One of the many powerful benefits of blogging is the unique keyword-rich URL of each post. Blog posts not only provide relevant content to increase your online footprint, but also demonstrate authority and signal search engines that your site has fresh content to be shared. That helps your site to get ranked so it appears in search results. Bingo!
But blogging isn’t for the faint of heart. Perhaps you don’t write easily. You don’t think you have anything to blog about. Or you’re not blogging because your craft is more visual in nature. Did you know that blog functionality can be used for more than just articles? It is an exceptional way to share your newest products, promotions or projects. One such example is the image above, from Classic Fauxs & Finishes.
Blogworthy ideas … a blog by any other name
Consider the following 12 visual ways to use blog functionality to feature your business, your products, or your expertise. When using blog functionality for visual posts, you simply need to include some brief copy to provide context, and voila! You’re feeding the search engines fresh content that’s credible and relevant. Product-specific posts help those seeking to buy a specific product to find your store or eCommerce site.
While these examples specify a particular type of business, consider them creative inspiration. Most of the ideas can be modified for other industries. To provide an interesting context mix for your readers while also helping you to maintain blog cadence, utilize a variety of the ideas below for your posts. With any visual post, the impact is always greater when showing a product in use.
- Nutritionist or personal chef: Recipes, cooking videos or ingredient features
- Jeweler: Latest looks or birthstone of the month
- Paint studio: Video showing workshop participants with instructor voiceover
- Web developer: Screencast instructions to update your website
- Optician: Frame styles to complement different face shapes or coloring
- Realtor: New listings for sale, for rent or recently sold
- Retailer: Spotlight individual products or new items
- Photographer, artisan or graphic design firm: Portfolio highlights
- Hair salon: Client images showing cuts and styles for various ages and hair types
- Interior designer: Project description with before and after photos
- Landscaper or arborist: Shrubs and plantings suitable for various soil conditions
- Personal trainer: Exercise descriptions, tips or fitness before and after photos
Take the blogging plunge
Getting inspired? Let’s drill down a bit further. Say your business is the optical practice cited in the list above. Since your representatives offer new collections of frame styles with each season, one blog article per quarter could highlight the upcoming season’s fashion trends. Your annual eyeglass sales events twice yearly and contact lens promotions once per year provide inspiration for three additional blog posts.
To fill in the remaining months of your editorial calendar, consider articles which highlight your expertise, such as a case study about laser eye surgery or tips to keep your eyes happy during spring allergy season.
Blogging is a powerful way to build your authority and amplify your appearance in search results. It is a commitment, however. Before commencing, determine how often you can blog and create some evergreen posts to ensure that you maintain cadence even when “life happens.”
Learn more about blogging best practices, or contact us and we’ll help by creating sustainable processes, modelling behavior and coaching you on effective blogging — to simultaneously grow your knowledge and your business.
This post was published previously on Online Amplify and has been updated for relevance.
