How to Use Your Blog to Capture Leads

Do your 2016 marketing plans include blogging? Did you know that blogging can help you capture leads that will benefit your business? A blog can be a valuable marketing tool, give you a solid foundation for your brand and your business, and even help you become a leader in your industry (just ask Marcus Sheridan, aka, The Sales Lion).

You can use your blog to communicate what's unique about your business, and how your business can help readers make their own businesses stronger.

It will be easier to maintain a blog if you write about something you are passionate about, especially as it relates to your business, including trends and how-to tips. ‍

Keep a list of topics handy.

Within WordPress’ help documents, you’ll find lots of tools and tips. For now, here are seven topics you might start as suggested by Chris Brogan:

1. How what your company does helps readers grow their business.

2. How readers can get the most out of whatever product or service you sell.

3. Q&As with some of your best customers about how they use your product or service.

4. Industry insights that could impact your customers' businesses.

5. How your company's products and services are different from your competitors.

6. Confessions from past mistakes.

7. How you deal with customer service mistakes.

Post on a regular schedule.

Most “how to” blogging blogs, advise posting at least twice a week. A regular schedule will turn occasional readers into loyal readers. Plus, if you don’t post new content on a regular basis, blogging won't help your SEO efforts.

‍• Create an editorial calendar. Some bloggers find it helpful to have blog posts on a to-do list of sorts. Consider creating a list of categories and then identifying topics within the category that you could write about.

‍• Make it easy for readers to follow your blog. Remind readers to sign up to receive new blog posts via email right on your blog.

‍• Make it easy for readers to share your posts. We use a WordPress plugin called

‍• Do your homework. If you want to learn more about best practices, check out Daniel Scocco’s Daily Blog Tips. It’s just what its title suggests, full of tips and tricks to help bloggers build successful blogs (one of his other blogs, Daily Writing Tips is also worth bookmarking. These are just a few ideas that will help you not just start a blog but maintain it. Do you have any tips or tricks you'd like to share? Let us know on Twitter @shortstacklab.