A guest Post by Zanni Louise.
I recently presented at the Byron and Beyond Networking breakfast at The Byronian.
What a lovely morning, and a great opportunity to meet lots of small business owners, creatives and entrepreneurs in the area!
I spoke about the value of blogging for business, and about my own blogging journey from sporadic and aspiring writer, to professional blogger/writer and published children’s author.
I have been blogging now for seven years, and blogging has opened so many doors.
Primarily, these are related to community. The stronger, and more genuine the relationships I make through my blog, the stronger and more beneficial my network becomes.
Blogging, unlike many forms of social media, can be anything you want it to be.
Define the look, feel and voice of your blog, so that it reflects your business, offers your existing customers something new and relevant, and drives traffic to your website.
The Set Up
You can set up a professional blog using WordPress.com, or WordPress.org, or you can get technical assistance to integrate your blog into your existing website.
When you are setting up your blog, ask yourself these questions:
• Who is my audience/ who are my clients, and what are their specific needs?
• What can I offer my customers?
• How much time do I have a week/month to dedicate to blogging?
But what to blog about?
Brainstorm the types of topics that might be relevant to your customers, and potential customers. Examples of things you could provide on your blog include:
• tips and resources to help your clients
• snippets of your work
• case studies, or interviews with people you have helped, or who inspire you and your work
• weekly/monthly reflections
• the ‘behind the scenes’ view of your business
• ‘how to’ articles.
How do I get readers?
To help drive traffic to your website, make sure you:
• link to other resources and articles
• use key words which relate to your business, and your services; this is particularly important to include in the title of your blog posts
• name images you use with key words/phrases before uploading images
• insert ‘tags’
• promote via your social media channels.
The focus of your blog should be providing value to your existing and potential customers, and creating genuine relationships.
What’s important when blogging for business?
Things to keep in mind, when blogging for your business, include:
• keep it relevant
• there’s nothing wrong with short and sweet!
• stick to one topic per blog post
• blog regularly and if possible, frequently, but most importantly, be consistent
• be genuine
• allow your ‘natural’ or business voice to come through; conversational blogs work well, as it helps customers feel connected and engaged.
If you want help setting up your blog, or getting the most out of your existing blog, I provide face-to-face or online mentoring sessions.
I have inspired many clients to start their blogging journey, helped with technical skills, and worked with clients to plan what to blog about, and when.
I can also write well-crafted, relevant and highly effective blog posts for your business.
Please make contact to start a discussion.
Zanni Louise is a children’s author and blogger based in Alstonville. Visit her website www.zannilouise.com or www.sunshinehousewriting.com for more information.
