Guest blog by Dennis Bridges, MBA
Occasionally I get questions about how we run our blog at X5 and seeing as this week’s topic includes marketing and operations, I figure it’s not a bad time to talk a little about that.
There are a handful of simple, but key elements that help X5 Management run a successful blog. The 
reader is the one that deems it successful or not as our goal is to provide you – the consumer with valuable and relevant content relating to sales, leadership and operations.
Step 1: Be willing to give before you receive
Establishing credibility and generating awareness through a blog is not a short-term strategy, it is something that builds in value over time. People might not engage in conversation with you for a while, but when they start to they will feel like they have known you for years. You have to be willing to invest time, energy and quality into producing relevant and relatable topics that people find valuable.
Step 2: Set a customer-centric goal for your blog
Step 3: Choose topics and frequency
Pick a set of relevant topics that will guide your writing and that of other possible contributors. Decide on how often you will publish; again thinking of what will be most valuable and appreciated by your audience. Write about topics that are creative and engaging, with relevant story telling to capture the reader’s attention.
Step 4: Find a blog champion
Like many ongoing projects, your blog will need a champion, someone who will manage your topic rotation and organize contributor efforts. This person may also do the final edit and formatting. They should also be responsible for seeing that the blog is published at the desired time. Successful blog strategies are consistent and timely.
Step 5: What’s the call to action?
If someone wants to do more than just read the blog once they learn what you’re about, what can they do? Make it as easy as possible to share the blog through social media, email, print etc. and provide a call to action. The call to action is generally an interesting image that describes what it links to and/or invites the reader to interact with more great contact. For example, schedule a free consultation or talk more with us about _______.
That concludes my top 5 steps to successful business blogging. Remember, blogging is a creative marketing effort that allows you to engage with people in many ways and in many topics. Writing quality pieces will help enhance your online presence and build brand awareness for your company and its people. Now, go get writing and have some fun!
Dennis Bridges Talks
Effective Presentation Skills:
Ep. 1 Posture https://www.x5management.com/how-to-deliver-a-great-presentation-episode-1-posture-positioning?__hssc=&__hstc=&hsCtaTracking=e9ece7b0-c495-4d3b-ada3-c64266732cb8%7Ce7fbc429-9850-40bf-97d9-28b4a2432338
