Optimizing Blog Posts for Professional Services Marketing

Are you starting to generate blog content for your firm? While you're drafting material, optimizing each post to attract the attention of desired audiences is important. A blog post is an effective communication tool for providing information to enhance and stimulate business development efforts. As you increase the number of posts, you will see an increase in blog traffic and the probability of converting a site visitor into a prospective client.

To reap the benefits of your blogging efforts, it is best to establish "best practices" to ensure blog authors cover the elements that will attract visitors and increase readership. The following elements will help you develop your own blogging best practices with a framework for optimizing blog posts: 

• Create an Online Reader-friendly Format: A blog needs to be reader-friendly to online visitors. When reading content online, the information should be formatted so readers can scan through subtitles, in-text links, call-to-action buttons, bullet points, numbered lists, graphics, and photography.
• Add Relevant Graphics and Photography: Incorporating relevant, appealing graphics and photography will keep visitors interested. Today's blogging software makes enhancing content with stylish graphics, project photography and diagrams easy. Clever use of imagery allows you to "show and tell." Take advantage of your ability to easily blend in visuals that add value to your content and the overall message to your visitors. 
• Apply Captivating Video: Placing a captivating video in a blog post will keep your visitors interested. With the help of blogging software, any author can easily add videos. Video enhances your brand by capturing the exceptional character of your firm's talent. Capturing your professional talent on film will differentiate your firm's services from the competition and is a powerful medium for engaging target audiences. If you'd like to build a case for incorporating video in your blog posts, please read Professional Services Content Marketing, Let Video Tell Your Story. 
• Create Attention-Grabbing Post Titles: Post titles need to be attention-grabbing. The post title is a vital element for capturing a reader's attention and persuading them to want to read the post. Get the most out of your posts by creating headlines that create a sense of urgency, offer "How To's," are sensational or controversial, incorporate statistics, or tell "How Not to…."

• Craft Content that Solves a Problem and Encourages Sharing: When you provide content that solves your audiences' challenges, they will be encouraged to share. Take the time to identify your client's challenges with developing a client profile. Referring to your firm's client profile will help you write a post addressing your client's unique concerns and demonstrating your firm's problem-solving ability. 
• Include Social Media Buttons for Eased Sharing: Expand the reach of your blogging efforts by adding social media sharing buttons to every post. Social media buttons placed directly in a reader's optical path enable eased content sharing with reader's audiences. For reference, please refer to the top of this blog post. If you find this blog post helpful, please feel free to share the content with your audiences!
• Add a Call to Action: The call to action is a key component of your blog posts. A call to action, or CTA, is typically placed in a blog post as a graphic or in-text. The intent is to prompt the visitor to click the CTA image, download desired advanced content, and continue to persuade the visitor to learn more by delivering great content. To incorporate CTAs in your blog post, could you look at Creating a Call to Action to Continue the Conversation? Please refer to the call to action in the above black box for reference. Please feel free to download the "Framework for Optimizing Blog Posts."
• Entertain and Connect: Build a rapport with visitors by winning their attention. Create a positive disposition toward the subject matter and take a conversational tone that is not canned dialog. Show your audience that you can relate with them and have similar values. Strive to strike a balance between entertaining your audience and making a connection.
• Be Clear and Concise: Clear and concise blogging is essential. Make sure your blog post is proofread more than once. If you promote quality in your service offering, it is best to demonstrate it by catching spelling and grammar errors. Could you provide audiences with a clear and concise information you think they need?  

These elements provide a good start toward developing your framework for optimizing your blog posts. Develop a series of best practices to serve your target audiences best, enhance your firm's brand and share stories about how your firm serves clients.

If you found this post helpful and want to read more, please read 10 Benefits of Blogging for Professional Services Marketing and How to Generate Blog Content for Professional Services Marketing.