Having a strong blog is fundamental to success at social media marketing. A blog gives you a place to “put” your ideas, videos, funny photos, etc.
In this video, I’ll explain how to write a blog post that’s strong for sharing on social media marketing. We’ll use the example of “Internet scam.” Let’s get started!
- Watch the Video
- Links and Resources (scroll down below the video)
Watch the Video
Watch ‘How to Write a Blog Post for Social Media Marketing‘ on YouTube!
Step-by-step to a Strong Social Media-friendly Blog Post
There are several reasons to write a blog post from a marketing perspective. They are interrelated but conceptually distinct, so let’s review them, now:
- Search Engine Optimization. You can (and should) write blog posts solely for SEO. SEO, of course, is the art and science of getting your company to the top of Google. So, if you write a blog post (as I have), on AdWords Coupons, then you can optimize that blog post and that can help you rank high on relevant Google searches. Your objective is that IF someone is searching for your keywords AND your blog post ranks high they will then LAND on your website, and complete your goal, such as registering for your email newsletter, sending you an inquiry or buying your stuff.
- Staying Top of Mind. A second reason to write a good, quality blog post is so that you can post it to your blog and share it on your social media networks so that you stay “top of mind” with your target customers. You need to write something that they’re interested in, that they’re likely to read, and that will “remind” them of your company and your products or services.
- Social Sharing. A final reason to write a strong blog post is to encourage social sharing. In this example, you want to write something that has an “emotional connection” hopefully so powerful that they’ll not only read it (and thus you’ll stay top of mind) but they’ll be so engaged as to share it on Facebook, Twitter, or LinkedIn.
In general, you’ll do better if you focus on one and only one of these objectives. So in this example, I’m going to focus primarily on #2 with a little hope of #3. My example is going to be on “internet scams,” because as an expert in SEO and all things Internet, I am very concerned about crazy scams going around the Internet, and so I am going to do a quick blog post on resources that help you learn if something is real or a scam. You can read it, here.
Identify Your Topic
- Identify your Topic. You should have your keyword worksheet already ready, which identifies the big themes that touch on your website and marketing. Or, at least, you should brainstorm a topic that will interest your target customers. (Since we do Internet marketing, the topic of Internet scams is interesting, as scams are a type of marketing, and it’s something I believe our target audience will find interesting and useful). So, topic selected: Internet scams.
- Research what’s already out there. Using tools like Buzzsumo (https://www.buzzsumo.com/) and the Google AdWords Keyword planner, research what’s already out there in terms of posts, and look to find out what’s highly popular. Also, don’t “reinvent” the whell, try to contribute something useful
Write the Blog Post
- Write a catchy keyword-heavy headline. Emotions sell (everything), and this is true in blogging as well. So use your keywords AND include something emotional. Use the Portent Content Idea Generator to spin out ideas for a good headline.
- Write the content. Write keyword-heavy, fun content. Short and simple. Bullets. Nothing too complicated, shoot for 6th grade level.
- Identify a funny image to include in the post using a royalty-free image search such as Foter.com. Embed the image in your blog post.
- Tag the blog post with appropriate WordPress tags.
- Finalize the content – review to make sure that you’ve used good grammar, and that it’s well-written.
Promote Your Content
- Use Hootsuite to promote your content across all your social networks.
- If you have a budget, I’d recommend “boosting” the post as well on Facebook to at least people who “like” your Facebook Page if not a broader target audience.
Rinse and Repeat
You need a lot of content for effective social media marketing! I aim for at least four original blog posts per month, if not more. As long as you can write good, quality content that’s of interest to your target audience, you can’t really “over blog.” Most people severely “underblog,” so I recommend making a commitment, and even having an editorial calendar for you and your minions (You have minions, right?) so that you can keep your “content marketing” pipeline full. Happy blogging!
Photo credit: eelke dekker via Foter.com / CC BY
