7 steps for successful blogging

Antonia Chitty and Erica Douglas run Ace Inspire which specialises in offering blogging tips, including a free blogging e-course.  Over to them…

Lots of business owners know they should be blogging, but haven’t worked out how to make blogging a great way to bring in new customers and clients. If this sounds like you, follow this simple 7 point guide:

1.       Why blog? If you want to blog for business, understand your motivation. It is a low cost way to raise your profile as an expert and increase the chance of your site being found by search engines.

2.       What first? If you don’t have a blog, visit WordPress.com for an easy and free way to get started. If you have a website already for your business and want maximum benefits for search engine optimisation and traffic to your main site go to WordPress.org to download and integrate a blog to your main site.

3.       Next Steps. Next, spend a couple of hours getting ideas for your blog. Pull together all the articles you have written in the past that could be repurposed. Write a list of frequently asked questions that you could answer on your blog too. Perhaps gather together a list of products to write about that might interest your target audience. Have this sort of blogging brainstorm every month or two so you always have a list of ideas to write about.

4.       How to do it. Blog 2-3 times a week. Keep posts relatively short – 200 words is about optimum, but it is fine to write 100 word updates too. If your posts go over 400 words, split them into two.

5.       Make it easy. Add in widgets so that your articles are tweeted automatically, use the Networked Blogs app to link your blog to Facebook, or join everything up using Twitterfeed. This means that your followers know when you have added a new article to your blog, every time.

6.       Spread the word. Get involved with bloggers writing on similar and complementary topics. Comment on their blogs, join carnivals and even create response posts to big issues addressed by other bloggers.

7.       Stick at it. A blog needs persistence. Book time in your diary every week to add a few articles, using inspiration from your list of ideas. Within a few months you should start tp see more visitors to your site and clients for your business.

Antonia Chitty and Erica Douglas help business owners learn how to blog with the ACE Blogger eCourse. Find out more and join the free 21 week eCourse at www.aceinspire.com