Follow the Advice of Content Marketers

Content marketers know their business. That’s why when 86% of them are doing this as part of their content strategy. It pays to consider that ‘it’ worth doing. What are they doing? Blogging! “Businesses with a consistent content or blog strategy receive twice as much email traffic as those without. Plus, more than 55 percent of marketers say they’ve gained new customers just by blogging.” [1]

How Much Work Goes into a Writing a Blog?

Content can be anywhere from 500 to 1200 words on average, depending on your audience and what kind of marketing you are doing. The average blog post takes nearly four hours to complete. What goes into that time?

•     Research
•     Writing
•     SEO Crafting
•     Editing
•     Image Sourcing
•     Final Draft

It can be time-consuming, but it is worth it. A professionally written blog can bring in business and increase name recognition across the web.

SEO Services 

If you include SEO services with your online content, you are doubling down on a marketing masterpiece. With SEO services, your blog can be posted to social media and Google My Business in front of the right audiences at the correct times to increase traffic to your site even more. 

Will it Hurt to Ditch my Blog? It’s Not That Great. 

YES! If you get rid of your existing blog, Google’s algorithms will see a sudden elimination of content from your site. Your site’s SEO will drop like a rock and won’t recover for a long time. 

If you are unhappy with your blog, the best thing you can do is hire an SEO professional to manage it. They can slowly change each post to a new, improved version, keeping the URL intact. That is important since Google likes changes to content (not URLs), but it wants these to be slow changes.

Getting Help 

Then, you can outsource your blog writing to a professional blogger so you can work on your business while they work on your blog. Companies who blog get 97% more links to their websites.[2] Why give that up? At Iceberg Web Design, we produce professionally written SEO content every day for our customers. Contact us today to find out how we can help you. Read our reviews! 

[1] Lin, Ying. “10 Blogging Statistics You Need to Know in 2021 [Infographic].” Oberlo, Oberlo, 26 Feb. 2021, www.oberlo.com/blog/blogging-statistics.

[2] Ouellette, Coral, et al. “Ultimate List of Blogging Statistics and Facts (Updated for 2021).” OptinMonster, 6 Jan. 2021, optinmonster.com/blogging-statistics/.

The post Why Keeping Your Blog is Important appeared first on Iceberg Web Design.

How a Comment Section Benefits your Blog

If you have time and love interacting with your audience, perhaps having comments on your blog is the way you want to go. Many people advocate for keeping them. Here are a few reasons why:

•         Comments keep the conversation going.
•         Comments and responses to them can deepen your relationship with your readers
•         They provide social proof of what you are saying in your post
•         When Readers comment, they may also engage with your site in other ways
•         Allowing comments can make visitors feel more welcome.
•         It is an opportunity to network
•         You can get new ideas for fresh blog topics

Why a Blog Comment Section isn’t Worth it

While 90% of your readers will never comment on a blog, 90% of your comments will come from 1% of your readers.[1] That is a disproportionate representation of your audience in your comment section, which could skew the way you see your audience and write for them. Those aren’t the only reasons to cut the comment section.

•         Lots of low-quality, spammy comments are frustrating to deal with
•         Moderating blog comments is time-consuming
•         Comments allow the reader too much control over a conversation that is yours to direct.
•         Comment volume does not correlate with the number of visitors to your site

Options to Consider

Neil Patel has a great article on whether comments help your blog’s SEO. Here are some options:

•         Allow comments. This involves spending more time answering questions and moderating the discussion, but many people find it worth the time.
•         Skip the hassle. If you want more of a one-way conversation with you sharing information with your readers, you don’t need comments. If they aren’t helping you achieve your goals, why bother with them?
•         Move the conversation to social media! You will still have to use your time and energy to keep up with the conversation there, but low-quality social media comments won’t make your website look unprofessional.

Still want social proof?

The best social proof is a high-quality review. Reputation Management Services from Iceberg Web Design can gather all of the web reviews into one place. You can use these reviews on your website and respond (which you should always do when someone reviews your business or product). To learn more, give us a call or fill out our convenient contact form.

[1] Neidlinger, Julie. “10 Reasons You Should Be Using Blog Comments.” CoSchedule Blog, 26 Jan. 2017, coschedule.com/blog/blog-comments/.

The post Blogs- To Comment or Not to Comment appeared first on Iceberg Web Design.

Important considerations when creating your content plan

Your post should always have a strong link to the product, service, or idea that you are selling. This is part of your branding. It allows your website to present a consistent message to the people reading it. Rather than just publishing something because it is due, your content should be an integral contribution to your business goals. This might mean:

• Increasing traffic
• More sales
• Growing your email list
• Gaining credibility

This doesn’t mean that every post has to instantly convert your readers to customers. Some may do that, but the goal of a lot of your content is to offer readers something of value in exchange for the time they spend reading it. It can educate, entertain, inspire through humor or touching stories. Every post you write is an opportunity to build trust with your readers and customers.

How often are you going to publish your content?

What kind of consistent commitment can you make to your readers? More frequent posting will keep your brand and your message in front of readers, but consistency is the key. This will determine how many ideas you will need to come up with for your content plan.

What topics are you going to focus on?

