According to Lucy Archer, the answer to this question is easy. Blogs are a vital tool in every company’s PR armoury. It’s a low cost way to get known, be heard and create influence.
Why write a blog?
It’s a question I ask myself two or three times a week. Thinking up something new to say and write every week or month can be tough. That said, blogs are a really important part of any PR campaign. It adds so much to a company or individual’s marketing activity. So, despite the constant scratching of heads, it’s a habit well worth getting into. Here are a few tips on how best to meet this weekly or monthly challenge.
Become an expert and build influence
One of the most powerful aspects of creating a blog is that it helps you to cultivate an aura of authority in your chosen subject. You become an expert in your field. You have influence and are often viewed as the ‘go-to person’ when someone seeks help or assistance. Some business owners are averse to it at first, but it’s a proven and effective way to build trust with your audience. Some may consider it counter-intuitive because you give away secrets and hard-earned knowledge. But long-term the positives far out-weigh the negatives. Regular posts about specialist topics will help draw people towards you. The time will come when they wish to engage the services of an expert, and you will be their first port of call.
Boost your search ranking
A major benefit, and for many people the driving force behind the decision to write a blog, is that you can seed your content with SEO-rich terms and keywords. Ideally, you will have done some research on this topic. You need to understand exactly what your customers or potential clients are searching for, when they go online. You need to discover which questions they need answering, or at least make an educated guess. Ensure that your content is packed full of these words and terms. This will help you to improve your search rankings. You may even employ someone with the technical know-how to boost your online SEO rankings. Finding your way on to the first page of Google is so important for companies whose competitors, as well as customers and clients, are far and wide.
Plan ahead to ease stress levels
With weekly, twice-monthly or monthly blogs needing to be written, it’s best to give them some serious thought well in advance. Don’t wait until the night before publication to decide which topic you wish to cover. Plan it all out in advance. Perhaps even list the next 10 instalments, and also decide on which order it needs to be posted. It doesn’t have to be written in stone at this stage. You may wish to re-number the topics, depending on local, national or global trends, or on a particular high-profile issue at the time. You will probably think of new topics along the way, which may mean item No 10 will eventually be posted as No 16. Whatever you choose, developing a long-term strategy and itinerary for your blog will help you sleep a little easier. When writing a blog, you need to get inside the head of your customers. What are their concerns? What makes them tick? What will add value to their lives, both on a personal level, as well as professional? Make blogs as topical as you can. They should be informative, valuable and entertaining. It’s vital to keep the tone of the post, and style of content, in line with your brand’s personality, whether it’s chatty, irreverent or downright serious.
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