Every week we publish a blog so that our community can enjoy it. After all, we are trying to practice what we preach – blogging is SO important for your business. But why?
Let’s come back to that and talk about how you can find inspiration for your blog. First, because I think that’s the hard part. The first few blog posts are fantastic, and then you start competing for content, and your postings get more and more sporadic and then missing. If you hate writing and blogging is an annoying duty, then you should get help from someone who enjoys writing, it’s worth it.
What is our blogging strategy? Where do the topics come from? Here’s what we do:
1. Conversations with customers offer inspiration – your questions (and struggles) are not unique and often lead to exciting blogs.
2. Plan our content as part of our overall social media strategy. Our blogs link to our social media posts. These, in turn, are connected to our live Facebook videos, it’s all connected, so there is some planning. Because we are all involved in the strategy, there is mutual accountability that motivates us not to let each other down.
3. We read incessantly, and what we learn is reflected in what we write. Often a group of us read the same book, and the discussions about how we interpret the text for our clients are interestingly reflected in our blogs.
4. We take the time to do this – yes, it is typically a Sunday afternoon with a large pot of coffee.
5. We create several at once, so if we miss a week, we have an archive.
Now, as to why
1. Blogs bring traffic to your website. – If we refer to point two above, if you publish your blog on your website and then link social media posts back to the blog, the eyes from these sources will land on your site. Add a lead magnet pop-up on your website, and you will now collect leads.
2. Blogs help you connect with your market. – Today I’m blogging about something I’d like to tell you all about, but that’s probably not going to happen. Having this conversation with you is vital for me. It helps me to share my passion with a different voice than the one you “hear” on our website. On the blog I tell stories, share relevant information, and show you a little more about my personality. Even in a small way, we are connected.
3. Search Engine Optimization – new content on your website, helps with SEO. Add to that the words you have chosen, and Google’s search engine will love you.
4. Be an industry leader – a blog about what you know and what makes you unique. Relevant and timely content that is industry-specific will help you build your brand.
5. Your blog is a lead generation tool. Let’s use point one here to increase traffic to your site. I’ll give you a tip that very few people use, but which will undoubtedly help you collect the valuable e-mail addresses you work so hard for.
I assume you have created a lead magnet that appears when you have a visitor to your website. Let’s say you are a nutritionist, and this lead magnet is a free downloadable worksheet for busy heads of households who want to eat better on a budget. It is a fantastic resource! However, the blog you just posted was written for individual gourmets who have a lot of time for cooking but want elegant and nutritious meals that are low in fat and tasteful. Your lead magnet pop-up won’t appeal to this market. Still, you are developing a program that will serve the individual foodies out there.
Here’s a tip. If the blog has brought them to your website, why not have a new link to access a download with the recipes presented in this blog. Imagine: “Wait, there’s more! I want to send them to you by e-mail as an exclusive bonus for your visit”. And if you want to have fun, segment this list so you can distinguish the individual foodies from the busy families.
