Many business owners I meet feel uncomfortable about marketing. They don’t want to be ‘pushy’. But marketing doesn’t have to be selling or pushing products or services at people who don’t want them.
In an ideal world marketing is about finding the people who are actually interested in your products and services and then impressing the socks off them!
This is where blogs come in. They’re a wonderful way to show off your expertise and give your readers an insight into your considerable knowledge and let them experience your approach, without having to part with any hard cash.
Use your blog as a guide
Your blog should deliver massive value. And if you’re thinking ‘I’m not giving away all my secrets’, park that thought. If someone is going to use your blog as a DIY guide and try and eliminate the need for your paid services – they’re probably never going to be a customer anyway.
Most people do what they like and are good at, but when it comes to things that sit outside their comfort zone, they’re more likely to outsource to someone. If they’ve been impressed with what you have to say – there’s a high likelihood that will be you.
Use engaging headlines
Ted Nicholas (the late and great copywriter), you should spend 80% of your writing time crafting the headline. If you are looking for headlines that capture attention these might be useful:
- 5 steps to [achieve what?]
- 17 hot tips on [subject]
- 3 [subject] mistakes [target audience} make – and how to avoid them
- Your [subject] checklist
For instance:
- 5 steps to make bookkeeping simple
- 17 hot tips on managing your inbox
- 3 marketing mistakes small business owners make – and how to avoid them
- Your health and safety checklist
Publish everywhere
Add an interesting image and upload your blog to your website – but don’t stop there.
Unless you have a big following, people won’t see your blog so make sure to:
- Share the link on social media – not just once, but several times at different times
- Use it to lead your newsletter with great value
- Upload it as an article to your LinkedIn profile – and on any other platform where you can post articles.
When you know you’re sharing great value, it doesn’t matter that you’re showing off – people will appreciate it.
