Blog articles and blog marketing is a central tenet
When we write on subjects that pique a potential customer's interest, be that directly swim-related or not, we establish ourselves in that person's life as a resource that discusses this interest and those related to it. A person will then begin to affiliate that subject with our brand and begin to think of our brand when they think of that interest. As we continue to elaborate on these subjects we establish ourselves as authorities, or reliable sources of information, related to the subject. This customer, that now sees us as a subject authority and has an affinity for this resource, will now discuss the ideas and subject matter discussed in the article with their friends, family, and associates. Inevitably, our name and brand are shared with other individuals who may have never known or associated with our brand before. This then extrapolates across families, neighborhoods, and communities. This is the true power of blog marketing - reaching individuals we may have never been able to and establishing rapport with those that we do reach. This month, we want to share an article with you that elaborates on writing even just outside our main subject matter. Don't be afraid to write on subjects that may be on the periphery of swimming-related subjects as well. Your customers are individuals with a wide range of interests. Writing on topics that may include these interests gives additional reasons for customers to keep your blog on their radar. In this article, Assistant Vice President of Marketing at Brafton Marketing writes a synopsis of takeaways from this year's Content Marketing World 2018 Conference - Take a look!
Without further ado, here are the top blogs for August 2018!
Missy Franklin Gives Heartfelt Interview After U.S. Nationals Swim Meet 2018
Jul 31, 2018 1:23:01 PM / by Swimtastic Swim School
530 Views in August
This blog was written by Central as a reflection on a significant Missy Franklin interview after this year's National Swim meet. A few things make this blog interesting. First, the blog is a rewrite of a found subject. In this case, the original story and topic was written by SwimSwam.com. Instead of doing a simple social post sharing the original link, we wrote the article referencing and quoting the original article. Further, the central piece of content here is a video. Using video as the central content piece means you can write a description and synopsis for a subject and let the found or created video do the bulk of the work. In this case, we were able to utilize a subject and video that was already canned and it performed well with our audience. Try writing a synopsis or personal take on a video or topic you've found online - Reference the article or video and illustrate your take on the subject. This is an easy way to support the blog initiative and score QA points!
August 04, 2018 / by Monica Scrivner
478 Views in August
This article is an excellent example of how a location can take charge of educating their customer base and larger community. The Scrivners took one aspect of their lessons, their 25-yard pool, and wrote a listicle about the subject. List based articles can help organize your thoughts and gives you an outline in itself that will help write the article. The format for this article is very simple: introduction/description of the idea, the list of points arguing the thesis presented in the introduction, and a conclusion/synopsis of the presented information. The blog is succinct, digestible, and did not require a degree in library science to write an educated and informative article. Don't feel intimidated by the idea of educating your customers! If you think there is an aspect of the swimming experience, our lessons, or your location specifically that customers may be interested in or happy to learn more about: WRITE ABOUT IT! Additionally, while only 1% of views came from organic search results, we were able to reach people who were curious enough to click simply by this blog existing. Your blogs are often shared across our entire social brand network and gives an additional opportunity to convert viewers into customers. This blog converted two viewers to contacts with only 1 month of being online.
Top 5 things I learned from the 2018 U.S. Swimming Nationals
Aug 9, 2018 6:28:36 PM / by Karin Olmsted
474 Views in August
Central's Karin Olmsted wrote a piece detailing her experience at the 2018 U.S. National's meet. Blogs that relay experiences, takeaways, or synopses are excellent pieces because they are personal and typically emotionally engaging. This piece not only appeals to the competitive side that knows about Nationals but also to the newbie who is wondering "what do you learn from Nationals?" Remember, your customer base is multifaceted. We're talking to amateur swimmers, competitive swimmers, parents, grandparents, and everyone between. Again, a list-style article may help you communicate major points or simply help you be concise. Note that many articles shared from Central will appear on all blog sites.