Lessons Learned While Blogging For Business: Six Things I WISH I Knew
I am honored to introduce Guest blogger Kelly Watson, a marketing consultant who specializes in marketing
to women. Win a free copy of
Kelly’s “Small
Business Blogging Blueprint,”
e-book and tutorial videos (a $29 value). Details are at the bottom of this
post.
This month marks the one-year anniversary of my business blog, Womenwise Marketing. I’ve actually been blogging on and off since ’99, but this marks the first year I blogged for business … and let me tell you, it’s a whole new ballgame. If you want to reap benefits like increased credibility, more brand exposure, and more sales, you need a specific blogging plan to help leverage your time.
That’s why I created the “Small Business Blogging Blueprint,” a 68-page e-book that helps beginning and established bloggers set goals, track progress and get results. It’s filled with step-by-step instructions for each step of the blogging process, and troubleshooting tips for common problems like low web traffic and not enough sales.
I created the e-book because I wish I had something similar when I started blogging: it would have saved a lot of time and effort. Here are five other things I learned along the way:
· Get a little help from your friends. Your blog doesn’t exist in a bubble. You shouldn’t, either. If you see a blogger whose content you like, offer to trade guest blog posts. You could also ask to do an interview, then transcribe the answers in a blog post for your readers. (I met Christine when I interviewed her for a Womenwise Marketing podcast.) This will give your content some variety, and will expand your reach in the blogosphere.
·
Prepare,
prepare, prepare. Eventually, there will come a time when you just won’t be
able to write a blog post. You’ll be too sick, or too busy, or will have some
other circumstance that will keep you from getting it done. Prepare for these
times by writing a few blog posts in advance, and have them saved in draft form
so you can publish them at the click of a button.
·
Spy on
the competition. By tracking competing blogs through a service such as
Google Reader, you stay on top of current issues and you may even get some
inspiration for future posts. It doesn’t hurt to leave comments, either: that
way bloggers will know you’ve stopped by.
· Don’t be afraid to ride rising trends. The next time an interesting topic or event dominates the headlines, try writing a post that makes it relevant to your readers. You’ll not only increase the timeliness of your blog content, but you’ll also catch some of the search traffic surrounding the trend. (I took advantage of Susan Boyle’s singing to comment about gender and double standards.)
· Reveal your human side. Being professional doesn’t equal being perfect. The posts that have generated the most interest have been the ones where I’ve admitted faults and reached out to readers for help and advice. Revealing my human side has done my business way more good than pretending I have all the answers, all the time.
What do you wish you knew before you started blogging? Leave a comment below with your answer, and you’ll be entered to win a free copy of the “Small Business Blogging Blueprint.” I’ll pick a winner at random on Wednesday, October 21, 2009.
If your name is chosen and you’ve already purchased “Blogging Blueprint,” you’ll receive a full refund of the purchase price. So if you’re eager to check out the e-book but you still want to enter the giveaway, go ahead! Even if you don’t win, you’ll still get a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Blog Give Away Winner: Rachael is the big winner! Rachael, please email Kelly at kelly@womenwisemarketing.com! Congratulations!!

















