Why Blog?

            After almost a semester of blogging, I decided to cover they “Why” of blogging. Why is it so important? Why is more popular now than ever? Why blog?

            After doing some research and after some of the things I have learned in Journalism school, here are the most popular reasons of why blogging for business is something every one should be doing.

            1.) It generates relevant traffic.

                        Blogs are great sources of relevant content. Blogs are loaded with key words that will help with organic reach.

            2.) It helps convert traffic into leads.

                        A lot of bloggers recommend adding a lead generating call-to-action to blog posts. What that means is to have some sort of offer or give away at the end of the post that will require the reader to enter some of their basic info before they get the give away item, which will then hopefully lead to them becoming regular customers.

            3.) It helps establish your brand.

                        The best bloggers that are blogging for business will address concerns that customers have or they are creating content that will specifically catch the eye of their target market. By doing that you are contributing to the establishment of your brand. If you are creating content that educates them on your business, or addressing growing concerns they will see you as a company that pays attentions to their customers and appears transparent.

            Blogging is something that has became a growing trend in the last couple of years and it now plays a vital role in the marketing and PR department for businesses.

            After almost a semester of blogging, I decided to cover they “Why” of blogging. Why is it so important? Why is more popular now than ever? Why blog?

            After doing some research and after some of the things I have learned in Journalism school, here are the most popular reasons of why blogging for business is something every one should be doing.

            1.) It generates relevant traffic.

                        Blogs are great sources of relevant content. Blogs are loaded with key words that will help with organic reach.

            2.) It helps convert traffic into leads.

                        A lot of bloggers recommend adding a lead generating call-to-action to blog posts. What that means is to have some sort of offer or give away at the end of the post that will require the reader to enter some of their basic info before they get the give away item, which will then hopefully lead to them becoming regular customers.

            3.) It helps establish your brand.

                        The best bloggers that are blogging for business will address concerns that customers have or they are creating content that will specifically catch the eye of their target market. By doing that you are contributing to the establishment of your brand. If you are creating content that educates them on your business, or addressing growing concerns they will see you as a company that pays attentions to their customers and appears transparent.

            Blogging is something that has became a growing trend in the last couple of years and it now plays a vital role in the marketing and PR department for businesses.

Sources:

http://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/the-benefits-of-business-blogging-ht

http://www.prnewsonline.com/water-cooler/2015/05/06/8-benefits-of-business-blogging-infographic/

Sources:

http://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/the-benefits-of-business-blogging-ht

http://www.prnewsonline.com/water-cooler/2015/05/06/8-benefits-of-business-blogging-infographic/

How to use Pinterest Effectively

                                                     How to Use Pinterest Effectively

 

 

In the last few years Pinterest has taken the Internet by storm. In its early days there was actually a wait list to create an account. There is something for everyone on Pinterest. However, with that being said, it gets a little overwhelming and it can be difficult to use Pinterest effectively for your business.

After doing some research here are the foundational tips for using Pinterest effectively for your business.

 

1.)    Know your audience.

-          Pinterest is predominately used by millennial females. (according to AcuPoll Precision Research, inc) It is crucial to keep that in mind before deciding to invest your time marketing with Pinterest.

 

2.)    Make sure your boards are well organized.

-          Pinterest can already be overwhelming with the abundance of content. It’s important to keep your content clean and organized and user friendly.

 

3.)    It’s okay to look to other pinners for motivation or inspiration.

-          If you get stuck in a slump check out the users who are pinning your content and see what they are doing with it.

 

4.)    Make sure you include links that link back to your website.

-          Pinterest is a great way to link back to your website. If you have strong visuals, pinners will just about always click the link to learn more about that photo.

 

5.)    Include keywords and hashtags.

-          You want your content to be searchable. It’s important to include popular key words and hashtags in your posts so that they will pop when users are searching for them.

 

Those are the five basic tips for using Pinterest effectively for your business

 

http://www.godigitalmarketing.com/learn/blog/how-to-use-pinterest-to-effectively-market-your-small-business

Why is Blogging Important?

In the last few years’ blogs have really emerged. They are now used as a form of media outlet for thousands of people, especially PR professionals. Traditional journalists usually write from an objective point of view and attempt to be as unbiased as possible. But, blogs are usually written to persuade someone or they are selling something.

Statistics have shown that nearly 85% of people have purchased something after what they have read from a blog. People tend to trust what they read on a blog over anything else.

Now what does any of this have to do with PR?

Public relation bloggers are able to emphasize certain topics and target specific target markets.

After nearly 3 ½ years of my PR education, blogging is one of the main things that have been heavily emphasized.

Here are a list of blogs that have been credited as the ‘Must Reads” and are something that I have attempted to make a part of my daily reading routine.

- The Hub

- The Cycle

- PR in your Pajamas

- Bulldog Reporter’s Daily Dog

- Bad Pitch Blog

- PR Newser

- The Flack

This list can be found on Meltwater’s website

Blogging makes the company or whatever it is that is being represented appear more transparent.  Bloggers can be held accountable to giving raw and honest information.

Blogging is something that we should all be practicing and constantly working on sharpening. Maybe by the end of my college career, I’ll be pro.