Tag: blogs

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How you can find blog topics at networking events

Blog topics networkingThere are three questions I always hear when I talk about blogging. One of them sometimes isn’t a question at all, just a statement. “I would write a blog but I don’t know what to write about.” (The other two questions are ‘how long does my blog need to be?’ and ‘how often should I be blogging?’ – we’ll get to those another time.) When it comes to finding topics for your blog, there are hundreds of different ways to go about it. I’ve written about a few in this blog, but this time I’m going to be focusing on how to find new blog topics when you’re networking.

Ah yes, networking. It can strike fear into the heart of a business owner who just wants to be left along to do the work. We’ve all heard the horror stories and probably experienced some as well. In a nutshell, the right networking group with events that suit you is a truly wonderful thing. You’ll meet people like you and get great support, as well as business and referrals along the way. It will also help you to come up with new blog topics. Here’s how.

Getting to know your customer

Networking lets you meet lots of other business owners and find out what makes them tick. If you’ve already identified the kinds of businesses you want to work with you can seek them out. You can find out what their challenges are but also learn more about their life in general. That helps you to get your marketing message where they’ll see it.  You can also find out who would be a nightmare to work with so you can avoid them.

Knowing who you’re talking to helps you to choose more relevant blog topics.

Talking about what you do

I know that standing up in front of other people can be scary. It’s worth doing because you get to tell people what you do and how you can help them. I’ve stood up and talked about writing blogs for businesses in front of people who had no idea you could pay someone to do it for you. Equally, you’ll never get any business if people don’t know you exist.

Finding out what surprises people about your business means you can write a blog to educate them.

Hearing about challenges

Alongside the bits where everyone stands up and introduces themselves, there’s the more general chat. That’s where you get to find out what people are struggling with and what’s going well. It could be an opportunity for you to pitch your services, but there’s more to it than that. Your blog doesn’t just have to be about your services. If they’re struggling with something that you’ve experienced too, write about it. It helps you to build a relationship with your audience as they can see that you understand their lives.

Social media

I’m a member of a couple of face to face networking groups that also have active Facebook groups. Of course, I’m also part of quite a few Facebook only groups. They’re a really useful source of blog topics because people can ask for advice outside the regular meetings. Answering questions is a great way to show your expertise, but you can also answer the question in a blog post.

It’s worth remembering that if people are asking a question in person (or in a Facebook group) there are probably others who are typing it into Google. If you’ve written a blog post with the answer they could be finding their way to your website.

Do you need some help and inspiration for your blogs and social media posts? When you sign up to my mailing list you’ll receive a free copy of my eBook ‘Stop hiding your business! 5 ways to be seen online’. You can unsubscribe whenever you like and I won’t share your information with anyone else.

Further resources

If you want to take a more technical approach to topics and improve your SEO, Ubersuggest is a fab free tool.

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Are you making one of these blogging mistakes?

blogging mistakesBlogging is wonderful as a business marketing tool and a creative outlet. If you’re writing a blog to promote your business it’s important to know what’s going to appeal to your audience so you can tailor the content to them. You can also air your personal views via blogging. There’s loads of scope to talk about whatever you choose.

What you write about (and how you write it) is completely up to you. There are still a few cardinal blogging errors that you’d be better off avoiding unless you want to attract a whole heap of trouble.

Ranting

Its fine to tell a story about something that went wrong in your business. This is especially true if you learned something from it or handled it well. It could be a story that helps your customers understand why you do things in a certain way, or if they can learn from it too.

By contrast, a full on rant is never going to go down well. All it does is show your potential customers that you’re petty, possibly vindictive and prepared to blame anyone but yourself. Your audience don’t have enough information to know whether you’re in the right and could start wondering if they’re going to be your next target. Don’t write until you’ve calmed down and got some perspective on the situation. You never know what you might learn.

Blogging swearing (possibly)

I almost didn’t put this one in. Some people love edgy content and don’t object to a bit (or a lot) of swearing. Unless you want to be deliberately confrontational from the outset, approach with caution. I write blogs for a lady whose speech is peppered with the F word but I’m still not going to put it in her blogs. There are other ways to express your personality. You can be full on and confrontational without pulling people up short with an expletive.

