Tag: blogging

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Need some new ways to repurpose your blog?

Repurpose your blog for fresh new content
Photo by Karolina Grabowska from Pexels

When you repurpose your blog, you take it from being a series of lovely informative posts on your website to a content generating machine. No, I’m not exaggerating. When you’ve gone to the effort of writing a blog post (or getting someone like me to write it for you – https://www.kirstyfrancewrites.co.uk/packages/) why not make it go as far as you can? I’ve written about this before but, as with all things in marketing land, there are other methods that you might not have considered yet. Here are my top 5 favourites.

Create Reels

You don’t have to dance or point to create a good Reel. They can just be good fun. Using your blog as a starting point makes it easier to come up with content ideas. I’ve done a few myself and follow Virginia Kerr for inspiration. You can do tips to camera but if you absolutely don’t want to show your face you can use images too. They’re being rolled out on Facebook as we speak so it could be a good time to give it a go.

Inspire your podcast

If you’re pushed for time the idea of starting a podcast can feel a bit overwhelming. On the other hand, if you’ve already started one you can repurpose your blog and use it for topic ideas. A lot of people who don’t have much time to sit and read will listen to podcasts or audiobooks while they’re out walking or folding laundry. (That’s me if you couldn’t tell.) Do a solo chat about your subject or invite a guest to offer their perspective.

Write a new blog

If your audience really loves reading blogs or you just need new ideas, look to your old blogs for inspiration. If you’ve written a post with 5 tips, choose one and go more in-depth. For example, if you’re a florist with a blog post about choosing flowers for your wedding, one of the tips might be about seasonality. That could be a whole post by itself. I’ve mentioned headline writing in loads of blogs but I’ve never written one that’s just about headlines. I’ll get round to it eventually…

Repurpose your blog into a presentation

A blog post is designed to educate and entertain your audience, as well as building your authority. If you wanted you could turn it into a training session. I’ve written a series of blog posts about how to start writing a blog and delivered training on it too. If you’d rather hide under a rock than deliver training, you can still repurpose your blog into a shareable presentation. I’ve just started investigating using SlideShare for LinkedIn – if you have any tips, please let me know!

Create an infographic

This is one of my favourites because it appeals to the visual learners. It means that you could attract a whole new audience who love graphics and won’t necessarily read a blog post. Take the main points from your blog post and use them as headings. You can add a bit of extra information too. The best part is that you can use it as an image within the blog post itself as well as sharing it on social media.

Would you love to use some of these tips to repurpose your blog but don’t have a blog to do it with? I can help with that. Take a look at my blog writing packages or book a call here and let’s have a chat about how I can help you.

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5 ways to improve your blog today

Improve your blog today
Photo by Suzy Hazelwood from Pexels

Have you ever sat looking at a blog post you’ve just slaved over and felt that it was just a bit – meh? Could it possibly be a bit waffly and difficult to read? Maybe you’re just wondering why anyone would be interested in what you’ve got to say. If you’re worried that your topics are less than thrilling, this might help. Otherwise, read on to discover the 5 steps that will instantly improve your blog.

Edit ruthlessly

When you love what you do it can be easy to go on a bit. The trick is to know what to leave and what to remove. You might just need to take a few words out. Firstly, take out the adverbs. You don’t need to say that something is really exciting, it’s just exciting. Then, make each sentence as simple and jargon free as you can. If you wouldn’t say it to a customer in a face-to-face chat, don’t put it in a blog post.

Use subheadings

Subheadings are your best friend when it comes to readability. (Yes, that is a real word.) Reading one endless block of text is tiring; break it up with subheadings and you’ll instantly improve your blog. It makes it more scannable too, so if a visitor is looking for something specific a good subheading can help them find it. You’ll also make your post more user-friendly to people using assistive technology like screen readers. Another big plus is that Google loves subheadings because they suggest you’re organised.

