It’s your first day at the gym. You look around trying to decide where to get your burn on. You’re having second thoughts about getting in shape. The Planet Fitness commercial flashes through your mind:
You’re scared of lunks! Why are you at the gym anyway? Where do you start? Cardio, triceps, biceps, legs, weight lifting, bands, bars, and bosu balls oh my! If only you had a trainer. Can you relate to this? Do you feel the same way when it comes to your internet marketing efforts…like blogging?
You might be sitting at your computer, surfing the net, wondering what to write about. You’re having second thoughts about attempting this whole blogging thing. You have no idea where to start or what to write about. Blogs, keywords, Google, oh my! If only you had a trainer...oh wait, you do! This blog post is going to help you get your blogging burn on. In a short 5 minute work-out – err – read you’ll be flexing your writing muscles in no time. Here are some internet marketing tips to get you get started.
Why are you blogging in the first place?
Always keep in mind why you are writing a blog: to support your internet marketing efforts. A blog helps you get found on Google – as long as you’re using the right keywords, blogging frequently and consistently – and a blog provides helpful information to your current and potential customers. A blog is a foundational piece of any internet marketing strategy.
What should you write about?
You know you should be blogging for your business and you’re committed to doing so. But what the heck should you write about? You design jewelry for a living. No one cares about jewelry unless it’s Mother’s Day, Valentine’s Day or they are getting engaged, right? Well, maybe, but that’s not really the point. The point is that you want them to find and choose your business when they are looking for someone to make their jewelry.
Some things to think about to get your gears moving and sample titles:
- What are some common questions you hear customers asking? Simply write down the answer to these questions as if you were talking to a customer.
“How Can You Can Tell a Real Stone from a Fake Stone?”
- Write about a real-life experience you had with a customer.
“Reasons Why the Ring Jack Gave Jill Didn’t Cause His Proposal to Tumble Down the Hill”
- Do a little stalking to see what your competitors are writing about.
“5 Ways to Say ‘I Love You’ With the Perfect Piece of Jewelry”
- Get creative! Think outside the box.
“10 Interesting Facts You Didn’t Know About Jewels”
- Educate your readers. This is the main goal of your blog.
“Common Mistakes When Selecting the Perfect Stone”
- Think of the industry terms or phrases you hear most often. Then do some basic keyword research to see if people are searching for these terms, or are searching for similar topics in a different way. You might be surprised at what comes up to give you topic ideas.
How do you start?
Unfortunately, there is no magic way to make you blog. You just have to do it. Allow yourself to do some research if you need to find inspiration, otherwise, once you select your topic you: Just. Starting. Writing. Even if you think it’s crap, just write. You can always go back and change it. Give yourself a time limit too. Tell yourself, “I’m going to blog for the next hour” and even set a timer. When the hour is up, do something else. After a while you’ll get into the habit and the blogging will get easier. That’s worth repeating. It does get easier. But remember to be patient. It will take some time – probably at least 6 months – before you see any traction from your efforts.
But that’s the case when you’re trying to get anything in shape, right? Even when you’re at the gym working out hard and building up those muscles, you might see some results right away, but it will take a while to get to your goal. Just keep at it and you’ll be flexing those blogging muscles in no time.
[This is the third post in the series “Blogging: The Lifeline of Your Internet Marketing Strategy”]
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