Just like coming up with great content for your Newsletter, it’s critical to have a solid content strategy for your blog if you want to maintain (or gain) a strong online presence. At the same time, it’s one of the the most challenging things for entrepreneurs and small business owners to find the time and creativity to stay consistent.
You’ve already got a captive audience for your newsletter, and planning out your blog posting strategy is not all that different. After all, you’re going to be sending out your new posts to your newsletter, so some of the same rules apply:
- Know Your List
- Create a List of Relevant Topics
- Come up with a Good Headline
- Keep it Short
- Be Consistent
The main difference is who you’re writing for, and the amount of content you’re creating. With your newsletter, you’re often just pointing your list (those who’ve already signed up for your newsletter, showing their interest in your business and what you have to say) to your latest content. Your blog post, on the other hand, is that content. So at the same time you’re thinking about providing value for the people already on your list, you want to also be thinking about how you can provide value for those outside of your list–those you want to attract to your website. Here’s a few guidelines to help you write these kinds of quality posts for your blog:
- Know Your Ideal Audience – who are you talking to–hoping to attract to your website? What do they like and dislike? What do they need and want? How are you solving their problem? Do you know enough about this person to make sure he/she feels welcome (at home) on your website? If you do, you’ll be able to write for them.
A simple way to figure out who you’re talking to is to write down every detail you can think of about this person–if you’re a creative person you can even give them a name. Get as detailed as you can–even things like listing their favorite music will help. The more you can understand who you’re writing to and for, the easier it’s going to be for you to come up with content, and write about it in a way that attracts and resonates with your ideal audience.
- Just like with your Newsletter, create a List of Relevant Topic Ideas and while you’re at it, craft those headlines in advance. Every time you come up with an idea–jot it on this list. Whenever a client or customers asks you a question or shares with you a pain point or struggle, add it to the list. Keep your list handy for easy reference so when you’re ready to sit down and write, you can just pick a headline and start writing.
- Keep it Interesting – approach your writing in different ways. Mix it up. If you want to keep it simple, you could choose four ways to write on a topic and rotate throughout each month. For example, on week one write a how-to post. The second week, write a book or product review. Week three, interview someone who’s doing something your audience will find relevant. And on week four, create a list of the best posts for that month from all over the web. These are just ideas–come with your own that will make sense for your business and audience. Use your imagination, and keep it interesting. Have fun with it, and pick topics that are interesting to you. Use the research you did to get to know your ideal audience to see if it’ll be interesting for them–chances are it will.
- Just Write – don’t worry about perfection. Don’t compare yourself to anyone else. Write about what you already know. Write with abandon and brainstorm as you go. When you’re done writing, you can go back and organize it. This one tip will save you hours stressing over what to say, and how to say it. Once you have your basic framework in place, it’s easy to go back and edit your content and check for spelling and grammar. When you write, do it as though you’re having a conversation with someone who asked you a question on your topic. Keep the language simple and non-technical so anyone can easily grasp your meaning–people skim on the web, it’s just a fact. Keep it short, sweet, and simple.
- Stay Consistent – and you’ll gain a loyal following. Don’t judge interest by whether or not people leave comments–most don’t. People are busy and often don’t think they have anything to add. When your numbers get really high, you’ll see more comment engagement, but don’t make that your goal. Make quality your goal and everything else will come with time and consistency. You’ll see your traffic increase and as you do, you’ll see your business pick up too–it all goes hand in hand.
Just keep in mind, a good content strategy takes time, so don’t forget to do everything else you need to in order to generate sales for your business. Your content strategy is just one (important) part of the equation. As long as you’re providing the value that only you can provide, and doing it consistently so people know they can count on you to keep showing up, you’re going to see results from your effort.
If you have ideas to add to this list, please feel free to share in the comments below! If you need help with your content strategy, reach out to me and I’ll be happy to point you in the right direction. I can give you a few tips, point you toward some online resources, and/or refer you to some pros who will help you turn a corner and become the content creation master of your domain.
Hey there! Thanks for stopping by! I’d love to connect, so drop me a line here or shoot me an email at norma [at] connectinteractivellc [dot] com. If you like what you’re reading, be sure and subscribe or sign-up just below for email updates so you don’t miss a thing!
By the Way… If you like what you read today, you’ll love this post: Essential Reading for Creative Entrepreneurs!
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