Write a good headline (or 20)

A good headline might seem like a small thing, but it’s an easy way to improve your blog. A great headline will attract attention when it pops up in a search and makes it more likely that you’ll be found in the first place. Your headline needs to let people know what to expect when they click through (no clickbait please). Using the right kind of language also makes it enticing and relatable. Sometimes this can be as simple as making a headline feel personal by using ‘you’ or ‘your’. Write a few then try them out in a headline analyser like this one.

Add a CTA

OK, this probably won’t improve your blog in terms of quality. I put my hands up to that. Using a call to action (or CTA) will help you to make your blog part of your overall business building. If you want your readers to do something after they’ve read your blog post, tell them. People often need a bit of a prompt before they take action. Give them a link to your shop or to book a call, ask them to leave a comment or invite them to sign up to your mailing list.

Get feedback

Here’s the scary one. You will improve your blog much more quickly if you ask someone else to read it and tell you what they think. Weirdly, it’s far more frightening than hitting publish and sending your post out onto the anonymous internet. Getting feedback from a friend or an editor will teach you a lot. You’ll find out what bits have too much jargon or where your sentence structure doesn’t work. Being brave and getting feedback lets you make improvements now.

Could you improve your blog by letting someone else write it for you? I can help with that. Just click here to book your no obligation chat.

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How to get blogging basics right (aka I made mistakes, so you don’t have to)

Blogging basics
Image by Suzy Hazlewood via Pexels

If you’re just starting out writing a business blog it’s important to get the basics right. On the other hand, if you’ve been going for ages, it’s still worth checking to see if you’ve developed any bad habits. I’ve made every blogging mistake going (please don’t look, it’s embarrassing). When I look back on some of my early blogs now, they make me cringe. It’s made me realise how important it is to get the basics right. Here are my top 5 blogging basics that will get you started (or back on the right track).

Know your audience

Sorry if you’ve got déjà vu; I sometimes feel as if I start every blog post with this. The thing is, knowing who you’re talking to is absolutely fundamental. It’s not about excluding anyone; you’re just focusing your time and energy on the people who are most likely to need what you offer. When you have a clear idea of who they are and what they care about, it’s much easier to talk to them. That way you’ll create blog posts that make people feel heard and understood and not underwhelmed.

Don’t make assumptions

You might already know who your ideal customer is, but you’re cursed with knowledge. That makes life easy if you’re talking to other experts in your industry. Otherwise, it can be a challenge to work out how much (or little) your readers already know. The last thing you want is to drive your audience away by talking down to them or blinding them with science.

If you aren’t sure whether your audience is familiar with a particular topic or their level of knowledge, ask! Social media is great for this. You can use your own platforms or ask in other groups to get a wide range of opinions and create content at the right level.

Don’t dilute your message

I know that there are lots of entrepreneurs out there with a whole range of interests. They’re also incredibly skilled at distinguishing between the different parts of their business or showing how all the different elements combine to help you achieve the results you want. Why does this matter? It’s because it takes time for people to work out what you do then they’ll forget if you don’t keep reminding them. If they see you shift to only talking about something else, they’ll assume you’ve stopped doing the first thing.

Choose your tone

This is another reason why knowing your customer is on my list of blogging basics. You can choose the right tone of voice based on what they need and what they expect from you. The way you talk to a client as a solicitor is likely to be quite different to the approach you take as a beautician. Professionalism doesn’t have to be stiff and formal but it’s still worth bearing in mind. You might want to shake things up in your industry, but it should be on purpose!

Be consistent

If you start a blog then ignore it for a year, your potential customers might wonder whether you’re still in business. It might just be that they couldn’t keep up with their own schedule. When you start blogging, aim for a realistic view about how much you can achieve in terms of quantity and quality. A good blog post once a month is way better than a rubbish one every week. If you’re already blogging and the quality has dropped, do less.

Do you need help with getting your blogging basics right? I can help with that. Just click here to book your no obligation chat.

Alternatively, if you’d like blogging and writing hints and tips straight to your inbox every month, just fill in the form below. I’m a vegetarian so I hate spam and will never share your information with anyone else.

