Have You Started Blogging?

By: Felicia Pratt Ellis

I work with clients that seem to take blogging for granted, and I have to admit I did too at one point. When I first entered the blogging arena I did so after having my last child. I was coming off of maternity leave and had all sorts of feelings that I needed to get out. I didn’t really think about connecting or sharing with others it was more of me spilling my guts and feelings. Blindly I was hoping that someone else would know they are not the only ones going through this but blogging was more therapy for me. But the weirdest thing started to happen. I started to actually connect with a few women and created my own small community while being a part of a bigger community. It was great! But then I fell to the hype marketing tactics that discussed how you can make money from blogging, while watching all these mommy blogger become a part of a variety of campaigns and I wanted a piece of that pie as well.

In my quest to make money I wanted to use the skills I already had which led me in the direction of becoming a virtual assistant. I was able to secure a couple of clients and do little jobs here and there and so I thought this would be what I would do to get me out of my 9-5. Because now I was so focused on how to grow my business I stopped blogging and started to invest into everything and anything that would allow my business to grow. The various programs were very helpful and did help me to acquire a few more business but I wasn’t getting the exposure or the stream of clients that I felt I needed. In the midst of all this blogging fell to the way side, even though all programs shared how blogging can position you as an expert in your field. I just didn’t have the time (so I thought) and blogging was more of a tool used to journal my thoughts rather than a business tool, so I didn’t think it was necessary.

Fast forward a few years later, I realized that although I have made progress in my business I didn’t make the progress I wanted or needed to see. I found myself as a student of a wonderful mentor teaching the basics and the basics including blogging. As I followed her, I didn’t jump right back into blogging as I know I should have, but I would post something every now and then. Then out of nowhere it finally hit me. I finally figured out why I should blog and why you should as well.

Why you should be blogging:

We are constantly focused on money making activities (or should be focused on it) but blogging doesn’t seem like a money making activity. It’s not very often I write a blog post and a product or service is purchased after that particular blog post. And so being focused on making money blogging just did not fit into my every day routine. However as I have matured not only in life but in my business mind I realized that in order to market and profit from an online business you must create a community and consistently provide valuable content to your audience. Blogging makes this happen very easily. When you are constantly providing valuable content people will begin to listen and follow. They will like what you have to say, comment and now you have created your own community, just like I did when I first started blogging. Having that community allows you to reach out to your audience and really find out what it is they need. And if you do this regularly you will be looked at as the go to person (or expert) for that particular subject. Isn’t that what we want?

Remember this, when you hand your business card, pamphlet, or program flyer to someone if the information captures them, the first they will do is go online and search for you. They want to find out as much information on you as possible. They want to know why should I attend this program, is she really as knowledgeable as she say thinks. If they go online and see very little information then you may have lost a potential lead that you can put through your funnel. However, if they see that you constantly provide interesting and engaging information on your topic then they will want to be a part of that as well. The basics to your business is blogging. Your articles can reach more people than you know and since that content is yours you can leverage it in a number of ways. Shift your mind to think of blogging as a marketing tool. It’s not just an online diary anymore; it’s a tool that if used right can position you in your industry as the go-to person for that subject.

Are you currently blogging? How has blogging helped your business?

Felicia Pratt is an author, WordPress Enthusiast and a Social Media Fanatic that supports women entrepreneurs who run their business online. She helps them connect with their customers and build their online presence so they can increase their visibility and provide consistency in their branding and marketing efforts. Through various entrepreneurial endeavors, Felicia has finally found her niche empowering women by helping them leverage their content effectively through social media and blog content management.