A blog is great to share in your newsletters and on social media, but it can do so much more for your business. It can:
- Answer the questions your customers are already asking.
- Give them a reason to remember you.
- Help more people discover your website through search.
That does not mean you need to publish every week or write a thousand words whenever you have an idea. The useful question is: what would my customers want to know?
Why write a blog at all?
First, a blog lets you stay in touch with people who already know your business. A helpful article can explain a change, offer timely advice or remind customers of a service they may need. It gives you something worthwhile to share in an email or on LinkedIn, rather than posting for the sake of posting.
Second, each useful article gives your website another opportunity to answer a specific question. Your service pages should explain what you offer. A blog can go further: it can address common concerns, explain how something works or help someone decide what to do next. Linking to a relevant service page that genuinely helps the reader makes the journey through your site easier too.
Finally, a blog shows people that you are still active and thinking about their needs. Someone visiting your site can see that you have something current and useful to say. Publishing regularly does not, by itself, guarantee better search rankings. A strong post is valuable because of the answer it provides, not simply because it has a recent date.
What should you write a blog piece about?
You probably have more ideas than you think. Start with the questions that come up in calls, enquiries and conversations with customers. If one person has asked, others may be looking for the same answer.
You could write about:
- Things people ought to know: a short explanation of a common mistake, a useful tip or a change that affects your customers.
- How something works: what to expect from a service, how to prepare or what choices are available.
- Your perspective: an observation from your work that helps readers understand an issue.
- News and updates: a genuine change in your business, sector or local area, with an explanation of why it matters to your customers.
Aim to educate, inform and, when it suits your business, entertain. You do not have to force a joke into every post. However, a clear example or a little personality can make an article far more enjoyable to read.
Does every post need to be long
No. A blog post just needs to be longer enough to cover all the relevant information. A short post may be exactly right for one practical point that people need to know. A more detailed guide makes sense when the reader needs several steps, examples or a fuller explanation before they can make a decision.
Write enough to answer the question well, then stop. Adding another 500 words to reach an arbitrary target will not make the answer more useful. Remember, if you’re getting bored writing it, who is going to want to read it?
It also helps to mix topics that last with topics that have a shorter shelf life. An evergreen post answers a question that will still matter months from now, although you should review it when details change. A seasonal post addresses something your customers need at a particular time of year. A post about a current event can be helpful if you can explain what has changed and what it means for them.
Start with one question
You do not need a grand editorial calendar to begin. Think of a question a customer asked you recently. Answer it as clearly as you would if they were sitting across the table from you. Give the post a title that tells people what they will learn, and make sure it is easy to find from the relevant part of your website.
That is a useful blog post. Over time, those answers can become a resource for existing customers, a way for new people to get to know you and a stronger, more helpful website.
If you know there are questions your website ought to answer but are unsure where to start, get in touch with us here at Chic Marketing. I would be happy to help you turn what you already know into content your customers can use.
