Where to get content for your blog

How to, Online marketing1 comment

Because one of the services that I provide as a virtual assistant is to design and manage blogs, I do get asked by clients if I can write the content for them too.  Now I can totally understand this question because as someone who writes their own blogs, I know how difficult it is to think of new ideas to write about.  But in my opinion, a blog is a great way to promote yourself to your contacts, and for them to get to know the person behind the business.  If someone else writes your blog, how are they going to do this?

So if you’ve been thinking about setting up a blog but have been put off by the thought of having to struggle to find new things to write about, then here are some tips to help you get content for your blog.

First of all you need to think about what would interest your target market.  Remember, a blog is like any form of marketing, you’re using it to attract people to find out more about your business.  If you write about topics that interest them, then they will bookmark or subscribe to your blog, and take time to find out more about what you do.

Search the internet.  Once you’ve decided on the kind of topics that would interest your contacts, then you can carry out a search on the web and set up a Google Alert for each topic.  These Alerts can then be added to your Google Reader so you can keep track of them. This means that you will be seen as someone who is aware of the latest news in your industry and is keeping track of the hot topics being discussed.

Ideas from online discussions.  If you use online forums or social media, keep a look out for any topics that attract a lot of questions or comments.  If there’s a recurring question or theme and it falls within your area of expertise, then write a blog which answers the question and post a link to it on the forum or appropriate social media profile.

Questions from contacts.  When you’re talking to people either online or at networking events, it’s likely that people will ask you questions about your services or products.  Again, if there’s a recurring question or theme, you can write a blog which answers it and share it with your online and offline contacts.

Use guest bloggers.  And if you do run out of ideas or just don’t have the time to write anything, then you can get round this by inviting someone else to contribute a blog.  This is actually a good way of showing off your connections, especially if the guest blogger is someone who is highly regarded within your industry.

I hope this has given you some ideas and if you’ve got any suggestions, then let me know in the comments below.

If you don’t have a blog and want to get one up and running, then find out more about our blog design and management service.

5 Ways a Virtual Assistant Can Manage Your Blog

How to, Online marketing, Virtual Assistant0 comments

Whether you currently have a blog or not, I’m sure you’ve heard how blogging can attract visitors to your website and be a great way to build relationships with your contacts.  As someone who runs their own business, I know how beneficial it is to have a means of sharing your knowledge and expertise directly with your readers.

So if most business owners understand the benefits of having a blog, why do so few of them actually do it?   Well from talking to them, I’ve found that either people don’t know how to set one up or they have got one but just never have the time to post regularly.  And let’s face it, an out of date blog is worse than not having one at all.

So if you want to start a blog or reinstate an existing one, how can you go about it without too much effort?   Well, here are 5 ways that a virtual assistant can help you with setting up and managing your blog.

• Advise you of which software to use.  The best blogging platform is WordPress as you can integrate it easily with your website, especially if your site is already built in WordPress.   It also has plug-ins to help with SEO, spam, and social sharing etc.  There are other options such as Blogger, TypePad and Posterous and a VA can help you make a decision based on your requirements.

• Format it so it fits in with your branding.  If the virtual assistant has the appropriate skills, they can design your blog with the same colour scheme and logo as you use on your website.  It helps to keep your branding seamless across all your online marketing activities so your readers can instantly recognise it’s you when they land on a particular site.
• Research and add content.  A virtual assistant can research content that is relevant to the products or services associated with your business, and follow what the leaders in your industry are saying so you are aware of the hot topics.  Once you have written your article, the VA can post the content on to your blog.

• Set up a schedule.  Depending how often you want to post a blog, a virtual assistant can set up a schedule and remind you when a blog is due.  It’s a good idea to have a regular schedule and stick to it because if your contacts like what they read, they will either subscribe to your blog or check back regularly to see what’s new.

• Promote your content.  Once you’ve written a blog then you want as many people to see it as possible, and a virtual assistant can help to promote it around the Internet.  They can do this by setting up social sharing buttons on your blog, posting links to your Twitter and Facebook accounts, and using websites that let the search engines know that your blog has been updated.

So by hiring a virtual assistant to help you manage your blog,  you need never miss a blog post!  If you want to know more, check out our Blog Design and Management Service to see how we can get your blog up and running so that you can engage directly with your contacts and drive traffic to your website.