Blogging is one of the easiest ways to provide fresh content, engage readers and spread the message about the benefits of window film on your website. Blogs also help improve your SEO performance because it keeps readers involved on your site – which tells Google that your site is an interesting resource worth putting at the top of a search.
So, what is a blog? The word “blog” derives from “web log”. Think of a blog as an online diary, in which diary entries – or blog posts – are made frequently and can be read by everyone. Blogs are dynamic, in that content is consistently added and are organized in reverse chronological order (with the most recent entry listed first). Blogs provide you a consistent voice to be able to tell the story of window film, your company and the services that you provide.
Many 3M Authorized Dealers already have a blog on their website. If you don’t, this might be something worth adding. Talk to your website developer. Many website platforms have a blogging widget or plugin that can be easily added.
Here are some FAQs and best practices as it relates to blogging:
How often should I blog?
Blogs provide a way to continuously add fresh, new and interesting content on your website. It is recommended to blog at least once a month. Some will choose to blog more often than that. Consistency is key. It’s important that you have the time necessary to produce a quality blog that is well written and provides details about your topic that are interesting to the reader.
How long should my blog be?
The rule of thumb has always been 300 words. In recent years, Hubspot research has shown that 2,250-2,500 word blogs have a higher SEO performance. Longer posts keep readers engaged on the page longer, have higher share rates and have more social media posting – but this is for more experienced writers. Again, it is more important to provide quality information – not quantity. If people are finding the information in your blog is interesting, that is far more important than writing a lot of words just to reach a specific word count.
What topics should I cover?
Think of your blog as an extension of the voice of your company. What would you want to tell your neighbor across the fence post? Topics can include the benefits of window film, caring for window film, warranty information, product details, staff spotlights, new product releases and more. Prepare a 12 month editorial calendar that outlines your blog topics per month.
I’ve made a blog post. Now what?
Congratulations! You have your first blog post on your website. But it’s not like “Field of Dreams” with Kevin Costner – if you build it, people don’t come! You have to tell people about it. Make a post on your social media channels, including LinkedIn and Facebook, to start bringing attention to the blog post. Do you have an employee newsletter or a customer newsletter? If so, add the blog in the newsletter so that everyone is aware that you have a new blog post. Spread the word in a variety of places. Your goal is to keep people engaged and visiting your website for more.
What is a vlog?
In today’s digital landscape, people aren’t just providing written blogs anymore. Some people are using their cell phones or video cameras to capture regular video blogs – or vlogs. This is certainly an opportunity for your company. We recommend using a platform like YouTube and embedding video on your website. Be sure to link your YouTube channel on your website, as well.
Questions? Want more information? Accent Distributing provides marketing assistance for it’s 3M Authorized Dealers. To learn more, contact Inside Sales at [email protected] or at (941) 922-5268.