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Case study: Just Jules jewellery

Jules from Just Jules jewellery at work in her studio.
Image by Just Jules jewellery

Freelance life has its ups and downs, but sometimes you get lucky. One of my lucky moments involved meeting the lovely Jules Baines from Just Jules jewellery. I met Jules networking (I know, this is a recurring theme for me). We became friends and I bought a lot of gifts from her (because she’s a genius who can always be relied on to come up with the perfect present). It meant that when she needed some help with her marketing and content creation, I already knew all about her brand and how she looks after her customers. Now we work together regularly and it’s always new and exciting.

What Jules needed

When we first spoke, Jules already had a flourishing website and she shared occasional blog posts alongside news and updates. She wanted to make more of the blog and start posting more regularly. Then, as we chatted, she started talking about the other website updates that were going to happen. She didn’t feel that the copy in certain areas really reflected her brand, so we talked about ways I could change it. Then, before you know it, we’d landed on the subject of product descriptions and how much new stock gets added to her website every year.

Since then, we’ve worked on blog posts, updated website copy and product descriptions. The work is always fun because Jules is incredibly creative and the brand takes in jewellery, candles, wax melts and home décor.

How we work

Since I first started writing for Jules, we’ve had a global pandemic and Just Jules jewellery has become a permanent fixture in a bricks and mortar shop. (The Lifestyle Barn at Bawdon Lodge Farm, in case you’re wondering. If you’re in or around Leicestershire I highly recommend a visit.) The website is still thriving, helping Jules to stay in touch with her customers.

We get together about once a month and work out what we’re going to do next, then I go away and do the work. This often involves Jules sending me loads of gorgeous pictures, which is a lovely thing to have in your inbox. I’m about to start work on a Christmas blog and can’t wait to see what’s coming next!

You can have your own Just Jules shopping experience at the Lifestyle Barn or visit her website.

I can create the content you need, when you need it. Let’s have a chat and you can find out how it works.

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Evergreen content: what is it (and why do you need it?)

Evergreen content blog header - with literal evergreens!
Photo by invisiblepower from Pexels

If you’ve ever heard the phrase ‘evergreen content’ you might have written it off as a bit of a buzzword. You might have heard it described as ‘cornerstone’ content in those SEO guides too. The thing is, if you haven’t got to grips with evergreen content yet, you’re missing out. It’s incredibly useful and could save you a heap of time. So what is it and why should you care? Read on…

Evergreen content stays relevant for longer

Evergreen content got its name because of its resemblance to evergreen trees. It might not look at home covered in fairy lights at Christmas, but it does last for ages. This kind of content doesn’t talk about current news, trends or even a particular season. They’re the sort of posts that your audience could find any time, for years to come, and they’ll still be helpful and relevant. It’s the difference between talking about panic buying petrol and how to maintain your car between services.

It’s great for SEO

Evergreen content is great for SEO because it covers the kind of topics that people search for time after time. You could write a blog post about how to soothe a screaming baby now and new parents might still be finding it in 2031. Posts about current affairs or new trends will get you website traffic in the short term (which is still a great thing). Evergreen posts will keep going for longer. Your figures might drop a bit, but they’ll keep going, quietly working away in the background to bring you new visitors.

It has wide appeal

The key thing about evergreen content is that it generally isn’t for experts. Someone who’s experienced in your field already knows the basics so will only be looking for updates. Evergreen posts work better for people who need a beginner’s guide to a topic. This is great for you because if you’re an expert working with non-experts, it’s an opportunity for you to share your knowledge. Your visitors might learn from you and do a DIY version, but they’ll still remember you as the expert who helped them when they’re ready to pay someone else.

Some examples of evergreen content

If you like the sound of this evergreen lark and you’re starting to think about topics, here are some ideas. In every industry there will be perennial subjects that never go away. Your audience could be interested in time management, parenting skills, how to write their first blog post or questions to ask a new supplier. When you come up with an idea, ask yourself whether anyone will care about this in five years’ time. If the answer’s no, you might still have a great idea for a post, but it probably won’t be evergreen.

