Blogging is a fantastic way to build awareness for your business and area of expertise. Blogging allows your constituents to see the real voice behind your business and demonstrates your knowledge in your areas of expertise. It is also part of your permission marketing channel that can lead to new connections and opportunities.
However, blogging is hard.
Most people I talk to have a difficult time blogging because they are not sure what to write about, how to write, or how to keep up. Here are a few business blogging tips that will hopefully make blogging easier for you.
1. Keep a list of ideas and capture them in real time. If you try to come up with great ideas every time you sit down to blog, it can be difficult to maintain inspiration. However, if you capture your ideas into a list whenever they come to you, it will be much easier to blog when you have the time because you already have a list of ideas ready to go. I use Jott to capture ideas on the go.
2. Blog in a conversational style. Don’t try to use marketing speak or a stuffy corporate tone. Blog as if you are explaining your thoughts to a friend and write in simple, plain language. Content on the web should be easy to read to accommodate the shorter attention spans in this medium.
3. Don’t promote… educate, instead. No one wants to read a blog that blathers on and on about your company and how great your service is. People do want to read things that help them and provide value. If you want loyal readers and content that gets shared, keep it constituent-focused.
4. Don’t worry about word-count. Say what you need to say and stop there. A blog can be 500 words or a single paragraph. Seth Godin sometimes blogs in one sentence.
5. Blog about things that matter to your customers. If you provide marketing services, teach your customers how to market. If you provide health care services, teach your patients how to maintain proper health. If you sell products, teach your customers how to get the most from that product. The possibilities are endless.
Blogging can and should be fun. If you are passionate about what you do and you know what you are talking about, then relax and let the words flow. Don’t over-analyze it. Your constituents will appreciate an honest tone and valuable content. Future customers will take notice, as well.
