We’ve said it many times and it’s the first thing we say when people ask what they can do for SEO, but I’ll say it again: write original content!
Don’t be scared away if you think you’re not a great writer, don’t have time, or don’t know what to write about. We can help you get started. Here are five ways to get started blogging for small business today.
Collect ideas. Whether it’s a memo on your smartphone, a scrap of paper in your wallet, or a whiteboard in your office, have a place where you can write down blog ideas. Some weeks maybe you’ll have five topics come to mind and other weeks you’ll draw a blank. By having a list you can go to when you’re ready, the process will be easier than sitting down and staring at a blank document.
Jot down some points as they come to you. Just like how people think of good ideas when they’re not actively thinking about it, blog points may pop into your brain at any time. Just scribble them down when they come to you. If you have time, you could write a post right then, but if you’re on the go, just capture it for later.
Schedule time to write. Some people like to set aside ten minutes after business hours on a certain day, whereas others don’t have a problem working their writing assignments into their schedule on random days. Just don’t skip it! If you start putting it off, it’s harder to make it a habit again.
Ask for help. Get a second set of eyes to proofread your post. If someone at your office is an apt writer, just ask if they could write a monthly post for you. Think of your topic and write out some bullets, and then ask them to craft it into an article for you.
Don’t worry about how skilled your writing is. It doesn’t have to be New York Times-level journalism! Just listen to patients and the questions they ask, and if you’ve heard a good one or hear one consistently, write about it. It’s not a stand-in for patient interaction, but if they’re asking you, chances are people are searching that same question. Answering questions on your blog—even if you think it’s too simple—helps your SEO, and gets more traffic to your website.
Blogging for Small Business and Having Writer’s Block?
Try these methods for finding a topic to write about:
Look to others for inspiration. Follow eye news blogs to see what news topics are trending. Feel free to read an interesting article, summarize it in your own words, and link to that article in your post. Even if a blog post is only 300 words (we don’t suggest shorter than that), it will still help your website.
Did you know? People love fun facts! If you need a topic, think about how eye health relates to other topics: diabetes, arthritis, aging, education, etc.
What’s the future of your business? Looking into the future and guessing at how your industry will change can be a fun and creative way to relate to your audience.
Just start! It might be gibberish as you begin, but you might surprise yourself with what you end up creating. Why do you do what you do? How did you get started doing it? What’s on surprising thing about your industry that people may not know?
That’s it! It helps to do things like include a picture or video, and to make your writing easy to understand by providing headlines where they’re needed, bullets for concise lists, and links to outside sources. Those are all good for SEO, and make your article reader-friendly.
Happy blogging!