Keep it updated

It’s tempting to think that once you’ve created your evergreen content you can just ignore it until the end of time. Sorry, but that’s not how it works. While the posts will definitely stay relevant for longer, it’s still worth checking in on them from time to time. Attitudes change and while your advice might be spot on for a few years, it won’t necessarily stay that way forever. A quick read through every year or so will tell you if anything needs updating to extend the life of your content.

Are you ready to start creating evergreen content? I can help with that. Just click here to book your no obligation chat.

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How you can use your blog in your email marketing

A woman being happy because she's using her blog in her email marketing.
Photo by Vlada Karpovich from Pexels

When you’ve gone to the effort of writing a blog, I’m willing to bet that you don’t want it to just sit there on your website. You want it to be out in the world, being read by your ideal customers. At least, I hope you do. If you’re just writing for fun and a creative outlet, I salute you, but this blog isn’t really for you. (If you haven’t started a blog because you don’t know where to start, read this.) If you’ve spent time on writing a brilliant blog post and are wondering what else you can do with it, I have two words for you. Email marketing. It’s a wonderful thing to send to your list if you have one. Your blog can also help you to build a list if you need to. Here are my top 5 tips to get you started.

Create a calendar

A content calendar helps you to get organised. It also makes your marketing more coherent overall. When you choose a focus for each month you can plan all your blogs, emails and social media posts around that one topic. It makes things easier for you because you can repurpose your content by sharing your blog in your emails and breaking it down for social media posts. It also makes things clearer for your customers.

Use your blog in your email marketing

Have you ever stopped sending emails to your list because something had to give? We’ve all been there. It’s more likely to happen if you’re creating fresh content for every marketing channel. If you use your blog as a central part of your emails, you make everything quicker and easier. Then all you need to do is top and tail the email with a bit of news and your latest offers and you’ve saved yourself loads of time.

Add a sign-up form

If you don’t have an email marketing list, or you want to attract more subscribers, add a sign-up form to the bottom of your posts. (I have a widget from Thrive Themes that does mine.) It’s the perfect way to attract the right audience because people only sign up if they’re interested in what you have to say. It’s a good idea to offer people something useful as a thank you for signing up. Which brings me to…

Use older blogs as lead magnets

Firstly, a note of caution. GDPR includes rules about offering freebies to new subscribers. Please make sure you’re up to speed before you follow this tip. If you’ve already written a whole load of useful blogs, you can repurpose them to send out to your subscribers. Tips posts are particularly good if they have advice readers can put into action straight away. Just format the post as a PDF with images and you’re ready to go.

Blog series = email marketing sequence

If you’re new to blogging this is a good one to bear in mind for the future. A blog series works well for topics that are too big to cover in one post. For example, I wrote a series on how to start writing a blog. You can read it on my website or get it straight to your inbox. (Just complete the form below – see what I did there?!) What topics could you write a series about?

Are you ready to start writing a blog that you can use throughout your marketing? I can help with that. Click here to book a chat with me and find out more about your options. Or sign up to receive my series on how to start your business blog using the form below.

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Case study – creating new content ideas for Birkett Consulting

Case study about coming up with new blog topics.

I first met Ros Birkett via a networking group (which is pretty much how I meet everyone these days). She’s utterly lovely and a brilliant person to have a coffee and a natter with. When it comes to branding and marketing, what Ros doesn’t know frankly isn’t worth knowing. She’s the owner of Birkett Consulting, working with a range of clients to deliver adverting and marketing that gets results. In a nutshell, she knows her marketing onions, which is why it came as a bit of a surprise to get an email asking if I could help her to come up with some topics for her blog.

The challenge

When Ros got in touch, Birkett Consulting was in the midst of a website makeover. All of this was happening alongside the day-to-day work involved in running a busy agency and serving clients. There was also the small matter of getting to grips with an in-depth SEO analysis report for a client that ran to over 100 pages. Ros was faced with two main challenges. Firstly, that she was struggling to find blocks of time that would allow her to focus on website tasks. Secondly, all the topics she was reading about seemed a bit predictable. She wanted some fresh ideas that would help her to get the messaging right as we emerged from lockdown.

