Blogging Apps You Need!

If you’re smart, you’re blogging for your small business. You know that blogging drives traffic to your website and you are seen as an expert in your industry. But you may not know how to drive traffic to your blog or how to effectively generate new blog ideas.

If you’re struggling, it may be because you aren’t using the right tools. There are many great digital tools that bloggers can use to improve content and improve their reader’s experience.

Here are some great digital tools that bloggers can try:

Upitch App

The Upitch App is a tool that lets media outlets and bloggers connect. Bloggers can pitch their story to journalists all over the world with just one easy upload.  For bloggers, you can find great story ideas and journalists that you can pitch to. Find Upitch at http://upitchapp.com.

Hemmingway App

The Hemmingway app is a great editing tool. It will let a blogger know if you have sentence that is too long or too complicated. It will even suggest areas that can be changed. You can find the Hemmingway app at http://www.hemingwayapp.com.

Title Generator

Coming up with a catchy title for your blog can sometimes be the most difficult part of writing a blog. This tool can help. By entering a topic into the Title Generator and checking off whether the word is a noun or a verb, you will be given a list of various title ideas you can use. Find Title Generator by Tweak Your Biz at http://tweakyourbiz.com/tools/title-generator/index.php

Coschedule

Marketing your small business can take a lot of time. Coschedule has a marketing calendar, social media scheduling, workflow management, WordPress and Google Doc integrations and a headline analyzer and more. Coschedule can be found at http://coschedule.com.

How to Write a Blog Post

Blogging can help you grow your business. It allows you to shine as an expert in your industry.

Blogging can be tough for many small business owners.  We know that small business owners are busy and struggle to find the time to blog and the ideas to blog about. Are you one of these small business owners with a multitude of excuses why you can’t blog?

Well, the time for excuses is over! This blog post will give you a simple method to follow so you too can blog for your business.

Know Your Readers

Before you start writing your blog, you must know who your audience is. You need to be able to write posts that speak to their problems or issues. Is your ideal customer the end user or the decision maker? Are they male or female? Is age a consideration?

You should know and understand your target audience before you do any marketing of your business. You don’t want to waste your time and your money marketing to the wrong people.

Pick a Topic

Before you start writing your blog, you need to pick a topic. You can pick a general topic to start with and then come up with some different working titles for the topic. For example, if you are a used car dealer, you might want to talk about the benefits of buying a used car. You can narrow your topic focus down by creating working titles such as “3Tips for Getting a Good Deal When Purchasing a Used Car” or “A Checklist for Purchasing a Quality Used Car.”

A working title this specific will guide your writing of the post. The more specific your working title is, the easier it will be for you to write about the topic.

Create an Outline

Outline your post. Collect all the information you want to share with your readers and organize it. This will let you know which points you want to address and the best order in which to do it. 

By organizing your post, you won’t overwhelm your readers with too much information. If you have a lot to say, perhaps you can break the subject into two or three posts.

Write!

Now that you’ve got your blog post outlined, start writing. It’s kind of like filling in the blanks if you have a good outline.

Your first sentence or paragraph must catch your readers’ attention. If you don’t, they’re off your blog page. How can you grab their attention? You can tell a story about a customer’s problem or share interesting facts. Let your readers know right away what they will learn from your blog post. Will you address a problem they have and give them a solution? You know they’ll stick around for that!

Add a Call-to-Action (CTA)

At the end of your blog post, you should have a CTA. This tells your reader what their next step is. Do you want them to register for a webinar, subscribe to your newsletter or download your free e-book?

Write a Catchy Title

Now that you have your blog post written, it’s time to revisit your title. The working title got you through the blog post writing. Now you have to create a title that will make your audience want to read your post.

Your title should be clear and accurate about what the post is about or what your readers will learn. Keep it short. If your title is longer than 65 characters, Google will truncate it on its search results pages.

