Should Blogging Be Part of Your Marketing Plan?

Marketing plans come in all shapes and sizes. The right marketing plan for your business depends on many different factors. But one thing all businesses have in common is that they can benefit a great deal from blogging.

Blogging is a tactic used in content marketing. When you write a blog, you publish a steady stream of fresh content. This content draws traffic to your site and earns new readers, while also building a relationship with the readers you have.

Blogging Is Simple but Effective

Many small businesses don’t want to blog because it’s ‘writing’ and you’re not a ‘writer.’ But blogging is extremely simple. This is why it makes a perfect element in an online marketing plan.

Blog posts can be as short as 300 words or even less. They can include videos and images. Each post can cover one simple topic and the writing doesn’t have to be magazine-grade. Write in a conversational tone like you’re talking to a friend and proofread so that there aren’t any grammar or spelling mistakes.

The way to blog headache-free is to set aside a little time each week to write and post. Carve out an hour or so to write something and post it. If you have a team member who can write well, delegate the task to them.

How to Get Ideas

The other trouble many people have when they start blogging is where to get ideas. Here are some simple places to get ideas for your blog posts:

• Answer questions customers often ask
• Teach readers how to do something simple step by step
• Discuss news, current events or hot topics on other blogs
• Answer questions from forums, Q&A sites like Yahoo Answers, social media or blog comments
• Start by looking at popular keywords and write blog posts around them.

Keep an idea file. Spend some time brainstorming topics at first and then add to it whenever you get an idea. Whenever you need an idea, refer to this file and start writing.

Working a Blog into Your Marketing Plan

Decide what topics your blog will cover and at what frequency you’ll write and post. If you add a blog to your website, you’ll boost your site’s SEO and give visitors more to do there. You can also use your blog’s analytics and its reader comments to learn more about your target market and its tastes.

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