There is a big difference between writing a personal blog and writing your business blog. Your personal blog? Say whatever you want. Post whenever you feel like it. No pressure! Your business blog? A whole different story. You have lots of things to consider:
- How do I get started?
- What do I write about?
- How long should a blog post be?
- How often should I post?
4 Posts that Will Get Your Business Blog Started
“Starting a blog for fun is fun. But starting a blog for your business – that’s work.” ~ Harley David Rubin
Without a plan, you’re probably better off not even publishing a blog. It’ll make you and your company look careless, clueless and disorganized. (Pro Tip: That’s NOT how you want to appear.) Luckily, Your Friendly Neighborhood Social Media Guru Ninja Visionary™ is here to help. These 4 blog posts will help you get your blog up and running with minimal effort.
#1 Introduce Your Business Blog
This one’s pretty self-explanatory. Your first post should be a brief “welcome to our blog” post, including a description of your company and what you do. Just cover the main points in a few short paragraphs.
- Welcome to our blog!
- We’re Company X, and we make the finest widgets in town.
- I’m [NAME], and I’m the founder of Company X. Thanks for visiting our blog!
- Here’s what you can expect from our future posts.
- Please subscribe to get the latest news, insights and exclusive offers.
And that’s it! You’ve gotten your blog off the virtual ground! Take a break, you deserve it.
#2 An Exclusive Offer
To begin getting subscribers, give them a reason to subscribe in the first place – and maybe even follow you on social media. Promote a discount or special offer that’s exclusive to subscribers – and make it worth their while.
A Few Ideas for Exclusive Offers
- 15% off your first purchase if you’re a subscriber to our blog.
- 5% off every purchase if you connect on Facebook, Twitter, etc.
- 20% off your first purchase if you’re a blog subscriber and social media fan.
So, they give you a chance, they save money, and you build an audience of customers and prospects. Wins all around!
#3 An Industry News/Trends Business Blog
Think of someone in your industry or a business leader that you admire – maybe even someone that you follow on social media, attend their lectures, read their blogs, etc. Why can’t YOU be that person?
- Find an important news item for your industry.
Maybe you saw an article written somewhere about a change/breakthrough/etc. – and offer your opinions on it. Is it good, bad, scary, incredible? Why? Do you have experience with it?
- Pick an industry trend.
It could be technological, managerial, etc. – and write a few paragraphs about why it’s good, bad, scary or incredible.
Your readers will see you as an engaged influencer and important person, and that kind of respect turns prospects into fans and customers.
#4 A Holiday/Seasonal Post
A quick “happy holiday” message shows you care and humanizes you as a company. It doesn’t even have to be the big holidays – something smaller like Groundhog Day or even National Peanut Butter & Jelly Day can make for a fun blog post.
And there’s no shortage of those kinds of opportunities – there’s literally a holiday every day. (Just Google “list of fun holidays.”) Plus, you can always create a unique offer based on a seasonal or holiday theme!
Congratulations, you’re a business blogger!
Yes, it can be that easy. Of course, if you’re too busy to post regularly, you may need to outsource the writing to a pro. Just make sure you put some thought into it. Plan out the next few months, or even the whole year if you’re feeling productive. A post every week or two is about right for most businesses.
In essence, I’ve just given you a month or two of blog ideas that you can get done pretty quickly. Find a nice image (you can find royalty-free stuff to use, or just take your own photos) to go with the content, and you’re on your way!
Have any fun stories about launching your business blog? Feel free to post in the comments below. And please share this blog with your social networks if you found it interesting!
