New to Blogging?

One of the hot topics presented to business owners to increase their visibility to their customer base is to get involved in social media. They are told that it will help boost their search engine rankings as well as increase their clientele. So they have followed their SEO’s advice and have started a blog, Facebook Page, or Twitter account. They made it through setting up their account (or accounts) and now those places expect them to put in some content. Panic is starting to set in and right about now they are thinking, “HELP! I NEED HELP!”

Blogging

You’ve started a blog and now you have no idea what to say, what to share, what not to share. Here are some tips to keep in mind and help you keep perspective as you move ahead.

You are the expert in your field

There is something you know that your customers don’t. That is why they are coming to you. Pick a topic or a part of a topic and write about it. If you feel that you can’t write in a story every week, or your writing style is so bland that even your closest friends cringe when they read your Facebook post, think about writing a step- by-step how-to article or series of articles.

Write a Step by Step Article

Break an activity in your field down into its individual components. Write a short introductory paragraph like, “Today I am going to talk about how to take your left-handed widget off your right-handed gizmo.” Then start listing each step along the way in accomplishing the action. Once you have the list completed, take the necessary time needed to double-check that you have included all the steps and that you have them in the correct order. Add a picture of you doing the activity.

Share the History of Your Business

What sparked the start of your business? Telling your story lets your readers learn a little bit about you and starts building a relationship. It can provide vision or insight into who you are as well as spur the next generation of entrepreneurs.

Tell a Story

All of us have things happen to us. Sometimes they are funny things that break down walls. Sometimes they are trials that inspire others. While people probably don’t want to hear a moment by moment break down of an event, they will probably get a chuckle out of the mental picture of you trying to shoot a deer while sitting in the outhouse or how you manage to bake cinnamon rolls while out camping in the backwoods.

You Write What You Know

While blogging might be a bit of a labor for some who think of them as high school English papers, remember that you get to choose the topic. You get to choose how much you write. People like pictures, so if you add pictures to your posts (with captions please) you don’t have to write so much. And who knows – you might even find you like it!

Till next time

Mary Ellen Higgins

August 29, 2011