If you’re a business owner, there’s little doubt that you’ve thought about starting a blog. A business blog can help you attract website traffic, convert visitors into leads, and build your reputation as an expert in your field. What’s not to like?
Yet blogging requires a significant investment, and if you don’t have your house in order, it can be a magnificent waste of time. So get your blog off to a good start by asking yourself these three questions before you write a single word.
1) Does Your Website Clearly State the Purpose of Your Business?
Now, please don’t roll your eyes and dismiss this question. Take a moment to be objective and look at your website from the perspective of a first-time visitor. What will they see when they click around?
If the purpose of your business isn’t obvious, don’t bother blogging until it is. Your website should immediately communicate the following:
Why you exist.
Every business has a story – a reason for being. You offer a product or service because you think it will enhance the lives of those who use it. Your home page, services or products page and your about page must convey why you exist in the most clear and concise way possible.
What you offer.
Have you ever arrived at a website and struggled to determine what they sell? Avoid this at all costs. If your visitors can’t figure it out in seconds, they will lose interest. You address a specific need, desire, or problem – spell it out using the simplest words possible. Leave nothing to the imagination.
Who you serve.
Many businesses are reluctant to “limit” themselves, but you cannot be everything to everyone. Defining your target audience will help you craft your messaging to attract the right customers and avoid wasting time on the wrong ones.
Determine who your target audience is and design your website to appeal to them. Use language and examples that will be meaningful to your ideal customer and images that will strike an emotional cord. When you attract the right visitors, you want them to feel like you “get” them. This will help you build trust and credibility that they will remember.
For example, check out the home page for CoSchedule.
CoSchedule knows that marketers use calendars to manage their content and projects. They offer a solution that brings all these calendars into one place so marketers can stay organized. They make this crystal clear with the primary statement on their home page – “#1 Marketing Calendar for Everything You Need Organized.” Then they take it a step further by pointing to the types of calendars marketers use in the boxes below.
CoSchedule communicates why it exists, what it offers, and who it serves right from the home page – before visitors make a single click.
If you cannot articulate the purpose of your business, stop everything and figure it out. Blogging will not solve your problems. It might be a welcome distraction, but in the end, your problems will still be there, and you may only make them worse. Work to gain internal alignment on your messaging and ensure it is clear on your website before moving on to your business blog.
2) Are Your Communication Channels Set Up to Support Your Business Blog?
How will your target audience consume and interact with your blog posts? Will they read from their desktop or a mobile device? If inspired, how and where will they share your articles? Before you hit publish, review your website, blog page, and social channels to make sure you have taken care of every detail. Here are a few things to check for:
- A Mobile and Desktop Friendly Website to Accommodate On-The-Go Readers
- A Blog Page That Encourages Engagement and Sharing
- Blog Posts with SEO-Friendly Elements
- Active and Complete Social Media Profiles
- A Properly Configured Website Analytics Tool
I provide more information in my post titled “How to Set Up Your Blog for Success,” but my point is that each of these elements makes a difference. Writing an insightful, quality blog post is only the first step. Publishing it in an environment that supports your readers and using every tool at your disposal to promote it is how you make it shine.
3) Do You Have A Designated Blog Owner?
If you’re just starting a business blog, it’s likely that you’re relying on contributors who don’t consider blogging their priority. This isn’t unusual and is a perfectly reasonable way to start. But without an owner, your blog will fail. Someone needs to be responsible for the following tasks:
- Establishing an editorial calendar and holding contributors accountable.
- Providing editorial support. Everyone needs a second set of eyes to review their writing – everyone.
- Formatting, loading and publishing each post on time.
- Promoting each blog post.
- Checking all communication channels for issues and responding to any interactions.
- Tracking and reporting results.
If you only publish once or twice a month, there might be someone on your team who is willing to assume these tasks. If you want to publish frequently or are ready to be more strategic with your blogging, consider hiring someone with the necessary skills.
Blogging is rewarding, and it can be beneficial for your company, but starting a business blog on a whim is foolish. You may attract some attention, but if your business isn’t ready, it could actually damage your reputation. Take the time to think through these questions first so you can make the most of this important investment.
