When to start a blog

I get asked a lot, “When should I start a blog?”. Clients worry that it is too late or too early. The great answer is that there are many good times to start a blog and lots of great reasons too – the main one being, “I really want to!”.

If you have the passion but keep finding barriers, perhaps you could tie it in with one of the key events below.

Here are three great times that might just help to give you that little ‘starter push’.

Start a blog…when you have a new website

Whether you are planning a brand new site or doing a bit of a refresh, a great time to add a blog is when you launch a new website. One of the most powerful things about a blog is that it drives people to your site. With every new post, it gives your loyal followers a reason to return and read your latest news, guidance or advice.

If you have worked hard designing a fresh website, then you want as many people as possible to see it. If you have been running your business a while, it is likely that a lot of the key content remains the same, so apart from a cursory glance what would make your clients visit your new website more than once? This is where a blog is a powerful tool. It gives people a reason to return and to return regularly.

A blog is also fantastic for SEO as every post is new content – and it’s long-form content – search engines love this! You’ll also naturally mention relevant keywords and you are likely to capture long-tail keywords, commonly asked questions or search phrases too, which all helps with your website ranking.

I also think after all of the effort of designing and creating a new website, there is nothing worse than letting it sit there gathering dust 3 months after going live. Committing to blogging and regularly adding posts means you have to revisit your website, to post/schedule the blog and to check for comments. Each time you are there, give your website a little once over and make any tweaks or small updates too.

If you don’t feel ready to start a blog, but you are designing a new website, please please ensure you have the functionality to blog built-in. Even if you keep it hidden for now, it’s great to have the opportunity when the right time comes along. Plus, there really is no bad time to start a blog – so you always want the opportunity to add one when inspiration strikes…without the need to go back to your website designer!

Start a blog…when you are a bit quiet

I know for some of my readers they may never feel like that there is a ‘quiet time to start a blog’. However, I also know that some businesses have naturally quiet times.

I highly recommend that when you start a blog, you prepare at least three blog posts to launch with, so that your initial blog visitors have a few posts to explore. It also gives you more to shout about! Furthermore, I recommend having two back up posts, that are drafted and ready for busy times so that you can remain consistent in your posting. I appreciate that all of this takes time and effort. This is why considering your blog possibilities when you are quiet is an ideal time to prepare and start.

We often turn to marketing when we have a little extra time and I think that the mistake many of us make is to think solely of social media. Whilst I appreciate in the short term it feels great to get ahead and schedule some future posts or make a plan for the coming months. However, remember that the average social media posts has a 5 day lifeline! Just 5 days! In comparison, a blog is considered relevant and authoritative up to 3 years after publication! Blogs are evergreen content. They can be repurposed. They can be updated. They can be shared lots of times (via social media!). Personally, I think they are one of the most valuable ways to spend your time when it comes to content and digital marketing.

Start a blog…when you need to add value

A blog is one of the absolute best ways to help you stand out from the competition. When times are tough and you are worried about what makes your services or products different from others, a blog is a great way to show your clients and potential customers more about you and your business.

By creating blogs which give extra value to your services – advice, reviews, guidance, insights – you are not only offering support and a good customer experience, you are also showcasing your expertise and knowledge. Remember that blogs don’t have to be just written content, but include videos, audio and galleries too.

I would also recommend starting a blog when you are doing something new. For example, if you are taking a course to expand or update your skills or offering a new service or product – then blog about this learning journey. It will add value to the new products or services you are offering – giving clients extra background knowledge or support, and increase your authority. As I have said many times before, if you can write 1000 words on a subject then you know you have absorbed the information. You know, you know your stuff!

Ready to start blogging…but not sure how?

If you feel like now is a good time to start a blog, but you are not quite sure how to get started or want some support with planning, scheduling, writing and optimising your blog, then why not book my Blog Starter Training? For just £95, we can spend 1.5 hours in a 1-2-1 video call session exploring your business, drawing out excellent topics for blogging and helping you to understand exactly how to write engaging posts, with optimised content in the most stress-free ways possible. Get in touch if you would like to learn more.