Two reasons stick out to me when it comes to blogging and why it has not proven to be fruitful for some business owners. Which is why you might be reading this right now. The first is that your blog is not being utilized appropriately. Those cute blog post titles may make your mom smile when she checks in for the day, but they aren’t getting you any traffic. Or two is that you have been sold the idea that social media is the only way to go. You invest your time into completing 30 reels in 30 days and stressing over what image to use next on your feed while your blog hasn’t been updated since 2019. Am I close? But what if I told you and even showed you that it’s possible to build a profitable blog? Would you believe me?

Some common myths when it comes to this subject:

“No one is reading blogs anymore”.

Fact: Actually, 70-80% of all internet users report that they read blog posts regularly.

“I’ve been told ads are the way to get more eyes on what I am selling”.

Fact: 70% of consumers say that they would rather learn about a company from a blog post than an ad.

“But it seems like no one is listening”.

Fact: Companies that blog get 55% more visitors and 97% more inbound links.

The real truth

Somewhere along the way, I think a lot of new business owners have been sold this idea that the only way to find success is through social media. While yes, social media can be wonderful for sharing and connecting, it’s a foundation built on sand. Does anyone remember the global outage of Facebook, Instagram, and What’s Up this past October? The entire day had content creators wigging out and completely lost as to how to reach their audience. Remember when Vine went under? Over 200 million active users. So many creators that built content and a business based on the platform and then it was gone.

As a business owner, you should never put all of your eggs in one basket. And you should never invest all of your energy and resources into platforms where the rug can be pulled out from underneath you. You don’t own your followers. You don’t get to control who sees what. More and more, if you don’t pay for ads on Facebook, your content isn’t even being seen by most of your audience. And more and more it is being discovered that accounts who don’t actively engage in the political agenda to one side (using specific stickers and hashtags) – those accounts are being suppressed. You have no control in these spaces. You are at the mercy of the platform.

Be honest with yourself

Let me ask you, what numbers did you spend your time thinking about most over the past month? 60 days. This year. Your follower count on Instagram? Or was it your email list? Was it the number of views you got on your latest reel? Or was it the current number of sessions you have this month from people visiting your site? Be honest with yourself how much of your mental energy is spent lamenting over your numbers on social media?

Listen, I am not trying to take away from the success people have found on social media. Absolutely. People have built their careers on it and around it. And being free, I think everyone should be sharing their content, their products, and their services on social media.

The problem is not using it. The problem is how much are we investing into it as business owners because we think we are “supposed to” without looking at the return we are… or aren’t… getting.

Where your focus should be first and foremost

Cultivating a home base for your business is absolutely the number one thing you should invest time and effort into. Having a space that you have complete control over and where people know they can gather to enjoy what it is you offer and what it is you have to say. This will not only enhance your brand presence online, but utilizing a blog allows you the opportunity to establish yourself as the expert. It’s where you can teach and guide without the distractions of social media. It’s where people can completely immerse themselves in your brand exprience.

Think of social media as the “behind-the-scenes”. The daily live feed if you will. It’s the sprinkle of sugar on top of a really well baked dessert. But it’s not the whole slice.

*Sidebar: If you are a fellow creator constantly finding yourself frustrated with social media. If you find yourself exhausted with trying to keep up with all of the “to do’s” in order to be seen… (Respond to comments with 60 minutes, socialize for at least 15 minutes before posting your own content for optimal engagement… the list goes on). I mean, these apps are literally designed to keep people glued and spending enormous amounts of time on there. Customize it to what works for YOU and YOUR BUSINESS. You are not a robot, you have a life, you have a business, and you have a family. You are allowed to say “this isn’t for me”. 

Something I got wrong for awhile

One hurdle I had to overcome was not comparing my approach to the way others were doing it that I happened to follow. A lot of them happen to be content creators whose focus is Instagram and social media. It’s where they make their money which means they are continually engaging throughout the day. And it was a struggle as I tried to do the same thinking that was the only way I was going to move the needle. Guess what? It was the wrong approach for me, it didn’t move the needle, and it just left me feeling burned out and not present in my own life. 

Be intentional with the amount of time you are investing into it. And make social media what YOU need it to be. Forget the rest. 

Consider this your permission slip.

Any business can benefit from blogging

I truly believe this. Blogging allows you another avenue to establish your expertise in what it is that you do. It will also help you educate. Informed shoppers buy. Confused shoppers don’t.

Let me try and flex my content creating muscle on this a bit…

You own a flower shop

Share your knowledge on individual flowers and the best fit they are for specific events or occasions. Or perhaps share care tips for arrangements and bouquets – how to make them last longer. Even film how-to videos of arrangements so people can come purchase stems from you and make their own for a budget friendly option!

