If you have never blogged before or did not grow up in the age where personal blogs are commonplace, the notion of blogging can be intimidating. However, it has become a critical marketing component for building companies. Frequently the most challenging aspect of blogging is getting started. Here are a few tips to help you with this process.1. Start reading blogs in your industry. One of the easiest ways to get started is reading. See what other building companies are writing about. Make sure to review the comments as well. If you are apprehensive about getting your own voice out there, start small by leaving relevant comments on blog posts.
2. Set up a sub-directory or sub-domain for your web site. Blogging does not have to be very technical to be effective. If you have an IT team, consult them about adding this to your builder web site. If you don’t, consult the support department for your domain host. They should be able to provide instructions. Additionally, you can consider an inbound marketing software package that includes blog software.
3. What are you trying to accomplish with your blog? What are your objectives? It’s important to figure out who your audience is and what you will be providing for them. Are you trying to educate, entertain, or simply provide more visibility for your building company? Write down the personas that interest you and start outlining blog posts based on them. This process will assist you with targeting your audience and creating initial, quality blog content.
4. What are some questions that leads and/or customers frequently ask? If your persona work doesn’t lead to you topics right away, the common questions you get from customers will. Pull quality content from e-mails to customers and edit it to create your initial blog posts. This is an easier way to start than drafting brand new content. If you don’t have common questions from leads and customers, browse other building blogs for inspiration.
5. Start posting already! It is easy to keep re-writing, but at some point, you have to call a post done and publish it. Get feedback and decide how you can improve for the next post. Make sure that all posts are free of spelling and grammar mistakes, but don’t worry about creating flawless content. As you get more comfortable blogging and start receiving feedback, your writing skills will to improve.
Blog Post Written by Spencer Powell
Spencer is the Inbound Marketing Director at TMR Direct. Spencer specializes in helping clients create and execute effective inbound marketing campaigns.