Everyone is looking for ways to improve their blog so they can increase readership as well as engaging those who read your posts 
on a regular basis. Here are some tips I share with manufacturers who are trying to reach specific audiences like the professional tradesmen.
- Know what you want to accomplish. You need to ask, What objectives/goals are you identifying in order to strengthen your brand? If you have multiple channels, you may need to develop strategies and blogs for more than one.
- Content is king. Make sure once you’ve identified the market and your goals, you’ll need to deliver some useful information, whether it be product or industry issues, or helpful hints on how a tradesman could tackle a project.
- Listen, Listen, Listen. You get the idea. In order to deliver that valuable info in bullet point #2, you need to have a sense of what’s a buzz in your industry. This could come from sources like Google Alerts where you put in key words and follow them on a daily basis or joining groups on LinkedIn. In all cases, listen before you jump in on the conversation.
- Engage your audience by asking questions. Social media, by definition, should be engaging and you really want to have their input, comments and suggestions. It’s amazing. I get some of the best info from readers going back and forth discussing an issue, and I just sit back and LISTEN!
- Be the “go-to” resource for your readers. What that means is, as you do your homework, you share with them appropriate links on the subject at hand so all they have to do is click on the link. You don’t have to be an expert in everything, but you do have to be a good resource.
Darren Rowse has an interesting post, 13 tips for marketing your business with your blog , that you might find helpful. Also, Chris Brogan has a post, 23 essential elements of shareable blogs, that I suggest you read.
What things are you doing that are working that you can share with us?
