Stop overthinking and start blogging. This is the missing piece to your marketing plan.

I started blogging several years ago, and truthfully, I had no clue what I was doing. I took an online class for therapists who wanted to increase their influence, income and reach. The most important lesson I learned in this class was to be okay with doing something new and to ‘just do it.’ That is what I did in spite of my insecurity about my writing skills and ability to come up with various topics; I took on this challenge. What I didn’t anticipate was how much I enjoyed the process and how much it increased my business ventures. Blogging is a way to prove your expertise. Potential clients want to know that you are versed in your area of specialty. Blogging allows me to speak directly to my target audience. It’s a great way to share happenings in my practice, too.
Most importantly, it helps to make me relatable. Potential clients get a sense of my style, personality as well as the work I do with clients. These are essential tenets of marketing.

Here’s my process–
I have a blog integrated on all of my websites. My posts are specific to the niche areas. I try to come up with at least 15 topics for the week. If I’m stuck, I look at what’s happening in the news, current events, a popular television show. I also set google alerts, so I get articles on topics of interest to my target audience. They inspire me to come up with content.

Click here to create Google alerts– www.google.com/alerts
I write original posts because that allows me to use my voice and personality.
When writing a post, while mindful of using proper grammar and sentence structure, I like to make it appear that I’m speaking directly to the reader. I find this style is especially important if I’m speaking on a topic to my ideal client.
I try to keep the posts to 500 words and often use bullet points. Most readers scan a written article, so keeping it concise and well organized helps to assure increased readership.
I look at my site stats on a daily basis. Reviewing which posts generate the most views helps me to know what topics are of more significant interest to my target audience. I also feel inspired knowing that others are following and reading.

Here’s a peek at the stats on my practice site from May to September 2018.

I always tweet my posts and share them on our Facebook business pages. Since I know where my target audience spends time online, I know where to post to make sure it gets seen.
I always include a call to action in my post. A call to action is what you want the reader to do after reading your content. It can be –share this, retweet it, call the office or something else. You have to tell your audience what to do after viewing your blog.

Blogging has vast marketing potential. You have to do it consistently; otherwise, your readers won’t know what to expect. Don’t create false expectations otherwise you’ll lose professional credibility. You have to know what your target audience wants to hear more of and when writing, make sure it speaks to your ideal client(s).

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