Blog writing is a skill like any other. You can learn how to do it, and the more you do it the better you’ll get. But only if you keep doing it.
If you don’t keep up with your blogging, it can turn your website into a ghost town that reflects badly on you and your business.
In today’s post, we’ll wrap up the Blogging Tree series with a look at some of the ways you can keep growing your blogging tree and welcome plenty of new clients to your orchard.
A strong blogging tree needs the right climate
Here in Barrie, Ontario, Canada, we enjoy four seasons every year. Not every day feels pleasant (though I do believe in the old adage that there is no such thing as bad weather, only inappropriate clothing), but each season gives us something of value – even if that’s just more appreciation for the season coming up!
Your blogging tree needs different weather elements in order to grow strong. In my last post, I explained how wind spreads the seeds of your blogging tree. It also needs rain and sunshine, and here’s why:
Rain – For your blogging tree, rain represents the ideas that you’ll turn into new content for your blog. Once you get yourself into the blogging mindset, you’ll see these ideas all around as you carry out your day-to-day work with clients, and even on your personal time.
Over time, you’ll hone the skill of creating blog posts out of frequently asked questions, client meetings and other things that you see and read – both online and in the real world. And if you’re already getting the hang of sharing other people’s content on social media, you’ll be relieved to discover that sharing certain types of content on your blog is just one step further.
Note: Be sure to set up a rain barrel – I call this an idea catcher, where you can capture those ideas when you get them. Carry a notepad (whether it’s in your pocket or on your smartphone), have a designated folder on your computer or simply store ideas as draft posts in your blogging program. When you constantly feed your idea catcher, you’ll never have to face a blank screen or empty page again.
Sunshine – Your blogging needs your time, energy and attention (sunshine) in order to flourish and continue to attract new clients to your business. Once you’ve decided to include blogging in your marketing mix, you need a plan for how that’s going to happen. As we discussed in another post in this series, the trunk of your blogging tree – your plan – must include:
- Where your blogging time is going to come from
- What types of energy you need for each blogging task, and how/when you can best access that energy
- Which blogging results you need to pay attention to
If you’ve heard enough about the benefits of blogging, such as its power to:
- Position you as a trusted expert
- Educate your clients about how you can help them
- Deliver more value to everyone you meet
- Gain wider exposure to your website
- Keep your website fresh
then be sure your blogging tree doesn’t dry up and wilt. Keep it growing strong by giving it the elements it needs to succeed.
You don’t have to do any of this yourself! There are plenty of resources on the Content Mastery Guide website and elsewhere on the web. You can also hand your blogging over to someone else who can make this all happen for you (hey, we do that!).
Linda Dessau, CPCC, is the author of Write Your Way to More Clients Online and the founder of ContentMasteryGuide.com. She offers ghostwriting, editing, training and consulting.