If you’re here, chances are you’re using WordPress for your small business website. It probably consists of several or many pages — content that is mainly static in nature.
But what about the blog?
What is a blog?
A blog is typically a section of your business’s website — but, unlike the rest of your website, you need to update the blog section frequently by adding new posts.
HubSpot, What is a Blog & Why You Should Create One
The word blog gets a bad rap. It’s often associated with sites that are riddled with ads and too personal in nature.
A blog doesn’t have to be that way though. When used correctly, a blog on a small business website can:
- Provide valuable content to the reader.
- Include posts that are timely, interesting, relevant and helpful.
- Have content that builds trust and shows that the business is not only an authority, but pretty awesome, too.
That type of content is pretty nice, isn’t it? You may have visited a site with a blog and found some useful information yourself. In fact, THIS is a post on my blog about WordPress and small business. 🤯
Why should I start blogging?
You might ask, “Why should I commit to blogging when I HAVE SO. MANY. OTHER. THINGS. TO. DO?”
There are lots of reasons why you should consider blogging.
- Google and other search engines like when sites are updated regularly (and recently).
- Your potential customers appreciate this as well!
- You’ll have something meaningful to share on social media and with your email list, which drives traffic back to your site, which search engines also like.
- You build deeper customer relationships when you share valuable information (people trust people who help them).
- Blogging keeps you actively involved with your website.
That’s the what and the why; now let’s talk about the how.
How do I start blogging?
It’s not difficult to start blogging. You just need to think about a few things first, then get to work.
- Set a schedule that works for you (weekly, monthly, quarterly) and stick to it!
- Be helpful! What do visitors and potential customers need or want to know? What do you find yourself repeating often and wish everyone knew? What are good tips and tricks? What information is essential? (Check out these 5 fun and easy ways to find a topic for your next blog post.)
- Write like you would share that information with a friend, then click Publish!
How do I keep blogging?
Look how easy that was! Once you have a few posts under your belt, add in these steps.
- Have a plan for what visitors can expect to find on your site. Determine 5-7 topics you’ll write about and use these as your categories in WordPress.
- Vary the length of your posts. Some posts can be short and sweet, but write some that are longer and more in-depth.
- Use links! If one of your previous posts relates to the one you’re writing now, add a link. If another site has relevant and useful content, link that as well.
- Promote on your social media channels and to your email list.
How do I become really awesome at blogging?
You’re on a roll now! Here are some advanced tips to really hit it out of the park.
- End your posts with a CTA (call to action). What do you want your reader to do next? Don’t forget to tell them WHY.
- Consider SEO. Add meta descriptions and titles to your posts. Add a featured image so that when you share on social media, the post looks professional.
- Go back and refresh existing content when appropriate.
- Create different types of posts like how-tos, lists or case studies.
- If you fall off schedule, don’t apologize for not writing or publishing, just carry on!
- Check your writing. Use a tool like Hemingway, take a class or consider hiring a professional.
- And lastly, make a plan! Build an editorial calendar of topics, categories and types of posts. Here’s a sample I made just for you.
This is by no means a comprehensive plan for content marketing for your small business. However, I hope that it gives you some food for thought and a simple plan to start a blog on your small business website today!