The foolproof formula for blogging success
When was the last time you updated your business blog?
Your website probably includes a ‘blog’ section. Using it properly is one of the best opportunities you’ll ever get to show people who you are, what you do, and why they should work with you.
If you can do all that in an entertaining and informative way, so much the better!
In fact, it’s the basis of my formula for blogging success, which goes like this:
Useful + entertaining + regular = blogging success
I define ‘blogging success’ as: engaging people who will potentially go on to work with you, by building the trust and security they need to do just that.
It’s not hard to see how you can achieve this. If you blog regularly, you’ve got the potential to start building a following. If you blog about useful information in an entertaining way, that following will grow.
Most people need a bit of time, not to mention a bit of convincing, before they decide to do business with a new company. They might have heard rave reviews about you, and they might think the product or service you’re offering is fabulous.
It’s just that now isn’t the right time, they haven’t got the time right now, or they just want to see how things go, before they get in touch.
In the meantime, leaflets get thrown away, or are lost in drawers. Social media posts are drowned in fast-moving feeds, while networking impressions fade away fast.
But if you continue posting regular blog updates, people will notice. If those posts are useful and entertaining, they might even start keeping an eye out for the next one.
The great thing about blogging is that once you get into the habit, it’s easy and it’s fun.
You can be a lot more relaxed in a blog post than you can in website copy or a formal profile, for example. You’ll show people a comfortable and casual side to your business, you can share some handy ‘insider’ tips, and ultimately, you’ll make people feel safe and relaxed about working with you…
…so that when the time comes for them to send that message, or pick up the phone, you’ll be ready.
Why businesses don’t blog
Last year, I ran a series of short workshops focused on helping people past their ‘blogging blocks’. From my chats with the people who attended them, I discovered the following:
- People worry about sharing their thoughts and ideas with the world
- They don’t have the time to blog regularly
- Coming up with new ideas is a problem
These discoveries are the fuel for my unique, habit-forming Business Blogging Club, which kicks off in April at Space 282, Southend.
In six consecutive one and a half-hour sessions, you’ll learn how to create the ideas, the time and the confidence you need to make blogging a fun and regular habit. You’ll be supported by a small, friendly group (including me!), which means you’ll be able to test out your ideas in safety and comfort.
Better still – you’ll create your original content in the sessions themselves…so you’ll have no excuse not to be brilliant!
There are only six spaces available, so if you’re interested in grabbing one, contact me now.
Meanwhile, you can come and find out more about the Business Blogging Club here.
Related Articles
How to Keep Coming Up with Blog Post Ideas
Now you can finally stop asking "what am I going to write about?"
Read more
Mind the Credentials! Why Creative Work Needs More Than ‘Experience and Qualifications’
What kind of creative work are you really looking for?
Read more
Why You Must Write as Who You Really Are (Not as You Want To See Yourself)
Reader, I called bullshit.
Read moreThe Art of Listening (Or How Letting Other People Talk Helps You, Too)
Good listening is more than just letting people talk.
Read more
How Dare They Criticise Me! How To Make Good Use Of Feedback
How not to drown in other people's opinions.
Read more
Why (The Right) Words Matter, More Than Ever Before
In these unprecedented times, words count.
Read moreWhy ‘Explain Your Obvious’ is the Secret of Persuasive Writing
Explaining what’s blatantly obvious to you, could turn out to be advertising gold.
Read moreLacking In Experience? Here’s Why You Should Apply For That Job Anyway
A creative approach could work wonders for your career.
Read moreLife in the Time of Coronavirus
There’s something reassuring about businesses carrying on as ‘normally’ as they can...
Read moreWho Do You Want to Be Today?
This is a story about a career transformation. And Take That.
Read moreWant to Write Like A Human? Mine Your Inner Monologue
"You can’t be on somebody’s side, if you don’t know what they think or how they feel".
Read moreBlogging, and the Importance of Bodacious Self-Expression
...they were learning how to express their true feelings in words, and the results were honest, uplifting, and totally magnetic.
Read moreHow to Learn from People Who Aren’t Like You
No matter how scary it seems, learning from difference will benefit you much, much more than the comfy mediocrity that similarity brings.
Read moreSecret Sauce to Give Your Blog Posts Added Spice
"If you want to grab readers’ attention, you have to start with the heart."
Read moreHow I Got Better At Public Speaking
My journey from terrified mumbler to casual speaker, in easy-to-follow steps.
Read moreHow to Transform Your Blog Into a Book
If you have trouble motivating yourself to write that next blog post, whisper a little reminder: this could be a book one day.
Read more
Does Your Website Need a Copy Refresh? (Mine Did)
Revamping your web copy will give your business the gift of reconnection.
Read moreWriting to Sell? Weird Words and Crazy Phrases To Avoid
This is a blog post unlike any other.
Read moreHow to Write a Review (That's Actually Useful)
Reviews get read, because people assume they might be useful. Don't disappoint them!
Read moreThe Magic of Kismet Marketing
Has your marketing strategy got room for some unexpected magic?
Read more
SEO Copywriting (and Other Ways to Make Your Business Sound Boring)
Don't write for search engines, write for people.