If you want to go for it, it’s up to you but I reckon you need to be very sure of getting a positive reaction before you try it.

Plagiarism

In other words, don’t steal other people’s work. You might be lucky and avoid getting sued for pinching someone else’s copyrighted work, but do you really want to take the risk? If the original creator has a decent online network you could find your social media posts being bombarded with comments where they share the original work for comparison. You’ll get great reach but all it will do is make you look silly.

Read other people’s blogs for inspiration if you must, but don’t copy and paste them outright. If you want to share, give credit where it’s due. Blogging is hard work as it is without someone else pinching your work.

Boring blocks

Paragraphs are a wonderful thing. Subheadings are even better. It’s a sad fact that a lot of people won’t read every word of your blog. They’ll just skim it to find what they need. If they click on the link to be confronted by one big blob of text they won’t hang around for long. Even people who want to read every word will find it daunting and give up.

Subheadings and proper paragraphs make everything easier to read and your

Too much jargon

If you know you’re writing for an audience of industry professionals who use all the same acronyms as you, carry on and use them. If you’re a specialist writing for the general public, keep the jargon out of it. It doesn’t make you look clever. All your potential customers will see is someone who wants to look clever whilst blinding them with science.

A blog is meant to make you more approachable. Share your expertise in language that your customers will understand. You still get to look like an expert and your customers will know that you’re not going to pull the wool over their eyes.

Do you want some help avoiding these cardinal blogging sins and getting some personality into your marketing? Sign up to my mailing list and receive your free copy of ‘Stop hiding your business! 5 ways to be seen online’. You can unsubscribe whenever you like and I won’t share your details with anyone else.

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It’s lonely at the top (or bottom)

lonely at the topThere have been a few times recently where I’ve started to feel that no-one else gets it. Logically I know it isn’t true but there’s no accounting for the wobbles a human brain is capable of having. As I write this my mood has improved considerably and I feel much less isolated, but I still think it’s worth talking about the time where I felt really lonely. That’s the only word I can use to describe it.

When you start a business lots of people give you advice, whether you want it or not. When I told people I was going to be self-employed I got lots of responses. Everything from a heartfelt good luck to ‘oh well, you can always go back to the law if it doesn’t work out.’ Of all the responses I got, no-one talked about loneliness.

Working on your own

Most weekdays I sit at a desk, on my own. Don’t speak to another living soul from 9 until 3, or sometimes later. It varies depending on when I’m picking the kids up that day. I’m frequently thankful for the school run. That sounds like madness, doesn’t it? For some people it means running the clique ridden gauntlet of the other parents who won’t speak to you. To me it’s the opportunity to see other humans that I didn’t marry or give birth to. The only downside is that most of them aren’t business owners either. They don’t understand what it’s like to be by yourself all the time.

Lonely at the top

Working on your own has its own challenges, but so does being the boss. I’ve spoken to more than one business owner who feels lonely, even when they’ve got a team of employees. It’s easy to feel isolated even when, or perhaps especially when you’ve got other people relying on you. The decisions all rest with you which means the stress does too.

I’ve no doubt that being in the middle of a crowd can feel even lonelier than being on your own, especially when that crowd are all looking to you for leadership. Even Margaret Thatcher admitted that being Prime Minister was a lonely job as you can’t lead from the crowd.

Social media is a double edged sword

Facebook has tried to improve its’ image recently by emphasising the ways the platform can build communities. I’ve found lots of groups that are useful to me in different ways, including a few business groups. They’re full of people who run businesses so should understand the challenges. Yet somehow, when I was feeling isolated, they didn’t do the trick. Every post I came across was from someone happy and positive, or who was having a major crisis. If I’d had a specific problem I wanted solving I probably could have asked a question to find a solution. Somehow ‘I’m feeling a bit down and I don’t know why’ felt ridiculous.

What really helped?

