Blog/review writers - Options?

[JCKST1]

Hi everyone,


I am looking at adding a blog section to my website, nothing major but probably one or two 'blogs' per week.
I want to keep it quite laid back and easy to read rather than a full-on product review and wanting to know the best way of doing this?

My idea was to offer a product to a potential customer at trade price in return for a genuine enthusiast write up. We can send them a template and they basically fill in it. It would include basic info on them, why they chose this product and what it replaced and then a comparison to their old product and if the upgrade was worth it, add some pics and so on. As mentioned nothing major but a quick read for people and hopefully some shares online.

Has anyone done the above before?
Or do you think I would be better paying someone to write a blog post and if so at what cost would you think was reasonable. We can supply them the products and they give us a write up.

Alternatively any other ideas welcome.

[anonymous-user]

Writing good content once or twice per week will take you a lot of time, even if you are outsourcing the writing part to other people. So it is worth first clarifying your objectives - this will make it easier for anyone here to offer any advice and suggestions.

Are you looking for a general seo benefit by bringing people to your website? Or are you trying to create content that existing visitors will find useful?

[DSLiverpool]

What do you sell ? One of my old phone competitors had a good idea setting up top 10 of each category and even his own annual awards. Laughable but it was great to sell overstocks.

[buggalugs]

Without knowing much detail I would only comment that one or two a week is perhaps a bit much for a blog, one or two a month might be more sustainable long term and give the same benefits over time.

Try and speak to a few independent content generators / copywriters and see which one seems to 'get it' the best.

[Frimley111R]

I have done a lot of copy writing for numerous companies including blogs and I'd say, IME:

Plan out what you want to write about over the rest of the year otherwise you'll use all your best ideas at the start and then struggle with what to write

Why are you blogging? What's the aim/benefit to your company?

Once you publish a blog what are you going to do to get people to know it is there? Social media, email marketing, email footers, highlights on the HP of your site?

Make sure you have a CTA at the bottom. Make it easy for readers to do something (find out more etc) once they have read it.

Keep it short and conversational, no-one is going read a long blog post.

[JCKST1]

Thanks everyone.

So our company is in the cycling sector, a 'premium' cycle shop.
I noticed these guys in California have a great little blog section which has picked up traction over time and seems to be ran mainly from customer/rider reviews with the occasional mechanic input.

https://www.worldwidecyclery.com/blogs/worldwide-c...

I was planning on something along those lines, just a quick short read for people but from genuine every day riders rather than semi-pro magazine reviewers.

What do you think would be the best way? I guess some kind of incentive for the customer in return for their review & time?

[akirk]

Frimley111R said:

I have done a lot of copy writing for numerous companies including blogs and I'd say, IME:
Plan out what you want to write about over the rest of the year otherwise you'll use all your best ideas at the start and then struggle with what to write
Why are you blogging? What's the aim/benefit to your company?
Once you publish a blog what are you going to do to get people to know it is there? Social media, email marketing, email footers, highlights on the HP of your site?
Make sure you have a CTA at the bottom. Make it easy for readers to do something (find out more etc) once they have read it.
Keep it short and conversational, no-one is going read a long blog post.

Good comments...

plan it though also for seasonality - tying it into events which are relevant to the customer through the year - both from the general calendar (Christmas / New Year / Mothering Sunday / Father's Day / start of the summer holidays / back to school / etc.) - but also from your own sector calendar (races / end of winter - get the bike out / etc.) - Relevance is everything - if the person reading thinks that it hits what they were considering then you are part way to a sale...

then - def. call to action - make it work...

if you want returns, then make it a source of offers - so stuff you only see / find by reading the blog... i.e. give an incentive to actually come and read it...

[JCKST1]

Thanks.

We will put a plan together and try to get some written in advance so for example when the weather takes a turn for the worse we could put a review/blog up about a set of winter tyres or bike cleaning kit which might then generate a sale, especially if we put something like a free delivery coupn code or similar on the article.

[DSLiverpool]

Name your best route and tell us why would work well.