You’ve attended the seminars, you’ve soaked in the insights—yet although you’ve heard time and time again that “content is king”, you still feel stuck when it comes to developing content for your own company blog. Why is that?
As a business leader, you may find yourself overwhelmed by the stress and whirlwind of investing in the development, strategy and execution of a company blog. Even though you know and understand the benefits of a blog, you’ve come up with reasons why you just can’t get around to it, or excuses for why it’s just not feasible at this point in time.
Today, we will axe your excuses for not investing in your company blog, and empower you to develop powerful content that will drive visibility and empower sales.
Excuse: #1: “I don’t have the time”
One of the most common excuses business leaders have for not blogging is that they don’t have the time. Now, this is not to say that you aren’t telling the truth—maybe your calendar truly is fully booked! We get it. However, don’t let your full schedule deter you.
You don’t have to go it alone when it comes to your company blog. You can call upon an employee to take on this project, or you can outsource this crucial aspect of your brand development to a professional or agency who specializes in content strategy and development.
Excuse #2: “I’m not a good writer”
Maybe you have insights galore swirling around your head, but are not sure how to untangle them and get them down on paper. If this is the case, consider hiring a freelance copywriter to work with you to craft content, edit your writing, and shape your insights and expertise into words that engage.
An effective copywriter will work with you to embody and develop your brand voice so that you can feel confident presenting the finished product to the world as your own unique insights.
Excuse #3: “I don’t know what to write about”
Is it writer’s block that has you stuck? Blogging is an art, but, to an extent, it is also a science—and often it is about so much more than finding something that you want to write about. Rather, it is about figuring out what makes strategic sense to write about.
Remember to look at it from your reader’s perspective and craft content that will:
- provide value
- draw readers to your website
- Increase your search position through use of strong keywords
- position you as a thought leader in your industry
- advance your brand voice
- share the benefits of your products or services.
First, pore through our list of 19 ideas for your company blog and pick a handful of ideas to get you started. (Not enough for you? Oberlo dishes up 101 blog ideas to get those creative juices going.) It helps to lay out your ideas in an editorial calendar so that you have three to six months of content mapped out. This allows you to craft relevant, timely content (say, around a seasonal promotion or important events in your industry) that strikes a good balance of the goals above. And it ensures that every time you sit down to write, or assign an employee to write, the topic is already at hand.
Excuse #4: “I’m confused about my strategy”
Your company blog isn’t just a platform for insight. If approached strategically, your blog can also serve as a sales funnel to turn prospects into clients. You get there by having a variety of valuable content, as well as focusing on SEO and keyword research.
This is where many people get stuck. I can write, but I don’t know about all this other stuff, they think. Don’t sweat! Well-versed partners can help, with areas of expertise including content strategy, editorial calendar development, SEO keyword research, and how to market the content you create.
If you are unsure on where to begin when it comes to your blogging strategy, it may be advisable to work with an agency who can highlight best practices and guide you towards an actionable strategy that will elevate your brand and result in a clear and powerful ROI down the line.
