Blogging, when done correctly, is a hugely important practice that guarantees inbound leads. However, we don’t always have time for a powerful piece of writing that is exciting, in-depth and ticks all the boxes. There is definitely a place for the two hour blog, but it’s also worthwhile investing time in developing a bank of well-written, enjoyable and informative blogs.
If you want to be the ‘go to’ blog in your target market, then first you must speak to your customers’ and prospects’ issues. You do this by identifying the issues correctly and pointing your reader to other resources that they will find helpful.
A well-structured blog is also important for you in terms of generating inbound links and converting your reads to leads.
CEOs are busy people. Where would they find time to blog?
You may already know there are serious business benefits to blogging, but may not have given much thought yet as to how to get started.
If you’re interested, here’s a great example of a blogging CEO:
George Colony is CEO at Forrester the global research and advisory firm. Forrester are thought leaders in technology, IT, marketing and strategy, and George still has a bit of time to blog.
So, why does the company head of a worldwide company of thought leaders bother with blogging?
Here are some benefits to being a blogging CEO:
Blogging is no longer a personal publication medium that allows bloggers to write about anything that takes their fancy. Its is a flexible and influential marketing tool that software companies should be using as part of their marketing and communication mix. The Technorati ‘State of the Blogsphere’ survey showed that there are now more than 133 million blogs out there, emphasising how important blogging is if you needed any convincing.
In today’s web savvy world, the first stage of the software buying process often starts on search engines. It is therefore essential that potential clients can find you quickly and easily online. Blogging provides an excellent opportunity for your organisation to be found more easily.
Social media has become the de facto marketing tool for companies of all stripes and now we have stats to back this up – 94% of businesses now blog, tweet, pin and post, according to MBA Programs who have visualised the data in this nifty infographic. (more…)
A school girl from the small Scottish town of Lochgilphead is an unlikely social media celebrity but Martha Payne is no ordinary girl, either. The nine-year-old is an active blogger ans she is raising money for a Mary’s Meals kitchen in Malawi by religiously posting photos of her school lunches and encouraging children the world over to share images of the food offered at their school cafeterias. And now, following unprecedented media frenzy, she has smashed her £7,000 donation target by more than 1000%. (more…)
From blogging about the latest technology trends to repinning visually appealing infographics, digital marketers have come to extol the virtues of content for the brand-strengthening opportunities it creates. “Content is king” has become such a truism in the marketing world that it’s fast turning into a stale cliché.
But the sheer amount of data spouted out into the digital space seems to be too much for consumers to digest, causing a consumer backlash against the information overload, according to market research specialists. (more…)
If you haven’t started blogging to support your business, what are you waiting for? Nearly everyone’s doing it, and there are good reasons why.
The number of blog readers in the US was reckoned to have reached 122.6 million in 2011, and that figure represented 53.5% of internet users, according to eMarketer. These stats indicate that there’s a huge market out there waiting for your blogs. (more…)
Have you dipped a toe into the blogosphere yet?
If so, you’re on the right path, but if you haven’t, consider this:
Small companies that blog get 55% more website visitors and 102% more Twitter followers, and enjoy (!) 126% higher lead growth than non-blogging businesses (HubSpot data analysis).
But how does your business blog distinguish itself from the millions of wannabe influencers? How do you drive visitors to your website, and more importantly, how do you convert them into leads?
(more…)
We’re not a gluttonous bunch at Brightfire but we like to think of the content we produce in culinary terms. Why? Well, firstly, because we realise that a varied, healthy diet is essential to our existence. And secondly, let’s not forget that food can be a very delightful experience, indeed.
So our bloggers work tirelessly to make sure our audience (you!) are getting a balanced content diet exactly when you need it. But let’s have a peek inside Brightfire’s online content kitchen.
As we all know, people have different tastes – one may have a sweet tooth while another may be fonder of savoury flavours. Likewise, you may fancy a muffin to go with your morning coffee one day but other days a heavy English breakfast may be the first thing on your mind. Preferences vary not only from person to person but between days, too.
