Goodbye newspaper ads. For many retailers blogging has become the new way to reach consumers. And for good reason. Companies who blog receive 97 percent more links to their websites, according to Hubspot. Blogs have also been rated as the fifth most trusted source for accurate information and (with quality content) help extend a store's brand with a personal touch.
Here are some tips from two of our favorite blogs: The Chopping Block in Chicago and The Culinary Apple in Chelan, Wash.
Who writes the blogs? "For the Chopping Block blogs are written by a team of about 20 employees, from chefs to class assistants to sommeliers to retail associates to managers," says Andrea Miller, marketing manager for the retailer.
There is no shortage of content. "Our employees share their favorite recipes, gourmet products, restaurant experiences, cooking techniques, personal stories, travel triumphs in the kitchen and much more," she adds.
How often is it updated? "The Chopping Block posts each Monday through Friday, with the exception of holidays," says Miller. The Chopping Block also uses the blog, first launched in 2010, to offer cooking tips and recipes, which help promote the retailer's cooking classes.
"Our main goal of the blog is to create a conversation with our customers and provide them relevant, informative content to help them become better home cooks," Miller says.
The Culinary Apple currently runs three blogs, according to manager JoAnne Strandberg, who does most of the blogging for the retailer. The blogs were launched in 2014, as part of a website relaunch.
There is also a blog devoted to fudge, she adds, "since we make our own homemade fudge at the store." That blog is team effort. The last blog covers "everything else," which Strandberg also writes.
Need inspiration for beginning your own blog, read The Chopping Block's blog and visit The Culinary Apple.