Startup businesses are just as the name states, startups. They do not have an audience yet and their main aim as a business is to connect with their target consumers. There are a lot of ways to market their products or services, such as using the media (TV, radio and magazines) and using pay per click ads; however for a startup, these are expensive and time-consuming ways of marketing. Most startups have turned to blogs to market themselves, and also share information about the products or services they offer.
Why create a blog?
According to Pingdom, there were 634 million websites created by December last year, with approximately 150,000 new sites being launched daily. For a startup, having a blog is one way of standing out from the crowd. ”Businesses with blogs get 67% more leads compared with startups that don’t”, states Kanguro. If a startup really cares about its customers, blogging should be a priority to them. It is a way to reach to your audience and explain your services and vision, while influencing other people in the industry.
By incorporating some skills in search engine optimization (SEO) or outsourcing an individual that does, a business will improve its Google rankings extensively, creating more sales in the process. The consumer base has shifted as more people want something that is easily accessible, and the internet provides just that; users are more likely to click the first links that appear after a search. When a blog writes about topics relevant to its target audience, it gets a lot of visibility, and for free.
Perhaps the one motivating factor about blogging is that it is free; this may explain why there are so many of them online. With various software and tools online, anyone can quickly and easily create a blog for their startup. The only cost associated here is the investment in time, which should be worthwhile considering the significant returns. Committed bloggers build credibility with their audience – it demonstrates that they are serious about what they do.
What should you write about?
This is a question that gets asked often – the simple answer being to just blog about your industry. A business is well versed with the industry that it specializes in; hence, it should focus in that particular field or areas of expertise. Who are your potential clients, suppliers or partners? This question will greatly influence the content produced. Pumping out articles that users love to read is a surefire way to create a loyal following and increase sales in the process.
Has the business grown, or come up with new products or services? If yes, then this is the ideal platform to tell the world about it. Users will view and probably comment or like whatever is being offered. The comments and feedback can help a startup analyze the market reception to their product or service, and decide on which factors need to be changed if the business is to expand successfully.
How do you start writing?
At this stage, an assumption is made that the blog has been created and a startup knows what it wants to write about, but does not understand how it should go about this. The first rule in any kind of writing is being AUTHENTIC, being yourself. Trying to be too funny or too smart will only leave you and the readers more frustrated. People can know when content is open and transparent; hence before writing, try to get into the reader’s mind and think from their perspective. If you hold a certain opinion, present it but try not to be argumentative or offensive – it is never worth it.
Writing your very first post? Don’t try and make a post really long; readers tend to skim through long articles. Respond to comments as often as possible, it helps the target audience stay involved with your blog. It can also help the business communicate better with their audience, as they would be in constant touch with the customer, knowing what they truly want to read – and delivering it to them in a meaningful manner.
Photo Source: Adam Tinworth
