Blog Writing

Blogging is commonplace amongst authors, journalists and freelancers to help with self-promotion; and members of the public blog if they have an itch to scratch in a niche subject area or want to make a little cash on the side via affiliate marketing. Why then should your online shop have a Blog?

Firstly – I believe the company Blog should not be a replacement for a proper Media or Press Page. Rather, it should complement your entire website communications.

What I offer:

Consultation

• I ask what your priorities are - sales, brand awareness, trust in your product, etc.
• I ask about your customers, competitiors and your products.
• I listen to your thoughts, ideas and offer my suggestions.
• I ask questions on style and tone.
• I note down keywords, photos - anything that must be included.
• Find out things you don't want i.e. anything sensitive to avoid talking about.

Research

• I read around a topic before starting to write
• I look at your competitors/competing products.
• I use a headline checker to find the best title for your blog.
• I use any prior knowledge to inform my writing.

Writing

• Build the text around selected photos/images/infographics.
• Note any missing images which will complement the text.
• Look for opportunities to insert internal links within your site to get customers staying on your site and exploring.
• Try to end the blog with a jumping off point within your site e.g. Click to order a free sample or other promotional action; or a previous article or help feature.

1. Free Advertising

   A blog contributes to good website SEO (search engine optimisation). Essentially each post, once paid for, will continue to work without further outlay. Google search engines index content from blogs, but not usually from social media. Essentially you can rank for certain search terms and advertise to your customers without having to pay any extra. They will find you naturally through ‘organic listings’.

2. Longevity and Brand Value

   You will forever own this content and it won’t be swept away under a mountain of tweets, Facebook Instagram and LinkedIn posts. Customers old and new will be able to quickly get a feel for the company and what it stands for.

3. Sales and Customer Service will love you!

   Having answered thousands of customer emails and telephone calls I know how time consuming this is for a small business. Answering the same old questions and dealing with the same issues takes everyone away from growing the business. Anyone taking a call or dealing with an email can simply direct the customer to a relevant Blog post.

   Also, the blog will support any FAQs pages you already have. A topic can be covered in a more lively way, and is often more accessible to customers. Use photos, pictures, diagrams and infographics - these can all provide information quickly.

4. Meaningful Social Media Fodder

   In the recent past the 80/20 rule of social media marketing proclaimed that only 20% of your posts should directly promote your company or products. Although things are a little more flexible these days, the written content in a Blog helps to cover some of that 80%, but in fact you can also promote products in a less blatant fashion. You can inform, educate and/or entertain in your Blog - and then tell everyone on social to come and read. Having plenty to say is a start, so begin somewhere!

   Need to refresh an existing Blog on your website? Why not take a quick questionnaire on my Quote Me page to get an idea of what I offer and a rough price>>

• Answering customers FAQs in more detail or in a easily digestible format e.g. infographic.
• Cover a particular topic that keeps coming up with your telesales team e.g. make-up for dry skin.
• Update customers with useful news from the wider community – industry specific, comment on a special subject area or a topic of mutual interest
• Provide a list of Tips (with photos and/or other visuals)
• “How to” - an explanation of how to make or do something, either involving one of your products or covers a topic of interest that matches your customers interests. This would include a sequence of photos for someone to follow.
• Interview an expert in your field and record this as a blog.
• Present a “Day in the Life” –And I don’t mean the dry, WordPress sort with acres of prose, but instead a mostly illustrated article of an individual or team which the customer would find interesting. It could be an influencer, a customer, an specialist in something.
• Present a controversial subject from both sides in involve the customer by inviting comments.

And there’s so much more – you probably already know your customers ‘hot topics’ and things that might interest them, especially if you monitor your social media feed and examine the data.