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There is a lot of confusion about how to handle blogs in 2021. From should I be running a blog down to how should I be running it. As a business owner, your website (notice I said website) needs to have a blog. That is not really optional anymore. And the blog needs to be a part of your website and not being run elsewhere. Everyone needs one.

In today’s website world, there is a level of brand building that has to go on for a sale to be made. The days of being in the number one spot and the sale being automatic are gone.  Plus, as the end-user has become more sophisticated in that they research purchases and they want to feel good about the company they are doing business with. They review and scrutinize each and every interaction. So to not have a blog that helps customers understand you, your brand, and how you do business puts you at a definite disadvantage in how you are reaching out to them, in hopes they choose you to do business with. The bar is definitely higher

How Do I Start blogging?

That is always one of the first questions I get along what is the difference between a blog and a Vblog.  So first things first. To start blogging you need to have your website set up in software like WordPress and it is hosted on your own website on your own domain. Now not to get off into the website builder conversation and why places like Wix, Square Space, and Shopify are not solid solutions for SEO, the fact is you need to have software that supports a solid blog and for us, WordPress is really the only solid option. If you care enough to follow this blog and our videos, then you take marketing seriously enough that it really is the only solid solution to excel in Google.

Once you have picked your platform, you will need to start generating the content, similar to what you see here. They usually are from issues and situations that impact your clients or provide information based on the services you provide. You would not put up a blog on selling coffee if you were a divorce lawyer. Remember these are ways potential clients and existing clients can know they have picked the right person for the job they have.

Should I have a Blog or a Podcast?

So my answer is both, but why should it have to be an either or situation? The reality is if you do your podcast properly it is the perfect fodder for your blog. After all, you are reading this, aren’t you? In essence, it is a summary of the attached podcast and this is providing the show notes.  And this serves multiple masters with half the effort. What i mean is that if you take your blog post and do what I’m doing here which is writing an engaging page of content about the blog I am solving two problems with the same idea. It is foolish to me to try to separate the two and the most successful bloggers and podcasters have something for the others.

So let’s look at why this is. Most businesses have customers that traverse multiple age groups. Those over 45 often like to take a moment and read about what they may be watching simply because they do not want to invest time into something that may or may not be productive. After all that maybe 2 hours of time you won’t get back.  There are the folks under the age of 35 that are more apt to watch a video, even if it is a talking head. They want video and have no interest in reading. And then there is everyone else that podcasting has become a norm. They subscribe. They listen in their cars, at their desks, in the grocery store. Podcasting has become a way of life.

Who Should Host My Blog and Podcast?

I get this question a lot and honestly, it’s hard to answer in a classroom because I don’t ever want to be self-promoting. I personally own a web hosting company that was set up in 1998. We have geared it to what the SEO companies need. We understand the traffic and the needs of running a solid blog. I also recommend BluBrry to host the actual podcast files and YouTube of course for the video files. If you look at the anatomy of this particular page you will see we add three components to this site.  You need a

Three Blogging Mistakes To Avoid

1. Not understand the audience

Sometimes when we write we forget who we are writing for. Our audience is future customers and writing or messaging in a manner that is not congruent with who they are. Being stuffy or erudite when you are not, often paints the wrong picture of your company and may draw the wrong clients. Building a great following requires you to relate to your audience.

I also use an example which is if you are a construction company you need to make sure you are not

2. Don’t forget your style

Also, as your company develops a personality, make sure your blog mirrors that personality. For me, when I have had people write for me, they often come off like they are from Brooklyn. And although I grew up in New Jersey, the closest I ever came to Brooklyn was a day trip to Crazy Eddies. The fact of the matter is the only thing NJ and Brooklyn have in common is geography. So writing for me and trying to capture me are two different things.  Don’t lose who you are or you may lose your audience

3. Not Editing

Let’s not get mixed up here. You can still be yourself and not be Hemingway, yet still remember to edit. Grammar and spelling are important. But style should not be edited out. I tend to write as I speak. In doing so, we always have to be careful not to edit out my personality. It would be easy to do simply by editing longer sentences or making my speech choppy. So make sure you edit but don’t edit yourself out.

Social Media

Social media is essential to a successful blog. Make sure you remember to push your blog out to all relevant social media platforms. Make sure you have graphics for each item and make sure you remember to repost these topics as you move through time. Not everyone sees them so multiple posting is important to push the messaging out.