The stock market attracts a wide array of investors and seemingly endless ways to invest. While I won’t pretend to be an expert on… well… any of them, I do know that this presents finance marketers like you with a wide variety of topics to cover in a stock trading blog. As head of a successful copywriting company, I think in these terms and, specifically, in terms of how I can help my clients (and potential clients) make money through quality written content.
Today, I want to give you some basic but crucial advice on how to develop, launch, and maintain a stock trading blog that aligns you well for success. If you have been trying to make headway with an existing blog but have found it difficult to grow your reader base, what follows should prove very useful in getting better results and more conversions. How many of the following need a little tweaking? How many have you not previously considered?
Decide on Your Audience
One of the biggest problems I’ve seen in various content areas is a lack of clear focus on who the target audience for a blog is supposed to be. For new blogs, you might have to experiment with various content areas until you find a niche that works well. For existing blogs, your most current metrics should be able to help you pinpoint which topic areas are most successful. At a minimum, they can point you in the right direction and give you a better idea of where to concentrate your efforts.
Beyond that, it’s really a matter of existing expertise. Writing about what you know is always the best strategy, but that’s not to say you can’t educate yourself about other areas of stock investing and write authoritatively about them. With the way most markets shift, it would actually be wise to stay ahead of the curve and keep current on as many current trends as possible.
Avoid Bias and Opinion
Really good stocks and really promising investment opportunities can make for exciting content. Still, there are ways to generate excitement without bias. It’s a fine balance, but it can be done. Think of stock trade blogging in more journalistic terms. When developing content like news articles and press releases, adherence to facts over opinion is critical. Start looking at your stock investing blog in the same terms. Also, have a look at a few good news blogs to learn how to do this right.
“But blogs are supposed to entertain as well as inform.” Well, you’re right, but you still have the responsibility to deliver sound, unbiased information. Like with many things related to content marketing, there is a certain degree of skill involved in striking a balance between educating and engaging. If your efforts in this area have fallen short in the past, I have a solution for you that I will share at the end of this piece.
Steer Clear of Actual Investing Advice
I don’t care how hot the tip is. I don’t care how successful others have been. Never, ever tell people that they should make specific investments or offer advice on how to best approach specific investment opportunities. Remember that your job is to present the facts and let the reader decide how to manage them.
While it is very unlikely, you could open yourself up to liability making certain claims or encouraging action on investment opportunities, so please take this advice seriously. I’m speaking more to the bloggers and marketers here than I am to actual investment professionals, but I’m certain the latter group would agree. It’s fine to communicate enthusiasm. It’s not fine to steer people in the direction of investing as a means of getting clicks or generating conversions.
Identify and Disclose Risks
Conversely, it is always a good idea to draw attention to the risks inherent with investing and examine risks specific to a particular investment or investment strategy. One thing about blogging that works in your favor here is that people like controversy. If you lead with a controversial title or description, it will generate readers.
The only other bit of advice I would offer here is to steer clear of marketing tactics that could be considered clickbait. Don’t overstate or use sensationalistic language. Keep the concept of reporting in mind as you go, but don’t be afraid to mention the point of controversy in your titles or social media posts. Remember that when readers click through, they are doing so with specific expectations. Don’t disappoint them by overhyping what they will find when they click through to your blog.
Stay Current
While there are plenty of evergreen topics on the subject of stock trading (and I do think that every stock trading blog needs to offer a percentage of them), most have a definite shelf life. That shelf life is also likely to be short. This is another area where staying ahead of the curve is critical. Timeliness and relevance are key concepts in a stock trading blog. Don’t neglect hot-button topics, and don’t wait to cover them.
The last thing you want is for your blog to look like it’s following on the heels of bigger, more successful ones. Build up your reputation by showing your audience that you know your content area and are committed to providing content that is relevant right now.
Timely Content on Your Schedule
If you are concerned about how you’re going to keep up with the demands of a blog like this, or if you know going in that you won’t have time to keep up with it on your own, contact us today. At BeezContent, we work with a talented team of both in-house and freelance writers who deliver quality content even on a tight schedule. Just let us know what you need and how we can help. Don’t know where to start? We can help with that, too. Contact us today to learn more.
