Mondays here are entrepreneur and #GirlBoss days when I like to share my two cents about business, blogging, marketing, and general #GirlBoss stuff to help you be more awesome at what you do.
The problem with blogging {for me} is that it’s not a job….. Unless it IS a job.
There are lots of people who literally make a living blogging, but most don’t. Most use blogging as a supplemental, extra income, and whatever comes is just appreciated, which keeps it there as something to do to help soften the blow for those of us with little wiggle room. And if you are a business owner, your blog is actually something else entirely, but even more important even if it doesn’t bring in it’s own revenue.
For me, starting a business AND ripping my hair out daily trying to get a blog post up, AND manage the kiddos, I think, why? Why am I breaking my neck to ALSO blog and drive traffic and get people to come see this and that and be EVERYWHERE? It’s craziness. It really is. I completely know it is.
But then there was this week, when we had a “come-to-Jesus” moment about out budget… I went to bed depressed, worried, anxious that our lives, while here in this beautiful place, means constant stress and strive to survive because it’s just so expensive and hard to get ahead of it.
I checked my email just before bed, and there was a deposit from the blog. Phew! The advertising and sponsored posts that I do, don’t bring in a ton, but they give me that extra motivation to keep doing it. I NEED that breathing room in my budget, and it is what funded and started the business. In fact, now that I do both, I can tell you it’s incredibly important to do both! Already in the last month that I have rededicated my efforts and allocated a little more time toward the blog, I have gained more visitors, followers, made more connections, and signed on more collaborators and sponsored advertisers that will ALSO help grow the business in the mean time. It was an aha moment that I needed. It’s a lot, it is, but the time is well spent to also run a blog while managing a business.
For me, they go hand in hand. My business and products cater to moms, and women who need and want to feel inspired and uplifted. So I can blog about a lot of things that help them to feel that. I can also direct them to my products, but the real thing is to create the community that I love. To create a space that is like sitting in my living room, talking about the things I enjoy and I know you do too. And hopefully offering some sort of value, insight, or perspective that helps you. In that way, you’ll want to hang out with me, and yes, that helps build a larger audience for my products and services as well. But aside from enjoying sharing it with you in the first place, yes, it’s good for business!
I believe, if you have a product or service you offer and you do NOT have a blog, you definitely should. I think offering valuable free content is one of the best ways to build a community and audience and create value. That way when you say, “oh, by the way, I have a new class, or a new program, or a new product…” they’ll be right there to listen, because you’ve already given them such value and they know you wouldn’t show up with crap because there is a level of trust.
Blog-world, I can’t and won’t be getting away from you anytime soon. Yes, I’m of the #GirlBoss world too, and I love both. I think that there is a lot to be learned on both sides {bloggers about business, and bosses about blogging} and I’m happy to share what I learn along the way…
Reasons you SHOULD be blogging {especially if you have a business that offers products or services}:
- Create and grow a community and audience
- Offer more free content that your target audience and ideal client looks for and wants to find, so it’s YOU that they find
- Collaborate and share information about other products or services that compliment yours or what you offer.
- Creates trust and loyalty so when you DO offer new products or services, they are right there and willing to try it out!
- Can be a source of supplemental income, depending on what your goals/business plans are.
But I don’t have a lot of time to ALSO blog!!
I know. It doesn’t have to be a lot. Maybe once a week, or even twice a month would be better than nothing. Grow your email list and send them to where you give them free content and they’ll appreciate it. Less is more anyway. I used to blog daily and my posts suffered in quality as I stressed to have something up. Fewer posts with better images and more quality content are definiltey going to grow the community you’re looking for.
But what do I post about? I sell _____ or I’m a {insert obscure service provider here}?
Who is your ideal client? What are they searching on the internet? What do they want to be, become, to have in life? Can you provide anything to help them toward that goal without giving them your services or product for free? Like a health or fitness coach… you could offer recipes, or dieting tips, ways to get more exercise… Think backwards and build it based on your current clients or customers. What would THEY love to see. Don’t go too crazy, but give them something, a handout, a freebie. It’s a virtual thank you card for saying, thanks for sticking around, you are great friends and I love you so much that here is an “expert tip” about something I know you’d like to know…
Come back on Mondays for more stuff like this- business, marketing, #GirlBoss chats.
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