Author: Kirsty France

OK, I hate to say it, but here goes. Blogging isn’t for everyone. There are all sorts of reasons why starting a blog might not be the best thing for your business. Perhaps you just don’t have the time or the skill. Maybe you don’t know what to write. It’s entirely possible that the people who are most likely to do business with you just don’t read blogs.

Of course, you can overcome the challenges of time and skill by paying someone like me to write your blog for you. Then again, that depends on you having the right resources. However, there are still times when blogging could just be bad for business if you don’t get it right. Here are just a few.

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We’ve all seen those memes. The ones about people clamouring to buy Kim Kardashian’s new perfume or queueing for days for the new iPhone, but they won’t support a friend’s business. The truth is, as small business owners we’ve got a bit of a mountain to climb. Our friends and family might not need our services. Even worse, they might view it as a hobby that you’ll get tired of. By far the most difficult hurdle lies in persuading our future customers that we offer a better experience than those customer service nightmares they’ve heard about online.

People feel safer shopping with big brands because big somehow means trustworthy. The good news is, your marketing can help to allay their fears. Here’s how to start.

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You might think that storytelling has no place in business. In fact, sharing your story is one of the key ways that you can communicate with your customers. A story isn’t just something fictional, a bedtime story for the kids. It’s a way of letting people know that you understand them.

Let me show you what I mean.

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Let’s face it, marketing your business can get expensive. There’s always something that you can spend money on, whether it’s fliers to hand out or Facebook adverts. By contrast, getting your name out there by word of mouth is completely free.

But how do you do it? After all, you can’t force people to recommend you. The good news is, there are steps you can take to make it more likely. Here are just a few…

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You’ve found topics, planned and written your blog post and included an irresistible CTA. You’ve pasted it all into a page on your website so you’re ready to hit publish. Don’t do it! At least, not until you’ve checked through and done your final edit.

A great blog post needs more than just good words. Here’s how you can really get it working for your business.

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One of the benefits of a blog post is that your audience can read it and walk away, obligation free. Of course, from your point of view that’s also one of the downsides. By writing a blog you offer useful information that demonstrates your expertise. Your regular readers get to know you, like what you’re saying and ultimately trust you. By using a CTA you can help that relationship to develop.

What’s a CTA?

CTA stands for call to action. It can be anything that helps you to build a relationship with your customers. It could be something as simple as asking your readers to leave a comment on your blog or share it on social media. At the other end of the scale you could be asking people to buy something, from a physical product to a training course.

The best CTAs are the ones that make it easy for people to take action. If you want people to share, include buttons so they can do it with one click. Include a link to a form that signs people up to your mailing list or allows them to book an appointment. People are far more likely to act if it’s straightforward.

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You’ve got your blog topics sorted and you’ve made a plan to give your post a great structure. (If you haven’t, read this and this.) Now, off you go. Sit down and write your first post. No? Sometimes the most difficult thing about writing a good blog post is knowing how to put your voice into words.

How do you do it? It all starts with your customer.

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You’ve got a list of blog topics (and if you haven’t read this to get you started). That means that you can just sit down and start writing, right? Wrong. There are times when I can get away with winging it but I’ve had a lot of practice. If you want to avoid a rambling blog post that swiftly loses readers, you need to plan.

Planning your blog posts helps you to stay on topic. It also gives you a structure so you don’t run out of steam halfway. Best of all, a plan gives you confidence that you’ve got everything covered.

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When you start a blog and want to come up with topics, there’s one very important thing to keep at the front of your mind. Your customer. Whatever you write about, ask yourself – “will my customers care about this?” If they won’t, don’t write about it.

Knowing your customer should be one of the foundation stones of your marketing. When you know who is most likely to need you then you can start talking just to them. I know it’s tempting to cast your marketing net wide but you just end up with bland blog posts that don’t talk to anyone in particular. A good blog can create that moment of recognition when your reader realises that you understand them.

Before you start working on a list of blog topics, think about who they’re for. They might be people who are cash rich but time poor or the complete opposite. Your products might only suit people who are at a particular stage in their lives, like the parents of new babies or people who’ve just retired. Think about the problems you solve or the ways you make your customers’ lives better. Then we can get started.

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Are you a Game of Thrones fan? Don’t worry, you don’t have to be. I’m not going to start going into detail about dragons or expose you to any blood and gore. Sorry if that’s what you were after. What I am going to tell you about is how the clever people at Tourism Ireland capitalised on the fact that this huge TV production was happening on their doorstep. You might not get to meet a Lannister (possibly a good thing) but you could get some new ideas for your business.

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