The solution

To start the process, Ros and I arranged a Zoom call to talk through Birkett Consulting’s marketing basics. She described her customers and the services that she wanted to focus on in the blog. Ros’ awareness of her customer base meant that I could focus on the topics that would have most impact. We also talked about bringing a bit of humour back into marketing to lighten things up after lockdown.

After our chat, I went away and came up with four possible topics using a combination of tools, including my own random marketing thoughts. I’m looking forward to seeing the results when the new website launches.

Could a fresh pair of eyes on your business help you to speak more effectively to your audience? Get in touch and let’s have a chat.

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5 ways you can find new things to blog about

Woman making notes about new things to blog about
Photo by Judit Peter via Pexels

Finding new things to blog about can feel a bit relentless. You create a plan then before you know it you have to start all over again. I’d say it’s like painting the Forth Bridge, but even they’ve stopped. Then there’s the monotony of the whole thing. You might have your own favourite methods but you’re just bored of them. What you need are some fresh new ways to help you find topics to blog about. As if by magic, here are a few of my favourites.

Ask the audience

One of the simplest things you can do to find new things to blog about is to ask your customers. I suspect that if you took to social media and said, “what should I blog about?” you’d get tumbleweed, but if you ask, “what are you struggling with right now?” you’ll get some useful answers. You could also try a poll with a few suggestions to get them started.

This method helps you offer timely and useful information as well as boosting engagement on social.

Write a case study

Case studies are brilliant for two main reasons. Firstly, they offer social proof. It’s not just a nebulous statement that you can help with something. You can show your audience that you’ve actually helped someone. Secondly, it lets them imagine themselves in an existing customer’s shoes. Your case study could be describing someone just like them, with the same challenges. If you’ve helped someone else, you can do it for them too. A case study can also help them to understand the process or how you deal with potential problems.

Update an old post

If you’ve been blogging for a while, you should already have data to show what your audience liked. Use your analytics to find your most popular posts. Then update them. Are there new things that you’d like to add? Has your advice changed? This post from last week is an update of one I wrote a couple of years ago. I’ve changed the structure but also added some new ideas. Finding new things to blog about is a perennial topic so it’s always going to be useful.

Find things to blog about with autocomplete

This is a bit of a blunt tool, but it’s useful if you need inspiration. Head to Google and start typing a question that’s relevant to your business. Here’s what I got when I started typing ‘content writing tips’.

As you can see, it gives me a whole list of potential things to focus on, including key phrases that I can target to help with my SEO. Some are useful, some not so much, but it helps me to learn what people are looking for advice about.

Collect useful resources

It’s tempting to believe that absolutely everything you write has to be fresh and original. It doesn’t. Your content just needs to be useful. If you can bring together resources that have helped you (or that will help your customers), that’s incredibly useful. It saves them a heap of research time and offers them solutions that are already tried and tested. By supporting your audience you’re also building trust in your own brand, so it’s a win-win.

Do you need to come up with new topics? I can help with that. We’ll have a 30-minute chat then I’ll come up with some fresh new ideas that you can take away and write about. Just book your slot here.

You could also sign up for my mailing list for hints and tips straight to your inbox every month. I don’t do spam and will never share your information with anyone else.

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How you can find fascinating blog topics

A woman at a laptop reading about fascinating blog topics
Image by Ekaterina Bolovtsova via Pexels

When you start coming up with blog 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’s most likely to need your services you can start talking just to them. A good blog can create that moment of recognition that makes your reader feel seen and understood.

Before you start working on a list of blog topics, think about who they’re for. Are they cash rich but time poor or the complete opposite? Will your products only suit people who are at a particular stage in their lives, like new parents 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.

The story so far

Sharing your story with your audience helps you to understand each other. People get to know you, like what you say and ultimately come to trust you enough to buy from you. The key is to talk about your experience and link it to the ways that helps your customers.

As an example, if you’re a parent selling clothes for babies and children, talking about your family shows your customers that you’ve been through it all and know how to make clothes that will last. 

What has my personal life taught me?

