What is a Blog? How To Write A Blog That Converts
Blogs have come a long way since the early days of the internet. Once an outlet for millions of people to write and share their thoughts, dreams, similarities, and differences, blogs have gone from the fringe to the forefront. As the main tool digital marketers use to capture the ever-elusive “First-Page Google Ranking,” blogs now occupy an important spot in how both users and algorithms prioritize online content.
So how can you capitalize on the increased importance of blogs in your content strategy? In this blog (which is all about blogs), I am going to break down everything you need to know about blogs and how to write a blog that actually converts!
What is a Blog For? How Does It Help My Business?
Blogs are your BEST tool when it comes to search engine visibility. The Search Engine Results Page (SERP) is the coveted destination of content marketers around the world. Occupying the top spot (or at least the first-page SERP results) guarantees your content a certain amount of visibility and brand authority. However, the goal of a blog is not only to reach the first page of Google, but to also inform, educate, and SELL your readers.
While many people today appreciate at least the value that blogs provide to search engine results, many SEO campaigns fail to recognize the importance of another result: the READER! Too many blogs today are pumped out and stuffed with keywords, providing limited value to SEO and even less value to the reader.
Bring Traffic To Your Site…And Keep Them There!
Blogs are obviously a great tool to drive traffic to your website, they are also a key component in driving conversions for your site. In fact, SEO leads typically have a 14.6% close rate, compared to only a 1.7% close rate from outbound marketing practices. The fact is, the people who are reading your blogs are typically people who actually WANT to buy your products and/or services. That’s why they searched for it in the first place!
Because these leads are primed for purchase, it is important to sell them when they reach that page. Otherwise, they will bounce quickly off of your site and go directly to your competitor aka the next result in the SERP. Before you can sell the reader, you have to inform and educate them. After all, they are searching for this information to learn something, whether it is the location of the nearest restaurant, the top 10 things that some celebrity has done, how to get rid of a certain pest, or even what is a blog.
The Tortoise Beats The Hare
It is important to understand that ranking blogs (and SEO in general) are a marathon and not a sprint. In fact, it can take up to 2-6 months to see any results on Google. That is why the investment that you make into your blog content has to pay dividends down the road. With typical blog techniques focusing on fleeting trends or high-competition keywords, its no wonder most people don’t actually see their results from SEO.
Starting To Blog
To start, a successful blog post is interesting and educational. Blogs should answer questions and help readers resolve a challenge they’re experiencing. By being the website that helps a reader find the information they are looking for, you are presenting yourself as an authority in your space, and building brand trust.
If you are looking to start blogging for your business’ website, here are a few things to keep in mind when you start thinking about how to write a blog:
1. Know Your Audience
Every piece of content that you produce should speak directly to your target audience. After identifying your target audience, you should always refer to them as “you” and try to be as personal as possible. Avoid sweeping generalizations and act like the authority you are! Try to refrain from using phrases like, “you may be experiencing” or “If you are.” Instead, use terms like “When you are experiencing” or “You are” to show the reader that you not only understand their challenges but are the authority on how to solve their problems.
2. You Are Not Shakespeare
And that’s ok! You don’t to be! You may not have to be the best writer in order to write a blog, but you do need you to dig deep in that big brain of yours to use your knowledge and expertise to create AWESOME content for your potential customers. While the more information you can give the better, a typical ranking blog post really only needs a minimum of 1500 words (don’t worry, that sounds like more than it really is!!).
3. Everyone Is An Idiot!
When writing your blog, assume everyone is an idiot! Seriously! Never assume that your audience automatically knows what you are talking about. Maybe they have never heard of that particular concept or platform before. Maybe they have heard of it but need more context. Well, that is literally why they are reading your blog; to learn that information. Define everything, provide clear examples, and assume everyone is stupid.
4. Spoon-Feed It To Them
Because everyone who reads your blog is an idiot, it is also important to spoon-feed them the information. That means to write in short sentences and short paragraphs. Try to limit your paragraphs to 2-3 sentences. When discussing something in the blog, always include a subheader to break out the sections and make it easier for the reader to understand. Never go more than 300 words without a new subheader. By keeping your sentences, paragraphs, and subheader sections short, you can keep the reader’s attention and leave some nice white space so that they don’t burn their eyes.
