Hardwood Floors April May 2018

Build your Brand with Blogging (Continued)

is not about being perfect; it’s about being in tune with readers, writing quality content, and consistently publishing and promoting the content. Even if company time and resources will support only a monthly, 500-word blog, it’s a start! Katrina Olson is a freelance writer and Principal of Katrina Olson Strategic Communications. Reach her at katrina@katrinaolson.com.

Companies that commit to regularly publishing quality content reap the biggest rewards. • Every new post provides exposure to potential customers. • Regularly posting new content a racts search engines and leads to higher rankings. • Every post is an opportunity for others to share it on social media or link it to their sites. • e more blogs that are posted on the website, the more tra c it will drive. Benchmark data fromHubspot in 2017 revealed that B2C companies publishing 16-plus blog posts per month receive 4.5 times the tra c as those that upload zero to four posts, as illustrated below. Further, the more o en companies posted, the more leads they generated. Companies that published 401+ total blog posts got more than three times more leads than companies publishing up to 100 total blog posts.

1. Actively participate in other online communities How to Grow Your Blog

Pay special attention to those relating to the industry with similar audiences. Get involved in about three to five well-established LinkedIn groups, Facebook pages, blogs, or forums. 2. Write about what you know and love Passionate about reviving old wood floors or restoring old barn wood? Share experiences, successes, mistakes, and tips to help others. This demonstrates your knowledge and builds trust. 3. Answer people’s questions If a reader asks a question, write a blog post to answer it. Also, answer those questions most often asked in day-to-day exchanges. Build a library of content and search engines will find it. 4. Encourage interaction Moderate an Instagram discussion on hot topics like wood floors versus look-alikes, or staples versus cleats. Host a real-time Q&A session so readers can ask questions and get immediate answers. 5. Focus on evergreen content Evergreen content is just as relevant five years from now as it is today. Consider fundamentals like sustainability, customer service, and differences among wood species. 6. Ask for followers and subscribers Don’t count on readers to seek out your blog; provide an option to subscribe via RSS or email. If they love the content, they’ll want more! Sources: • h ps://www.demandgenreport.com/resources/research/2016- content-preferences-survey-b2b-buyers-value-content-that-o ers-data- and-analysis • h ps://www.hubspot.com/marketing-statistics • h ps://www.swordandthescript.com/2017/02/how-long-should- a-blog-post-be/ • h ps://convertkit.com/reports/blogging/ • h ps://www.orbitmedia.com/blog/blogger-trends/

66 hardwood floors www.hardwoodfloorsmag.com Just start somewhere “Perfection is the mother of procrastination.” is quote by author, blogger, and speaker, Michael Hya , explains why some companies never start a blog. But e ective blogging