Brainstorm a list of topics for your content calendar. Get input from business partners, employees, and others who care about your business succeeding and who understand your goals. Once you’ve decided what your main topics will be, think about subtopics that fall into those categories. This is where you can start to consider ideas for specific blog posts.

Where to find ideas for posts to include in your content plan

• Social media groups and forums where your ideal customer spends time. Look for posts asking for advice. Are there certain questions that are asked more frequently? Which questions elicit a lot of interaction on the page? These are clues to the things your ideal customer needs.
• Check out Pinterest. It’s not just for visual ideas. You can find out what people interested in your niche are looking for.
• What are other bloggers in your niche posting about? Don’t just chase after trends, but answer the needs that are raised in your own way.
• Are your customers asking you direct questions? If it is appropriate, share the question and answer it on your blog to help other readers that have the same concern.
• How is your perspective distinct from the other voices writing about the same topics? Find your unique angle! Don’t bother to write the same thing someone else has. You have to add something to the conversation. You may even oppose the crowd, but make it worth reading!
• Are there common misconceptions about a topic you specialize in?

Use the calendar to create your content plan

Every business pays attention to what time of year it is and how it affects their customers. It’s why we get pumpkin spice…everything…in October and iced tea in July. Grocers focus on festive savory and sweet foods around the holidays, but in January it is all about healthy eating. The seasons bring with them special promotions and sales, and times of the year when certain subjects are searched more often. For example, this post is being published as we ring in the New Year, so readers can start the year out right with a solid content plan.

Look at your list of topics and decide where they will fit into your content plan. Do some seem more relevant at certain times than others? Will you have a special feature that runs monthly? Once you have all of the spots filled in, you are ready to start writing.

If all of this seems a little overwhelming, and you would like some help creating a content plan that propels you toward your goals, send us a message. The professionals at Iceberg Web Design would be happy to help.

The post How to Create Your Content Plan for 2020 appeared first on Iceberg Web Design.

Are you ignoring the benefits of blogging due to thinking you’re no good at writing?

Do you think blogging takes too much time?

By understanding their basic anatomy, you can write blog posts the right way, simply.

Understanding Simple Blog Post Structure

Although many factors go into creating a great blog post, you must grasp the importance of proper structure first. Most blog posts follow a simple structure that includes:

• A headline: The initial headline is an attention-grabbing title that explains what your blog post is about and what your readers can expect.
• An introduction: The introduction is typically the first few sentences or the first paragraph that entices visitors to keep reading.
• Body copy: This where the magic happens. Complete with sub-headings, the body copy is the place to deliver the information you promised in your headline.
• A call to action: A call to action (CTA) inspires your readers to act. For example, you may ask your readers to give you a call, download a freebie or something else.

Put It All Together to Write the Perfect Blog Post

Each separate component includes its own best practices to follow to create high-quality content for your website. Let’s jump right in.

Headline

The headlines you create for your blog posts should compel your audience to click. After all, 8 out of 10 people will read headline copy without reading the rest. When writing headlines:

• Stay informative: Make sure your headline describes exactly what information your reader will gain after reading the blog. Don’t be vague.
• Keep it simple: Keep your headlines simple and on the shorter side. Consider where your blog post will appear and write headlines accordingly. For example, headlines between 8-12 words get the most shares on Twitter and headlines under 70 characters aren’t cut off in search engine results.
• Optimize for search: If you can, try to optimize your headline by adding in a focus keyword your audience might search for to find your blog post.
• Make it pop: Use your power words to evoke curiosity. Or, use your headline to ask a question. Experiment to see what works when it comes to your specific audience.

Introduction

After the headline, your introduction will make or break your blog post. Here, it’s important that you “hook” the reader into wanting to learn more. This doesn’t mean that you give away all the value in the first few sentences. Instead, hit your reader with an interesting statistic, a quick story or a question that inspires them to move forward.

Body Copy

Your body copy is the meat of your blog post, the place where your reader receives the most information and value. When writing the body copy for your blog post:

• Add in sub-headings: Most readers tend to skim blog posts for the information they need most. Use sub-headings to break up your copy into easy-to-skim sections.
• Use padded bulleted lists: For lists, use padded bullets to break up blocks of text.
• Use short paragraphs and sentences: Write paragraphs that are no longer than 3-4 sentences and sentences no longer than 20 words. If the sentence is too long, split it in half.
• Write until your thought is complete: Many experts argue over the perfect blog post length. Make it your goal to write until the thought is complete and until you’ve given your readers everything they need to understand the topic at hand.

Call to Action

Finally, a call to action inspires your readers to interact with you even more. Some websites ask readers to leave comments while others ask them to reach out for more information. You can also use a call to action to ask readers to download a lead magnet that requires their email address.

Remember to only use one call to action on your blog post so you don’t inflict your audience with decision fatigue. Make your CTA stand out by giving it a separate heading.

Don’t Forget Your Images & Links

Your blog post should include a featured image that includes the title of your blog post as well as a visual that goes well with your topic. Don’t forget to add internal links (to pages on your website) and external links (to outside content) to relevant content in your body copy. This will give your audience a chance to gather even more information for added value.

Quality Blog Posts Generate Important Traffic for Your Website

Don’t sweep blogging under the rug. After all, quality content generates important traffic for your website.

Although writing a blog post may seem difficult at first, it becomes easier with practice. To learn more about blogging and best practices, send us a message.

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