Your blog is often the first page of your website that perspective clients stumble upon. It’s the perfect place for you to showcase your expertise and disseminate company news. However, it’s not as simple as just throwing together few haphazard paragraphs and calling it a day. Successful blogs take research, time and careful cultivation. There are a several key elements that can make or break the success of your blog.

If you’ve been following our blog up until now you may be asking, “Hey Brandcave, how do you guys write such awesome posts?” Well, fear not, loyal reader. We’re about to tell you. By the end of this post, you’ll know how to blog effectively!

Choose a Target.

Establishing a target demographic is crucial to the success of your blog. The target audience you choose will shape the topics you cover as well as the voice you use. When deciding on a demographic, ask yourself three questions: who are we wanting to buy our product or service, what are their needs and concerns, and how can we help? Knowing this information can help you form the profile of your ideal reader and ultimately shape the type of topics you will cover.

Make Your Topic Relevant.

As discussed above, topics should be built to serve your target audience. Readers should always walk away from the blog with the feeling that they have learned something. The key here is relevancy and variety. You will want to cover topics that meet a day-to-day need of the potential client as well as topics that show your high-level industry knowledge. For example, including a blog that discusses how to draft an awesome eBook right alongside a post covering the current state of the content marketing industry would give readers a nice range.

Plan Ahead.

There is nothing more dangerous than starting out with an empty word document. A lack of research and preparation can result in a lack of purpose. Creating an editorial calendar can help you keep track of what topics you’ve covered, what research has been done and what keywords have been used. Decide ahead of time what keywords will most effectively serve your purpose. This is also the time to decide on what other content you will link to in your blog. (Pro tip: linking to other articles on and off your site can help you establish your credibility). This will also help you be prepared should a topic fall through. A blog is a constantly evolving item but there should be clear goals set in place to guide you through the changes.

Be Consistent.

Make choices and stick with them. Even if you have several employees drafting posts, make sure each post follows the same format, uses the same voice and stays consistent with your brand. Your posting schedule should remain consistent as well. Readers should be able to count on you to post routinely. Posting erratically can cause visitors to lose interest quickly.

Add a Call-to-Action.

The most effective blogs operate as a two-way street to benefit both you and the visitor. Not only can they provide information to the reader but they can be used a means for you to gather information about the reader. Common call-to-actions include signing up for a newsletter, filling out a contact form or filling out a form to access a more in-depth asset like an eBook. When relevant, you can also use this space at the bottom of your blog to direct users to other pages in your website like a products, services or solutions page.

Want to learn how to blog effectively? Following these tips. If you’re already blogging, don’t worry! You can easily incorporate these elements into your current practices. Just remember, decide where your audience wants to go, show them how to get there and then direct them forward.