To Blog or Not To Blog?

Written by Kathy Jiamboi Tuesday, 26 April 2011 11:49

Whenever my clients hear me begin to talk about blogging, their initial hangup is that they simply don't have time. The second most common problem my clients seem to have with blogging is that they don't know what to write about.

Whenever my clients hear me begin to talk about blogging, their initial hangup is that they simply don't have time. The second most common problem my clients seem to have with blogging is that they don't know what to write about.

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- A blog gives you the ability to build followers. A great example of how this has worked is Gary Vaynerchuck. He is the author of a book titled, Crush It. It is a very interesting read and a must read, if you are serious about blogging. He basically built his wine business just from sharing his passion through blogging.

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

Now, let's address the "What to Write" issue. The first place to start if you have no clue about what to write about would be to ask yourself what are the top 10 most frequently asked questions you get in your business. Then one by one, answer those questions in a blog. "How-tos" are another great thing to write about and if you can make a video and post it into your blog, all the better. Videos allow for more interaction and make things real. Videos can also help with search and rankings, too. After you answer the top 10 FAQs, how about next writing about the top 10 SAQs or questions that people Should Ask but don't?

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!