Writing your first blog post is intimidating for a lot of business owners. It’s normal to be a little nervous, but blogging is easier than you think! Many blogs don’t get started or go neglected because the author feels uncomfortable and avoids blogging. You may be thinking: What do I have to say? Who is going to read my blog? I’m not an expert!
When you’re getting ready to write your first post for your business, banish the negative thoughts and just get started! Blogging is a great way of marketing without a budget and is a tool that you need to be using for your small business. Whether you’re paralyzed by the fear of blogging or trying ways to stay motivated as a small business owner, here are some tips to help you confront those fears, overcome your objections, and create some great blog posts!
Be realistic when writing your first blog post
Small business owners are often perfectionists. They set the bar for their own work very high and feel that a blog is no different. Or, they worry that a ‘bad’ blog post would reflect poorly on their business as a whole. But nothing is perfect – in fact perfect is the Enemy of Done. Ditch perfection and be realistic!
The first thing you need to know is that blog posts are a casual mode of communication. Blogs are more like a cocktail party chat than a doctoral dissertation. No one is going to fault you if your blog post is not THE definitive word on your subject. A blog is simply a place to share your thoughts along with a few tips, so your clients can get to know you better and you can help them with something that they’re unfamiliar with. Chances are you know more than you think anyway. After all, you started your business with SOME knowledge, right?
So, relax and write what you know – don’t weigh your writing down with impossible goals or unrealistic expectations.
Keep your first blog post short and sweet
Nobody wants to open a blog post and read a novel. You don’t you have to cover every aspect of your subject – just stick to the highlights. If you’re putting off your next post because you feel like it will take too much time, realize that a blog post can be written in as little as fifteen minutes. A post with just a couple paragraphs can contain worthwhile information for your audience.
If you want to write on a complex subject, break it down into different steps. This will enable you to create multiple, easily digestible blog posts for your readers to enjoy. Stretching and reusing content is a great tip for small business blogging strategy.
Tell a story or solve a problem
Many blog posts follow a simple formula – the writer presents a common problem, tells a story about how he solved it, then explains the solution so the reader can use it himself. It’s such a great formula, you’ll even see it in fairytales.
The classic Three Little Pigs is basically a story about solving a problem – the big bad wolf wants to eat the pig and they need to protect themselves by building houses. The first two pigs take the quick and easy route so they have more time to play and build their homes out of straw and wood – both houses get blown down. The third little pig puts in the extra effort and builds his home out of brick, which keeps him safe. The moral of the story – the solution presented – is that the quick, easy, and cheap route often isn’t the best.
What have you learned in your years of business? What is the ‘moral’ of your story? Look at the problems that you or your customers face. Share a story and a solution for them. For example:
- Fitness centers can share a weight loss story of a busy mom on their blog.
- Construction companies can blog information on insulating houses for energy efficiency.
- Interior designers can provide tips for blending different decorating styles.
Focus on conveying a solution to a problem that your readers face to help them learn valuable, useful things from your blog. If you need more help with blog post ideas, check out our free guide with 130 blog post ideas to rock your business blog.
Write your first blog post with a casual tone
Blog posts do not need to be formal. Keep your first post breezy and casual, to give your readers a sense of who you are and what your business does. You’re just here to introduce yourself and tell a story.
The more you relax and the less you hold yourself to some impossible vision of perfection, the easier the words will come. While it’s okay to be casual, make sure to use proper spelling and grammar so that you sound knowledgeable and your readers know that you put time into the post.
Use your expertise to write your first blog post
Naturally, your blog posts will be about your business industry. You don’t need to be a talented writer or a world renowned expert to share useful information and experiences with your customers. You work in your industry, so you already know more than most of your audience!
If you stop and think about it, you are just bursting with tips that your customers could use. Be authentic, be yourself, and tell a story that imparts a lesson.
Don’t get caught up in SEO
The web full of blog posts about blogging for the search engines. Search Engine Optimization is important, but don’t worry about it when you’re thinking about how to write your first blog post. It’s more important to get relevant content up on your blog than to optimize a post for keywords.
When you’re writing your first blog post, put SEO out of your mind. You’re writing for people, not machines. If people relate to your posts and learn something, they will share it, which increases your SEO. Chances are, if you’re writing relevant information, that your post will be targeting common keywords anyway.
SEO is something that you can work on later and can be a worthwhile investment when you have more money to spend on marketing and possibly paid marketing campaigns. For now, just getting started is the goal.
Just write it!
We’ve established why there’s no need to get worked up about your first blog post. Now get out there and get started! Remember the writers’ creed – “Done is better than perfect.” Don’t get so caught up in the details that you stop moving forward. Give it a shot – who knows, you may have a talent for writing you never knew about!
