To Blog or Not to Blog: Is the Wrong Question

“I can’t blog.”

I can’t believe how many times I hear my clients say this. “Of course you can,” I say.  But then I realize, they really don’t know how to get started or if they got started, how to maintain it. To get results from blogging you have to be consistent, be authentic, and share great content.

[bctt tweet=”To get results from blogging you have to be consistent, be authentic, and share great content.” username=”AliceHeiman”]

I started blogging sometime in 2008. Prior to that, I wrote articles for a local business weekly and then stored them on my website. I also had them on my computer so I could send them to my clients by email. Most of those articles turned into blog posts. In fact, I recently found one I hadn’t turned into a blog post, and voila, now it is.

I use my blog as a lead generation tool, by sharing information I know will be helpful with my customers and prospects. For example, when I connect with a prospect on LinkedIn, I will send them a personal message and a link to one of my articles. This allows me to be genuinely helpful, without coming across as a pushy salesperson.

Blogging does take time, but the benefits can be great. Once people see that you are sharing great content consistently they will come back for more, refer others to you and share on social media which helps you grow your audience.

You are the expert, and you can do it!

You and the people who work for you are experts at what you do. You do it with pride and you do it better than the competition. Blogging allows you to share your expertise in a way that will draw your ideal prospects to you. In order to stay in front of them, and be relevant, you need great content. Your blog provides that content and relevancy.

[bctt tweet=”You and the people who work for you are experts at what you do.” username=”AliceHeiman”]

Not a good writer? Don’t worry! You can get your ideas on paper and have an editor fine-tune them or you can find a good writer at your company and dictate your ideas to them. If you can’t do either of those, hire a writer. If you are on a tight budget, you can use services like Upwork to find a writer or call your local college.

Share!

Sharing what you know and sharing about your industry are important. More importantly, share your ideas about how things can change and improve. That’s thought leadership. People like to buy from thought leaders.

Blogging is one of the easiest ways to stay connected to your customers and in front of your prospects. By writing a blog your customers and prospects get to know you more personally. You can keep them up to date on your latest tools and techniques, products that improve productivity, industry research, you can write a recap of information shared at the last conference you attended, or even a customer journey. It lets them see you as a problem solver, not a salesperson.

But Wait?

I’ve convinced some of you, but now you’re saying, “Great, tell me how to do it and how to find the time to do it.”

Ok, I will.

1. With your team, brainstorm 52 topics you could write about.
2. Take the top 10 and write 3 to 5 key points about each one.
3. Schedule 1.5 hours to write the first 3 blogs.
4. As soon as you post the first blog, schedule 1.5 hours to write the next three.
5. Reverse and repeat. Take the next 10 topics and keep going.
6. Be consistent. Post on a regular schedule.

 

Bonus Idea: Find some guest bloggers. Find other thought leaders in your space and ask them to write a post once a month.

Things to remember:

1. Keep the posts short.
   • Resource: “The Anatomy of a Perfect Blog Post”, by Buffer
2. Find a great editor to proofread for meaning and grammar or use an online editor.
   • Resource: “Grammarly”
3. Come up with catchy titles after you write the post.
   • Resource: “100+ Blog Post Title Templates That Grab Attention”
4. Make them graphically appealing with headlines and photos or graphics. (Note: be sure to pay for the graphics and photos you use unless they are yours.)
   • Resource: “53+ Free image Sources For Your Blog and Social Media Posts”
5. End with a bang!
   • Resource: 7 Powerful Ways to End Your Next Blog Post
6. Find guest bloggers to
   • Resource: 5 Ways to Help Clients Get their Guest Blogging Down to a Science

A Few More Things…

Find some blogs in your industry and topics and see what they are writing about. Google, “blogs on [topic]”.  If you read a blog you like, ask the owner if you can re-post on your blog or have them guest blog. HubSpot has a great blog and they have staff writers and guest bloggers. Jeffbullas.com is a great example of using guest bloggers.  There are literally millions of blogs out there. Find some you like and follow them to get ideas.

Lastly, if the spirit strikes, write.  You can always use more blog posts. When several clients ask me the same question in a short period of time, the answer becomes a blog post. When I answer a question in one of my LinkedIn groups, my answer becomes a blog post. When a salesperson calls me and does a really bad job trying to sell me something, it becomes a blog post.

I love blogging, but I am still always challenged with finding the time to do it. The only thing I can tell you about that is to make the time. Once you have a year’s worth of blogs many of them can be re-purposed and used in other places or next year with a new title and a quick update.

I can’t wait to see your blogs. Let me know how this works for you. If you have any other great blog tips, please add them in the comments below.