Proofread

Before you publish your blog, be sure to proofread your work. Check for correct grammar, spelling, and punctuation. You want to make a professional impression on your readers so take the time to make sure what you’ve written sounds good and is error free.

If you really don’t want to spend the time blogging, then hire an expert blogger, like Blue Dog Marketing, to ‘ghost-blog’ for you. This can free you up to focus on your business while still having the benefits of a robust blog for your target audience. 

Harness the Power of Your Blogs

Blogging is one of the most effective ways for small businesses to communicate with current and prospective customers.  Blogging allows you to communicate your brand message and share valuable information to your readers. It also increases your visibility in online searches and establishes you as an expert in your industry.

Blogging takes time, which is money, so you need to get the most out of your blogging efforts. Your blog should be an integral part of your website. Posting new content on your website raises your rankings with search engines.

Share your blog posts on your other social media channels too. Your posts should appear on your business Facebook page, business LinkedIn page and Twitter accounts. You can even share them on your personal accounts.

Use an online service such as HootSuite to schedule your posts to all your social media platforms. This makes it easy for you to write several posts in advance and schedule them to appear in the feeds when you want them to.

Remember to stick to a schedule when blogging. Your readers expect you to publish on certain days, so don’t disappoint them.

If you need help with your blogging or other social media platforms, Blue Dog Marketing is here to lend you a hand. 

Reasons Why Your Blog Posts are NOT Getting Read

What is it about some blog posts that make you NOT want to read them? We’ve all been there….you click on a blog post you want to read and faster than a speeding bullet, you leave.

So many blogger make the same mistakes, so I’d like to give you easy fixes to these mistakes so you stop losing readers.

Not Enough Whitespace

Whitespace is the empty space on the page. It allows your readers’ eyes to rest and it helps them focus on your content. Be sure to include space between each paragraph. Also, your lines within each paragraph should have spaces. You don’t need, or want, to bunch everything up. Studies have shown that using whitespace between paragraphs and margins increase your reader’s comprehension by 20%.

Allow for space around your images too so your readers’ attention is drawn to them.

You Didn’t Incorporate Section Headers

Breaking your writing up into sections allows you to present each idea on its own and keeps your writing organized. By using section headers, your readers can easily understand your main points and they want to read more. Studies have shown that your readers’ comprehension increases by 12% when bloggers use section headers.

Your Paragraphs are Too Long

Nothing makes you not want to read a blog post more than seeing a sea of text with no whitespace. Heck, you don’t even have sections! You will send your readers running in the opposite direction if your blog is nothing but long paragraphs.

Long paragraphs make your information look hard to read. Several short paragraphs will get more attention from your readers.

You’re Using a Difficult to Read Font

A tiny or fancy font may look cute, but it can cause headaches for your readers, especially if they are trying to read your blog post on a mobile device which already has a small screen. Pick an easy to read font and use a size that is large enough for your visitors to read on any device. My recommendation is a sans-serif font where your letters are plain (no embellishments), straight and clear. Sans-serif fonts, such as Arial and Verdana, are easy to read online.

You Didn’t Use Bullet Points

79% of readers scan a blog post instead of reading every word. Since they don’t have the time to read everything, use bullet points:

•  Bullet points make it easy for readers to digest your informatio 
•  Bullet points are easy for you to use
• Keep your bullet points brief

You Didn’t Bold Anything

By bolding words, you help your readers quickly understand the key takeaways from your blog post. Your blog visitors read approximately 20% of the text in your blog, so make sure your most important information is bolded. This way, if a reader is skimming your post, they will most likely remember the information you put in bold.

You Did Not Include Images

Images visually break up your text and make it easy for your readers to scan your post. They also allow your reader to understand, at a glance, what your post is about.

To best utilize pictures, place one photo at the top of your blog post to grab your reader’s attention and make them want to read more. Your pictures need to relate to your post, so choose wisely.

Now, you’re ready to start writing blog posts that will be read…and remembered!

