By Rochelle Burnside on September 9th, 2019 at 4:15 pm
Everyone and their dog has a blog now, so if you’re using it the same way as your competition, it might not yield the high ROI you were expecting.
Businesses that prioritize blogs are thirteen times more likely to see a positive ROI, and it’s an inexpensive technique to generate more traffic and leads — if you’re doing it right. But this requires standing out from the crowd and giving consumers a reason to read your content. Read on to figure out how to set yourself apart from the rest.
Go the Extra Mile
Producing a mediocre blog post will yield a mediocre return. If you want to see more traffic, more social shares, and a higher SERP ranking, you’ll have to put in the extra effort.
Content marketers find that when they go above and beyond they see significant results.
Some of the ways they’ve produced these results are posting over 2,000 words, posting with audio, and posting more than daily.
The bloggers who spend almost a whole day on an article are seeing the best ROI.
Do these measures sound exhausting?
Test one of these factors and see if it’s worth the effort; keeping all of them might not be realistic with your budget and resources.
If you don’t think your readers will care about these extra steps, at least Google will.
Google prefers long-form content, and your visuals can improve SEO in a variety of ways, from more keyword-rich content in your alt and title tags to Google Image result listings.
Repurpose and Update Content
Marketers often rush through a flurry of content creation, leaving a trail of forgotten articles in their wake.
Blow the dust off a couple of these old blog posts and work with what you already have.
Consumers love infographics.
They’re one of the best ways to retain information, including the information that your site was the infographic’s source.
Find an article you can turn into an infographic and reshare your product; be sure to mention in its new title tag that there’s an infographic included.
Consumers also love current information.
Update and reshare your guides, edit them to reflect new trends or facts, and then slap the coveted “year of update” somewhere in your title tag.
When readers know the content is fresh, they’re more likely to value it.
At the very least, your old content can inspire you.
Find the subjects that deserve more elaboration, or a blog that can act as a spoke for several smaller articles.
Include a Better CTA
What is your blog for?
Ultimately, to increase your profit. Build trust with your reader by providing helpful information, then include a clear call to action.
Your CTA doesn’t always have to link to a product page.
You can also build consumer trust one step at a time by offering readers a free eBook, email newsletter, or even links to more of your related content.
Ninety-eight percent of consumers won’t purchase anything on their first visit to your site, so you’ll want a way to keep them thinking about you.
The worst thing you can do is allow consumers to close out the blog tab without being offered another point of contact with your company.
Promote Your Content
It’s hard to find a way to draw readers to your blog.
Lots of bloggers find success in promoting their content on social media, but most marketers won’t see high returns without an extra push.
Sometimes, all you have to do is ask.
If your content includes timely or crucial information, you’ll receive a higher average of retweets if you ask for the RT in your post.
Doing this frequently could be annoying or spammy, but if you have important information that you believe needs to land in front of more people, this might do the trick.
Another effective way to broaden your social media audience is by reaching out to micro-influencers to contribute to or share your content.
Sometimes micro-influencers don’t charge (or don’t charge much) because they benefit from the exposure, and they could help your post reach a larger audience.
If you’re interested in building a dedicated audience, you can also try email newsletters that your company regularly sends with its best content.
Most marketers also have ongoing email campaigns, and it makes sense to combine your efforts.
Innovate
Most importantly, try something different from time to time.
Technology and how we use it are constantly evolving. It’s important to be at the forefront of innovation rather than the tail end because you’ll see the fastest returns.
Try new social media platforms to promote your content, incorporate new forms of visual storytelling into your blog, or write about emerging topics. Consumers value consistency, but they also admire creativity.
Seasoned marketers can help you distinguish the new, the old, and the emerging. Consider working with pros if you want to create content that generates more leads.
About The Author
Rochelle Burnside is a Content Specialist for BestCompany and Editor for Salt & Sage Books. She enjoys helping businesses and consumers improve their writing and strengthen their digital presence. You can follow her on Twitter @RochelleBestCo.