These days, everyone and seemingly every company has a blog. Many people do their blog simply for SEO purposes – and they’re smart in doing so. Publishing regular content with a smartly devised SEO strategy is a well-proven tactic. Blog writing services have grown quite popular as a way of making this tactic a reality – but with that, the integrity and quality of these blogs seem to vary greatly, with the chasm growing by the day.
Anyone can hire blog writing services to get a blog done – but is that really the most productive and beneficial goal? Get more bang for your buck by working with blog writing services to not only knock out your blog posts, but also write quality material. After all, what good does it do to publish a blog and increase your search ranking if people get there and abandon it quickly due to low-quality content (bounce rates only hurt you anyway). Here are our top five ways to get a better return on your investment when working with blog writing services.
1. Become Invested
You’re likely working with a blog writing service as a way to get your blog done despite your lack of available time and for some expert SEO input. Good idea. Make sure you’re working with a writing service that you can trust to get the work done – but also don’t be afraid to become invested yourself (and not just in the financial sense).
One of the biggest mistakes people make when working with blog writing services is just handing the project off with a “give us a blog about _____.” This is fine, and yes, your writing service can likely get it done – but if you want real results, you’re better off being a bit more invested in your own product. Take the time to read the content and to provide feedback and direction. Make your own suggestions. Drive the direction that the blog takes. It doesn’t have to take a ton of your time – but you should know what’s going on and where things are heading, etc.
2. Lead the Thought Process
Your blog has the potential to be a huge opportunity for your organization – take advantage of this by making your blog the best it can be. Good blog writing services can write about nearly anything – but that doesn’t mean that they’re experts in everything. You are the expert in your industry. Take the time to provide key points for your blogs.
For example, if there is a hot new offering or leading trend that you want to focus on, take a little bit of time to let your writers know what it is and if there are significant elements that they should include. Doing so will allow you to be a thought leader in your space and will help your blog offer quality, original, smart content – still with minimal time from you.
3. Don’t Treat It like a Checklist
Technically, each blog post likely is a checklist item for you – one tick on a sheet of what you need to get done for the week. But don’t forget to look at the bigger picture. Evaluate your strategy and results on a regular basis. Is your blog giving returns? How is your bounce rate? These analytics take just seconds to discover and will help you make small changes to drive better results. Communicate any changes in strategy or approach with your blog writing service to ensure that your efforts are united and work in tandem; this is part of what makes some companies’ blogs successful and others simple keyword cogs.
4. Be Original
Your company is unique – your blog should be unique, too. Work only with blog writing services that guarantee unique work. Don’t risk plagiarism or copyright infringements – make sure the posts pass Copyscape or other software checks.
Beyond being original from the legal standpoint, provide topics to ensure that your content is original in the industry and space – this will help drive more readers and to secure your place. Sure, blog writing services have writers who may be willing to brainstorm – but the best way to ensure originality and true thought leadership is to weigh in on the topic from the outset. Doing so will also ensure the progression of your blog with your readers.
5. Take Inspiration
Don’t be afraid to find inspiration in others’ blogs – but remember that inspiration and copycats are two very different things. If you find a blog that one of your competitors has done, consider the topic and look at ways that you might make that content unique. Perhaps you have a different opinion or want to expand on one particular idea or portion of that blog or piece of content. Send the original to your blog writing service, and then give the writers an idea of what you are looking for – a good blog writing service will know how to take your inspiration and breathe new life into it to meet your ideas.
The bottom line is that your blog writing service should be a tool that you use to not only schlepp out content for a blog that technically exists, but also to deliver quality content that will make your blog truly unique and a great “working portfolio” for your organization. Be a part of that dialogue and drive better blogs and better results – without having to do the work yourself, of course. After all, that’s the beauty of a blog writing service.