You've decided you want to write a blog for your website. Fantastic! The question is: where do you start? The first step is choosing a topic. Knowing how to write a blog is pretty easy. Just keep typing until you reach 600 words.

But, writing a blog with a lead generating focus is entirely different. There's no point writing about your company and services once a week, and expecting people to read it. Because they probably won't.

Customers do not want regular updates on how good your products and services are. What they are looking for is useful content. Content that helps to educate, delight or teach them something they don’t know. Also they prefer content that is customised to them. 

These three tips can show you how to write a blog with a lead focus. One that draws readers in and converts them into loyal customers.

Step 1: Identify your target audience

Consider the type of person who will buy your products. You will write for these people. What age are they? What gender? What do they do? How do they spend their free time? What else do they read? This will give you an idea of what content is popular among your target audience, and what gets the most shares on social media.

Step 2: Create a visual profile of the consumer

Consider creating a visual consumer profile. Collect pictures that describe your target market. Get photos of people who fit the demographics you selected and add a few photos of their interests. Having a clear picture of who you're selling to will help you focus your blog posts.

For fun, why not give that person a name? Focus your content marketing efforts on... Henry or Anna.

Step 3: Organise your blogs to align with your content marketing strategy

Consider how best to connect with your target audience once you know who they are. The goal is to increase traffic to your website and turn visits into sales, so how do you do this?

An example could be:

Blog post and campaign idea:  "5 surprising health benefits for your hair"

Imagine I run an eCommerce business selling ethical hair products:

Millennials with disposable income make up the target market. Creative professionals from 21 to 35 years old who have gone to college or university. They enjoy traveling and are environmentally conscious. Aside from reading the Sydney Morning Herald, they research ethical products and veganism.

How can I make my blog relevant to them?

My first step is to consider tone of voice. Because they have a college education, don't patronise them with simplistic remarks. Also, I want to refrain from writing academic papers about hair.

I could write a blog post about how hair impacts the environment (and link to my organic hair product page)? My readers care about this topic, since it's relevant to my products.

The next post may be a blog about the benefits of healthy hair products. Or the best way to prepare your hair to preserve all its goodness. The possibilities are endless once you start writing.

Writing a blog takes focus and planning

Creating a great blog is the perfect starting point for your content marketing. Once you get your online presence up, you can then expand into sponsored content, or guest posting. That's when you can look into content marketing outreach.

To craft a custom content marketing strategy, contact us today to help you get that off to a flying start.