Mad 4 Blog

Last week, we introduced the premise of using blogs in marketing, and what to do once you have your own blog. In that same vein, this week we are following up with tips for keeping your readers once you have reached out and engaged them in the first place.

Getting Readers to Stay on Your Site

In a world where single impressions are used to measure website results, one might wonder why it’s important to care how long readers actually stay on your site. When it comes to marketing, keeping readers engaged means that you’re increasing their familiarity with your voice and information. By staying on your site, readers are able to connect to the content, which may make them think about your ideas later or want to return (more on this below). You’ll also want visitors to move around on your site, which is why you should always provide links to other areas that might be of interest. For example, if you published a complementary article last month or previously mentioned the topic at hand, you’ll want to refer back to that old post. When readers move through your site, it increases your impression rate click by click–getting you more bang for your buck per visit or guest.

Getting Readers to Revisit Your Site

Why allow readers to have one single good experience on your site when you can encourage them to create a pattern? Readers make pivotal decisions about whether they might want to return to your blog in the first few seconds of landing on it, so inviting them to come back again begins promptly at the start of their very first visit—even with your blog’s title. An easy-to-memorize name will make it easy for one-time visitors to find their way back to you. The look and layout of your blog are also invaluable tools that can influence how the general populace—or your targeted audience—perceives the value of returning to your blog, so don’t skimp on the creative. Remember, you only get one chance to make a first impression.

The next step is to make your content as subscribable as possible by providing easily identifiable links to RSS feed, your newsletter or other forms of content subscriptions; this includes ‘following’ ‘friending’ ‘liking’ ‘fanning’ or other ways to connect with the page. It also helps to flat-out prompt readers to bookmark your hyperlink. Anything that removes the middle step of making your reader remember that your blog exists will be useful, so be sure to try to lock them to a mailing list or feed as soon as possible.

You’ll also want to make your blog extremely user-friendly so that it’s a welcoming and easy-to-navigate space that readers will want to revisit. We’ve previously discussed the importance of user-friendliness on the Web, but there are a few differences when talking about a blog rather than a website or forum. For example, utilize your blog’s sidebar to chronicle past posts, organize content by key words or add a search feature. Don’t just load this valuable space with heavy text and ads; besides, a busy blog will generally overwhelm readers and dissuade them against ever coming back.

Of course, no effort goes so far as introducing frequent, fresh content and enforcing quality control. By providing plenty of new, engaging content (that must, must, must be typo-free), readers will come up with the bright idea to come back again all on their own.

These aren’t stand-alone suggestions; each relates to one another in order to create a plotted process by which readers are easily directed and re-directed to the blog. Much like with all advertising, it takes several interactions or impressions before marketing tactics can truly take hold; and it’s those who have been most often exposed to your messages who are likely to convert to customers–and spread the word.

These days, it seems like everyone has a blog. In fact, most business websites would not be complete without one. The trick is to stand out from the herd—because in today’s fast-developing and competitive world of websites, just having a blog is only status quo. In fact, it may even be a waste of time and money if your voice is only going to get lost.

But before you can adequately market your blog, you have to understand the reasoning behind it. Not all techniques are suitable for all blog types, so what you use should be determined by the site’s overall goal. Some people build a blog in order to increase traffic to their website, while others create blogs in order to generate revenue. Of course, many blogs are also stand-alone pages created to exist as singular discussion forums.

In terms of marketing, most blogs are used to enhance SEO. They help business-oriented websites attract attention, build brands and communicate with prospective clientele. With this in mind, here are three top tips for marketing your blog:

1) Create an e-Newsletter.

Whether or not your company already sends out a regular newsletter, embedding links to your blog or even re-posting eye-catching selections from its posts might engage current e-mail recipients while informing new subscribers that the blog even exists. You can also see who’s using the links to click through to the blog to determine which posts and topics are generating the most interest. Just remember, re-posting your blog posts in full is a bad idea; it deters readers from ever actually needing to visit your website.

2) Build a Community.

