Does it feel like your blog is taking WAY too much time for the results it delivers (or lack of results)? Do you worry that if you commit yourself to consistent posting and promoting it might?
There are three rules you’ve got to follow if you want to create a blog that works to attract and engage your ideal clients without taking over your life.
Rule #1: Always Have a Plan
Your blog is part of your business, so work it into your plans, and know your goals.
The first step in having a great business blogging plan is to know your goals. What are your goals for you blog? Have you defined them clearly?
If you don’t know your goals, your blog may frustrate you simply because you have no way to measure it’s results or success!
Here are some possibilities (and ideas of what to measure and track so you know how you’re doing)…
- Build a Platform
- Create a Community (Time Spent/Bounce Rate)
- Drive/Attract Traffic (Stats)
- Build Your List (Subscribers)
- Create Discussion (Comments)
- Social Sharing
- Build Business/Sales ($$$)
- Ad Revenue (Alexa/Compete)
- Content Creation (Book)
- JV/Partnership Invitations
- Media Requests
- Authority/Reputation
- Get a Message Out (Downloads & Views)
The second step is to create your plans based on those goals.
Here’s how I plan my blog content, keeping my goals in mind:
Rule # 2: You Must Think Like a Jedi
Want a blog that attracts and engages the right readers? Then you’ve GOT to understand your readers!
Get inside their heads, think about what motivates them, what their goals and dreams are and write posts that connect to that.
The easiest way to do this? LISTEN.
Don’t assume you know what your readers are struggling with or want to know. Stop and listen to what they’re talking about.
- Check Facebook groups, forums, Twitter, other social networks and Q&A sites like Quora to see what questions they’re asking.
- Talk with them one on one. Pay attention to the way they answer questions you ask or ask you for help.
- Watch what’s popular on big blogs–which posts are getting lots of shares, comments, and engagement?
Develop those Jedi mind-reading skills, bloggers!
Rule #3: Your Blog is Not an Island
Don’t let your blog and it’s content be a floating island in the vast ocean of the world wide web.
CONNECT with other bloggers and work together.
And, get your content out there beyond your own blog!
Everytime you create a new piece of content, think: “Where else or how else can I use this content?” Turn it into an asset you leverage in multiple ways within your business. Use and reuse.
This blog post is based on a Google+ Hangout conversation I had with the Online Empowerment ladies last week. I outlined my notes for our discussion and from there I’ve got 4 to 5 blog posts plus there’s a video recording of our conversation I can use in other ways later.
So how can you repurpose content?
Written Content:
- blog posts
- guest blog posts
- newsletter articles for your ezine or list
- articles for reprint (like EzineArticles.com and WAHM-Articles.com)
- FAQ page
- customer welcome kit
- instruction sheets
- forum posts
- autoresponder series
- ebook (for sale or free)
- short report (great for getting list opt-ins)
- press release
- interview
Video Content:
- you tube video of you on camera presenting your content
- you tube video of a slide show with narration
- webinar based on the content
Audio Content:
- audio blogs
- teleseminars based on the content
- short audio tip series (like an autoresponder but links to audio versions instead)
Social Networking Content:
- Facebook fan page content
- Facebook profile notes (if you use your profile for business & personal)
- Tweets (turn it into a #hashtag tips series)
- LinkedIn discussions
Image Content:
- slide show
- infographic
And there ya go!
Three rules to make your blogging EFFECTIVE and SAVE YOU TIME.
What are your favorite strategies and rules for blogging that works without taking over your life?
I didn’t do any research about blogging, I just dived in. Because of this I had to make several corrections along the way. The most important thing one should know before starting a blog, as you mentioned, is to know why you’re blogging and have a plan. That’s the foundation of all that is to come. Get that wrong and you may have to tear it down and re-build.
There are so many tips, tools, tricks and strategies for business blogging. The key for success (I’m still learning) is to do a couple of things really well before moving on to something else. I learned this the hard way.
Thanks for sharing Michelle.
So true. One step, one strategy, one skill at a time. Trying to do it all at once is a fast way to fail.
You’ve just spoken out my mind Michelle :) All the three rules are highly important. And I see most people ignore or break rule #1! Jumping into a business and starting a blog without a plan is self-sabotage.
And it is very crucial that we get into readers’ minds. Only this will help us deliver what they want and make the relationship between us and the customers/readers meaningful and useful.
Finally, connections – oh they are so important and connections are assets in any business!
Connections are one of the most important assets to develop in blogging and in business. :)
I’ve seen more blogs abandoned for lack of planning and goals than for anything else. Sometimes jumping in is GREAT but like the quote says… “If you have built castles in the air, your work need not be lost; that is where they should be. Now put the foundations under them.” ~ Henry David Thoreau
When I joined UBC I saw your video and planned my blog posts according to my plan following your blueprint here. Thank you so much Michelle for the UBC and I hope we can keep the blogging challenge going. Love it!
Great tips, Michelle. Next week I have a full day planned to schedule posts for the beginning of 2014. Your tips will come in handy. I have so much content available, and yet sometimes sit there thinking “hmm, what could I write about” :-)
Smart – you’re WAY ahead of the curve, Sarah!
Thanks for all these suggestions, Michelle. And for describing them so concisely. All the easier to “get it” and take action. Especially your Rule #2. As I understand it, we aim to understand our ideal readers, so our posts can solve a problem for them. And your Rule #3 is HUGE — with a ton of powerful ways to recycle our posts.
You exactly shared what many of us bloggers want to here and want to get. This is because our focus is on getting into a stage where we are attracting clients on the site. Nice share ~ Anetta
The tips are excellent especially #2. You can get topics too blog about when you know the questions that are bugging people.
Thanks for sharing this.
Hi Michelle,
Thanks for tips about finding out what the customer wants and learning how to listen to them.
Priceless advice.
Thanks
Naomi