When I started my business, I didn’t have any paying clients. All of my pitches were rejected by publications, too. No one wanted my advice. I moved back in with my parents and spent months promoting my public relations and marketing skills across social media.
Who would hire me?
Without a diverse client portfolio, I had little to show of my abilities. Blogging allowed me to establish credibility while drawing readers in with personal anecdotes. I became a go-to marketing pro in the community and even taught a webinar on social media and e-business. I also spoke at the Courier-Journal on how to market yourself on social media.
Now, reporters are publishing my tips, and I even landed a full-time position at Humana as a Marketing Communications Specialist. I love my new role, and I am continuing to write blog posts to help my audiences and maintain credibility and expertise.
How can you write blog posts to establish credibility? Follow these tips:
Know your audience. What do they read? What do they care about? What are their biggest obstacles and challenges? How can you solve their problems?
Consider what stories will capture their attention. Personal anecdotes work well. You might also take something seemingly unrelated and make it a metaphor for what you’re trying to convey. For instance, relating fear of setting up a hair consultation with a new stylist to anxieties around interviewing a social media manager for your small business.
Make it emotional and/or exciting. Connect with your audiences in meaningful ways. Show that you’re human. Keep the momentum going. Have enthusiasm.
Ask yourself, “What’s the main idea?” Not only should you select just one topic, but you should also be able to describe the main idea in 1-3 sentences. Write it down in your outline before you create your first draft.
Sell the problem you solve, not the product or service. Think in terms of problem and solution. Remember the pain points of your customers. What are their greatest concerns? How can you help?
Generate working blog post titles. There are many effective types such as a “how-to,” list, or curated collection. Read more from HubSpot here.
Show how customers benefit from your products or services with case studies. Tell client success stories. Use testimonials. Quote customers. You can even describe your own experiences if you struggle to find examples from your client base.
Provide how-to information and resources to dive further into your blog post topic.
Cite your sources, and make sure they're recent, credible, and relevant. That will only enhance credibility and show that you are well-researched, informed, and up-to-date.
Present information in a new way. That could mean curating a collection of tips from various sources with your own perspective. Build on what’s already been published. Offer additional advice.
Share blog posts on social media.
I challenge you to pick a blog post topic and write your first draft today. Use the tips and resources I provided. Send it to me, if you want, and I’ll give you my feedback. As always, message, email, or call me if you have any questions.
Thanks so much,
Kevin