You’ve probably heard time and time again that starting a blog for your business is necessary.
In fact, often when I read marketing advice I hear Oprah Winfrey’s voice saying, “You need a blog. You need a blog. Everyone needs a blog!”
Let me start by saying, there’s no doubt that blogging is insanely valuable.
Blogging is a form of content I’ve provided clients for years, and you’re reading a blog post I sat down to write this very second.
But after failing on my business blog at first, I’ve found that throwing up random posts to cross off a “to do” from your list is largely a waste of time.
These are things you need to know:
Your Peers Aren’t (Usually) Going to Become Customers
Business owners who offer similar services as you can give you advice, referrals, and support.
You can cross promote or even start a mastermind with them. But when you want to book out your calendar, peers are probably not going to become paying clients.
For example, a wedding DJ who writes tons of blog posts on how to become a wedding DJ will likely attract other aspiring DJs.
Will other DJs be itching to hire them? Probably not.
There’s nothing wrong with marketing to other business owners since business coaching is a very viable source of income. However, blogging with this strategy is probably not the right move if you’re looking for a different type of clientele.
Here are content ideas that could work instead for a wedding DJ who’s trying to attract couples and not other DJs:
- A guide for wedding planners on how to efficiently coordinate with DJs and emcees
- Blog posts on how to choose the right wedding DJ
- Testimonials from past brides
- Video recordings of the DJ in action
This concept may sound elementary, but marketing to other similar service providers is something I did on my blog for a while and wondered why I wasn’t attracting the right type of client.
You Must Play the Part of a Pro Blogger Even When You’re an Amateur
Don’t put off technical aspects of blogging like setting up a compelling reason to sign up for your email list, and scheduling an email sequence that leads to an offer.
Blogs generally grow slowly.
Traffic will be more of a trickle than a running faucet at first. But you need to give the readers you do have a clear understanding of who you are and how to work with you.
Make each of your blog posts serve a purpose. Posts should be informing, entertaining, or leading your target customer down a path that leads to a sale.
I’m slowly moving away from a B2B to B2C business approach. Revamping every single one of my blog posts to serve readers in these ways has been remarkably helpful.
You Will Need to Evolve and Evolve Some More, No Exceptions
Strategies that we talk about today can be obsolete tomorrow. Something like a Panda update or a social media algorithm change can happen and rock our worlds.
Always be on your toes and ready to make tweaks to your blogging strategy.
Blogger, speaker, and entrepreneur Regina Anaejionu of byRegina.com said something excellent in an online workshop that sadly I’m unable to locate now.
To paraphrase, she said:
Trying tirelessly to duplicate current trends will make it difficult for you to be an innovator.
If a blogging strategy you’ve tried over and over again isn’t working for your audience, move on and experiment with something else. Survey your audience and speak to their direct needs.
You may realize a strategy you’ve never seen done by anyone else before will serve them.
There are blogging best practices like how to write compelling copy, how to set up an email list, and how to create Facebook ads.
But, otherwise, there really are no hard and fast rules. If you aren’t able to adapt to change, you risk getting left behind.
Final Word
Blogging with a strategy can do wonders for business.
Blogging just because it’s the thing to do probably won’t move the needle, which is something I wish I’d known before starting out.
My hope is you can take this knowledge and be strategic with your blog from the very beginning.
