Seven Ways to Get Your Blog Read...Like a Boss

Have you ever done something like a boss? I walked the dog this morning...like a boss. Yeah, I wrote this blog..like a boss. To get technical on you, doing something like a boss is the act of doing something as a boss would do, or a phrase used to describe something that someone did as ahh-mazing or awesome. In terms of marketing, blogging like a boss equates to getting your blog read. So, without more ado, here are seven ways to do just that...

1. Keep the goal in mind. The goal of a blog for many companies is to build thought leadership, become a problem solver and earn buyer trust. Read: Don’t be quick to sell yourself. What does your target audience care about? Offer some expert advice on a common industry problem or a current event, for example. I suggest making a list of all the potential problems a prospect may experience and then tackle the solutions as your topics. Examples: “How to evaluate data center providers” or “Three ways to avoid overpaying your managed service provider.” Lists, how-to’s and guides are great ways to engage your audience and can help you organize your content easily within the post. Just remember, delivering relevancy and value to the reader is what counts.

2. Choose a clickable headline. The headline should be “clickable,” or in other words attract the reader by identifying with their needs or problems in a way that makes he or she click to read more. Crafting a descriptive title (like those mentioned above) also gives the reader an expectation of what they are about to read. I often reference this guide of headline hacks if I get stuck for blog topics or am in need a catchy title for a post. If possible, keep it on the shorter side so when you tweet, there is enough room for others to retweet. Another way to name your post is to think about what searches or key phrases people may use when they are looking for your type of service or solution.

3. Keep it bite-sized. During the creative process, you may have lots of ideas — what a great problem to have! Just make sure you are not jamming them all into one blog post. Instead of overloading the reader, focus on a few key takeaways. How can you break it down or make it more granular? Divide up your ideas into multiple posts or a series. In terms of length, there are a couple of schools of thought. Hubspot has determined about 2100 words is the sweet spot based on readability and SEO factors, though it depends on your topic. But I still say quality over quantity is always a winner. So if your post is 2500 words, but it’s packed with meaningful tips or information — post away! If you want to keep it short and sweet at 500 words, that works too. Again, the idea is to make sure you are saying something of value and not just talking to talk. This isn’t college where you have to eke out 2000 words on a topic just because.

4. Be authentic. Your blog is another way visitors and prospects get to know you and develop a connection with your brand. Be sure to add your own voice to your blogs. People can probably tell if you made your assistant (who is straight outta college and knows little about scalable density as it relates to data center design) write your post. Not to say using a ghostwriter is bad (hello, ghostwriter here :)). Just make sure to choose someone who has been at it for a while and spend some time briefing them on the key points while explaining your unique perspective. It is also a good practice to edit the post before publishing to make it your own (and then pass it to a proof-reader). I often prefer interviewing subject matter experts over the phone or in person to help capture more of their voice for the post.

5. Create a call to action. You’ve written an expertly-crafted post and your reader has made it all the way to the end?!? Yay, you! Do yourself a favor and make sure to drive them to the next step by creating a call to action. That doesn’t have to be a hard sell and really shouldn’t be at this stage. Offer to let them download your latest eBook or whitepaper (in exchange for their email address), read some sort of relevant content, ask them a question or have them comment with their thoughts. This keeps communication open and gives them a reason to continue developing the relationship.

6. Choose an eye-catching image. Since the image is one of the first things a reader notices, try to choose an image that stands out or one that visually represents the idea in a creative way without being too cheesy. I like using stock image galleries like Getty, Shutterstock or iStock for this. Look for different angles, incongruity, or close-ups that add interest. I suggest making a list of all the things that could be associated with your topic. So if you are an IT provider, maybe you search the words: data center, fiber, wires, internet, etc. Adding an adjective to these standard search words can help pull up more results as well. For example, search the word “data center” and then search “data center + support” and see what you come up with.

7. Share your post. Sadly just because you write it, does not mean they will read it. You need to share, share, share your post on social platforms, groups and forums. And if you have an email list, use it. Gather your latest and greatest posts and create a monthly newsletter. Another idea is to reference your past posts in online conversations where applicable. You just have to pinky promise to be tactful when doing this, so you don’t come off as completely spammy. Aim for helpful. Helpful, valuable and relevant is the goal.

So how about it? What other tips might you have for getting your blog read?