Every morning I check my email box, and it’s full of articles about a variety of topics. I go to my LinkedIn home page, and I’m bombarded with more articles. There’s no way on God’s green earth I could ever read them all. Sometimes I feel annoyed that there are so many.
So why bother blogging and adding to the plethora of information online? Won’t your articles just get ignored like the zillions of other articles do?
It’s true: the majority of people will never read your articles. But - some people will, and many of those people are going to be your potential customers.
Here’s why you need to start blogging:
Some People WILL Read Your Stuff
(Disclaimer - only if you write good stuff. Minimal effort = minimal results.)
Regular readers: Here’s an example from my own experience: Yes, I’m overwhelmed and bombarded with information, and it makes my head spin. BUT - I have a handful of authors that I regularly read because their topics are relevant to me, I trust them, and I find their articles informative and interesting.
Think about your own experience - do you have “things” that you regularly read? I would bet that you do.
Browsers: Sometimes during the day I browse social media just to take a break. As I glance through the piles of articles all over the internet, sometimes I get sucked into one that’s not on my “regular” list. I get pulled in with an image, a very catchy headline, or good meta text (the little description that comes up after the header).
Searchers: And, many times during the day I have a question, so I’m searching for particular information. I read a lot of articles that way too. Sometimes I’m so impressed I subscribe to their blog or newsletters to see what else the people have to say.
Shoppers: Other times, I’m considering doing business with someone, so I go to their website and social profiles. I want to read their stuff to get to know them a little; to get a better feel for who they are, what they think, and if I can trust them enough to help me. If I get to their sites and they have minimal, irrelevant, or confusing information, my trust level goes WAY down. Most of the time I probably won’t do business with them.
Think about it: if I research one company and they have all kinds of good, relevant articles and descriptions of their products or services, and then I go to another company and they have poor website copy, no articles, and minimal information, who do you think is going to win my heart (and my money)? It’s really a no-brainer.
You’ll Get Smarter
I guess there is a reason writing is required in school. Being able to put your thoughts down on paper helps you clarify your views and positions. It makes you start asking more questions in order to develop a deeper level of understanding.
Writing helps you become smarter and more proficient at your job.
(FYI - you can still blog even if you don’t want to actually write! Click here to find out how.)
You’ll Increase Credibility and Success
As you write about your experiences and expertise, people will start to see you as a thought leader. You’ll become the go-to resources for information. And as mentioned above, when someone is considering doing business with you, they’ll trust you more. Increased trust equals more business and more referrals!
And More Technical Mumbo Jumbo
I don’t want to get into all the technical mumbo jumbo about website traffic, organic search, blog views, click thru rates, lead conversions, yada yada yada. Just know blogging is a critical component of a successful online presence not only from a personal perspective but also from a technical one.
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