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How to make your blogs work for your business: plan your strategy

How to make your blogs work for your business: plan your strategy
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How to make your blogs work for your business: plan your strategy

In our second guide to making your blog work for your business, Siobhan Stirling of Sharp Minds Communications, advises that the best blogs are built around a clear,  planned strategy.

As a successful, growing business, you probably have a clear business development plan, with identified goals and strategies for achieving those goals.  To create a blog that supports those business targets, you need to adopt the same approach.  Simply saying to the new intern: “Write something for our blog” is never going to deliver meaningful returns on the time it takes to write, publish and promote your blog.

With any marketing communications you need to establish:

Why you need to communicate (your goals)

What you need to say (messages)

Who you need to say it to (target audience)

Where you need to say it (which channels, in this case through your blog)

When you need to say it (time of publishing, promotion of published material)

How you need to say it (tone)

  Having established your goals for your blog (see my earlier guide on this) you then need to plan what this means for the structure, content and tone of your blogs.  The following matrix can help you define your strategy:

1. BLOG GOAL: REACH NEW CUSTOMERS , Targets: 30-45, professional, educated, discerning

CONTENT/STRUCTURE  IMPLICATIONS:  Built around key products, built around key search terms, value adding; needs to be more than a sales pitch, needs to establish us as the expert solution provider in this sector.

‘VOICE’ IMPLICATIONS: Warm, friendly, expert, objective.

2. BLOG GOAL: BUILD BRAND AWARENESS

CONTENT/STRUCTURE  IMPLICATIONS:  Brand values of x, y and z must be maintained throughout, should include anecdotes that communicate our brand story

‘VOICE’ IMPLICATIONS: Warm, friendly, expert, Objective.

3. BLOG GOAL: INCREASE AUDIENCE UNDERSTANDING

CONTENT/STRUCTURE  IMPLICATIONS:  Must include capacity for feedback (comments box), must include clear call to action to encourage engagement.

‘VOICE’ IMPLICATIONS:  Engaging, must address reader directly

Setting out a clear blog strategy will help you create the right content in the right tone to deliver on your targets and help fuel the growth of your business.   

Read the rest of our series on how to make your blogs work for your business:

Step 1 – Identify your aims

Step 2 – Plan your strategy

Step 3 – Make sure you are found for the right things

Step 4 – Add value

Step 5 – Make them accessible

Step 6 – Publish regularly

Step 7 – Promote them

Step 8 – Encourage engagement

For more advice on how to make your blog work for your business  look out for your email updates from your CapitalSpace Centre Manager

 
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