Your business just put up a new blog and there it sits, without any posts, taunting you. Yes, it’s a little intimidating at first, though like anything else, once you write your first post you’ll feel better. So, what are you waiting for?
Most people don’t know what to write about and their mind goes blank when they are sitting in front of the computer so here’s my advice to get you started on your blogging career.
1. Think about questions customers (or potential customers) ask you over and over again. These “frequently asked questions” make perfect blogging material as you know it’s information which interests people.
2. Write when you’re motivated. If you read an article that relates to your industry or there’s a recent event that has some relevance to your business, use that as a topic for a post. Maybe another employee was discussing a conversation he had with a customer and you see an opportunity where a blog post could help educate them.
3. You need to schedule time to write posts. Your day is busy and unless you dedicate a specific time for blogging, you will find excuses not to. Your blog is important and as I frequently say, “a blog is SEO’s best friend” so make sure you don’t push it aside.
4. The most common thing people say is “I don’t know what I would write.” Well, almost anything is blog material so put yourself in the shoes of your customers and potential customers. What would they want to know? What educational material can you provide to make their decisions easier? Product reviews and comparisons would be helpful, along with explanations as to why certain services or products are a value to them, such as why maintenance on equipment can save them money and prevent a breakdown.
5. Don’t be afraid to ask other employees to write. Everyone has their own area of expertise so recruiting others to write posts will be of value to your customers (and you won’t have to do all the writing yourself).
6. Write in a conversational or semi-formal matter. A blog post is not the place to show off your extensive vocabulary and it’s not the place to use a lot of technical or industry jargon. You want people to read your posts so make them easy to read. They don’t need to be lengthy and don’t be afraid to use a little humor. In fact, I make it a point to keep my posts fairly brief so they can be read in a few minutes as you may lose people if your posts take too long to read.
That’s it. These are my pointers for getting you started. Remember, it gets easier and who knows, maybe you’ll even start to enjoy writing.
