Blogging can be hard. Especially when you’re new to running an online website or you’re just not a confident writer. It’s ok…not everyone’s a professional writer. The good thing is, you don’t have to be!
Blogging is all about giving search engines and other marketable networks necessary, relevant information in an easy-to-learn-from package. Blogs can be short, blogs can be long, blogs can be technical, or they can be fun. Most importantly; blogs should be yours.
Let’s pause for a moment and think back to our old friend, Google’s Search Central and their Key Best Practices where they discuss Creating helpful, reliable, people-first content. They specifically ask you to create content that’s original in nature, gets your point across, and provides interesting details and analysis that go beyond the basic. There are lots of other tidbits of advice in there, but this is where we’re going to start today.
It doesn’t matter if you’re referencing and sharing something newsworthy, sharing your own stories or expertise, reviewing a product or service you offer, etc. As long as you’re being conversational, human, and you’re sharing information in an engaging way, you’ll be fine. For those of you who are comfortable writers, please don’t let me stand in your way. You do what works best for you, so long as you’re observing the basic principles of the “Key Best Practices.” For those of you who aren’t so word-sure of yourselves….I have a simple-to-follow formula for you.
The key to this blogging formula is to be as conversational as possible. Pretend a friend, family member…whomever is literally sitting across from you and you’re telling them about “this cool thing you wanted to share.” Just remember to write your words down rather than speak them aloud this time. Yes, your initial written draft may read back a little weird, but that’s ok. The idea is to get our thoughts out of our heads and down on paper. We can worry about editing later.
To write a complete and comprehensive blog, you simply need to answer the following three questions:
- What are we talking about?
- Why do I care?
- Who would benefit?
If you can answer those three questions in a complete and conversational fashion, then you’re going to have a relevant, keyword rich, engaging piece of writing.
The first question, “what are we talking about?” gives us the opportunity to present our topic to the audience and let them know what they’re in for. You can adapt this for really any style of blog. Tell your audience, in your own words, what you’re about to go over. But again, be conversational about it.
Photo by Helena Lopes from Pexels
Let’s do a quick example and talk about a product on your website. Maybe this product is a shoe rack or shoe organizer. If you were going to talk to your friend about this product, would you look them in the eye and simply say, “shoe rack,” and nothing more? No, absolutely not. You’d probably lead into it by saying something like, “I was getting really tired of tripping on all of our shoes when I walked in the front door. They were constantly in the way. That’s why I got that new shoe rack. It’s been a dream come true for me to see my entry way clean and organized and I don’t have to worry about stumbling over kid’s shoes anymore.”
Do you see the difference? One of these is far more conversational and will resonate much better with potential readers. Always present your topic like you’re starting a conversation with friends.
The 2nd question, “why do I care?” gives us the opportunity to really let our opinions fly. Remember, you are the most unique, valuable and engaging part of your small business. Your opinions and ideas can create a unique presence that separates you from others in your field. Tell people why you’re sharing what you’re sharing. For example, if you were reviewing and sharing a product, you might tell people that you liked the price compared to other similar items. Maybe you like the brand. Perhaps the color choices work well in certain kinds of environments. Said product would come in handy in these situations, which you know can be otherwise difficult. The product is perfect for doing X, Y, or Z…. and so on.
Again, these are your opinions and thoughts on the topic. This is generally going to be the bulk of your article. You might have 2 points of interest or 10 that you wish to discuss. Just make sure you’re getting your point across, you’re staying engaging, and you’re staying on topic.
The 3rd question, “who would benefit?” allows you to invite people in to care along with you. There are times where answering question #3 will cause you to repeat things that you’ve already said, but that’s ok. Just put the ball into the customer’s court when you restate them.
For example, you might be selling that shoe organizer I was talking about earlier. Tell your readers that this is good for them, too. “Do you ever come home and trip over your families shoes?” “Do you need a better way to organize your growing shoe collection?” “This is a perfect gift for someone who needs X.” Be direct with it and invite that ideal or intended audience to care right along with you.
Let me give you a real life example of question #3 in action. We had some really hot Summer weather across the country, this year, didn’t we? I actually took my family to a few outdoor events where the sun was absolutely merciless. At one event, in particular, they had a “cooling center” tent established. This tent was free-to-use for anyone who needed to take a moment and get out of the hot sun for a bit.
This tent had free bottled water, shade, fans, and even some music for ambiance and a touch of fun. …Nobody was using it. We all needed it; everyone was dying from the heat. We all knew the cooling center was there and it was free, but nobody was using it.
Not until one of the folks working at the tent said, “Yo, you look like you could use a rest. Come on in and enjoy the shade and a free bottle of water! If you’re feeling the heat and need to rest, come on in. We’d love to have you.” It was obvious. We all needed the heat-beating help, but nobody took advantage of the service until we were literally invited to take advantage of it. It seems kind of silly, but that’s just how people are, sometimes.
Otherwise, that’s about it – Answer those 3 questions, in a human, conversational fashion, and you’re pretty much set. Start with this simple formula and allow yourself to grow into the bloggers I know you can be. Take your time, make mistakes, find successes and see what you’re capable of. As always, if you’re needing help, please let someone on your team know.
I look forward to seeing your blogs!
-Bob