Well hello! A big thumbs-up to you for downloading the ultimate guide to supercharging your business blog. So, here s the thing, it s not enough to have a business blog you ve got to post to it on a regular basis. Now that might sound obvious, but the fact of the matter is, it s an aspect of running a small business which can often fall by the wayside. And even if you start off with good intentions the demands on your time can quickly de-rail them. So, if you re thinking that sounds like me then you re in the right place. The whole point of this guide is to make it simple for you to put in place a manageable plan which you can stick to. Follow this advice and you ll take your business blog from blah, whatever to well hello!. Supercharge your business blog the ultimate guide, is broken down into three parts: what you need to know before you start writing the blog scheduler with examples a bonus list of proven attention-grabbing headlines Ready? Turn over to get started and let s do this!
What you need to know before you start writing (this bit s important) You may have heard the expression start with the end in mind and this is especially true for your business blog. Before you start writing, you need to get clear on the focus of your post and what you want your audience to do when they read it. Purpose What is the purpose of your blog post? Is it to tell your customers about a new product? Is it to demonstrate your knowledge as an industry leader, is it to inform people about an aspect of your business or do you want them to place an order? The result you want will determine how you frame your article. Tell a story Every post you write should tell part of your business story. People remember stories and business storytelling is a powerful way to build a connection between your business and your customers. Now, some people might immediately think that their product, or the widgets they sell, have no story. Or that the service they offer is not particularly unique - so what could they say? Well, quite simply, it doesn t matter at all what the business, product or service is what matters are the benefits to your customers or potential clients. And what that means is, that when you write your blog posts you should always talk about the benefits rather than the features.
Check out this example of an Executive Assistance service: Our highly qualified EAs can manage your schedule, deal with customer enquiries and take your bookings. The text above emphasises the service features Which means that you can finally get that worklife balance you always talk about. This text focuses on the service benefits to the customer (you) The difference between what you do and the value you bring. When you write content for your website or blog you need to tell people what you do and what you offer that s to be expected. However, the focus for the person reading your blog is what s in it for me?. That s why whatever you write, needs to show the benefits to your readers, not simply the nuts and bolts of your product or service itself. This is the key to great copywriting. So, when you sit down to write your blog that s what you need to do too. Not only that - always keep in mind your why. Why does your business exist what is your reason for being? And if you get stuck go back to your why because it will help keep your focus and message on-track.
If you find yourself struggling, then get in touch because I could get a story out of a concrete slab! Your blog structure Every story has a start, middle and end and it s the same for your business blog. Once you ve nailed down your purpose, your next focus is the structure. Every post you write should follow this simple three-part formula: Target Audience Problem Solution Let s break it down. Audience - who is your audience? When you write your post who are you writing for? Think in detail about your target audience. For example, if you re in the car repair business who are your ideal customers? Are they the people who put their cars in for regular maintenance or are they the ones who wait until it breaks down?
Which ones are better for your business? Think about why. And don t sweat too hard over this one there s no right or wrong answer! It s just about targeting your audience. When you know who your ideal customer is - write to target those people. Problem what problem does your audience (customer) have? Using the example above, the person whose car has broken down has a problem because they depend on their car and need it fixed quickly. They might have to do the school-run, or they might be planning a long trip or even, they might be planning to sell it. As their mechanic, understanding your customers problems makes it easy for you to offer solutions. But that s not all - it also enables you to pre-empt their needs because - being the car maintenance expert, means you know what they need, before they know they need it! This is all the juicy stuff you can blog about. Moreover, you don t have to wait for a problem to arise first - blogging about car maintenance prevention tips is one way to establish credibility and demonstrate your expertise. And more importantly puts it in front of customers so they take action before anything goes wrong. Win-win, right?
The solution Now, fortunately, as their regular mechanic, there are many ways you can solve their problems. You can remind them about their next service due date, you can let them know when you re offering a discount on brakes you could run a special offer for a one-hour pit-stop check. You could even provide them with insider secrets for keeping their vehicles in great condition all via your blog posts. Through your business blog, you can stand in your customers shoes and make it clear you are the solution. It doesn t matter what industry you re in or what product or service you sell. Your business blog offers you the opportunity to genuinely connect with your customers and to demonstrate the benefits of your service. That s how your business blog should work. So let s turn now to a brief 101 on keywords and how to write to keep people interested in what you want to say.
