Just like almost every company out there, your business has a blog. Whether the blog is used to introduce and review new products, or use it as a means of communicating industry news and advancements, the blog can be an incredibly effective tool in your marketing toolbox. The ultimate goal of your blog is to boost communication, boost engagement and generate more conversions.

You may be seeing a great traffic flow to your website and your blog. You may even be seeing a rise in social media shares. But without seeing those conversion numbers go up, the truth is that your blog isn’t working for you. Our team at Azuri Group has gathered the 8 most effective ways of generating a boost in conversions, through your blog. Read on to learn more.

1. Don’t neglect your headline

The title that you select for your blog post is a key part of driving traffic and interest to your website. If the headline isn’t great and doesn’t deliver, your content and blog are going to be overlooked.

Clearly you don’t want misleading clickbait headlines. You do want to grab the attention of those who may otherwise be mindlessly scrolling through their email or on social media. Consider that an impressive 80% of your followers and readers, or search engine browsers, will see the headline of your blog post. But just 20% of those individuals will take the time to click through and read the content.

So, just how do you create an emotion-evoking headline for your blog? We’ve got a quick list to help you.

• Keep it short and sweet. Titles longer than 62 characters are likely to be chopped off in search engines anyway.
• Use numbers and information that offer solutions to problems.
• Use words that include ideas, ways, solutions, tips, secrets and so on.
• Create headlines that inspire a sense of urgency.
• Use words considered to be power words, which could include easy, fast, and now.

2. Create content that blasts away the competition

We hear it all the time. The creation of terrific content is perhaps one of the most important factors in driving both leads and conversions. But there’s more to it than just filling up your blog with posts for the sake of something to post. More content does not equate to yours being a better blog.

Your content needs to be relevant, absolutely. But it also needs to be better than similar content that is out there amongst your competitors and others in the industry.

So, just what do you do? How do you ensure that your content stands out amongst others that may be featuring the same topics? The truth is that much of the content on blogs is regurgitated. As an example, a common issue seen amongst dentists is that their blog posts are short. The blogs cover the same topics that their competitors do. There’s nothing new or interesting being covered. If you’ve read one blog post about veneers or dental implants, you’ve read them all.

To avoid falling into the trap of monotonous and regurgitated content, there are some steps that you can take. Do research into what other industry leaders are writing about. What does their content say? Most importantly, what doesn’t their content say?

Provide the content that no one else is delivering. You’ll be able to provide authentic and actionable advice that cannot be found elsewhere. The results will likely be beefed up content that is 3 to 4 times as long as those 400 to 500-word pieces found in abundance across the blogosphere.

Quick tips include the following.

• Ensuring your blog posts have an easy to look at and read layout
• Infusing your content with emotions that can evoke action from your targeted audience
• Delivering quality information that is interesting and engaging.

Covering a popular topic this week? Offer your readers a different viewpoint and spin on the topic. Your goal is to pack an incredible amount of value into a blog post of between 1,500 and 2,500 words.

3. Integrate the call to action

The call to action (CTA) is something that we at Azuri Group encourage our clients to feature. The CTA can be placed anywhere within the blog post and on the site itself. We often recommend that our clients include the CTA at the end of web page content. And at the very end of the blog post itself. It does not need to be an overly flowery or elaborate CTA. Simply encourage your readers to follow up with any questions that they may have about the topic you’ve discussed. “Are you interested in learning more about the tummy tuck procedure? Are you ready to schedule your consultation? Call our clinic today, to get started!” Something as simple as that little blurb can remind your potential clients that you are available to meet their needs. And that you are available to answer the questions that your blog post may have inspired.

You don’t even need to put much thought into creating a CTA. Something as quick and easy as a blog subscription form or a “call me back” form can boost conversion rates.

It may sound overly simplified, but you may also be surprised at just how effective the CTA can be. If your content is going to exceed the average length of the blog post, which is around the 400 to 500-word mark, consider naturally integrating the CTA somewhere in the middle of the blog post. This will get your message in front of those who tend to casually scan blog posts versus reading and absorbing the content.

4. Increase time spent on your site

The more time that your audience spends on your website, the more likely they are to convert into clients. But how do you capture the attention of an audience that is often quick to browse away if they lose interest?

