Just a few decades ago blogging wasn’t a big deal. Now in virtually every industry, you can find at least a few companies who cater to their consumers and try to connect and expand their brand with a blog.

Blogging for business owners is one of the most effective ways of showing your value to your followers, fans, consumers and potential clients.

But, where do you start?

You’ve probably read a few blog posts by some of your favorite entrepreneurs and companies. Are you wondering how these companies were able to gain such a large following of loyal subscribers?

These people honestly want to know about the brand they follow. They’re interested in learning and gaining insight into their favorite company.

Surely, you want your business to be someone’s favorite go-to for industry news and updates on discounts.

Business owners, start with what you know

Start with what you know and what your expertise is in. Which area of your industry are you knowledgeable about? Think about the tips you can offer to people who may be interested in your blog.

You want to begin with what you know because it makes the blogging process easier. It’s extremely easy to write about something you’re passionate about and give advice on something which most people don’t know.

Catch up on grammar

You most likely don’t keep up with proper spelling and grammar especially if you don’t write or produce content on a regular basis. Go through Google and look up basic and advanced grammar if you will be writing the blog yourself.

You can also download and take a look at applications and websites like Grammarly, and the Hemmingway app.

It’s also a good idea to have a second set of eyes look of the content for you. Sometimes mistakes are made and you will never catch them, but the second set of eyes will.

Use stellar graphics

Eye-catching graphics and featured photos are going to get your small business content read. Take a quick Google search of “free stock photos” to find high-quality images. You can also subscribe to stock websites like Shutterstock.

Here’s a quick tip when naming images: once you download the image name it after one of the keywords or headlines used in your article. (This makes your article search engine ready).

Full-proof headlines

This is crucial to making an amazing article. The headline determines whether your small business blog gets read or not. Take it seriously. If you’re horrible at making headlines think of a common issue, questions or problem you can solve related to your business.

The following headlines tend to do well no matter what industry:

• How-To
• List posts 5, 10 (any number) best things or ways to get something done
• What I didn’t know
• Pose a question
• Resource (show information about trending topics and use a qualified source)
• Where to find

You get the idea right? The headline should be simple, straight to the point and show that you’re about to give some magnificent information on something within your industry.

SEO

Search engine optimization. Yes, this is needed in your blog post because it won’t matter how amazing your writing is or how much readers will learn if you don’t actually have any readers.

If you’re unsure what SEO entails here’s a brief explanation: Search engine optimization uses keywords and phrases in an article, website or another content source to increase website traffic and publicity.

Your readers need to be someone other than close family, friends, and people employed by your company.

Need to figure out the ins and outs of SEO? Check out this article by Backlinko.

Schedule

After you start your first post and publish it be sure to make a schedule for consistency. (This helps SEO). You can use pen and paper or your favorite applications to plan out your blog content calendar.

The amazing thing about small business blogging is that you can track and see all of your traffic and see just how well your blog is performing. Tweak it if necessary and add appropriate tags.

Domain

Many say WordPress is the best domain for a blog. WordPress certainly makes it easier to post, track your blog posts, add tags, and build a following. If your company already uses WordPress it’s a no-brainer.

Another option is Wix. They have features and settings similar to WordPress. It honestly comes down to what you need and what you’re more comfortable with. Your business blog or blog, in general, can flourish with either domain.

A few other options include:

• Squarespace
• Weebly
• Medium

If you’re still stuck and unsure of which one to choose this article goes into each domain with additional details.

Avoid comparison

Blogging takes time, especially if you’re starting your business blog from the ground. You’re not going to be an overnight sensation and it will take time, consistency and determination to drive traffic to your services or products with a blog.

Avoid comparing yourself to others in your industry. These companies may have been doing this for months, or years before the thought ever popped into your head. (They probably used a professional too)

As long as you’re consistent and follow the basics to blogging you’ll do just fine. Perform a few periodic Google searches and take a class in SEO to keep up with the latest trends. This can be overwhelming, remember that you can always outsource this content creation to a freelance writer.

Share it!

You’re done, you did it. You’ve written your first blog posts and finally figured out the headlines, graphics and domain you will use. Why not share all your hard work with the world?

Create a Pinterest account and share on ALL your social networking sites! Here’s a quick tip: for Instagram put the blog link in your bio and make a post about it. Happy blogging!