Now that all the glitter of the holiday celebrations has settled, it’s back to the grind of real-life and real work. As a woman in business, regardless of what rung of the ladder your business is on, you want to ensure you remain connected with your market. Many of us know that one way to do this is through blogging. Yep, this is the year you actively blog about your business.
There was a time that it was enough to have a simple website and run it along with social media, but now, businesses are capturing customer attention via newsletters and blogs. If you don’t have an active business or marketing strategy for 2020, believe me, this is something you want to think about. Here are a few reasons why:
Search Ranking
A blog draws more people to your website and boosts your Google Search ranking. Many people refer to this as your SEO. As you put out more fresh content consistently with relevant keywords, you come up higher on the search engine index for search engines and more people get to see your blog posts which in turn draws them to your brand and website, if you have one.
If you don’t have a website, this is an inexpensive way for people to discover you and what you do. It increases your brand awareness and over time can position you as a thought leader in your industry, especially if your posts are informative and insightful. People will go to your blog to look for solutions. It’s also a great way to interact with your audience, as they comment and you respond.
Now, How?
It’s understandable if posting blogs about your business feels like a lot of work. Plus, it is something you can outsource if you can afford it. If on the other hand, you can’t afford it, these are a few tips on how to start.
Register Your Domain Name
If you’re setting up a business blog, it looks pretty unprofessional to still have the platform name attached to the end of your domain name, e.g. www.jemimah.wixsite.com. Register and pay for a domain name and use a name that’s unique but easy also easy to remember. Your blog will also need to be hosted on a platform to keep it up and running. There are various companies that do this like Whogohost, GoDaddy, Bluehost etc.
Pick a Platform
If you already have a website with a blog feature as most have then all you have to do is add the page and start typing away. If you’re starting your blog afresh then you have to do your research on the various platforms e.g. WordPress(which is a personal fave), Drupal, Joomla, etc.
Finally…
Choose a theme for your blog. Make sure it’s easy on the eye, easy to navigate and represents your brand properly. Plan your articles in advance and decide how often you plan to post. Write down the topics you would like to write and go from there. At this point, you’re ready to start writing. Good luck!