To Blog Or Not To Blog
A member of our team recently asked me if I thought she should be blogging to build her business. I explained to her that owning a business is more than just selling products or services. She also had to sell or market herself.
Every
single business in the world has to sell itself and they work hard to maintain
a good reputation. A company can have
the best product or service in the world, but if they do not treat their
customers or their employees well, their business is not going to do well.
The
process a company uses to sell itself starts with the company’s philosophy or
mission statement. This starts at the
top and should permeate the attitude of the entire company. This message is also spread via company press
releases. A press release is a written
statement to various media outlets and can announce scheduled events, personnel
promotions, awards, new products or services, accomplishments, etc. It is a
way for the company to sell itself.
Is a
blog the only way you can market yourself?
No, of course not. Video marketing
is another valid way to market yourself and your product or service. In many ways, this is like a commercial on
t.v. With the advent of YouTube and
other video sites, video marketing is taking the world by storm. In fact, some people take advantage of both
blogging and videos to market themselves.
Blog Subjects
Trying
to figure out what to write about in blogs can sometimes be a struggle, but
usually it is because people worry too much about what other people want to
read.
Blogging
is about marketing yourself, and by extension, your products, service or
business opportunity. People read your
blog to get to know you so write about things that interest you. For example, I am an affiliate for a
wonderful health and wellness company (with a twist!). I have always felt very strongly about using
as many things from nature as possible to deal with illnesses, so this is an
absolutely perfect fit for me. Many of
my blogs are about things in my spice cabinet and the health benefits from them
such as ginger and cinnamon, or exotic fruits such as mangosteen. (Some blog
links below.)
Will
these particular blogs interest a car mechanic?
Probably not. However, there are
many women out there who feel the same as I do and may find my blogs
interesting.
As a mother
raising three boys, I followed this practice as they grew up. My youngest developed an avid habit of
drinking Monster, Red Bull and other energy drinks and I worried about how they
were affecting his health. So I did the
research and found a healthy alternative we are both happy with. This eventually became a topic for one of my
blogs.
At
other times, I will hear something in the news that will catch my interest and
I will do some research on the topic. In
all of these cases, I am first writing for myself, then by extension, writing
for my audience. As they get to know me
they can determine if they can relate to me.
I love it when they comment and we can begin a conversation and get to
know each other.
This
blog with the topic “if you should blog to market yourself” will also go out to
my blog site to help people get to know me and, hopefully, help others who have
decided to use blogging to market themselves.
Check out future posts for additional blogging tips.
Do You Have to Write a Blog Every Day?
No, you
don’t have to blog every day, but you should do it on a regular basis. Some people are able to sit down and whip out
a blog or two every day. I cannot. I usually have to spend a day or two letting
the thoughts gel in my brain and a few hours on the internet researching
reliable sites I can use as resources for my blogs. After I write my blog I leave it for a few
hours or a day, then come back and proofread it and look for pictures or videos
to add to my blog.
You do
need to plan on writing blogs for a long time, perhaps a few years, before you
start to see results. There are many
people writing blogs and it takes time before you will start to attract an
audience. However, once posted, a blog
can continue to help you build your business for years after you posted it.
You
should also take some time to read and comment on the blogs of others,
especially if their blogs hold something of interest to you. This is a great way to introduce yourself to
others and will help you build relationships.
All-in-all,
blogging is a great way to reach out and meet others all around the world. You may live thousands of miles apart, but
through blogging you can build a community as stimulating as the one in which
you physically live.
