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Before You Write that Post …
You have a great idea for a blog post. So you sit down at your computer and you begin to write.
Mission accomplished, right?
Maybe. Maybe not.
There’s a lot of noise out there. It’s tough for your content — your blog posts — to stand out in an ever-crowding online world. The good news is that there are things you can do to increase the effectiveness of your posts.
So, before you write a single word, take some time and think about these three things:
Audience
Who is your audience for this blog post? If your answer is “all of my current and potential customers,” then your answer is too broad.
Try to be as specific as possible when it comes to your audience.
Yes, this means that not every blog post will appeal to everyone you’re trying to target.
That’s OK. Seriously.
If you vary your topics … choose different segments of your audience to address in each blog post … you’ll be much more effective in your efforts than trying to write a post that pleases everyone.
Because, as we all know in social situations, pleasing everyone is next to impossible. So, why make that your blogging goal?
Objectives
Now that you’ve narrowed down your audience, what’s your topic? And, more importantly, what do you want the objective of your post to be for that audience?
Maybe you’re trying to educate potential customers about your industry. Or you might be trying to share a success story from one of your previous customers.
Whatever it is … you should have something in mind that you want your target audience to do or think after reading your post.
And here’s another helpful hint: It doesn’t have to be product-driven. In fact, it’s probably better if it isn’t.
If you’re trying to sell a high-end charcoal grill to a very specific niche of the grilling market, then maybe a post on the benefits of grilling with charcoal over propane is worth exploring … as opposed to writing a post about how amazing your grills are. Make your objective for this particular post to educate potential customers about your niche.
Goals
Here’s a good question for you: Why are you blogging? No, seriously. Why are you taking the time to sit down and write and post and share? Are you trying to build a community? Gather a potential group of customers? Keep your current customers engaged? Maybe a little bit of each?
Here’s the thing: It doesn’t matter what your goals are for your blog and social media efforts. You just have to be able to identify what they are.
Keep your goals at the forefront of everything you write. Maybe write them on a sticky note and keep it on your desk. Whatever works for you. Otherwise, you’re just throwing darts at a dartboard.
So, those three things: Audience. Objectives. Goals. Take time to think about each one before you start writing. You’ll notice that not only will your posts become more effective in reaching the audiences you desire … but in many cases, your writing will become easier as well.
After all, it’s much easier to take a trip if you have a map to show you where to go, right?