Two things really helped me to get out of the doldrums. Firstly, constructive time alone. Ironic, really. I realised that I felt lonely because all of the decisions are down to me and I really wanted someone else to tell me what to do. Then I remembered that I hate being told what to do. I spent a morning with my notepad and pen looking at the plan I made last year and what I need to do to implement it. My head felt much clearer after that.

I also went to my networking group. It helped, even though I didn’t talk about how I’d been feeling. Just spending time, in person, with women who understand the life put things into perspective. It also reminded me that I have a network out there when I need them.

If any of this resonates with you, please don’t suffer in silence. Seek support wherever you can, whether that’s from a friend, family member or somewhere else. The Samaritans offer 24/7 support, without judgment, to anyone who’s struggling. They’re on the end of the phone at 116 123 or online.

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Why storytelling works in your marketing

why storytelling worksIt’s easy to think of storytelling as being something you do with your children. You can cuddle up at the end of the day and send them off to sleep with a lovely bedtime story. Mine are still young enough to watch CBeebies so we sometimes get the added bonus of a tale read by Tom Hardy. (I even know people without kids who tune in to watch him anyway!) If that’s how you think of storytelling you might be forgiven for having dismissed it as an effective marketing tool. Actually, it’s one of the most effective approaches you can take.

What are stories for?

Storytelling has been around for as long as there have been human beings. Even the earliest cave dwellers painted the walls with images of themselves and the animals they hunted. There’s a basic human need to share information. Storytelling doesn’t have to be about anything particularly exciting. You tell a story when you talk about your day or what you did at the weekend.

The reason we feel the need to share is because stories bring us together. When you meet someone new the conversation you share tells you something about them. It helps you to decide whether they’re your kind of person or not. In your personal life stories help you to forge new relationships. When you use storytelling in your marketing you can bring your customers into your world.

Know, like and trust

You’ve probably heard of the ‘know, like and trust’ factor before. Just in case you haven’t, it’s the idea that your marketing lets your customer get to know you, work out whether they like you and eventually come to trust you. It’s also known as relationship marketing. Brands of all sizes can market themselves in this way but it’s particularly important for small businesses. People find it easier to trust the big brands. They seem solid and reliable in contrast to small businesses that might be run by scammers or have shockingly poor customer service.

When you use storytelling in your marketing you can introduce the person behind the brand. You can share images to show that you’re a real person. Your content, your blog in particular, can share information that helps your customers to understand your values and how you run your business.

How to think about storytelling in marketing

Now, you might be reading this thinking ‘that’s all very well, but what stories do I tell?’ – I’m glad you asked. They won’t be the same ones you share at the school gate or when an elderly relative tells you about their ingrowing toenail. As always, it’s important to remember the first principles of marketing. Namely, your customer cares about themselves more than they care about you. When you tell a story about yourself it really needs to be a story about them. For example, when I tell you that I have to get this blog post finished because it’s nearly time to pick the kids up, I hope you’re nodding. You sympathise with my need to juggle my business and family because you probably do it too. If you share something that you have in common with your customers you help a bond begin to develop.

There are lots of different ways to do this. You can talk about how your business has developed if your customers are going through something similar. If you want to market to parents talk about your own family or why you do what you do. Your story could be a whole blog post, a picture or a couple of sentences. The opportunities are endless.

Telling your story is one of the ways you can inject some personality into your marketing. That’s one of the topics I talk about in my new eBook ‘Stop hiding your business! 5 ways to be seen online’. Sign up to my mailing list using the form below and you’ll receive your copy straight to your inbox. I won’t share your data with anyone else and you can unsubscribe at any time.

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Why you don’t have to be a writer to blog

Don't writer blogWhat springs to mind when someone suggests you should write a blog? Do you think of all of those influencers that you see on Instagram getting wined and dined in return for a good review? Or maybe you think it’s something for professional writers or marketing agencies? It’s true that you can pay a professional to write your blog for you (me for instance).  You could even do some blogger outreach to get product reviews or more social media exposure.  But there’s absolutely nothing to stop you from writing your own blog if you want to.  There are lots of misconceptions about blogging. I’m going to tell you about a few of them – are any of these getting in your way?

