You have something to share. You have experience, skills, and expertise that other people could find helpful. Your clients, students, and social media followers want to know what you know. So how are you going to dispense this valuable information?
There are different ways you can put your expertise online for others to learn from: Social Media content, a Vlog or Youtube channel, or the enduring Blog format. Each of these knowledge-sharing platforms have strengths and weaknesses. A fantastic strategy to help focus and inspire all your online content is to develop a core source for your information. A Blog can cover many bases when it comes to online marketing and knowledge-sharing. With a blog you can create a destination for your audience to discover valuable guidance and information. And you can use your published articles to further develop smaller pieces of content for social media platforms and email marketing.
Creating a “go-to” source for information is the goal of any Blog. Blogs are powerhouses for content sharing and highlighting expertise. That strength has led to an increase in the number of Health and Wellness blogs. Blogging is not what it once was. It is no longer an obscure individual corner of the internet where someone documented their daily thoughts. While There is always space for personal, journal-like, online sharing, your professional blog is a different space. A professional blog is intended to be read and to reach those who need it the most. So before you open your Google Docs and start to write your first post there are few things to consider. Let’s explore how to set yourself up for success when creating your Health & Wellness blog.
What are you writing about?
What are your areas of expertise?
In the proverbial forest of Health & Wellness blogging, it can be daunting to put your toe into the water. Don’t be scared. There is space for everyone.There are a few key steps to get your expertise out to the people who are looking for just what you have to share.
The first act of creating a kick-ass blog is to identify your areas of expertise. What do you have the knowledge and skills to talk about? Create a list of topics that you could easily discuss in front of a group of people. This doesn’t have to be a comprehensive list but be sure to note your key areas of service, work, and experience.
What does your audience need to know from you?
Think about what people have wanted to learn from you in the past. What questions have your clients asked? What have you taught your students? When have your social media followers sent you a DM to seek your advice? This is a good opportunity to reach out to your current audience and ask them directly. What would they like to learn from you? What are their current challenges that bring them to your services? List these topics.
Where do they converge?
Place these two lists side-by-side and notice all the areas where they overlap. The topic(s) that converge will suggest your niche. Pull out the overlapping themes and create a final list.
Who are you writing for?
Who is your current audience?
Once you have identified your niche you can clarify your audience. Who are you writing for? Start with your current client and student base. Who are you already sharing your knowledge with? What are their commonalities? What challenges or concerns do they bring to you? This is another great opportunity to reach out to your community. Send a short survey or consolidate the data you already have on your clients/students and learn more about the demographics of your current audience.
Who do you want your audience to be?
Once you have an understanding of your current audience, consider who you would like your audience to be. Is there an area of your service-skills that you would like to bring more into your practice, or an aspect of your expertise that your current studentship doesn’t allow you to express? Who would need this knowledge from you? Describe this person, just as you would a current client. List out as many details about this ideal audience member as possible.
Where do they converge?
Place these two groups side-by-side and you may see some commonalities emerge. Where these groups overlap is your blog’s target audience. Pull out the converging demographic details and traits to create a clear picture of this core audience. Give this description a name and even find a headshot that represents a central member. Each time you sit down to write your blog, this is who you will be writing to.
Initially it may feel restricting to think of only one person when you are writing. There are so many people you want to help, won’t this limit the reach of your blog? Conversely, it will bring more depth and value to what you write and share. When you create your posts with a clear audience in mind your ideas have a target. You can filter all the information you have and select the most valuable pieces based on the needs of this one individual. When you hone your audience down to a single person you create content that brings value to more people.
How often should you post?
What can you accomplish consistently?
This is where most people get snagged. You may be overflowing with topic ideas, you might already have a couple of posts waiting to be published. This is great! The power of a blog is in its longevity. Starting a blog is not difficult, but the work comes in keeping the blog going. The key to building a sustainable blog is to set a realistic publishing schedule.
You might see bloggers who post daily and think to yourself, “Sure, I can do that.” Yes, maybe you can, but don’t be hard on yourself if you can’t. Writing consistent, high-quality, blog posts is resource consuming. It takes time and energy to craft a valuable article.
Set a publishing schedule that you can support in the long-term. If you can write an article once a week, great, but if once every couple of weeks (or even once a month) is more realistic, be honest with yourself. Identify what you can realistically accomplish and deliver consistently with the greatest value for your audience.
When does your audience engage with content?
Before you set your publishing schedule, consider when your audience seeks out your content. How often are they engaging with other blog content? Do they like receiving daily posts or is that overwhelming their inbox and they would prefer once a month? Reach out and learn about their content-consumption habits.
Where do they converge?
Ideally your publishing schedule is a happy medium between what you can sustainably accomplish and what your audience requires. Holding to a consistent posting schedule is essential to build reliability and trust both in you as a service provider and in your blog content.
Conclusion
Bringing a blog into your business’s Digital Marketing plan is an exciting and compelling way to expand your reach and bring your experience, skills, and expertise to more people who need what you have to offer. Take your time and define your niche, audience, and publishing schedule in order to lay a solid foundation to grow this content pillar. Remember, whether you choose to create a vlog, focus on your social media content, or kick-off a blog, these key principles are the same.
If you would like more ideas or support with your social media marketing book a Discovery Call today. We can help you get your services to more people who need what you have to offer.
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