5 Reasons Why Your Blog Matters
In the early 2000s, blogs were for teenagers and cult fandoms - some may still hold this view. But blog content is the key to bringing new potential customers to your site.
I recently spoke with a retailer who creates bespoke bi-folding door - at the mention of a blog, he laughed and asked what he would have to write about. The answer; whatever your potential customers are asking, you answer in a blog.
Asking the right questions
Here's the thing about copywriters; we love data.
When I work on a project, I run analytics around a client's existing website and industry. One of the tools I use is AskThePublic which allows me to see the questions being asked to search engines about a particular topic. For example, if I look at the questions around bi-folding doors, I get:
Which bi-fold doors are best?
Are bi-fold doors secure?
What are the best bi-fold doors for a small room?
Can you use bi-folding doors on a conservatory?
Can you have blinds with bi-folding doors?
UPVC or aluminium bi-folding doors?
Sliding doors or bi-folding doors?
And, *drum-roll please*, with editing, you've got yourself seven blog post titles.
And the answer is?
These questions don't just give us ideas for content to fill a gap in your website - they create an opportunity.
When your potential customer types their question into a search engine, that search engine sends 'spiders' or 'bots' to crawl every website and archive to find the best answers. If you've answered that question directly, and your site has established copy to support the topic, then you're likely to be seen by the 'bot' and then by the customer.
Communicating directly
The digital sphere is more important than ever. The way you communicate with clients and potential clients is almost exclusively online. You have to ensure that your copy speaks directly to those clients - you need to showcase your tone of voice, inform, persuade, and showcase your USP and product or service. A copywriter can help you do this effectively so that your copy works hard for you.
Blogs are an excellent way to have consistent communication with your clients, but you must post regularly. Pick a time frame - monthly, weekly, whatever - and stick to it. There's nothing worse for a potential customer than clicking on a blog page and seeing you haven't posted in 3 years - it suggests you either don't care or have nothing to say.
Content creation
So, you (or I) have written a superb blog: 5 Reasons Why Bi-Folding Doors are Perfect for Small Spaces.
Now that it's live on your site, we can utilise it for your other communication channels to ensure you reach as many people as possible. For example:
A tweet with a link to the blog.
An Instagram story series that shows the five reasons in slides with a link in bio to the blog.
A LinkedIn article with a link to the original blog with additional commentary for a business audience. For example, why small commercial spaces can benefit from bi-folding doors.
An email campaign to your subscribers with a link to the blog and a discount code.
For many of my clients, I include these multi-channel services alongside regular blog content.
Keywords
Any copywriter worth their keyboard, will give you the data analytics and essential keywords for your industry. For our bi-folding doors that would be:
bi-fold doors
bi-folding doors
internal bi-fold doors
folding door
These are the keywords that appear most frequently in searches. I always suggest a mix of high volume (volume = number of searches per month) and low volume, so that you increase your likelihood of being found in a search. Keywords need to appear in all of your copy but in an organic way that doesn't disrupt the reader's experience.
By bringing these analytics and tips into your blog posts, you'll increase your chances of ranking higher than your competitors, reestablishing connections with formers clients and being found by new potential customers.
Just remember, Buzzfeed wasn't built in a day, traction to your site takes time, but the effort is worth it.