Keywords There s a lot of talk out there in the Google-sphere about the importance of keywords. And no question, having a keyword for each blog post is important. However, it s equally important to focus on how your post reads and showing how your product or service will solve problems - rather than tie yourself in knots trying to cram keywords into your blog. Keywords are not the be all and end all (and there are lots of ways to SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) your blog but you should have a target keyword or phrase so it gets picked up in a Google search. Here s how it works. If you were looking for a holiday weekend think about what you d type into Google. You wouldn t simply type weekend accommodation you d put the place, maybe if it allowed pets and so on. So, your actual Google search might be weekend accommodation in Brisbane where I can take my pet. Entering weekend break, Brisbane is not targeted enough. When you write your blog, you should include the phrase accommodation where you can take your pets. Or pet-friendly accommodation into your blog post. In the example below, you can see the difference between doing a general keyword search vs a more targeted keyword phrase using Google s Keyword Planning tool.
General keyword search showing how many people searched for weekend accommodation in Brisbane. This shows a more targeted keyword phrase for pet-friendly accommodation in Brisbane.
You get the idea a zillion people might be looking for weekend accommodation in Brisbane. However, if you re the owner of a pet friendly hotel with a business blog then it s pet-owners you need to target in your post. Now, at the bare minimum, your keyword or phrase should be included in your headline, blog title, url and in the first paragraph. You can find information on popular search terms by using the Google Keyword Planning tool (and others). Do this before you start writing. Once you ve established your targeted keywords -make sure you include them in your blog (along with relevant hashtags when you post to social media). Finally, and most important of all make it readable If you want people to read what you write, make it easy. This means: use simple language write like you speak be concise, use short sentences use lots of white space to reading it easy on the eye use the appropriate tone of voice check for typos, syntax and grammar no jargon (unless specifically relevant to your audience) Ok, so now you know what to do before you write and how to structure your posts let s get to the next bit. The blog-scheduling tool.
The three-month blog-scheduler (blank for your own ideas) The scheduler below is designed to help you plan for your first three months. The layout is deliberately simple to enable you to set out your key themes and areas of focus. Think about your theme, potential titles/topics (the problems you can solve) and your key message (your solutions). January Blog theme Date Time Blog title Key Message Hashtags February March
Example of how this template can be used I ve kept the blank template straightforward but the purpose of the completed one below, is simply to show you how a single blog post can provide fuel for your social media. Headline hacks and how to write with impact Before anyone clicks through to your blog first you ve got to grab their attention. That s why it s really important to write a killer headline. And don t worry if you re not a writer if you follow the proven examples below, you ll dramatically increase your chances of click-throughs to your site. Now it s time to turn over the page for the sweetest bit of all.
Attention-grabbing headlines that work If you want people to read your blog posts then first you need to get their attention. Here are ten killer headlines your audience won t be able to resist - examples below: 1. Here s How 2. Three easy ways to. 3. Ten reasons why 4. The secret 5. The warning headline 6. Ask a question 7. Specifically target your audience in the headline 8. Learn how to 9. What everyone should know about. 10. Confessions of Examples of how you can use them: 1. Here s How to make sure you stick to your new year s resolution. 2. Three easy ways to tell if someone s lying. 3. Ten reasons why you should call your dentist instead of your doctor 4. The No 1 secret car dealers don t want you to know 5. Ten warning signs your relationship is in trouble 6. Are you paying too much for health insurance? Find out now. 7. Retiring? Four things to ask your financial advisor before you do 8. Learn a language while you sleep 9. What you really need to know before you buy a self-driving car 10. Confessions of a real estate agent
Almost the end I hope you ve found this guide useful. I wrote it to enable small business owners to understand what they need to do, to get their business blogs off to a flying start - but may feel like they don t know where to start. But now you do. This guide is not intended to be exhaustive but simply to provide a roadmap to thinking, planning and writing your blog posts. And if you have a website and are thinking about a blog page but haven t got around to it then hopefully this will help. Regular blogging will increase traffic to your site, increase your reach, increase sales and better connect you with your customers. My why is that I love to write that s why my newsletter is called For the Love of Words. If, after reading this, you think you could do with some help then get in touch and let s have a chat no obligation. Thank you for reading this right to the end and I wish you all the very best on your blogging journey! Lisa O Farrell ps I m a real person you know not just an algorithm..