To Blog or Not To Blog?

Written by Kathy Jiamboi Saturday, 23 April 2011 07:46

When I mention blogging to clients, their first reaction is that they don't have the time for it. Their second reaction is that they don't know what they would write.

When I mention blogging to clients, their first reaction is that they don't have the time for it. Their second reaction is that they don't know what they would write.

My clients reactions aren't crazy. You do have to have something to talk about when you blog, and it can take up a lot of time. However, once you get the ball rolling it's a cinch, really. Unless you have someone else blogging for you (like us, let's say), there isn't really any way to escape the time demand. As for content, I can help you decide what to write later on. For now, I think it's important that we go over why you need to blog and what it can do for your business.

Reason #1- Blogging shows off your expertise status. Usually, when you blog you're writing about a topic you know a lot about. This gives your audience a chance to get to know you and why they should trust you, which in turn will help them decide if they want to work with you.

Reason #2- It is an excellent way to engage your clients and prospects in conversations and get them to take some desired action.

Reason #3- As long as you make sure to include popular keywords in your blog, more people will end up visiting your site. Blogging platforms are "crawled" by search engines (Yahoo, Google, Bing) daily for these terms. The more you post the more people will find you and the more traffic you will get to your site, hence better rankings on those search engines.

Reason #4- Writing a blog builds followers. Take Gary Vaynerchuck as an example. He has written a book entitled, Crush It. This book is a must read if you are soon to become a "blogger." It's a story about how he built his wine business simply through blogging.

Reason #5- Blogging allows you to reach readers all over. Start thinking outside your city or state.

Let's look at the what to write problem some of you are facing. The easiest way to start is to think about what ten questions your clients ask about you and your business. Start by answering each question in a different blog post. Many people also find "how-tos" interesting to read, and you may even be able to make a video out of them. Videos are a great way to build interactions with clients and make your advice more realistic. Posting videos may also help with boosting your ranking within search engines. After you tackle you ten most frequently asked questions, move on to the ten questions your clients should be asking you.

Getting started is always tricky and can be frustrating. However, once you get yourself into a blogging state of mind, it be simple and even fun. Try it out!