You might have a personal story that isn’t obviously related to your business, but that’s made you who you are.

For example, when you’re building a business, you need to be a bit brave sometimes. If you’ve found a way to be brave, share it! Maybe something in your past has helped you to build skills that you use now. Tell your customers because they might just recognise themselves.

FAQs

Answering an FAQ is a quick and easy way to create a new blog post. What are you asked most often? What do your customers ask you in emails or face to face? If they’re asking, people who are looking for you online will be too. It’s an easy way to start building your search rankings.

Create a list of the questions you’re asked all the time and start answering them in your blog.

What’s in the news?

You have to move fairly fast for this one, but if you can relate a news story to your business, people are more likely to find you. Lots of businesses offered advice about GDPR when it was on everyone’s minds. You can talk about current topics, but it’s also worth thinking ahead. Look out for topics you can talk about that your customers will need to deal with in the future.

What’s next?

Hopefully that’s got you off to a good start, but what else can you do? As always, put yourself in your customers’ shoes. Think about what questions they’re typing into Google that will help them to find you. I’ve found that small business owners won’t necessarily search for a writer. But they will ask how they can attract more customers or improve their marketing. It’s my job to make sure that I talk about the answers to those questions.

If you’d like some more inspiration in book form, I can help.

‘50 blog topics for your business’ does exactly what it says on the tin. It gives you 50 topics that you can use straight away – if you write one a month that’s over four years’ worth of ideas for less than the cost of a family takeaway.

Does that sound good? Get your copy by clicking on the image below.

book with 50 blog topic ideas for your business

Some useful resources

Answer the Public – type in a key word and it’ll tell you what people have searched for.

Google Trends – what searches are most popular when.

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Want to help new customers find you? Use your blog.

Woman working on her blog to find new customers
Photo by Ivan Samkov from Pexels

Have you started a blog and are wondering how long it will be before it brings those lovely new customers to your (virtual) door? Maybe you’re just thinking of starting one but are hesitating because you don’t know whether the time and effort is worth it. Whilst a good, helpful blog that’s relevant to your customer base is a wonderful thing, there are still a few things you can do to give it a better chance of being found and read. Here are my top 5.

Optimise your blog for keywords

You might already have your SEO strategy sorted, or you might not. Whatever your situation, one of the simplest things you can do is to optimize each blog post for relevant keywords. If you’re a hairdresser with a blog post about elegant wedding hairstyles, use that as your keyword phrase. Using the right tech will really help you with this. If you have a WordPress website, Yoast have an excellent plugin that will help you to use your keywords in the right way.

Share on social media

Yes, I know this seems blindingly obvious, but it’s worth including for completeness. There are loads of ways to do this, like creating a short video summarizing the main points with a link in the comments. You can also post snippets with an image and add a link to those. Don’t be afraid to share multiple times and add a link to your Instagram bio if there’s space. You can find more ideas here.

Reuse your blog in your emails

Email marketing is a great tool for making sales, as your readers already like you enough to have signed up for your emails. If you’ve written a blog with gift ideas for an upcoming occasion, or services that will support them with a current challenge, you’re already being helpful. Add links to buy or book and they’re more likely to click through because you’ve just made their life a whole lot easier.

Write good headlines

A great headline can make the difference between someone clicking through to read your blog and scrolling on to find something more interesting. The important things to remember about headlines are that they need to be relevant to the post and your customers. Basically, avoid clickbait (it’s annoying) and show people that you understand what they need. Headlines that feel personal are more likely to be read, so using words like ‘you’ and ‘your’ work really well.

Track what’s popular

If you’ve got website analytics set up, review them once a month to see which of your blog posts got the highest number of visitors. You can also check what followers engaged with on social media. Is there a pattern in terms of the headlines you’ve written, or the type of content you’re covering? You might also have a post that didn’t get lots of readers, but which prompted people to get in touch. By working out which posts get the best results you can do more of the same.

If you want to attract more new customers by starting a blog, let’s have a chat. I offer a range of options to support you, from topic suggestions to writing it all for you. Email me or book your free discovery call here.