Features Management Marketing
The business of blogging

Many small businesses may view blogging as an afterthought – a task when
there is time. This is a mistake. If you want your blog to be an
effective tool to market your services and attract clients, it needs to
be treated as an important aspect of your business.

Here are a few considerations on why it’s important to blog, and some tips and topics to help get you started.

Creating traffic and credibility
The
main goal of all of your marketing efforts is to get bodies through
your door. Having a website can help with that, but a blog is an added
element to get clients and potential clients engaged. More blog posts
equate to more content for search engines to rank in their results,
which makes your practice easier to find online. If you’re easier to
find, there are greater opportunities to attract and convert a client.
Having more posts also means you have more content to share through your
social media channels, which is another way to market your services.

When
people see that you run your own blog, it gives your practice a greater
sense of credibility. By creating relevant posts that rank on search
results, it can position you as a thought leader. This helps to build
awareness and a relationship with prospective clients.

Content is king
The
great thing about a blog is that it can be about whatever you choose,
in any format you desire. There is no one way to go about producing
posts, but there are several types of blog posts that earn you more
traffic and shares. They include how-to articles, lists, infographics,
check lists, guest posts. You can also think about the conversations
you’re having with your clients or the questions you get asked by
potential clients. These two areas provide lots of potential content. 

What are some areas you can write about to get comfortable?

Start
with the basics. Write about the body – since that is your core
business. For example, potential clients may overlook the daily rigours
of life such as back pain. You can start off by giving reasons why
people should listen to their bodies, and how they can act upon the
information they’re receiving in the form of pain. By providing a
call-to-action option, it can position your practice to be top-of-mind.

People
are generally interested in what to expect during a massage. Every
massage therapist has his or her own technique. Some may do a bit of
research before trying anything. What easier way for them to know
whether or not you’re right for them by writing about it yourself.

While
the topics mentioned above are directly related to your core business,
it’s important to note that not every post should be completely
self-promotional.
You can often find topics that are timely and interesting to your
readers that are not directly related to your core business functions.
For example, you may have to advise people about things they can do to
have healthier lives, since massage therapy is a way to feel better. You
could give simple tips about stretching or good posture. Being
interesting, relevant and topical to your readers boosts your
credibility by offering that personal connection with them – instead of
constantly trying to sell yourself.

While blogging is a fun
outlet to showcase yourself and your practice, keep top-of-mind that
blogging is also an essential marketing tool to attract clients and grow
your bottom-line. That means it’s very important to keep your audience
engaged. More content will increase your website’s ranking, which in
turn should generate more traffic and client conversions.

—-
Jennifer
Osborne is a digital marketing expert and president of Search Engine
People Inc. (SEP) , Canada’s largest digital marketing firm, which has
been on the PROFIT 100 ranking of Canada’s Fastest Growing Companies for
the past five consecutive years and named one of PROFIT Magazine’s 50
Fastest Growing Companies in the Greater Toronto Area. Jennifer has been
named as one of Canada’s top women entrepreneurs.