5 Blogging Tips to Boost Your Marketing

Are you blogging because everyone else is doing it? Blogging has become increasingly popular so you may think you should have a blog too. Well, you are correct in making the decision to blog. Blogging could be the next window of opportunity for your small business.

Blogging can definitely boost your current marketing endeavors. Here are some tips on ways to use blogging to enhance your current marketing efforts:

Tip One: Commit To A Schedule

At Blue Dog Marketing we blog twice a week, which may seem like a lot for your business. It does take time to build a blog to the point where it draws a lot of traffic. To get there, you must commit to a regular schedule of blog posts. You can post your blog daily, weekly, twice a month or even monthly, the choice is yours. I recommendation you choose a frequency that you can stick to because your followers will learn your schedule and return to your blog expecting to see a new post. Blogging will get easier once you are in a routine and your readers will be coming back for more.

Tip Two: Stay Up-To-Date On What is Happenings In Your Industry

The best way to make sure you have something to write about is to keep informed about what is happening in your industry. Remember, content is king when it comes to having a successful blog.  

Tip Three: Give Your Readers Value

Blogging is about establishing yourself as an expert in your field. When you blog you also build trust and rapport with your readers. But you also need to find a way to share your knowledge with your readers without “giving away the store.” Sharing information that solves a customer’s problem or answers questions they may have will keep you top of mind in with them and present you as the expert they should turn to.

Tip Four: Promote Your Blog

Having a blog online is great, but how will your customers find it? One way is to attach your blog to your website. Promote your blog through social media such as Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter. Posting your blogs on social media sites allows you to extend your reach. Put a link to your blog in your email signature. You should also promote your blog on all of your marketing materials such as brochures and newsletters.  

Tip Five: Keep Blogging!

It does take time to grow your blog and generate a regular readership. So it is very important to stick to your blogging schedule and be persistent. Have fun while you blog and you will see positive results.

3 Unwritten Rules of Social Media

There are some unwritten rules for social media that you should follow when engaging your followers.

Rule #1 – Give Readers Value

The social media networks you use as a small business are the perfect platform to market your products or services. It is important that you make a concerted effort to post more than just promotional content about your business. Don’t disguise one of your ads as a social media post. Your readers are too savvy for that.

Your posts should educate your followers about what’s currently happening in your market. You can let them know that your company can provide the latest and newest product or service, but don’t make the post about you. Remember, it’s all about the pain your potential customer has and how you can solve it.

Rule #2 – Always Be Nice

Eventually, you will come face-to-face with a negative social interaction. It could be a complaint about an experience someone had at your business. How you handle the negative posts can affect how many see your company. If the person with the negative post has a legitimate complaint, acknowledge what your business did poorly, apologize and offer a solution that will make your customer happy.

Rule #3 – Double Check Your Posts

If you’re the person writing your blog and Facebook posts and your tweets, have someone check your work for spelling errors, proper grammar and accurate content before you publish it. You don’t want to be embarrassed online with blatant errors in your posts.

Consider these “rules” when posting to your social media accounts and your followers will thank you by remaining followers.

5 Awesome Ways to Promote Your Blog Posts

You’ve spent hours researching and writing your blog posts. Now, how do you get someone to read them? The answer is you need to promote your blog. Here are five ways you can promote each of your blog posts.

Be consistent with your blogging

This means you need to pick a schedule of when you are posting your blogs and stick to it. If blogging two or three times a week is too much for you, then only blog once a week or twice a month even. The idea is to post your blogs on a regular schedule so your readers will know when to come back to read more.

Add Interesting Graphics

Do you add visually appealing pictures or graphics with each of your posts? Your pictures should be relevant to the post and unique. Pictures can grab a reader’s attention and make them want to read your entire post.

Share Your Blog on Social Media

Don’t just post your blog and be done with it. You’ve spent time researching and writing your blog, so share it with the world! Add your blog to your personal and business Facebook page. Share on your LinkedIn profile. You can tweet about your blog too. Make sure your blog is connected to your website. People visiting your website might also stop to read your blog. You can also share your blog with your circle and publicly on Google+ to increase your SEO.

