How to use your blogs within your social media strategy

In the same way that posting regularly on social media can boost awareness of your business in your online community, blogging can help you share your knowledge with your followers and let them into your world.

It can be difficult to come up with consistently great blog ideas, though – and it can be even trickier to know how to use these concepts within your social media strategy for the best results.

Read on for some quick blogging tips, tricks and general musings that have been based on my many years’ experience in social media marketing!

What kind of stuff should you be posting?

Well… if you came across your business online, what kind of stuff would you like to read?

Chances are, you would expect your blog content to be at least one of three things:

1. Relevant

You need to be able to link your blog topics back to your products, services, or specialist subject in some way. I’m not saying that every blog needs to be cut and dry – but its theme will need to work in your business’ context.

2. Useful

Whether it’s an article that introduces your readers to your team, or it’s a how-to guide that talks them through your latest product release, every blog needs to serve a clear purpose. Rambling, directionless posts will not hold people’s interest.

3. Insightful

You’re the authority here, right? So, provide your readers with content that frames a topic in a different way. Blogs that get people thinking will leave a lasting impression (and will probably get you lots of engagement on social media!).

I often get asked how long a blog should be. My answer is, it doesn’t really matter, as long as it delivers information in a clear, compelling way.

Sometimes, you’ll be able to get your point across in a snappy 200-word piece. In other cases, your idea might lend itself better to a longer post with lots of resource links to external websites, or even a smartly designed infographic with lots of bright colours and fun imagery. Base your decision on what you think will work best, not purely on what you think you need to create to ‘beat’ your competitors or improve your SEO.

How do you come up with new blog topics?

The easiest and most effective way to come up with a list of blog topics is to think about how you can meet your audience’s needs. Do they want to be entertained, or do they want answers to their burning questions? Are they desperate to learn more about you and your company, or would they appreciate advice on how to make the most of your products or services?

Also, think beyond your own knowledge. See what your competitors are posting about, work out which of their posts are performing best in terms of likes, shares and comments, then reverse engineer something similar as part of your own campaign. Scour Google News for information on what’s going on in your industry, and how the latest news might affect your customers. You can even use platforms like AnswerThePublic.com and Quora.com to keep tabs on hot topics and common conversations.

Don’t worry if you get stuck from time to time. Inspiration will strike when you least expect it. Make a note in your phone of any ideas that come into your head. Better still, set up a pad and paper next to your workspace so it’s ready and waiting for those lightbulb moments.

How can you make sure your blogs are supporting what you’re doing on social media?

Firstly, you can post out the link to your latest blog as soon as it has been published. Sharing it in this way will help to keep your accounts active, and fresh content will be sure to generate more traffic to your website.

But once you’ve got some meatier, longer-form content in the bank, you can also use these ideas as the basis for some new social media posts, too.

Let’s say you’re a cakemaker, and you recently posted a blog that talks about the benefits of ordering a custom-made sweet treat for a special occasion. The blog content itself is pretty straightforward – it’s a rundown of the advantages of getting in the experts, and not putting pressure on yourself to become a bona fide Great British Bake-Off contestant overnight! – but you can extract different sections and turn them into shorter snippets and stories that people can relate to. You should share a funny horror story, put out examples of amateur efforts gone wrong, or even paste in a testimonial from a recent customer who wishes they had paid a professional sooner, all while referring back to the original piece.

Grappling with writers’ block?

Not sure if you’re using your blogs to your best advantage?

I can help you come up with incredible content ideas that will breathe new life into your social media marketing plan and your wider content marketing strategy. Contact me today, and let’s have a chat about what you need!