5. Cite Your Sources
Even though you are incredibly smart and I trust you, the reader doesn’t. If you want to tell someone what to do, you better have the data to back it up. Cite all of your sources as links inside the blog. Is it an internal source that you know because of all your experience and expertise? Awesome! Include a screengrab of the data and your blog will be ready to post in no time!
Don’t Want To Write?
There is no doubt that committing to creating consistent blogs for your company can be time-consuming and draining. Some business owners simply do not have the time to cultivate comprehensive interconnected blogs. And that’s ok!
If you are interested in starting a blog for your company but simply do not have to time or desire to write your own, you have a few options.
Hire A Full-Time Writer
The easiest way to ensure you have consistent blog content is to hire a writer who specializes in writing blog content full-time. While undoubtedly the most expensive option, having a full-time writer on your staff will allow you to maximize your blog output, maintain consistency in the messaging and brand voice, and constantly update your content.
Looking for a Full-Time Blog Writer?
Consider Guest Blogging
Truthfully, unless you already have an established blog, it may be difficult for you to get a guest blogger. However, they do offer plenty of benefits for your blog. Most guest bloggers from cost nothing financially. The reason for this is that many bloggers are a community. The more that you write, the more authority your website gets on Google. The more authority you have the more your links are worth. You can actually get free content just by sharing links and being part of the community! Unfortunately, if you are just starting out, a guest blogger may not be for you.
Hire A White-Label Content Strategist
A White-Label Content Strategist is like a mercenary. You can hire them on a complete case by case basis as and when you need blog content. The term white-label content strategist is a freelance writer who specializes in creating comprehensive, successful blog content. As with almost any product, when it comes to white-label writers you get what you pay for. While it may be tempting to pay a quick $20 for a freelance writer to write a blog, you should treat it as an investment into your brand. By paying a little extra for a content strategist who you know will bring you results, you can ensure your blog efforts are not wasted.
Learn More About White Label Content
Different Blogs For Different Reasons
Writing blog content isn’t a catch-all for instant conversion and increased traffic. In fact, blogs work together as a network of interconnected links, almost like a community of content. The best way to drive the RIGHT traffic to your website is to target your blog content towards the Consumer’s Journey.
The Consumer’s Journey takes the basic principles of the steps that a consumer takes on their way to a sale. At the start of the journey is Awareness.
Awareness
During this stage, your customers are searching for the types of services you may be offering. All you have to do is reach them! Content in the Awareness stage often includes informational content such as “What is” or “How to” blogs. These blogs are designed to educate the consumer and lead them to the Consideration stage.
Consideration
During the consideration stage, the consumer has realized and understands the value of the product they are interested in. At this point, a decision has been made; they are going to purchase the service you offer. However, they may not know who they are going to purchase it from yet!
This stage is critical in leading the consumer to conversion. Content in the consideration stage is more highly targeted than the Awareness stage. That means that your Consideration blog will not get as much traffic as your Awareness blog, don’t worry though because that’s a good thing!
Readers in the Consideration stage are primed for purchase and represent more qualified leads than those in the Awareness stage. If all goes well, this will lead them to the Decision stage.
Decision
During the Decision stage, the consumer has realized and understands the value of both the product they are interested in and the value of professional services. At this point, they are going to purchase the service you offer AND they are going to purchase it from a professional; is it going to be you?
Content in the decision stage is the most-targeted, meaning you can expect the least amount of traffic. However, your conversion rate on Decision stage blog content should be far higher than typical blog posts. At this point, the decision has been made and you have successfully converted a customer!
Learn More About Content Strategy
Conclusion
Blogging has long evolved from its humble beginnings. As the most valuable digital asset your business can create, now is the time to get started on building out your blog. Now that you know all about what is a blog and how to write a blog that converts, you may be wondering what the next steps are.
If you are ready to move forward with blog content creation, contact me today for either full-time or freelance opportunities. Still need to think about it? Discover how a white-label content strategist can help bring your blogs to the next level.