By now hopefully you are using the internet to market your business, brand or product. Since the internet has more eyes on it than older methods of advertising it is the obvious choice for marketers. Also the Internet allows for inbound marketing where customers find you based on their interests which makes sense doesn't it?

How Content Drives Inbound Marketing

  • Shares news and Information about your business
  • Provides value to a potential customer creating a 'give first' atmosphere therefore developing trust
  • SEO ; search engines use content to determine the relevance of your website and blog

How to Use Your Blog

Some business bloggers are still creating content that they feel will win over search engines and propel their site to the top of Googles results pages. Although search engines do use content to gain information about your site the reality is that Google has made four versions of their algorithm update to deter people from relying on quality over quantity.

This means that the goal for every blog post should be to give away value while at the same time being as specific as possible. If your content is helpful, engaging and/or useful to the reader they are likely to interact with it, and that is what Google really wants to see.

How Do I Create Valuable Content?

Valuable content will be defined by your niche. Your blog content will be industry specific. Here are some examples of good blog titles relative to the industry,

  • Photography Studio ; 'Creating Christmas Cards to be Remembered'
  • Contracting Business; 'Energy Saving Tips for Your Home'
  • Real Estate Firm ; 'How to Add Thousands to Your Homes List Value'

Many people see these ideas and think they are giving away business. If a family takes their own photos for a Christmas card they are not going to give the photography studio their business.

However the situation more than likely plays out in one of these ways;

  • The family never intended on hiring someone in the first place but now remembers that studio
  • The family takes the advice but uses the studio for another service
  • The family likes the idea of the blog post but is not confident enough to take their own photos so calls the studio
  • The family knows someone else who is interested in this service

In any case the blog reader appreciates the free advice and now feels more trusting of that company.

Clear, Concise and Convenient

These 3 C words represent another rule that many business bloggers also fail at; they try to be clever over being clear. You potential customers are unlikely to appreciate you for your clever, witty blog post. Most internet users are after fast results, remember that your blog is the first part of your sales funnel and needs to engage readers quickly.

Make your valuable content clear and compact delivering a lot of value n a small space. The better you get at mastering this idea the more results you will see.

Education is Valuable

If you have a chance to educate readers about your industry it is an easy way to offer value since education is always valuable. How many times have you heard someone say, 'I read an article today about....'

You are the expert in your industry so share your knowledge base and watch how people interact with your blog. During these educational posts make it apparent that you welcome questions in the form of comments and use the comment section to engage your audience. The comments themselves become more content and Google will know your content is engaging, exactly what your after.

In Conclusion

Engaging your audience is an art form that you can get better at very quickly if you practice blogging and use analytics to track what works and what doesn't work.

Offer your audience value in the form of advice, knowledge or electronic tools (like a conversion chart, price calculator etc.). 

Focus on quality and making engaging posts and use the comments section to engage your readers. By following these rules you can get an audience that will be willing to follow you via social media and your blog therefore becoming a potential customer and referral.


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