• Offer easy links to the previous or next posts on your blog.
• Integrate internal links within the content of the blog. Keep in mind that internal linking is a positive thing for the website’s SEO.
• Consider the design of your site. Is it clean? Is it easy to find useful topics? You have a very short window in which to convince readers to stay on your site. Ensuring that the design of your site is simple and free from clutter makes the site easier to look at.
• Integrate quality images across the blog posts. Images not only break up the monotony of the paragraphs, but images can offer additional focal points of interest. Your images should be relevant to your blog and to your business.

5. Take it easy on the popups

It can be ultra-tempting to have popups springing up on your website and blog, to remind guests of specials that you have running. But this is also quite often a quick way to annoy those who simply want to read. Consider that many of your readers will be visiting your blog from a mobile device. It can be frustrating to tap a popup away when you’re simply trying to read the content that it is now obscuring.

That’s not to say you shouldn’t ever use a popup reminder to subscribe or to learn more about specials and deals. Just be mindful of them and consider whether it’s appropriate to have them on each of your blog posts.

6. Integrate videos, or vlogs

Whether you’re adding in a related video or doing an entire vlog on the topic, it can truly make a difference for your potential clients to see and hear an expert from your company. As an example, if your primary business focus is on breast implants (this sample topic has been linked to our client to show one of numerous blog benefits), it can put the mind of a nervous patient at ease to hear your definition of the procedure. As patients, we want to connect with our care providers; regardless of the type of treatment or procedure.

It can take just a few extra minutes to record, but it can truly pay off when you see that boost in your conversion rates.

• Keep your content relevant to your blog post topic.
• Keep the video or vlog fairly short, but informative.
• Avoid the use of music, as it may inadvertently overshadow your words as you speak.
• Keep the content light-hearted, but professional. Be witty but not overly goofy. Your goal is to convey an important message, with sincerity and warmth.

7. Considering publishing times and frequency

It seems that every self-described guru out there has an opinion on the optimal publishing times for your blog posts, and on just how often you should be posting your blogs. The issue is that most of these so-called experts tend to agree on the same times of day and the same frequency.

This is your opportunity to stand out. Do you really want to push your blog posts through to everyone’s feed at the same time as other companies? If you select an off-time to push your blogs live, you’ll be able to grab readership attention when the other noise and online clutter has settled down. As a result, you should have a far greater chance for seeing those conversions increase.

At the end of the day, blogging is a simple equation of supply and demand. For example, if your particular niche is saturated with content, and you’re pushing out the blog posts at a rapid-fire rate, there are good odds that many of your posts will go unnoticed.

In terms of how often you should be publishing your blog posts, sometimes a less is more approach truly is better. Don’t be afraid to test your content and audience. Create a few in-depth posts a week, create a few fun and light-hearted posts, and publish them. See what frequency helps you to see a boost in your conversions. Today’s reader, regardless of the industry or niche, can easily tire of the same repetitive content pushed in front of them too often.

8. Considering the chat widget

Do you have a live chat widget on your site? Whether it’s a bot or a live option during business hours, there are several benefits to using this feature on your site. The chat widget serves as a reminder to your readers that it’s a breeze to reach out and ask their questions. This feature can also appeal to those who are less likely to pick up their phone and make the call. As a result, this will trigger the initial conversation that can ultimately lead to the conversion that your business needs. There is a fine line between useful and annoying, however. Chat widgets that constantly make noises to remind site visitors that they are there can quickly annoy and lead to your guests leaving your site.

Be sure to encourage your readers to comment with their own experiences, and encourage them to share your blog posts with family and friends who may find the content interesting or helpful.

Above all, remember that your credibility and reputation is on the line each and every time that you publish a blog post. In other words, if you are delivering newsworthy material to your targeted audience, it is imperative that you take the time to confirm the information that you are sharing. For instance, verify your sources and provide valuable content to those looking to you to have the answers.

In conclusion, with a bit of patience and time you’ll be able to see your blog post conversions increase just the way that your business needs them to. Remember that you can also turn to the expert input from folks like those of us at the Azuri Group, where we understand the pulse of the blogosphere and information age.