No word limits and no distractions. Maximise the potential of your blog by turning it into a marketing tool for your business.

1. How To
turn your blog
Into a
small business
marketing tool
The Beginner’s Guide for
Australian Entrepreneurs

2. Create S.M.A.R.T Goals
 Specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, and time-bound goals
ex. generating x number of leads through email subscription
Identify Your Target Audience
 Research the demographic of your target readers (age, occupation, etc.)
Identify your Consumer's Pain-points
 Find out what outcomes they are seeking.
 Find out what influences their decision to make a purchase.
 Find out how they want to engage with and buy from you.
develop your content strategy

3. Create Buyer Profiles.
 Create a buyer persona to target a specific type of audience.
 Create a buyer profile to target a group.
Create an Editorial Calendar.
 Plot blog topics.
Create a Posting Schedule.
 Quality over Quantity
 Blog at your own pace.
 Consistency is key.
develop your content strategy

4. Keyword Research
 Use SEM tools.
 Words or phrases your customers use to search online
 Use customer surveys.
 Talk to customer service and sales for insight.
 Use market research studies.
 Start with 4-5 keywords.
Audience Research
 Search for top sites using important keywords that are related to your
business.
 Scrape top sites using crawling tools to identify most shared articles, popular
type of content, and top social media sites used.
gather data for content creation

5. Idea Sources:
● Forums about your industry
● Comments section of articles related to your product/service
● News and industry trends
● Studies and research
● Online media aggregators and inspirations
- All Top / Feedly / Quora / Popular Quotes
gather data for content creation

6. Writing Checklist :
 Remember the five key principles of content marketing.
 Create the type of content your audience wants based on research.
 Create content that can be promoted in the locations that you want.
 Write for your buyer profile/personas.
 Be clear and concise.
 Have a sense of humour.
 Use catchy headlines.
 Write the way you speak to add your distinct voice and personality.
guidelines for content creation

7. Writing Checklist :
 Cite relevant studies and other references.
 Provide value: answer a problem, share an insight or idea, provide a
unique point of view.
 Check grammar and spelling but don't just rely on spell check.
 Read your post aloud to make sure that words and ideas flow
naturally.
 Have someone else proofread your post.
 Create a style guide if you have other writers or contributors.
guidelines for content creation

8. Format Checklist :
 Use numbers in headlines (ex. Top 5).
- 60-70 characters for search engines
- less than 60 characters for Google+
 Use lists, headings, bullets, and numbering.
 Separate points or ideas into chunks of paragraphs with 4-5 sentences.
Ensure that every paragraph is connected for a natural flow of ideas.
 Ideal length is 1,600 words but not required.
 Use at least one image - assume everything is copyrighted unless stated
otherwise (see this handy guide) or use your own images.
guidelines for content creation

9. SEO Checklist :
 Read the Beginner's Guide to SEO.
 Know your SEO myths and be up-to-date.
 Pick the right keywords and use related search terms.
 Write for humans.
 Incorporate keywords into sentences naturally.
 Create organic links.
 Use keywords in title, headings, and text but don't spam your content.
 When in doubt, hire a reputable SEO expert.
 Implement SEO during design.
guidelines for content creation

10. Design Checklist :
 Read expert level design tips.
 Determine what you want your readers to accomplish while on your
blog and build around those goals.
 People read from left to right; keep the most important content on the
top left portion .
 Choose a layout that best fits your type of content.
 Use a simple primary navigation.
 Make sure that the essentials are “above the fold” - the portion of the
website that is visible without scrolling.
 Design with SEO in mind.
 Skip the ads - focus on creating content and attracting readers.
optimise your design

13. Promotion through Engagement :
 Use your audience’s preferred social media based on research.
 Create profiles and engage with users so you won't be tagged as spam.
 Build relationships with top bloggers in your industry.
 Mix free and paid advertising.
 Use URL shorteners when promoting links.
 Use top sites from research for media outreach.
 Nurture acquired leads through email marketing.
promote your blog

14. Google Analytics :
 Divide goals into macro (overall) and micro (specific units) objectives.
 Define your criteria for quality web traffic.
 Create a traffic quality scale.
 Create segments based on scale.
 Identify and utilise top and assisting sources of traffic.
 Use Google URL builder to track links.
 Focus on outcomes.
measure | analyse | track

15. Free Tools:
● Headlines: Portent, HubSpot Blog Topic Generator
● Readability Test
● Images: Unsplash, Morgue File, Creative Commons, Flickr
● Infographic: Infogr.am
● Others : WordHippo, Placeit, Canva, Niice
● Keyword Tool
● SEO: Screaming Frog
● Social Analytics: Social Crawlytics, Topsy
● Quick Analytics: Market Grader, Similar Web
● Google URL builder
● Email marketing: MailChimp (Entrepreneur plan is free)
● Promote: Blog Engage, Listly
● Guest Post: Business2Community
● Balsamiq (free 30-day trial)
Free Resources:
● Copyblogger
● Switched on Media
● Flying Solo
● King Content
● Global Copywriting
● Inbound Marketing 101
● A list Apart

16. More bootstrapping tips from:
Small Business Strategies for Australian Entrepreneurs