If you already have a company blog, we give you props – you are keeping up with the trends! Industry leaders in business and technology stand behind the value in quality blogging to strengthen your online presence. Blogs are a great opportunity to show the human side of your company while establishing yourself as an industry thought leader. By providing useful or entertaining information, you can strengthen relationships with your customers and build a following. Drawing a bigger crowd means increased site visits, longer stays and more pages viewed – all very important stats in the eyes of the almighty search engines.

Now that you’ve got a reader’s attention, don’t lose it! Blogs should be dynamic and updated frequently to keep them coming back for more. Consider these tips for a totally bangin’ blog:

1. Think about it.

What do you want out of your blog? Is a blog even right for your business? Determining your goals is important in finding your voice and shaping your content. Think about the message you want to relay and if the content you’re sharing is of good quality. If you don’t have the time to commit to well written blogs, maybe it’s not the right time to start.

2. It’s not all about you.

A blog is not an advertisement or a press release. Show your brand’s personality and spunk, but talk about industry news and topics relevant to your audience. Useful and interesting information will, in turn, showcase your knowledge in a creative and engaging way.

3. Give recognition.

Not only should you always cite your sources, but reciprocating the love is important in building relationships across the web. If you are recognizing others as a valuable resource in helping you to produce relevant and accurate content, chances are good someone may hold you in the same regard. Links from reputable sources score big points with search engines.

4. Keep it real.

Readers can tell if you are being authentic. Let the tone reflect the personality and culture of your company. Know what you’re talking about and relay it person to person.

5. Share it.

Use social media to promote your posts. Platforms like Facebook, Twitter and Google Plus are great channels to gauge interest in your blog. Build relationships with these channels, and thank your readers for their loyalty.

Almost every topic out there has been blogged about a zillion times over, so creating a fresh perspective that entices readers is a definite challenge! Going through these 5 basic steps is a good start to help you determine your audience, figure out what they want to hear, and decide how you want to deliver your information. Stayed tuned in to what people respond to, watch what they’re talking about, and even ask them for feedback. Understand that finding your groove and gaining traction can take some time. Stick with it, and if you are committed to a positive user experience… they will come.

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