I have to be a writer

There are lots of different kinds of writers out there. Novelists, poets, journalists, sales page and email specialists… I could go on (and on). You don’t need to have an in depth knowledge of different writing techniques to write your own blog.  All you need to know is what will interest your customers and encourage them to read. I know that a lot of people struggle to make their words flow in writing because that’s often where I come in. The point of a blog is that it feels like a conversation. Your blog doesn’t have to be formal with perfect grammar as long as it makes sense. The more naturally you can write, the better it works.

I have to write loads

Blogs are a great way of helping your website rank well in a Google search. The most important things are having good quality content that is updated regularly. It doesn’t have to be ‘War and Peace’.  Generally, Google looks for content of at least 330 words. I’ll have written that much by the end of this sentence. The thing is, when you get into it you can find yourself writing more when it’s a subject you’re passionate about. If you’re wondering what I mean by ‘regularly’, once a month is fine.  That’s only 3,960 words in a whole year – does that sound doable?

I don’t have anything interesting to say

You might think that you don’t have anything interesting to say, but you probably do. The trouble is that you work in your business every day. You know all of the day to day tasks and the ins and outs of every service or product you offer your customers.  It’s easy to forget that your potential customers don’t know any of it. Tell them about how you work or what they can expect from a consultation. They might have a problem that you can solve, but they haven’t heard of the solution yet.

Sometimes people start a blog then run out of ideas, simply because they’re covering too much ground in each post.  You can create a good post out of a relatively small topic.  Just start with the big subjects then keep breaking them down.

No-one will read my blog

OK, this is a tricky one.  The more visitors your blog gets the easier it will be to find on Google. But how do people find you before you work your way up the rankings? Sometimes writing a blog can feel like a one way conversation if people read but don’t comment.  All you can do is keep sharing.  Put a link to your latest post on social media, refer to it when you do a video, put it in your email newsletter – there are lots of different ways to use your blog once you’ve written it.

Are you ready to start writing? If you need a bit more help I’m putting together a workshop group to offer help and support. Sign up for my mailing list using the form below to find out more.

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Why my workshops don’t critique your writing

workshops critique writingAre you a business owner or a writer?  It’s completely possible to be both, especially if you have a writing or marketing based business.  However for most people it’s one or the other.  If you went into business to make a product or offer a service that’s nothing to do with writing, the idea of a workshop that focuses on writing blogs could seem like a complete nightmare.  A room full of people picking your writing to bits? No thanks!  Of course, there are services and workshops that are designed to provide critiques.  They’re mostly for writers.  Here’s why my workshops don’t.

My workshops aren’t for writers

There are lots of workshops out there that are designed for writers.  They’re for people who want to write for a living or get published. Go along to one of those and there’s a general assumption that you’re already quite good at writing but you want to get better.

Mine aren’t like that.  I work with business owners who may never have written a blog or a piece of marketing content in their lives. My workshops are designed to get you writing something so you can improve it over time.  Progress over perfection.

Your writing is your own

Well *duh* (slaps own forehead for such stupidity).  Of course.  Everyone’s writing is their own.  Professional writers use lots of different copywriting techniques, but you’re probably not interested in them.  If you were, you’d be writing for a living already.  When you create your own blog it’s your voice and your audience that matters.  If you work with a professional writer we’ll get to know you and your business first then apply our own techniques to producing content for you.

The beauty of writing your own blog is that it lets your customers hear your voice.  It might need some tweaks to make it more effective but a group workshop probably isn’t the place for that.  Even if all the other people in the room are in the same industry as you, they won’t have exactly the same message or audience.  What you need to communicate is unique to you.

The follow up

My workshops are designed to let you create a plan for your first blog.  You leave with a framework then write your blog later.  That’s the time for feedback.  Everyone who comes to my workshops can send me their finished blog and I’ll provide some feedback then.

The main reason I do this is because everyone who comes to my workshops arrives with a blank page.  Workshops that are designed to critique writing will usually ask you to come along with something you’ve already written.  Either that or it’s a weekend retreat where you can create something new and get feedback on the following day.  I’m only asking for half a day out of your life so I’ll email you some notes afterwards instead.

