier for users to locate your blog content. It’s crucial because it promotes brand awareness, builds relationships with prospects, and positions your brand as a reliable one.
   
   To optimize blog content for SEO, remember the following tips:
   
   • Know your target audience
   • Do keyword research to make posts searchable
   • Lead with a catchy title that grabs attention
   • Think of the reader’s experience
   • Add visual elements to break up text
   • Include a call to action for the next steps
   Knowing the right blog SEO tips and leveraging them for your blog will do wonders for its visibility, rankings, and authority.

What You Need for Your First Blog Post

Now that you’ve got the essentials for starting your business blog, you can start writing your first blog post. Here are the most critical elements of your blog to get you started:

1. Title
   Your blog post’s title is more important than you think. It’s an element that attracts a reader and should make them curious about reading your content. Do research on title strategies and other digital marketing blog ideas. Here are some tips to consider:
    
   • Write catchy titles based on these four questions:
     • Would my readers be deeply interested in learning more about this topic?
     • Did this post undergo deep research so it could provide better information than other sources?
     • Did the research translate to actionable advice through this post?
     • Was the keyword well chosen and optimized?
   • Use psychological and emotional tactics — Know the emotional reasons why people would read your content. Including your audience’s needs and challenges in your title sets your post up to offer a solution. Use your headline to encourage your audience to click, read, and share.
   • Use words that increase action — Emotion words such as “amazing” and “proven” make blog titles catchier than others and can increase social shares.
   • Use blog title tools — Tools such as Impact, HubSpot, and SEOPressor can help you out when you need that little boost of inspiration.
   • Refer to catchy blog title templates — Write titles using formulas from the pros to jumpstart your creativity.
2. Keywords
   Having the right keywords, knowing how to use them, and applying an effective SEO strategy is a strong combo to gain visibility for your blog. Here are some tools to get you started:
    
   • Semrush's features include uncovering millions of national and local keywords and tracking your Search Engine Results Page (SERP) positions daily.
   • Google Keyword Planner helps with showing website users what’s unique about your business so you can easily reach those searching for what you offer.
   • Google Trends provides you with keyword-related data and helps you conduct comparative keyword research.
   • Answer the Public can help you map out all of the available search information and show you how these are organized under sub-categories.
3. Compelling Copy
   Well-written copy is powerful because it doesn’t only sell—it also helps you establish a bond with your audience. A blog article with helpful, engaging content is a reliable source of information for readers. When combined with strategic keywords, it can draw audiences and gain traction and authority.
   
   Great copy allows you to develop a relationship with your website visitors and separates you from your competitors. It allows your brand to make a name for itself and introduces what your business is like to your desired audience.
   
   When crafting compelling copy, be open to exploring a variety of formats. From featured infographics to more personal storytelling, these formats are an opportunity for your reader to learn what makes your company unique.
4. Other Blog Elements
   Don’t forget the more technical side of blogging. Elements such as the meta description, the slug, and the different kinds of links you use may feel intimidating, but it’s important to understand how they affect your blog’s performance in search.
   
   • Meta descriptions refer to the snippet that you see in Google search, summarizing your blog post’s content. Think of it as your first opportunity to entice users to check out and read your post.
   • URL slugs are found at the end of your post’s URL (e.g., thisisasample.com/blog/business-blogging-essentials) and help search engines comprehend the content of your post. We recommend incorporating your target keyword here as Google uses your URL slug as a factor when ranking your page.
   • Internal and external links are links featured in your post that direct users to other helpful resources either within your website or from other sources.
5. Proofreading Tools
   Proofreading tools have come a long way from just making it easier for you to catch typos, incorrect punctuation, and grammatical errors. While it’s still important for you to assess your writing, these tools can help you polish your output:
   
   
   • Grammarly has gained traction as a go-to proofreading tool to not only catch grammatical and spelling errors. Its AI function can also make recommendations to help improve your writing.
   • Hemingway App is useful for reviewing your content’s readability. It flags phrases and sentences that are hard to read to help you make your content as clear and concise as possible.
6. Call to Action
   Finally, as mentioned earlier in this post, a call to action at the end of your post signals to your readers what they can do next.
   
   Examples of great calls to action include:
   
   • Subscribing to a monthly newsletter
   • Downloading a content offer like an ebook
   • Connecting with you on social platforms
     
     Including a call to action is an opportunity to prompt your website visitors to interact with your content beyond simply reading your blog and then leaving.

Starting a blog for your business may seem overwhelming, but it doesn’t have to be.

With the right mindset, knowledge, and tools, you can set up and grow your business’s blog presence in no time.

Remember:

• When starting your blog, understand the tools and resources available to you so you can maximize them.
• A blog for your business is helpful for both your business and your potential customers. While your business benefits from the website traffic, potential customers get answers to their questions.
• For you to get the most out of your blogging efforts, consistency is key.

Thinking of starting (or reviving) your company blog? We can help! Check out our blog writing service packages or request a quote for your content marketing needs today.