Don’t Forget Your Current Contacts

You might already have an email or newsletter list. Use it to promote your blog. Include your most recent blog in your email newsletter. You can link to your blog so reader can get more information if they want. Include a link to your blog in your email signature.

Leverage Other Bloggers’ Networks

Offer to guest blog. You know how much work blogging is. Bloggers appreciate offers to guest blog because that’s one day they don’t have to worry about. Through your networking or involvement in associations, find other businesses that you could partner with (don’t compete with) and write a blog relevant to their market. You can link back to your blog. This way you increase your audience reach into a whole new market.

Better Blogging for Business

Blogging is one of the most popular and successful online activities for small business owners. Blogging about your industry, products and services establishes you as a thought leader and industry expert.

How can you achieve that status with your customers and potential customers? Here are some steps to help you blog better for your business.

Understand What Your Target Readership Needs and Wants

The most essential part of successful blogging is understanding the needs and motivations of your readers and potential followers. Don't be afraid to be yourself and to “speak in an authentic voice. This will ensure that your voice is heard. By being somebody who people feel they want to get to know, your business will grow.

Reader Engagement

If used correctly, social media is about solving people's problems. You are providing answers to questions they have. When your readers comment on a post, comment back. Engage them in a “conversation.” That’s the ‘social’ part of social media.

Comment on Other Blogs

An effective way of promoting your blog is to visit other blogs and websites and comment on them. Don’t just leave backlinks to your own blog or website, actually participate in a conversation.

It’s All About the Content

Content is king. The higher the quality of your blog content, the higher your business will appear in the search engine results. When writing your content, make sure that you use your keywords. 

3 Ways to Market Your Company Online

Online Marketing is a powerful tool that small business owners are using to promote and brand their products and services. However, to successfully market your products and services, you must get noticed by search engines and other sites. Here are three different ways to do so:

Use the proper keywords in your website 

You want your potential customers to find you online. Use the words and terms that they would use when searching online for a business like yours. This helps search engines place your site in the correct category and people to find you when searching the appropriate keywords to match yours.

Social Media Marketing: 

Social media sites are those where people socialize and websites become a social dialogue site. An extremely popular example would be Facebook. There are many other popular sites such as LinkedIn, Twitter, Digg and Four Square. Creating a site for small business on one, or more, of these social sites opens a new market for you. You can communicate in a different way than on your website with your customers and potential customers. You also help your search engine ranking rise by being visible and active on social media sites.

Blogs and Articles

Write blogs and articles about your industry, services, or products. Make sure your blog is attached to your website as this helps search engines to find your site and moves it higher in search results. Blogging establishes you as an authority in your field with your customers and potential customers. 

Blogging Can Boost Your Marketing

Have you decided to start blogging because everyone else is doing it? Blogging has become a very popular and you’re right to want a blog for your small business.

Now is the time of year that businesses are planning for next year’s budget and marketing. Adding blogging to your marketing plan for 2015 is a great idea.

So, how do you actually take advantage of a blog for your business?

Commit To a Schedule

First, you need to schedule time to plan your blog topics and write your blogs. Next, decide how often you want to blog and stick to that schedule. Nothing is worse for a business than having out of date information posted online. Potential customers will wonder if you’re out of date on everything in your industry. So, pick a frequency that you can stick to and keep your blog current or remove it.

Readers will come back to your blog, expecting to see new material. Once you are in a routine, it will be easy and your visitors will be coming back for more.

Stay Informed on What’s Happening in Your Industry

The best way to make sure you have something to write about is to keep informed about your industry. This will help you avoid “writer’s block Also, you will be viewed as an expert in your field and readers will turn to you for information and tips.

Give Value

Blogging is about building yourself as an expert as well as establishing trust and rapport with your readers. Your blogs must answer the common questions your readers may have that relate to your field. By answering these questions, you’re providing value to your audience. They will come back to read more of your posts.