Would you like to come to a workshop that gets you writing a business blog without picking your work to bits?  You can find out more about my upcoming workshops by completing the form below to sign up to my mailing list.

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What to expect at a blogging workshop

what to expect blogging workshopTrying something new can be a bit scary.  You hear all these people who say ‘what have you got to lose?’ and ‘you get more confident when you try scary things’.  (Actually, I do that last one.)  Asking what you’ve got to lose is a complete minefield.  We all get those questions running through our heads.  What if I make a fool of myself? What if I’m not clever enough? If you’re thinking about coming to one of my blogging workshops but have some of those pesky questions running through your head (or even some of your own), I’m here to help.  Here’s my guide to what to expect at a blogging workshop.

Say hello and have a cup of tea

This sounds obvious, but workshops work better if you know a bit about the people you’re with.  Plus my brain doesn’t function without tea.  At my favourite workshop venue* you can get amazing chocolate brownies too.

Obviously, if it’s an online workshop you’ll need to supply your own refreshments, but we’ll still make the introductions.

Think of some topics

The first stumbling block a lot of people hit when they start writing a blog is knowing what to write about. Everything’s boring, or obvious, or the topic’s too big for one blog.  We start with some ideas and questions to get the creative juices flowing.

The main aim of my workshops is to help you create a plan that will enable you to leave the workshop and write your first blog.  So, you get a few minutes to make a list of some things that you could write about.

Make a plan

Planning your blog in advance helps you to avoid blank page syndrome.  (That may not be a medically recognised condition, but it’s definitely real.)  A well planned blog gives you happy readers and makes your life easier so the next bit of my workshops focus on that.  You get advice on the different ways that you can break your topic down and present it in an easy to read way.

Of course, you’ll also get some time to create your own plan based on one of your topics.

Talk about writing

This is another massive stumbling block for a lot of people.  You might be able to explain your subject really well when you talk to people, but writing it down is another matter.  We’ll discuss some ways to overcome that and you’ll also have the chance to talk about any challenges that you have.

In my face to face workshops we also break off to have a discussion in pairs that’s designed to help you get something written down. (Another blow for blank page syndrome!)

What next?

A blog can be a wonderful thing to read but there are a few more things to think about. If you write a blog, why not get it working harder for your business?  In the last part of the workshop I talk about the importance of a call to action (CTA) and some ways that you can reuse your blog.  Your CTA and the ways you reuse your blog will depend on your business goals so most people go away and think about what they want to do.  There’s time for questions at the end and then you can go home and get on with your day.

Finally, once the workshop’s finished, you can stay in touch.  You’ll get a pack of notes and my contact details so you can always ask questions if they come to you later.  Remember, there’s no such thing as a stupid question!

 

*Bawdon Lodge Farm – here’s the link if you’re looking for a brilliant meeting room in Leicestershire.

If you want to find out more about coming to a blogging workshop, you can sign up to my mailing list my completing the form below.

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How to develop your content strategy

content strategyYou know that you need a content strategy which aligns with your goals (and if you don’t read my last two blogs here and here). Actually coming up with one is a whole different kettle of fish.  If you haven’t got the faintest idea where to start, you’ve come to the right place.  Your content needs to take your goals and targets and flip them on their head so that you see them from your customers’ point of view.  Simple right? Here’s how you can develop your content strategy to make it work.

Start with your customer

I know, if you’re a regular reader you’ve heard this one before.  Identifying your target market should always include a bit of work to find their interests and media habits. Essentially, it allows you to put your content where it’s most likely to be seen.

It also allows you to concentrate on the types of content that your target audience will like. If they’re on Facebook you could post anything from text to images to video. You might assume video will always win, but some people find them annoying and prefer written content. Try a few different things and see what works.

Choose your focus

I talked about focusing on one service or product in my last blog and it can help you to get your content strategy organised. Having a focus helps you to decide what you’re going to post on any given day. You can break things down by looking at the different ways that your services benefit your customers.

