“On average, companies with blogs produce 67% more leads per month”
Wise words indeed from the inbound marketing experts at Hubspot.
But you know this already, don’t you?
If you’ve been anywhere within a million miles of the content marketing world over the last decade, you’ve heard it time and time again.
–> That no self-respecting business would ever neglect to write a blog.
–> That blogging is THE way to get people to notice you and THE way you can take your business from ZERO to HERO.
And they’re right, of course.
Blog posts can do some pretty cool stuff.
They can be key to your business success and as Hubspot says, they can help you get a much better return on any money you invest in your business (13x)
So why do so many businesses and entrepreneurs struggle when it comes to creating their content? And how can YOU avoid making those cringe-worthy mistakes and grow a solid business?
It’s time for the big reveal. I’ve gathered together six powerful tips that can help you get your readers interested and engaged with what you’re reading and ultimately, become your biggest fans.
Do it right and you’ll also become the go-to figure or brand in your niche and start noticing how your sales start to increase.
What’s so good about blogging, then?
Before we get onto the tips themselves, it’s worth taking a sec to recap why you’d want to create a blog post in the first place. What exactly can it do for your business?
Now, I could start by telling you all the content marketing facts and statistics on how it can help you grow your business.
But that’s not what marketing and SEO is going to be about in 2020 and beyond, nor is it how I like to see content creation.
Because writing high-performing blog posts isn’t really about keywords and getting those search engines to notice you. I mean, it IS, but that’s not what ultimately matters.
What matters is that blog posts help you make a difference in the world. Really.
They help address your readers’ problems, guide them towards a solution and allow them to feel empowered and in control of their lives.
When you create your blog posts and solve these problems, you’re showing your authenticity.
Simultaneously, you’re positioning yourself as an expert in your field or niche whilst also communicating what drives you as a human being, a business or an entrepreneur.
And of course, yes, you ARE also getting Google to notice you, boosting your rankings and building a fantastic foundation that can help you make more sales and fulfil your business potential.
But putting your reader or potential customer first is what it’s all about.
It’s worth mentioning that this does work in exactly the same way, regardless of what industry or business you’re focused on.
Whether you’re a yoga teacher or you run wellness retreats, whether you’re an SEO company or a travel agent. Whether you’re showing people how to live a fulfilling location-independent life, it all works the same.
Blogging will help you become the go-to figure in your field. The brand in your niche who your target audience will flock to. The business that can make a difference.
That’s why blogging is so great.
6 ways you can use your blog to get more clients
As promised, here are six easy tips that can help you really revv up that blogging engine and get you noticed. Don’t create content without doing these things. Yes, ALL of them.
1. Solve your audience’s problems
First and foremost, you have to create content that will be useful and inspiring to your audience. Keep them in mind when you sit down to plan what you’re going to write about and consider what exactly they’d like to receive from you.
Yes, you might ADORE the intricacies of the endocrine system or go crazy about SEO innovations, but that probably isn’t what will get them engaged.
Remember, you don’t have a business without your audience so treat them well.
2. Be different
Add personality to your post. Look for a different angle on the problem. Write about topics in your industry that everyone forgets or avoids. And never EVER be afraid to be yourself when you’re creating blog content.
The online market is heavily saturated these days with endless content that isn’t much different from the next.
Your unique talents, your unique voice and your unique angle on the ‘problem’ in question will be what help you stand out.
Offer Pilates classes? Then make it clear through the words you choose that your classes are built for ‘normal’ women who aren’t stick-thin, bendy and athletic. Show them how friendly and welcoming you are and your audience will naturally feel more drawn to you AND get engaged.
Provide SEO services for wellness businesses? Show them how you differ from the rest by breaking down technical topics into easy-to-use language, let your silly side shine out and they will see how authentic you are and be much more likely to choose your services.
3. Post consistently
Get yourself a content marketing calendar and stick to it, no matter how regularly you decide to post.
As you might have heard, those Google algorithms take it as a sign that you’re an active business and are worth listening to.
Your audience will know when to expect new content and are much more likely to stay engaged. You’ll get into the habit of marketing your business on a regular basis AND you’ll show the world that you are a professional.
All of these factors help to improve user experience, making them more likely to stick around, engage with your content and eventually pay you for your product or service. You’ll also climb higher in the Google rankings (yay!) and you’ll build a stronger fan base who you can then create online products and services for.
4. Link, link, link!
You want to provide your audience with maximum value, don’t you? You want to educate them as much as possible and empower them to find the right solution for their problem?
Then make sure you’re adding plenty of links into your blog posts. Whenever you quote someone, refer to interesting facts or studies or can provide further reading, make sure you link it directly into your blog posts. (Do be careful not to link to your competitors though!)
Whenever you can, add links to other content on your own website (known as internal links) so you can encourage your website visitors to stick around and see all the awesome things you have to offer. Did I mention that Google also looks at this kindly?
5. Use calls to action (CTAs)
Don’t forget that you’re creating these blog posts for a reason.
You want to make a difference in the world and solve people’s problems. You want to engage your readers and eventually, turn them into loyal customers.
But your audience needs your help to make this happen.
Think about your website visitors like a guest who comes to visit your home. You want them to feel welcome in your home and to feel comfortable, so you’ll need to take a moment to explain everything.
Sure- they might be able to find the bathroom by walking around and cautiously opening a few doors. But it’s much better if you can just tell them to pop to the third door on the left whenever they need a wee.
Same goes for content marketing and creating blog posts. If you want your audience to sign up for your newsletter, download your freebie or find out more about your retreat, TELL THEM.
At the end of every piece of content you write, ask them to do what you want. You’ll be amazed at how much this can help your audience to grow.
6. Offer your content in various formats
Most of us live hectic lives and we often don’t get chance to read through thousands of words of blog content. Or we just don’t feel like it.
That’s why you should offer multiple opportunities for your audience to digest your blog content.
Why not offer a downloadable version of your podcast that your audience can read when they’re offline? Or record your blog post as a podcast? Or create a YouTube video? Or even use it to create an extended eBook that solves a specific problem?
Doing this can also help you to reach new audiences who hang out on different online platforms and help solve their problems too.
Don’t worry- this isn’t too much extra work. Once you’ve created your blog post itself, most of the hard work has been done and it’s super easy to convert them to other formats. Remember to link to all versions in your blog posts.
Blogging is a powerful content marketing tool that you can use to share your expertise, grow your audience, make a difference in the world, and ultimately grow your business. Follow the tips I’ve shared here and you will create content that gets you noticed!
If you’d like help creating a content marketing strategy or blog posts for your wellness business, reach out today. I’d love to help.