I'm thinking about that line from the film Planes, Trains, and Automobiles. "When you tell a story, here's a tip - have a point - it makes it so much more interesting for the listener!" The lesson I take from that sarcastic bit of humor that also tugs at the heartstrings is you have to take your clients needs to heart when you are doing what you do for them, and that includes your blog posts. If you are keeping it interesting, you demonstrate to them that you are aware of their needs. You have a point.
If you check the stats on your blog, you will quickly discover that regular posting is the key to serving your readership. When I fall off the wagon, as we all sometimes do, those stats drop dramatically. When you are blogging, your clients speak with their actions through comments, or lack of, and that is something that you have to take to heart. Enough said. Here are some tips that have helped me and I hope will do the same for you.
Follow the Leaders
Successful bloggers like Chris Brogan and Brian Clark post with amazing frequency, and most importantly, regularity. They deliver on your expectations. How do they do that? -- Guest bloggers fill in the gaps when they are busy with other activities. How else? Pre-blogging. Build your blog post inventory when you have time. Get those ideas down as drafts that you can refine later. I made this post 6 weeks ago -- saved it as a draft -- and now that I have a few moments I'm fleshing it out.
Be Consistent to Stay on Top of Your Game
I've historically chosen to post on a weekly basis with a high-quality video blog. That is my core strategy and it takes time, but its one that I'm committed to. I do this because the heavy lifting of doing my job well keeps me motivated. Thinking about my clients again, I've wondered if that is enough.
Now I'm preparing to amend that strategy by alternating video posts with occasional text-only posts to keep the energy alive! The lesson: Keep learning how you can serve --- and don't stop. When readers see you haven't posted in a month, well, they have to assume you aren't serious. It's no different than any other endeavor. Does Tiger Woods stop practicing because he's on top of his game? I doubt it. He knows practice keeps him at his best and his fans appreciate that. His victory this past weekend at the Memorial Tournament just goes to show that preparedness does meet with opportunity.
Be Clear about Your Purpose
What problems are you best solving for your subscribers? You can see from the title of my blog that my target market is entrepreneurs. Some are using social media well, and some, like my bookkeeping client I worked with today, are just getting started and need to learn the basics. Shirley and I had a lot of fun fine-tuning her social media profiles. It reminded me that you can't ask yourself this question enough: How can I help? What do I do better than anyone else in my profession for my clients?
I try to have something in every blog post that will help my clients regardless of their level of experience with this powerful medium. If you are sincerely trying to help and you take that responsibility to heart, the good stuff you have to offer will fall into the right hands. We are all usually moving fast. Getting one helpful piece of information that sparks an idea or reinforces what one already has learned is a service to your clients that they will appreciate.
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