Let’s face it, consumers want great content and they want a lot of it. They want businesses like yours to build relationships with them and they want to be able to count on you for information they need when they need it. If you don’t have a blog for your business, you’re missing out on one of the best ways to satisfy your potential customers’ need for quality content and attract new business. If you’re stalling because you think you can’t do it, there’s no need because we’re going to tell you how to start a blog!
1. Choose a Platform and Hosting for your New Blog
For your content to reach your audience, you need a way to build your blog (platform), and you need a way to publish it on the Internet (hosting). For your platform, since you’re just learning how to start a blog, we highly recommend HubSpot’s marketing software or the ever-popular WordPress. HubSpot allows you to integrate your blog with their powerful suite of marketing products, whereas WordPress is an open source platform that is free. Both products are designed with beginners in mind and will scale to suit your needs once you become a blogging pro!
The hosting side of setting up your new blog can be a little more daunting. In fact, we could write a whole new article just about this portion (maybe we will!). For a beginner, it’s best to talk to your current host for your website- you may already have enough space to host a blog and not realize it! If not, there may be a nominal charge to add the feature.
2. Plan some Killer Content
The whole idea of a blog is to attract consumers who are in the early stages of the buyer’s journey so you can become the voice they turn to for your products or services. Refer to your primary buyer persona develop blog post ideas that are centered around the pain points your target experiences and answering the questions they have in the attraction phase of the buyer’s journey.
3. Get Writing!
You will have to determine whether to do the writing in-house or hire a copywriter. If you choose to do it yourself or assign it to an employee, who has experience in the topic you are creating content for, bear in mind that you have to be able to write objectively about the subject and not push your product or services at this point.
4. Hop on your Soapbox
Now that you have a great blog post, you need to tell the world! Share your shiny new blog post across your social media platforms. The key here is to entice your followers not only to read your content but to share it with their followers too.
5. Review your Analytics
You didn’t think you’d get away with not studying your analytics, did you? You want to look at what types of posts get the most action, what time of day they’re getting the most activity and look at your poor performers too so you can get an idea of where you’re missing the mark.
6. Do it Again…
..and again…and you get the idea! Using the information from reviewing your analytics, make any necessary changes and keep writing and posting great content your target personas can’t resist.
Now that you know how to start a blog, you can start building valuable relationships with your target audience and enjoy the new business you attract!