Promote Your Blog

Once you have created your blog, be sure to promote it. Link your blog to your website, so your website visitors can read your posts. Add a link to your blog to your email signature. Post your blog posts on Facebook and LinkedIn. You can tweet about your blog too. Don’t forget to add the blog address to your marketing materials.

Keep at It

It takes time to grow your blog readership. By sticking to these tips you will see results. 

4 Blogging “Bumps in the Road”

Writing a blog post is a lot of work. And there are many things that can trip you up when you’re writing one.

Here is a list of four bumps and how to avoid them.

Writer’s Block.

Anyone who writes blogs gets writer’s block occasionally. Choosing the topic for your next blog is usually the hardest part. Once you’ve got a topic, writing is pretty easy. So, how do you come up with a topic that is relevant and of interest to your audience?  Keep up to date in your field. Read other blog posts and association publications to get inspired. We keep electronic copies of articles that inspire us. Use these article topics to get you thinking. Do you agree with what the author says? If not, why not? Well, write about that!

Create a Catchy Title

The title of your post is its first impression to potential readers. You want to create a title that entices people to read your post. Have fun with alliteration. And try to optimize your SEO.

Formatting

Make your blog attractive to read. Don’t just post a huge block of text. No one will read that. Use headers, paragraph breaks, bulleted lists and images. Make sure you have plenty of white space allowing eyes to rest.

Use Statistics

Incorporating relevant data into your blog post adds credibility and increases your authority. Make sure you attribute the original source. And be sure the data is relevant. When was the research conducted? The more recent, the better.

3 Simple Marketing Tactics to Attract New Clients

Some small businesses invest a great deal of their marketing budget into advertising, which can be expensive and not always reach your target audience. Radio, television and newspaper ads are great ways to get your message out to as many people as possible.

However, this mass marketing eliminates the personal connection you want to create with your customers. Radio, television and print ads are usually very general in content and used for informing people about sales and promotions.

As a small business, your marketing should be about building relationships with your customers. There is a place for mass media, but if your budget is tight, here are three simple marketing tactics you can immediately implement.

1.     Newsletters – Collect the email addresses of your customers when they purchase your product. Use this information to stay in contact with your customers and keep them informed about what you’re doing, new products, promote sales and events, and even introduce new employees.

2.     Network – get out of your office and meet new contacts. Attend local Chamber of Commerce events. Join an association and get involved. You’ll meet potential new clients and alliance partners at networking events.

3.     Blog – Become the “expert” in your field by blogging about your business. Your voice will be heard by many people when you blog.

Marketing is necessary for your business to grow. Implement several different tactics consistently to see results.

Writer’s Block? 6 Great Ways to Create Your Blog Content

Are you experiencing writer’s block when it’s time to blog? It’s not uncommon to feel this way. Here are some tips to help you get the content flowing.

Get inspired from blogs you read

Don’t plagiarize, but get inspired. Do you have blogs that you enjoy reading? If you find an idea that you think is relevant, put your own spin on it and expand on the idea for your readers.

Use strong images or video

You can keep your text short by inserting a bold image or a fun video.  Take pictures of your products or the end results of your services and use those rather than stock photos, when possible.

Create a How-To guide

Often, others struggle to do what comes easy for us, such as the services our small businesses offer. You might be surprised at how many people will appreciate a simple and clear how-to guide on tasks you never considered tricky. Share your knowledge.

Use Customer Testimonials

If you have happy customers, ask them to give you a testimonial in writing. Let them know you’ll be using it on your website and your blog. Testimonials strengthen your brand and your business reputation.

Make a ‘round’

Whatever your small business’ niche is, collect all the latest news items or products and put them into a little list. Give descriptions for each item and review them. Before you know it, you’ve created killer content in the form of a round. Rounds have become extremely popular and you may find yourself including them in your monthly blog rotation.