You are a real estate agent

Write about financial tips for those preparing to buy a home. Share resources such as best moving companies in your area or off-site storage. You could do a monthly Q&A. Or share success stories of those you have helped to buy their first home and the steps they took to make it happen under your guidance.

You are speech therapist

Share a weekly excercise that parents can do at home to help their little ones. You could even share videos showing an excercise so you can better teach others. Talk about the signs that new parents should look for for early intervention. 

The sky is the limit!

Five things you can do to start moving the needle

1. Stop using the cute blog post titles – even if your mom thinks they’re cute

SEO will forever and always be king. It is the way for people to find you based on what they are searching. Let me share an example.

I wanted to share a fun Halloween post with my kiddos in their costumes. In my early days, I would have title it “Happy Halloween” or “Halloween 2021”. But that does NOTHING for the return. Instead, I look at it from a content creating eye and how it might help someone else who stumbles upon the post. I changed it to an informative post to share just how easy these ghost costumes were. I also went with a blog post title that is searchable and something that will get good SEO rankings.

To find proper blog post titles and the keywords to use, I use a mix of Google and Pinterest searches.

2. Consistency breeds momentum

If you want loyal readers who keep coming back time and time again, they have to know you will be there for them. If your last blog post was somewhere in the year 2018, then it’s time to buckle down and come up with a game plan. You don’t have to publish a new post daily, but it should be consistent.

3. Take better pictures

People expect visually pleasing, well… everything. If your blog images are not on point then make that a priority. If you are a solopreneur and doing it all yourself, invest in stock imagery. Or hire a brand photographer. If you need better product images, take a course. Visuals are everything. People are better inspired when surrounded by beautiful things. Make your homebase a place they want to be.

4. Figure out who you are talking to

It’s your ICA (ideal client avatar) or IRA (ideal reader avatar). For so long I kept brushing this off like it wasn’t a big deal, but goodness gracious, spending time figuring this out CHANGED. EVERYTHING. If you don’t know exactly who you are talking to then you are talking to no one. Ask yourself where do they shop, where do they live, what is their home decor like – it all helps you to customize your content and how it is delivered. (Pssst… make sure and subscribe to my monthly business email because I have a free resource on this coming soon!)

5. If you treat it like a job it will ultimately pay like a job

This is the same thing I tell the women I work with in network marketing (a side hustle that I swore I would never do, but man, has been extremely fruitful). Our society has groomed us to want instant gratification. However, anything worth growing that is going to last takes time. We aren’t playing the short term game. We are playing the long term game. When you are talking about time freedom, being able to be home with your kids, setting your own hours, being a full-time family, answering to no one earning the same as you would at a full-time job and then some (and then a lot some)? You better believe that is going to take hard work as it should!

Sit down and come up with a game plan for your blog to be an integral part of your workflow and marketing strategy. If you invest the effort, I can promise you that it will help fuel your business like never before. Head down and focus. Women building big things for their families? We don’t quit.

Whew! That was a lot, I know.

Maybe you are currently feeling stuck. Or maybe you think that starting a blog was a bad idea because all it has felt like is dead weight. Whatever the reason is, I know that if you decide to flip the script and look at blogging as a strategic strategy in your business that you will start to see the needle move.

I have a few resources that I think you will find helpful as you plan your approach for a new year…

THE 2022 BLOG METHOD PLANNER

This is like having me in your back pocket throughout the entire year. Not only will it help you organize content and plan like never before, but there is a guiding force all throughout. From best practices at the end of each month to how to utilize the power of Pinterest in reaching a bigger audience.

Learn more right here

*ALL-NEW! THE BLOG METHOD COURSE

An all-new educational experience with me. This is your roadmap to building a profitable blog and one that fuels you forward with clarity & confidence. In this course I am holding nothing back and sharing the exact blueprint I have used to grow my blog. This year alone, I have experienced over 100% growth. I have tripled my readership, I have gained hundreds of new email subscribers, and I have garnered over 7 million monthly viewers on Pinterest. 

Self-paced, online, and packed with 15 years of knowledge. This is my first course teaching what I know as a blogger and it is absolutely an entry-level price. After 2022 with the women that join me and the results we create, the investment for this education will go up.

And, when you purchase your seat you get the 2022 Blog Method Planner included and received immediately as a digital download. 

Find out more here and grab your seat!

Doors open December 6th and 2022 is going to be an incredible year!

I love talking shop with fellow bloggers and content creators – be sure and leave any questions you might have or something you are feeling stuck on!