For example, I write blogs for people for all sorts of different reasons. They might be too busy to do it themselves. Some are just better at talking than they are at writing. Others need a different perspective on their business.  Write a list of reasons why people might need to buy from you and you can write a blog post about each of them.

Diversify your content

The reason that I always recommend blogging is because it gives you a good chunk of content to be going on with.  Sometimes coming up with a content strategy is daunting because you think you need to come up with a huge variety of stuff.  You really don’t. If your content strategy includes a series of blog posts you can repurpose them.

You wouldn’t want to read out a whole blog post on video (I hope). However you could do a short video highlighting the key points or giving a demonstration. For example, if you sell skincare you might write a blog about protecting your skin in winter. Then you can do a video showcasing the moisturiser you talked about so people can see the benefits as well as reading about them. You can use quotes from your blog to share links and images on social media and even put them in your email marketing.

What do you want people to do next?

When you come up with a content strategy you’re basically encouraging people to engage with your business.  Every piece of content should have some kind of call to action.  That could be posting a link to your blog on Facebook because you want people to read it. When they click through, what then? You might include a link to let people contact you, but what if they’re not ready? Asking them to sign up to your mailing list could be a good intermediate step to let them find out more.

Whatever you create, ask yourself what you want your audience to do next.

Have you got your content strategy planned? If you need some help click here to find out more about my strategy planning sessions.

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Blogging: how to blog when you don’t know where to start

So you’ve decided your business needs a blog.  Or maybe you’re just thinking it might.  Congratulations!  Writing a blog is one of the best things you can do to connect with your customers.

Blogging allows you to talk to your audience in your own voice about the things that matter to them.  It’s almost sneaky when you think about it.  A blog isn’t an advert; it doesn’t use the same language.

As I write this blog I’m imagining having a conversation with someone who’s thinking about working with me.  It’s structured slightly differently, of course.  You don’t have the opportunity to ask me any questions for one thing.  Even so, I try to imagine what I’d say if you were sitting in front of me.  What do you need to know?  What’s going to help you the most?

What do I write about?

I know that a lot of people struggle to know what to write about at first.  It’s always a great idea to start with your customers.  What do they need?  What are their pain points?  For my clients it’s generally that they don’t know what to write about or they don’t have time to blog regularly.  Sometimes it’s simply that they know what they want to say but when they write it down it doesn’t sound right.

Think about what services you offer and how that helps your customers.  Your reader might not be able to afford to work with you yet but you can show them ways to improve things in the meantime. Do you take away the tasks they hate or give them more time to do the things they love?  Write about the time saving tools you use in your business.  Do you offer affordable childcare that gives them a few hours to work in peace?  Suggest ways to help the kids play unsupervised without turning on the TV.

It doesn’t just have to be about pain either.  You might offer something that will simply make them happy.  If you can help them find the perfect gift for someone they love give them five ideas to get them started (for example five gifts for someone who loves yoga/gardening/mountain climbing… you get the idea). Of course, you could also be helping them with their pain if they normally find shopping really stressful.

Show some personality

Writing a blog with a bit of personality helps your customers to see that you’re a human being who understands them.  Whilst you shouldn’t overshare, a general anecdote about something in your life is great.  The vast majority of my clients are women who juggle running their own business with family life.  We all understand about dealing with the school run and sometimes having to work when the kids are in bed.

Tell your story

If there’s an interesting story about how your business started, write about that.  Even the things you think of as commonplace could be fascinating for your customers.  How you choose fabric suppliers for your clothes for example, or how you go about making a teapot.  Actually, if any readers make teapots, please share that, I’d love to know!

What’s everyone else blogging about?

Think about what others in your industry are talking about.  What’s popping up on your social media feeds?  Have a look on BuzzSumo or Google Trends to see what’s trending and offer your own take on the subject.  The possibilities are endless.

The most important thing to remember is that it’s about your audience.  You don’t have to write a novel, in fact it’s better if you don’t.  No-one has time to read a lot, they just want something useful or entertaining (preferably both) and carry on with their day.

If you want to start writing a blog, but really don’t want to do it yourself, I can do it for you. Just get in touch and we can have a chat.