blogging for business: 5 secrets to more leads and sales!

Blogging for Business5 Secrets to More Leads and Sales

Brendon DennewillPartner & [email protected]@Brendon_D

Kristin DennewillPartner & [email protected]@KristinLD

Donna ArriagaContent & Social Media [email protected]@DonnaArriaga

denamico We are a team of professionals specialized in Inbound Marketing. We help businesses increase the quantity and quality of leads, by creating and sharing relevant content, in order to ensure maximum ROI on marketing dollars invested.

presenters

Agenda

Intro & Opening● Why business blogging is important.● Start strong.

Business Blogging: 5 Secrets to More Leads & Sales1. Generate quality content your audience will love.2. Optimize your blog posts to maximize SEO.3. Promote your blog to drive visitors.4. Measure and fine-tune your strategy for greater ROI.5. Make best practices to work for you.

Q&A and Additional Resources

Companies that blog have 55% more website visitors.

B2B companies that blog get 67% more leads/month than those that don’t.

B2C companies that blog get 88% more leads/month than those that don’t.

Proof in Numbers...

source: Hubspot

5 Big-Value Benefits1. Drive site traffic through organic

search (SEO).

2. Improve visibility on social media.

3. Convert traffic into leads.

4. Establish your business as an industry thought leader.

5. Drive long-term results.

Why business blogging is important...

Case StudyRiver Pools and Spas

AboutRiver Pools and Spas is one of the largest in-ground pool construction companies in the country, serving Virginia and Maryland. Marcus Sheridan, the company’s owner and blogger at TheSalesLion.com, has successfully used inbound marketing and blogging to attract a loyal following and generate new leads for his business.


http://www.riverpoolsandspas.com/

http://www.thesaleslion.com/




Increased Organic Traffic● Increased organic traffic 120% in three months● Reduced PPC spending 50% compared to 2009● Expanded blog readership to over 6,400 visitors and

260 subscribers



Blogging Pays OffRiver Pools and Spas blog post called "Fiberglass Pool Prices: How Much is My Pool Really Going to Cost?", received 20,359 page views and 84 inbound links, the highest numbers for both categories in River Pools' blogging history.

Even though Marcus Sheridan first wrote the blog post in 2009, the post is STILL bringing in leads and sales. To date, that 1 post has brought in near $3.0 MILLION in sales. Remember, that doesn't include other posts on his site, that's just one single post.


http://www.riverpoolsandspas.com/blog/bid/22477/Fiberglass-Pool-Prices-How-Much-is-My-Pool-Really-Going-to-Cost

http://www.riverpoolsandspas.com/blog/bid/22477/Fiberglass-Pool-Prices-How-Much-is-My-Pool-Really-Going-to-Cost

Start Strong

Identify your goals and target audience.● Blogging Goals: What do you

want to achieve through blogging?

● Target Audience: Who are you trying to reach?

Your blogging goals will inform platform selection, content strategy and metrics.

BUSINESS BLOGGING SECRET #1

Generate Quality Content Your Audience Will Love.

Think about your audience first. Then brainstorm ideas. Blog post ideas can come from:● Customer questions and needs● Interviews (staff or customers)● Client success story● Informational how-to posts● Holidays and/or special events● Repackaged existing content● Guest blogging ● Curation

Brainstorm content ideas that answer questions and meet the needs of your target audience.



Find that sweet-spot for blog post frequency.Consider:● Team members who can contribute

content.● Internal capacity (time, skill).● External capacity (guest bloggers,

outsourced support).● A realistic benchmark.

Blog as often as you can post quality content on a consistent, ongoing basis.

How often should I blog?

As often as you want people to pay attention to you.



Create an editorial calendar.Include:● Blog topic/title● Content details or notes● Author● Due date/publish date● Target audience● Call-to-action

An editorial calendar is a vital tool that will keep your content plan and blogging strategy

organized and moving forward.


Optimize Your Blog Posts to Maximize SEO.

Title Optimizations● Include one of your target

keywords in the post title, and place it near the beginning.

● Keep your post title short and captivating.

Having a short title can help prevent it from being cut off in search engine

results pages, or SERPs.



Body Optimizations● Include target keywords in your post

(think long-tail keywords).● Don’t overuse your keyword.● Link to other related blog posts or pages

on your website.● Include a CTA to help convert readers

into leads (not directly relevant to SEO, but vital to lead generation).

Write content for users, not search engines. If your content flows naturally and addresses

the needs of your audience, you’re on the right track.



Image Optimizations● Include at least one image in your

post.

● Add alt text to your images.

Keep your alt text brief, clear and simple.



What exactly is “alt” text?

HTML for alt text looks like this...

<img src="seo-graphic.jpg" alt="SEO Tips, Infographic" />

You can easily add alt text using image tools in your blog.

In WordPress, for example the edit image option provides an easy to use “alternative text” field.



Meta Optimizations● Include at least one keyword in

the URL.

● Add a meta description, and keep it between 150 to 160 characters.

● Include one or two keywords in the meta description.

Meta descriptions appear in SERPs and in some social media shares like

Facebook and LinkedIn.


Optimize Your Blog Posts to Maximize SEO

Title & Meta Descriptions on SERPs, Browsers and Social Media

1

2

Search Engine Results Page (SERP)1. Title and long-tail

keyword

2. Meta description

3

4

Web Browser3. Title appears in

browser tab

4. Title is in page URL


Optimize Your Blog Posts to Maximize SEO

Title & Meta Descriptions on SERPs, Browsers and Social Media

7

Social Media (Facebook)

5. Featured Image (not directly relevant to SEO, but a powerful tool to boost engagement)

6. Blog Post Title

7. Meta Description

6

5


Promote Your Blog to Drive Visitors.

Don’t just blog. Promote your content.Share through:● Business social media channels.● Brand advocates who are willing

to promote content to their followers.

● CTAs and subscription promos on your website.

“Content is king, but distribution is queen and she wears the pants.”

– Jonathan Perelman, BuzzFeed


Measure and Fine-Tune Your Strategy for Greater ROI.

What gets measured gets improved.Here are metrics to track:● Visitors● CTA clickthrough rate● Leads (pay attention to which posts are

generating the most leads)● Subscriptions● Inbound links● Social Media Shares● Sales

Metrics indicate level of goal achievement and can illuminate a need for adjustments.


Make Best Practices Work for You.

4 Winning Practices to Use for Your Blog1. Think like a vertically integrated

publisher.

2. Focus on long-tail, non-branded keyword content.

3. Ask readers what they want.

4. Connect your blog with your website.

Your toolkit contains:● An 81-page ebook on business blogging fundamentals● Blog post SEO checklist● A reusable blog post template● Blogging editorial calendar template on Trello (with free

tutorial video)

info.denamico.com/business-blogging-toolkit

http://info.denamico.com/business-blogging-toolkit

http://info.denamico.com/business-blogging-toolkit

Thank You.

Brendon [email protected]@Brendon_D

Kristin [email protected]@KristinLD

Donna [email protected]@DonnaArriaga