Writing for your blog — whether you do it yourself or hire someone else — takes time, effort, and money. You should treat it as an investment and expect good returns. Luckily, effective blogging does pay.

Original, relevant content helps build your brand and establish your business as an authority in its industry. People usually turn to Google for answers to their questions, solutions to their problems, reviews for products, and suggestions for plans. Blatant marketing such as pop-up ads and banners aren’t useful to them and are ignored.

People want to hear from experts

What people want is info from authority figures who speak from experience. That’s where blogging comes in. You don’t have to be a journalist to be a blogger (though some journalists do choose to blog on the side). All you need is expertise in your field, a reasonable grasp of grammar and spelling, acceptable writing skills, and a bit of time. If you don’t have the last three, you can always hire a copywriter to carry out your vision.

Facebook marketing = Word of mouth marketing for the digital age

But of course, not all content is created equal. Why do some posts get shared a lot, while others end up being ignored? The secret lies in maximizing Facebook’s Like and Share features to your advantage. Through these features, Facebook made an online equivalent of word-of-mouth marketing. When a piece of content is interesting enough, people will Like it — which in turn increases its reach — and better yet, Share it within their own networks.

Creating content that gets shared

There are two kinds of shareable content: content with sharing options (like a repost button) or content with value (entertainment, education, or news). To ensure your own content gets mileage on Facebook and other social media networks, you have to create posts people will like and find are easy to share. Not sure where to start? Follow these 3 steps:

1. Follow similar blogs. — Keeping tabs on the competition will help you find the pulse of your target audience. When you read blogs within your niche, you’ll discover what people are looking for, what problems have already been addressed, and what else needs to be answered. You don’t want to repeat what everyone has said before, so addressing the gaps will give you an edge. Aside from blogs, following conversations on Twitter will give you a look into the minds of your target audience.

2. Initiate conversations. — Be proactive in establishing your brand by starting discussions. You can do this yourself, or even ask employees to help. For example, if you’re a travel agency, some of your staff members may be travel enthusiasts, so let them write about something they truly love to get informative content without sounding too sales-y. You can also expand your resources by tapping influential bloggers whose target audience is similar to your brand. Launch an event — such as a soft opening — and invite bloggers to join and ask them to write about their experience.

3. Create the content. — Stick to writing about what you know and like. Don’t focus too much on marketing; instead, focus on connecting with your target audience. People want a reliable perspective. To up the ante, ask them what they want to know about through online surveys and virtual suggestion boxes, and make sure to deliver the info as soon as possible. Keep content timely and fresh, so that people come back for more.

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