Seven reasons why you should write a blog

Seven reasons why you should write a blog
30 Sep 2015

There are a number of reasons why you should publish thought provoking content on the web, particularly if you need to convince potential new clients they should deal with your firm or specifically with you personally.

Barely a day goes by when I don’t speak to a client about the importance of building ‘know, like and trust’ with their target audience. Business has changed and price alone, or the fact you’ve been in business for a while, are no longer guarantees that a client will choose your company to patronise. You must demonstrate your expertise and value in a manner that says: “you can trust me to look after your needs”.

Why do I publish an article on LinkedIn every week?

Simple answer really - I am able to position myself as an expert and this expertise is further supported by those who then like, comment and share my published post.

There is also a secondary benefit - each time I post I reposition my personal brand and LinkedIn profile in front of my network of LinkedIn connections. I remain ‘top of mind’ with my target audience. Since LinkedIn’s publishing platform was opened up to everyone, who has a LinkedIn account, more than a million individuals regularly publish more than 130,000 posts a week and approximately 45 per cent of readers tend to be in the upper ranks of their industries - CEOs, managers, financial directors etc.

Why should you write a blog and publish on LinkedIn?

Here are seven reasons why you might consider regularly writing a blog or publishing your expertise :

You’ll inspire others

Your clients face challenges every single day, so it is important to share examples of situations where you have helped others overcome similar challenges.

You can position yourself as an expert

Your clients want to deal with someone who has the relevant knowledge and expertise. In a blog, you can provide authoritative advice. Be confident in doing so but never arrogant.

You will raise your own and your firm’s brand profile

When you publish good content regularly you consistently position your brand in front of your audience.

You improve your writing skills

The more you write, the better you will become at it. Have others review your planned post first and seek feedback and you will continue to improve each time you write.

You become a better thinker

Often, tweeting 140 characters of text requires minimal thinking time. Writing a 400 to 500- word blog, however, requires much more thought. The act of writing down your expertise in a blog format raises your awareness and you become more considerate of the points you are making.

It clarifies your message Like the point above, when you write a long form post, you will find yourself reviewing and editing the content several times. In doing so, you will deliver a much clearer message to your audience.

It increases your confidence

I’m not talking about confidence in your ability to write but that feeling you get when someone likes, comments or shares your post. You’d have to be pretty thick-skinned not to feel even the slightest glow when this occurs.

How do you attract new clients?

If you’ve ever heard the term ‘pull marketing’ you’ll understand that it refers to how you position your services in a way that pulls new clients to your business. ‘Push marketing’, on the other hand, is where you literally push your products and services at the usually unsuspecting customer, with little or no positioning or relationship building in sight.

How do you attract new clients? You draw or pull them in. You allow potential customers to get to know you and your business better, decide if they like you and then demonstrate why they should trust you.

If your payroll firm is still relying on sending out a monthly newsletter or the occasional direct marketing piece, sure you’ll maintain a degree of brand presence with your audience.

However, once you start positioning yourself as an expert and share content which is of value to them, you’ll end up winning many more hearts and minds.

By Steve Phillip is managing director at Linked2Success Ltd. Since 2009, he has helped hundreds of professionals around the UK and in Europe, such as FedEx, The EDHEC Business School and many universities and professional service businesses to raise their online profiles and generate hundreds of new client opportunities, using tools such as LinkedIn and other social media.

There are a number of reasons why you should publish thought provoking content on the web, particularly if you need to convince potential new clients they should deal with your firm or specifically with you personally.

Barely a day goes by when I don’t speak to a client about the importance of building ‘know, like and trust’ with their target audience. Business has changed and price alone, or the fact you’ve been in business for a while, are no longer guarantees that a client will choose your company to patronise. You must demonstrate your expertise and value in a manner that says: “you can trust me to look after your needs”.

Why do I publish an article on LinkedIn every week?

Simple answer really - I am able to position myself as an expert and this expertise is further supported by those who then like, comment and share my published post.

There is also a secondary benefit - each time I post I reposition my personal brand and LinkedIn profile in front of my network of LinkedIn connections. I remain ‘top of mind’ with my target audience. Since LinkedIn’s publishing platform was opened up to everyone, who has a LinkedIn account, more than a million individuals regularly publish more than 130,000 posts a week and approximately 45 per cent of readers tend to be in the upper ranks of their industries - CEOs, managers, financial directors etc.

Why should you write a blog and publish on LinkedIn?

Here are seven reasons why you might consider regularly writing a blog or publishing your expertise :

You’ll inspire others

Your clients face challenges every single day, so it is important to share examples of situations where you have helped others overcome similar challenges.

You can position yourself as an expert

Your clients want to deal with someone who has the relevant knowledge and expertise. In a blog, you can provide authoritative advice. Be confident in doing so but never arrogant.

You will raise your own and your firm’s brand profile

When you publish good content regularly you consistently position your brand in front of your audience.

You improve your writing skills

The more you write, the better you will become at it. Have others review your planned post first and seek feedback and you will continue to improve each time you write.

You become a better thinker

Often, tweeting 140 characters of text requires minimal thinking time. Writing a 400 to 500- word blog, however, requires much more thought. The act of writing down your expertise in a blog format raises your awareness and you become more considerate of the points you are making.

It clarifies your message Like the point above, when you write a long form post, you will find yourself reviewing and editing the content several times. In doing so, you will deliver a much clearer message to your audience.

It increases your confidence

I’m not talking about confidence in your ability to write but that feeling you get when someone likes, comments or shares your post. You’d have to be pretty thick-skinned not to feel even the slightest glow when this occurs.

How do you attract new clients?

If you’ve ever heard the term ‘pull marketing’ you’ll understand that it refers to how you position your services in a way that pulls new clients to your business. ‘Push marketing’, on the other hand, is where you literally push your products and services at the usually unsuspecting customer, with little or no positioning or relationship building in sight.

How do you attract new clients? You draw or pull them in. You allow potential customers to get to know you and your business better, decide if they like you and then demonstrate why they should trust you.

If your payroll firm is still relying on sending out a monthly newsletter or the occasional direct marketing piece, sure you’ll maintain a degree of brand presence with your audience.

However, once you start positioning yourself as an expert and share content which is of value to them, you’ll end up winning many more hearts and minds.

By Steve Phillip is managing director at Linked2Success Ltd. Since 2009, he has helped hundreds of professionals around the UK and in Europe, such as FedEx, The EDHEC Business School and many universities and professional service businesses to raise their online profiles and generate hundreds of new client opportunities, using tools such as LinkedIn and other social media.