Having individuals visit your blog on a regular basis is excellent. But each lone reader is actually an opportunity to expand your entire community. The first thing you want to do is inspire readers to leave comments so that they can bond with other forum members, who can serve as a reason for readers to return. This can often be done by including interesting topics and asking questions directly within the content of your post. You’ll also want to visit blogs similar to your own and get to know the readership there; as discussed above, it’s easy to make connections and participate by replying to others or leaving your own comments. You can also ask these website owners if they’d like to participate in cross-posting, guest posting, link exchanges or other ideas that allow websites serving the same readership to gain exposure on your blog while you contribute a new voice to theirs. In blogging, there is a focus on community, not a sense of competitiveness—and this benefits everyone in your interest group or business field.

3) Ensure Consistency and Quality.

No matter how well you succeed in attracting readers to your blog, your endeavors can never succeed if visitors only stop by once. In the blogging world as much as in the real world, first impressions are vital. To keep readers coming back again and again, an attractive website with appealing content is necessary. Next week, we further discuss how to encourage return readers and turn them into customers and clients–or just loyal fans.

So come back next week to find part two of the Top Ways to Market Your Blog.

Last week we talked about the differences between advertising and public relations. But do you know how the elements of public relations come together to create a successful PR campaign? According to Apryl Duncan, About.com’s advertising specialist, there are five key public relations components which marketing agents or business owners can use to kick off a public relations campaign, even with very little prior experience. Those are:

• Write a Press Release: Every time your business launches a new strategy or offers a new product, update your media contacts (see below) through a formal press release. Templates for press releases are available for free online, and are an invaluable tool for first-time press release writers. Remember, the content should be readable but informative, and appeal to the interests of the media outlets who you hope will publish and promote your business’s endeavors.

• Compile a Press Kit: Along with a press release, a press kit may include your company’s brochure, a fact sheet, a business summary, contact information for your PR representative, service quotes, high-res images, and a product sample if applicable. As a first impression, your press kit will reflect your business. While some companies send out hyper-modern press kits with eye-catching packaging and digital counterparts, sometimes the best way to make an impression is with an organized, concise folder or envelope containing easy-to-navigate data in its traditional form. A press kit should reflect your company voice and brand. You may want to opt for pizzazz if you’re a tech-savvy web design firm, or rely on convention if you do financial accounting. Ultimately, the choice is up to you.

• Blog Away: If your business already has a blog or website, it’s a vital space to promote business developments and upcoming events. For one, it’s a central, universal space to which you can direct media contacts and potential clients for information on your business—putting your blog or web address in the right hands is more powerful than a thousand business cards. It’s also a resource for promotion. If someone does want to cover your business and wares, they can link straight to your page or pull information from your blog at any given time, without waiting for you to contact them first.

• Build Media Relations: The primary job of a public relations agent is to cultivate a roster of media contacts who can help spread the word about the business they represent. To build long-lasting media connections, here’s what you need to do: Get in touch with media outlets. Introduce yourself to the representative that best suits your company’s message (i.e., the beauty editor of a magazine if you’re a skincare brand). Collect contact information and give out your own. And keep in touch on a regular basis, even if you’re just checking in when there’s not much going on. Cultivating media relations is the hardest, most important part of public relations. It’s an on-going job, but if you can hack it, you’re in for a world of benefits that can do as much for your business as the priciest of ad campaigns.

• Sponsor Media Events: As Ms. Duncan notes, putting together a big event will attract more coverage than a small ceremony or the passing of a check. Make your sponsorships and product launches spectacular and headline-worthy, so that when you invite your media contacts to attend, they’ll want to show up. And when they do, you’ll give them something to talk about. A celebrity-studded, charity-oriented, prize-giveaway event may be more costly up front, but you’ll be surprised at how it can pay for itself with the publicity your business will attract.

At Mad 4 Marketing, these are just a few of the elements we use when creating a solid public relations campaign for our clients. We utilize these classic public relations tactics to put our clients’ messages out into the world via print, web, and word of mouth. Even if your business isn’t prepared to handle its own PR right now, we suggest that you begin building your contacts in the media, start a blog, and store a few press release templates on the company’s shared drive—just so you’ll always be ready for the opportunity to boost business by conquering the art of free publicity. Until then, we’re here to help.