There are typically only two places I write my blog posts. These are at the breakfast table or on the train en route to London. I’d like to think I’m a busy guy. My work day is crammed. Therefore, it’s rare that I get head space to write during the working day when the day job takes over.
However, content marketing is an important factor in the success of my business. I know that my blog posts have contributed to the increasing number of new business enquiries that I receive on a weekly basis. I therefore feel that it’s worth some effort. It does mean some slightly earlier morning starts, perhaps once or twice a week and some time on a train maybe once or twice a month since I’m not a regular traveller.
That allocation of writing time is sufficient to keep my content flowing. It isn’t hard and I believe that every small business is capable of producing content. It’s simply a case of showcasing your knowledge on your specialist subject and documenting this in a blog post.
There are a few content marketing tips that are important when it comes to delivering content that prospective customers might want to read.
Think about writing from the perspective of your customer and what they might appreciate. Why does your customer buy your services? What challenges are they facing? What would be genuinely interesting for them? Who do you want to attract? What are the key areas of your business that you’d like to emphasise? What are the hot topics in your industry?
My approach is to:
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- decide in advance on topic areas and make a list of forthcoming subjects
- skim read other articles from online sources for inspiration (check out Twitter and other sources – maybe look at Google Alerts for inspiration)
- set aside an hour or so at least once a week to write
- allocate time at the office to finish the post off, check spelling and grammar, and add links and then post on your website
- disseminate the blog posts via social media including Facebook, LinkedIn, Google +, Twitter and so on
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And that’s it. The whole thing probably accounts for 1.5 hours per week. And that’s enough to ensure that readers share my content and add me to expert lists on Twitter. I gain new visitors to my website and these are growing steadily. And, to cap it all, I get plenty of new inquiries.
So, try to make time in your week over breakfast or perhaps on your train journey into work. It’s worth it.
If you’d like to know how GSA Business Development can help generate growth for your business through social media lead generation or want to book one of our new business development and marketing strategy workshops, contact us now on 0845 658 8192 or use the form on this site.