Haunted by your blog?

In case you haven’t noticed, business blogging has been a priority topic for the last few posts of our Smart Marketing blog. There’s a distinct reason for that. It’s simply the topic that seems to be most haunting and daunting for our customers these days. 

People have no problem giving their opinions on blogs or engaging in conversation topics started by others. But, most are perplexed with how to get started and what to write about for their own business blog.

After you’ve made a commitment to blog, your next step is to decide what you want to accomplish with your blog. Do you simply want to stay in front of your customers? Are you looking to carry on a conversation about your products and services? Are you looking for feedback on your business? Or are you looking for a way to educate your buyers and keep them informed on the latest industry information?

Your number one priority is to start a list of your reasons for blogging. Many want to drive traffic to their Web site. Others want to increase subscriptions to a company newsletter or publication. Some just want to use their blog as a public relations tool. I’ve listed several valid reasons for starting a blog. Determine exactly what you want to accomplish, make a list and share it with your staff. 

Once you’ve made your list, ask yourself, “Are my reasons important to the customer?” If you can truly answer “Yes!,” then investing time and energy into your blog is well worth it. 

Amber Naslund at Altitude Branding, states it well. “ROI Begins At The End,” she writes, “You cannot calculate a return on anything unless you know whether or not your goals – and your definitions of both return and investment – are the right ones.” 

And Grant Griffiths at Blog for Profit, in his ‘Kick Your Blog in the Butt’ series, eloquently reminds us that in measuring ROI, a sale is not the only metric that counts. How much value do you place on the “journey of the sale?”  How about customer retention and crafting long-term relationships? 

Clearly defining goals for your blog will enable you to focus on what is truly important when measuring ROI, and that’s, “Am I providing valuable information that truly matters to my customers?” 

Griffiths, a lawyer, professional blogger for profit and co-founder of G2WebMedia, also suggests you ask yourself these four key questions: 

1)   What keeps my customers or clients up at night?

2)   How do they keep themselves educated in order to do their jobs better?

3)   What channels (online, print, in-person, mobile, etc.) do they use to get their information?

4)   How do they engage with each source of information?

And, he cautions, “Blogging is not a 50-yard dash. Blogging is a long 28-mile marathon. You will not see overnight success. You’re going to feel like you’re writing to yourself and only your mother is reading your blog. It takes time.” 

So, once you have your goals defined, carve out ample time each week to focus on your blog.  Identify and tap into steady sources of information via RSS feed to funnel you regular and current information for your blog posts. Commit to doing the research, if it’s required, and get serious about writing current and relevant content consistently. 

Okay, I took a short break. You can take vacations, but otherwise no excuses! If you need help with your blog strategy, call us. From blog coaching to content creation, monitoring and management, EasyChair Media can start you on the course and help you stay on track with your blog goals.  800-741-6308

What’s haunting you about your blog? What’s keeping you from getting started?

Got great business blog success stories? Help us encourage our readers. Share them here.

Comments

[Grant Griffiths]

Thanks for including us in your great post. However for full disclosure, I am no longer a lawyer/attorney. In fact, I do blogging at Blog For Profit full time. Along with being co-founder of G2WebMedia and Headway Themes.

[EasyLiving Front Range]

Thanks for setting us straight Grant. And thanks for all your good info.