Yes, this actually is blog post #600. I started writing them shortly after I founded Harpeth Marketing in April 2012. Since then, I’ve written three or four posts every month. And you don’t do something that frequently and for so long without learning a few things about it. So here goes…
I enjoy writing. I don’t know if I’m any good at it, but I do enjoy it. I enjoy the process of coming up with an idea that I think my readers will like, of drafting the article (pen-to-pad, never on my laptop), editing it, sleeping on it, editing it a little more and then finally, publishing it. There’s a little sense of accomplishment every time.
Picking the right topic. This is not as easy as you would think. Sometimes, I wrote about something I was sure my readers would like… and it would bomb! But the reverse was also true. The key is to track and measure your posts – over time – to see what works. The marketplace will always tell you what they want.
And don’t be afraid to change. Early on, my posts were all about Marketing… as they should’ve been. But as our business evolved – and we started doing sales training and sales consulting – my writing followed suit. The topics became less about marketing… and more about selling, sales management and sales strategy.
Find inspiration where you can. Once you’ve decided on a topic, the question then becomes, “What do I want to say about that topic?” What perspective? What new slant? What opinion? That’s much more challenging. This is where “eyes wide open” can mean a lot. I often had real life experiences spark an idea that led to a blog post. For example, 1) A trip to Disney World led to a post on branding. 2) A great restaurant experience led to a post on CX. 3) Receiving a bunch of bad emails and bad LinkedIn invitations led to a post on how not to sell. 4) Or – in this case – how getting to 600 blog posts led to a post on content marketing.
Solve problems. Remember why your clients hire you… and write about that. For example, if you work for an MR agency, your clients don’t really hire you to do research… they hire you to solve a business problem (to innovate new products, to grow market share, to get their ads to perform better, to help them set pricing, etc.)… so write about those things! The how you do it as far less important than the why. Show the reader you understand their challenges and that your firm has the expertise to help.
Promotion is critical. You could write the greatest blog post in the history of blog posts, but if no one sees it, it has no value. You have to proactively promote every post you write. I primarily promote my blog post two ways: 1) In our monthly e-newsletter, promoting all of the blog posts from the previous month and 2) Via social media. And not just posting one time. I post about every blog post on LinkedIn three times – once a week over three weeks, each time on a different day and at a different time. Everyone’s LinkedIn habits are different, so by posting several times, I try to make sure that everyone has at least one chance to click through to read the post.
Repurpose content. A blog post doesn’t just have to be a blog post. My posts have been the foundation of other content we’ve created. I have put several posts together, designed a cover and called it an eBook. Or used several posts as a basis for a webinar. You invest a lot of time and energy into creating a post… you might as well get as much benefit from it as you can.
Don’t go it alone. Whether you work for a firm of 10 or 100… everyone can help create blog posts – don’t just leave it up to the President or the head of Marketing. Some folks can write (in fact, lots of folks can write!), some can edit, and others can promote the posts on their LinkedIn profile. Aside from easing the burden on that one person, getting your whole team involved has the added benefit of showing the marketplace that your firm has a broad depth of experience and expertise… and that you’re not relying on just one or two people.
Revenue. Blogging – and content marketing, in general – are critical to revenue growth for three reasons: 1) We work in an industry that doesn’t like to be sold to… and sharing good content is not salesy – it’s useful, helpful and beneficial. 2) Buyers can’t buy from you if they don’t know you exist… and the act of promoting your blog post builds awareness in a way that you’re not just known, but known for something. 3) Trying to convince a buyer to do business with you the very first time is a huge hurdle. They want proof. And writing frequently and consistently on your blog showcases your expertise and proves that you know what you’re talking about.
The Bottom Line
One of the biggest objections I hear to writing blog posts is, “I’m not a very good writer.” For those of you who think that way… please don’t worry about it. You went to college, you’re smart… your writing skill is fine, as long as you write on a topic of interest to your readers. The key is to just do it.
And finally… thank you. Thank you for reading my posts for the last 14+ years, thank you for all of the likes and comments about them on LinkedIn, thank you for the feedback and ideas about blogging in our one-on-one conversations… and mostly, thank you for all the industry relationships I now have – many of which started when you read something I wrote!