written by Bonnie Chomica
With all the pressure to do video in your marketing, are blogs still relevant?
You bet they are!
According to Optinmonster, each month approximately 409 million people view more than 20 billion pages.
So, blogging is not dead. In fact, it’s on the rise.
As far as content creation goes, blogging is your most powerful tool.
Blogs can position you as the authority on a topic or in a specific niche. They provide the opportunity to show what you know in a way that helps people to find some kind of solution to their problem or answer to their question.
Create content that answers people’s questions, or explains how to do something, without specifically promoting your business, and you’ll build your credibility. You will earn that all important know, like, and trust factor because of the knowledge you freely share.
In the grand scheme of marketing online, having a blog is important because you own your website, and therefore you own your content, unlike Facebook, Instagram, or other social platforms.
Post to your blog, it’s yours. Post to social sites, it’s theirs.
If Facebook went down tomorrow, or their rules and policies drastically changed, you could lose any content or images you have posted there.
When you post blog content to your own site, it is your intellectual property. You’re in control.
Authority Building
Terms like authority marketing and credibility marketing have evolved, but blogging is still at the base of those strategies.
Well-written blog posts can help you stand out from the competition. You look like the authority in your niche, by providing relevant and useful information.
You do that by helping that reader who found your blog post. Help her with her dilemma or achieving her desire. If she likes what she reads, there’s a good chance she will read other posts and view other pages on your website.
That will put you top of mind when she's ready to buy.
Here’s an example for a doggy daycare business:
Blog posts on the daycare site are mostly about dog behaviour - why dogs do certain things, how to stop them from certain things, how to create habits with them. Each post touches on a specific problem with helpful tips on how to correct the problem or situation.
Let’s say your dog is chewing your new Italian shoes. When you search for how to stop them from doing that, you may stumble upon this doggy day care’s blog post about why your pooch is chewing and how to stop them.
You then see their other posts about other dog tips that can help you with your puppy. You get to know them by their content. You like and appreciate their free helpful information. You start to trust them.
You see that they actually have a day care and training facility close to where you live, and you reach out to get help with your puppy’s behavioural problems.
The doggy day care’s content marketing strategy paid off. By blogging about useful dog care tips, they attracted you as a customer.
The strategy is long term. Content is written over time. But for the most part, it's always there and always available for someone to find you.
Continually creating content strengthens your brand to the point that people want to seek you out.
While they’re there, get them signed up for your email list for an even greater chance of building, and nurturing a relationship. That can also eventually lead to a sale.
That’s how blogging can improve your business.
Personal Branding
Your blog posts can also be an extension of your personal brand. It’s a chance to show your values, knowledge, opinions, and a glimpse into your personal life.
When you're writing, don’t use a corporate voice. People are turned off by that. We’ve become a much more casual society.
Just be yourself. But, maintain a professional demeanour. This is your business, after all.
Be authentic and personable, and even humorous, if that’s applicable to your audience.
The blog is yours, so ideas and thoughts will be reflected as your brand. But because it is yours, you can even be controversial or opinionated if it fits your values and how you want to be represented.
To ensure you look professional and not like a hack, be sure to:
Research your topic – You don’t want to post misinformation
Cite or credit resources, images, etc. – e.g., If you're sharing another person’s blog post
Check your grammar and spelling – Sloppy work will turn people away
What Do You Write About
Because blog writing is not like promotional writing, e.g., brochures, posters, or website content, you have to get inside your reader’s head and not think in a sales mode.
What keeps them up at night?
What issues are they concerned about?
What desires are they trying to achieve?
Your valuable content should provide helpful information. But how do know what to write about?
Here are some ideas to get your creative juices flowing:
What questions do you get from clients, or at networking events?
Ask your Clients or Prospects – surveys, interviews, etc.
Search for your keywords and see what others (your competition) are writing about
Research other blogs in your niche but in another part of the country or continent
e.g., If you are a Life Coach in Vancouver, search for a Life Coach in Florida
Comments left on your blog or social media accounts may also spur ideas
Consider your workshops, webinars, or tradeshow participation – what benefits of your service can you write about in a value-added context
These are just a few starter ideas. You’ll begin to collect topic ideas as your blog grows. They'll also become more obvious the more you talk to your clients.
Blog Consistently
Blog writing takes commitment.
If you want to get fit, you go to the gym. If you want to grow your business with a blog, then you need to commit to the process.
Just like going to the gym, with continued effort you will see results.
Approach your blog content creation like a publisher. It will help you stay consistent and accountable to yourself and your readers. Regularly create great content on your blog as part of your content marketing strategy and people will look forward to reading it and sharing it with others.
Blogging can help you grow your business. You'll become the trustworthy and credible information source and be seen as the go-to-expert in your field.
That will lead to more sales!
Original content published at https://marketingdonewrite.ca