In many ways, launching a business blog is like designing a rolling ball sculpture. Rolling ball sculptures also known as kinetic sculptures are so engaging because of the visual and aural spectacle — following intricate roller coaster paths, clinging and clanging along the way.  But the basic element is they are designed for perpetual motion.

The same goes for your business blog and the basic key to success is to plan for it to be a perpetual outlet for remarkable content.  When planned right blogs end up with the appeal, rhythm and engagement found in rolling ball sculptures.

 

Here are seven things to consider prior to launching your business blog:

 

1. Set aside time

Blogs fail because businesses cannot keep up with them.  Blogging requires frequency and commitment.  You should think about how frequently you want to blog and how much time you need per week to write.  Then set aside that time and stick to it.

2. Build a network or following

Your blog has a greater chance of succeeding if you have a larger community to share your content with.  Plan to build up a network or following prior to launching your blog.  That way it will have a wider reach from the get-go because more people can share it.

3. Keyword research

One of the biggest benefits of creating content is the search traffic it will attract to your site.  Do some research so you are targeting keywords that will bring in good qualified traffic to your site.  If you are struggling with what to write about this is also a great way to queue up some ideas for articles.

4. Create calls-to-action

You should take the time to think about what calls-to-action should go into your blog posts and create them.  If you want to derive business value from your blog in the form of leads and customers you need good, relevant offers to go along with your content.

5. Queue up articles

It never hurts to stay ahead of the curve.  If you plan to write once a week it may not be a bad idea to queue up four to five articles so you have a month’s worth of content ready to go.  This way you can stay consistent and keep up with your established publishing frequency.

6. Set up RSS/Subscriber feeds

If you want to grow your business blog you need to build a subscriber base.  Think about how to position your RSS feeds or email opt-in on your blog and your website to maximize subscriptions.

7. Ways to promote it

Lastly, it is critical to think about ways to promote your blog.  Will you tweet your articles or include them in your company newsletter? How often? How about sharing them on Facebook or LinkedIn? You might want to include your RSS feed on each of your profiles.  Spend some time on figuring ways to get the word out there!

What are some of the preemptive things you have done to help the success of your blog? Please share your experiences in the comments.

 

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Photo credit: Crimfants