How To

turn your blog Into a

small business marketing tool

The Beginners Guide for ’Australian Entrepreneurs

Create S.M.A.R.T Goals Specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, and time-bound goals

ex. generating x number of leads through email subscription

Identify Your Target Audience Research the demographic of your target readers (age, occupation, etc.)

Identify your Consumer's Pain-points Find out what outcomes they are seeking. Find out what influences their decision to make a purchase. Find out how they want to engage with and buy from you.

develop your content strategy

develop your content strategy

Create Buyer Profiles. Create a buyer persona to target a specific type of audience. Create a buyer profile to target a group.

Create an Editorial Calendar. Plot blog topics.

Create a Posting Schedule. Quality over Quantity Blog at your own pace. Consistency is key.

Keyword Research Use SEM tools. Words or phrases your customers use to search online Use customer surveys. Talk to customer service and sales for insight. Use market research studies. Start with 4-5 keywords.

Audience Research Search for top sites using important keywords that are related to your

business. Scrape top sites using crawling tools to identify most shared articles, popular

type of content, and top social media sites used.

gather data for content creation

gather data for content creation

Idea Sources:● Forums about your industry● Comments section of articles related to your product/service ● News and industry trends ● Studies and research● Online media aggregators and inspirations

- All Top / Feedly / Quora / Popular Quotes

Writing Checklist : Remember the five key principles of content marketing.

Create the type of content your audience wants based on research.

Create content that can be promoted in the locations that you want.

Write for your buyer profile/personas.

Be clear and concise.

Have a sense of humour.

Use catchy headlines.

Write the way you speak to add your distinct voice and personality.

guidelines for content creation

guidelines for content creation

Writing Checklist : Cite relevant studies and other references.

Provide value: answer a problem, share an insight or idea, provide a

unique point of view.

Check grammar and spelling but don't just rely on spell check.

Read your post aloud to make sure that words and ideas flow

naturally.

Have someone else proofread your post.

Create a style guide if you have other writers or contributors.

Format Checklist : Use numbers in headlines (ex. Top 5).

- 60-70 characters for search engines

- less than 60 characters for Google+

Use lists, headings, bullets, and numbering.

Separate points or ideas into chunks of paragraphs with 4-5 sentences.

Ensure that every paragraph is connected for a natural flow of ideas.

Ideal length is 1,600 words but not required.

Use at least one image - assume everything is copyrighted unless stated

otherwise (see this handy guide) or use your own images.

guidelines for content creation

SEO Checklist : Read the Beginner's Guide to SEO.

Know your SEO myths and be up-to-date.

Pick the right keywords and use related search terms.

Write for humans.

Incorporate keywords into sentences naturally.

Create organic links.

Use keywords in title, headings, and text but don't spam your content.

When in doubt, hire a reputable SEO expert.

Implement SEO during design.

guidelines for content creation

optimise your design

Design Checklist : Read expert level design tips.

Determine what you want your readers to accomplish while on your

blog and build around those goals.

People read from left to right; keep the most important content on the

top left portion .

Choose a layout that best fits your type of content.

Use a simple primary navigation.

Make sure that the essentials are “above the fold” - the portion of the

website that is visible without scrolling.

Design with SEO in mind.

Skip the ads - focus on creating content and attracting readers.

promote your blog

Promotion through Engagement : Use your audience’s preferred social media based on research.

Create profiles and engage with users so you won't be tagged as spam.

Build relationships with top bloggers in your industry.

Mix free and paid advertising.

Use URL shorteners when promoting links.

Use top sites from research for media outreach.

Nurture acquired leads through email marketing.

measure analyse track| |

Google Analytics : Divide goals into macro (overall) and micro (specific units) objectives.

Define your criteria for quality web traffic.

Create a traffic quality scale.

Create segments based on scale.

Identify and utilise top and assisting sources of traffic.

Use Google URL builder to track links.

Focus on outcomes.

Free Tools:● Headlines: Portent, HubSpot Blog Topic Generator

● Readability Test

● Images: Unsplash, Morgue File, Creative Commons, Flickr

● Infographic: Infogr.am

● Others : WordHippo, Placeit, Canva, Niice

● Keyword Tool

● SEO: Screaming Frog

● Social Analytics: Social Crawlytics, Topsy

● Quick Analytics: Market Grader, Similar Web

● Google URL builder

● Email marketing: MailChimp (Entrepreneur plan is free)

● Promote: Blog Engage, Listly

● Guest Post: Business2Community

● Balsamiq (free 30-day trial)

Free Resources:● Copyblogger

● Switched on Media

● Flying Solo

● King Content

● Global Copywriting

● Inbound Marketing 101

● A list Apart

More bootstrapping tips from:Small Business Strategies for Australian Entrepreneurs