To Blog Or Not To Blog That Is The Question

By Mary Anne Cipressy
      David Trippany
What's Up SWFL

We are sure you have been told that blogging would be great for your business. However it present some challenges as to time factors, what to blog about and perhaps evening understanding what blogging is all about. So that is where we are going to start…..at the beginning.

So perhaps you have heard of the terms blog, blogging, blog post but are not sure what it all means. A blog is where you publish your blog posts and blogging is the act of writing those blog posts. So a blog is a space on your website (or even off site) where all your blog posts are located. A blog post is a short article like content that speaks to different aspects of your business. Blogging is the continuous process of writing and posting blog posts on your blog. Notice we said continuous process but we will get to that a bit later.

Blogging for your business has many benefits as to why you would want to be doing this in the first place.

1.       It drives traffic to your website

2.       Helps turn all that traffic into leads

3.       Helps you be seen as an expert or authority in your field

4.       Gives you content for your social media and networking marketing.

There is also the long term benefit that your blog post(s) will show in search engine results for a long time to come. This adds to your online presence as well.

Convinced? So what about the time factor you ask? We hear it all the time. I am so busy running my business that I do not have time. Like with other aspects of your business that you make time for, this is just another one. We recommend that you blog on a regular basis of at least once a week. Allow yourself 1 hour a week for this. Can you make time for 1 hour? You can also hire a blog writer to create the blog post for you.

So what about the post itself you ask? The title should be catchy and tell the reader what to expect. There should be at least 1 picture. The word count should be between 300- 600 at minimum and no longer than 1,000 to 1,600 words. Bear in mind that readers have a short attention span. If you have a lot to say then go longer but if you can get your message across in less than be sure you keep it between 300-600 words.

Now for one of the bigger challenges…what to write about. Here are some suggestions:

1. Problem solving- As a business owner you get asked questions frequently. Think of those questions and provide the answers.
2. How To – people are always searching for this type of information.  
3. Special Announcements – while you do not want to get overly self-promoting, you can use your blog for sure things as new employee’s or the promoting of your employee to a new position, new store openings, events you are having, new products  or services, sales and special promotions. You can also feature an employee and perhaps interview them or a bio as to their role. This helps put a “face” to your business.
4. Review a new product – if there is a product you use in your business or related to your business provide a review on that. You can also compare 2 products. As an example if you are in the air conditioning business you can write a review on the latest system or compare 2 different systems that perhaps meet different needs.  
5. Create a “Top” or “Best” list - these can speak to current trends in your industry. As an example if you are a hair stylist you could do a post on top hair styles, or products people can use on their hair.
6. Educational Posts- this is where you can share your knowledge and expertise in your field of business. You can write about best practices or give tips to help your clients or customers. 

When writing your post be sure to use your own voice, your personality should shine and will keep your readers interested. Be sure to include pictures. It is important that you are consistent with your blogging. Consistent in your message as well as frequency in posting. Reading other articles in your related field will keep you up to date and can be a source of inspiration.

The benefits and the opportunities that arise from blogging could be the very boost your business needs to take it to the next level. Happy blogging!