Read moreOK, so you got a six-figure business. That don't impress me much
Where's the value in empty business gurus?
Read more
Is your business preaching to the converted?
How to sell your amazing ideas to a brand-new audience.
Read moreThe foolproof formula for blogging success
How regular blogging will boost your business - as if by magic!
Read moreTop profile clichés – are you guilty?
Are you an easy-going enabler of success who thrives in a fast-paced environment?
Read moreKick-start your writing in 2019 (with a little help from me!)
I’ve gathered together some of my most-read blog posts, tips and tools to help you get writing.
Read moreStuck in a career rut? Get someone else to write your CV – and thrive!
"The right person will help you come across as yourself, but in a prouder, more polished, 'look what I’ve achieved' kind of way"
Read moreStraight from the heart: how to write irresistible words
When you give people a piece of yourself, you will naturally engage them.
Read moreHow to choose the right coach or training course – at the right time
"If you like someone, you might be tempted to look for excuses to work with them, even if their particular skills aren’t what you need."
Read moreBeware of the flowers: why customers don't care about your business
Focus on telling interesting business stories that reflect your ideal customers’ lives back to them.
Read moreFinding your freelancing tribe: be uncompromising (and don’t be too nice!)
My advice to freelancers: never lose sight of what freelancing is all about!
Read moreWhen it comes to recruitment, manners cost nothing
Recruitment moves so fast, and so stressfully, that I think we forget how it feels to be treated like we matter.
Read moreRamp up your summer content to reap winter rewards
Keep your summer content fresh and updated to be remembered all year long.
Read moreAppreciate your freelancers, and be rewarded with their best work
How to become every freelancer's favourite client!
Read moreWhat's in a name? Captivate and connect with simple business stories
Finding the 'what's', 'whys' and 'hows' of your business will help people connect with you.
Read moreFive New Year's Resolutions for Freelancers
Are your social media posts crushing your business?
How to write interesting content for any business (even yours)
What are your customers really saying about you?
You're writing great content. So why aren't people reading it?
It takes time to craft compelling
Got a book or blog to write? Beat the block and get it done!
November means #NaNoWriMo - so whatever you're working on, it's time to get it done!
Read moreHow will I sound like me, when you're doing the writing?
Ironically, it's when you're writing about yourself that you will sound least like you. Hiring a writer to do it for you can bring a whole host of benefits.
Read moreWhy you definitely shouldn't write a book in a weekend!
Writing books is big business - or at least it can be, if you get it right. For starters, this means not rushing the process!
Read moreThe Ultimate Guide to... the Ultimate Guide!
A how-to guide for writing the ultimate downloadable guide for your business.
Read moreTry this simple formula to create a killer profile headline!
Headlines are always difficult to write, so here's an easy way to craft something original for your personal and professional profiles.
Read moreRead this before you publish you're next blog post!
Do you edit your work before you publish it?
Read moreOn creating a writer's life
This week I'm responding to the questions people have asked since my Careershifters' Success Story was published recently - all about creating a writer's life.
Read moreHome truths for aspiring remote workers
Remote working is on the increase - so here's some advice on how to work it well!
Read moreDiscovering your unique writer's voice is easier than you think
You don't have to be a professional writer to discover a unique writing voice that speaks to its readers. Finding your own voice is often easier than you might think, and it all starts when you write from the heart.
Read moreNo job for life? How a tailored approach to job-hopping can win your next career move
Did you know that so-called 'job-hopping' can be an asset to your career search? Whether you prefer stability or excitement in your career, planning your next move is all about packaging your skills and making the right kind of approach.
Read moreWhy it's sometimes OK to turn down freelance work
Going freelance doesn't mean you have to accept every piece of work that comes your way. Being discerning with your time and effort will help you reap the rewards of being your own boss...and you'll get to work with some great people too!
Read more‘CV Greatest Hits’ Countdown – 10 ultimate CV tips to prepare you for the Great 2017 Job Hunt!
'Greatest Hits' countdowns are rife at this time of year - so now, here's one featuring the best CV advice. This list will give you the ultimate steer if you're looking to get your CV on track for the new year job hunt. Wishing you a very happy 2017!
Read moreHow to pinpoint useful e-information for your business…without going crazy in the crowd!
Are you often left with the feeling that you don't quite know enough about all the online tools you can use to promote your business? How about website analytics...shouldn't you be checking them every five minutes just like the experts say? Relax - here's how to take advantage of all the advice available online, by defining exactly what YOU want to know.
Read moreGhost stories…how shadowy script can light up your life and work
BOO! Like a ripe pumpkin Hallowe'en has rolled around yet again, so what better time to extol the benefits of ghostwriting, definitely not just the province of bargain-bin bound celebrities.
Read moreBlogging - not just for hipsters and sicksters*
Regular blog posts - especially if you run a business - can drastically increase your following, as well as helping you beat the competition by describing how you do things your way. Read on for a few more great reasons why you should join the blogging revolution!
Read moreMaking meaningful business connections…in writing
Speaking up in networking groups used to bring me out in a cold sweat. So I sought out the people I really wanted to talk to and introduced myself in the way I'm best at - in writing.
Read more