As featured on MakinTheBacon.com
My Blogging Confession
I have a dirty little confession to make.
Well, I suppose it’s not that little anymore since I’m starting a blog post off with it.
I had mentioned before that blogging did make me get back into my long-lost writing groove. However, I failed to mention that I originally started because I had read online that a lot of people were blogging and making money doing it. So I thought I could do it too. My boyfriend (now husband) and I were house-hunting at the time. We all know how financially draining/stressful purchasing a house can be, so I was constantly looking for more ways to save/make money.
Yes, you read right. My main reason for blogging was to MAKE MONEY. But I had no strategy. No idea what I was doing. No consistency whatsoever. I didn’t take it seriously for a VERY LONG time. I was just basically blogging on the fly.
Originally, I wanted to share my story about how to save money because I felt I was relatively decent at it. I had never initially planned on creating a consulting business from it. I figured it would be something I could do on the side while I worked full-time. It wasn’t until the 5th year mark where I seriously thought about my personal blogging journey, how it evolved, what opportunities it provided and what it enabled me to do. Eventually, my own journey made me realize the potential journey it could create for small business owners.
I may seem biased because I am a blogger first, a business owner second, but these days more and more people are realizing the value of blogging for business. Just Google it and you’ll find a whole myriad of information out there. There is a lot of research that is done on business blogging, hence there are a lot of stats to back this up.
You need A blog. You need TO blog.
If you’re a multi-level, multi-national company who’s been around for 20 + years, you probably could get away without a blog. You’d still need social media, but the blog? Not so much. However, if you’re a small business owner, you may want to look into blogging. Don’t get me wrong. Offline networking is importantand I force my introverted self to do so, but there is also great value in online networking.
If I meet you offline, I almost always check your online profile. I’ll check your site, your blog, your social media, your feeds. EVERYTHING. Now I’m not saying this to scare you and make you freak out about not having a blog or being active on social media. I’m just letting you know because most likely, other people who meet you are doing this too. I’ve connected with people online initially through social media and blogging. Based on what they were putting out there online, it made me want to take the next step and meet them in person. Their online presence was THAT GOOD.
Why You Need To Blog For Your Business
There’s a good chance that I’m not searching for your website specifically. I’m searching for something that perhaps your business or product can solve. The internet is loud and crowded. While I do believe there is room for everyone, you still need to claim your spot and let people know that you are here. You need to get people’s attention.
Keepin’ It Real
While you are using it as a marketing tool to help promote your business, your latest service/product, etc – if done right, it makes the awareness and the whole buyer journey more organic. (Source: Salesforce Marketing Cloud )
Blog posts give you additional content to post on social media. It’s like killing two birds with one stone. Aside from creating a post on social media, why not promote your blog post on social media. Who knows? It may even start a conversation on social media.
Having An Online Presence Matters
Not to sound creepy or anything but people are watching you. People can find you. Ok let me rephrase that: people are seeing and reading what you put out there. If you have a decent online presence, people can Google you and find your stuff. If you’re like me, I do quite a bit of research before I make a decision to purchase or make a decision about something. I’m sure I’m not the only one who does this. It’s quite rare I act on impulse.
Unless I’m hangry.
While a lot of people have a blog, there are even more people who are on social media. Not everyone has a blog, but I think it’s safe to say that everyone is at least on one form of social media. The people who claim to not be on social media, i.e. my husband are most likely on Facebook and/or LinkedIn and don’t use it.
For the rest of us, we are using social media to communicate and share things with each other. People are using blogs as a go-to resource. They consider them to be a trusted source of information. People are telling their friends and family about blogs their reading (I would HOPE you are telling your friends and family about mine). They most likely aren’t sharing websites, but they’re sharing content from the blogs of those websites on social media because they find it be useful. Since it’s useful, they feel others should know about it. It’s become part of the everyday conversation.
Blogging Creates That Awareness At the Top of the Funnel
How else are you attracting people online? Blogging can help capture peoples’ attention and get you noticed. This is especially important if you’re looking to expand your business and work with others who are not just local. If you are looking for a global presence, then you need to build that online presence.
Once you create awareness, you can create interest.
Karen Swyszcz has over 6+ years of blogging experience and has written content on the blog for brands such as SupperWorks, Camp Tech and Meridian Credit Union. She is also the instructor at Sheridan College for the Blogging For Fun and Profit Course and Effective Strategies For Social Media Course.”