Your business doesn’t have a blog? Are you serious? It doesn’t have to be War and Peace or take a huge investment of time. But what it does need to do is engage with your readers and attract potential customers.
But let’s be clear here. There are personal blogs and business blogs – two quite different animals. Personal blogs can veer from excruciatingly dull to downright cringeworthy – like a Christmas letter, and we’ve all suffered through reading one of those.
Business blogs, on the other hand, offer useful information that reflect your expertise. And the super-good news is that they’re simple and easy to put together.
Why should I bother blogging?
Well, for starters:
- A blog increases your online presence yet doesn’t cost a bomb
- It can create sales opportunities by encouraging return visitors to your website, ready for you to turn enquiries into hot leads
- You get to sound like an authority on your subject. Basically, because you are
- A blog works for you 24 hours a day and doesn’t argue about having to work public holidays.
What kind of things should I write about?
Whatever floats your business boat, to be honest. The possibilities really are endless. Use these ideas for starters:
- Briefly describe a new product or service you now offer. No need to bang on, just a few points about why it’s so great
- Is there a piece of industry news that’s set you on fire? Chances are, others feel the same so put together a few paragraphs about the latest hot (sorry) topic
- Survey your customers. Ask them about a current issue or get them to road-test a product and give you feedback
- Pose a question and get a conversation started
- What’s positive about upcoming industry changes? What’s not?
You get the idea. Once you’ve put together your piece, read it through carefully and check for errors before uploading.
How often should I blog?
Don’t set yourself up for failure by proclaiming that yours will be a weekly blog. Once a month is just fine. And if a newsworthy topic happens to pop up in between time, then let your head go.
Make it easy on yourself
Bookmarking is a great way to quickly build a veritable library of blogging ideas. When you’re busy browsing, be sure to bookmark engaging interviews, interesting articles, industry alerts, business related YouTube videos, product reviews, top websites and more. You’ll never be stuck for inspiration again!