10 May Do I Really Need A Blog?

This question is one that haunts business owners, but new and established. In my considered opinion-maybe. Great. That clarifies it right up for me, Colleen. I know, as it stands, that doesn’t help much, but I have a list of questions to ask yourself before you make a final decision.

1. Can you commit to a consistent schedule for at least a year: Blogging is a long game, one that requires a strategy and patience. If you can’t take the time to do the front end work; evaluating your competition, figuring out your optimal  keywords for SEO and a a content calendar, then don’t start. This work is crucial and must happen for the blog to find readers. Plus, it does not have an expiration date. If you are a few years into your business, but now your schedule has freed up or your budget includes asking for help then nothing is stopping you
2. What’s your why?: As it demands in the classic business book, Start With Why This, obviously, should determine the outcome of all your decisions. In considering a blog, make sure it aligns with that mission. More importantly, you need to make sure that your blog exists in service to that mission. That standard will determine if a blog is important as well as determining what subject it will include AND exclude
3. Is writing/blogging the best option?: Let’s face it, marketing channels have multiplied in recent years, and it’s tempting to embrace them all. Don’t. Seriously, don’t. Not by default. Instead, pick the one online option that best suits your product and mission. YouTube and Instagram are great for businesses with visual products or lots of how-to material. Tik Tok skews young, so if that’s your target demographic, get to know it. Crafters love Pinterest. Blogs have a low bar to entry and can provide content for not only your readers, but several other social media outlets as well. Choose one and invest.
4. Does SEO Scare You?: SEO (Search Engine Optimization for the uninitiated) involves using keywords to make your content easy for Google to find, determine the subject and index it so that it’s searchable. Scary, no. Tedious, yes. If you have patience and like words and puzzles, you can master this.
5. Are you patient?: You might have heard me say this before, blogging is a long game. Not hard to enter, but it takes time to build and see results. The journey will include peaks and valleys. You can put out a post that gets no traction at first, but hits two years later. Or maybe not at all. It’s a numbers game, and the longer you play, the better result you’ll achieve. Patience, therefore, is not only a virtue, but a necessity 

IF you’ve considered it all, and you want to move ahead, here are some next moves:

1. Look at your current client list, or, if you’re just starting out, your desired customer and get crystal clear on the demographic you serve. Then take a look outside that bubble and see who lives in your community you don’t serve and why.
2. As an industry expert, you have a lot of unconsidered knowledge. Do a brain dump of any and all ideas , and I mean that, to create a list of possible topics
3. Look at your competition. Do they have a blog? If so, read it and take note of the topics they cover, and that they don’t. What do you like about it? What do you dislike? All of this can help you hone in on what your general topic back will cover

If you’ve done all the thinking and decided to move ahead, welcome to blogging! The field is open, and with consideration and planning, you can create a channel that showcases your expertise and builds trust between you and future customers. A win/win for all involved. If you’re interested but want some help, contact me: cwatson@centuryplantpublishing.com.