This blog series focuses on helping businesses use digital marketing on a budget and in a limited time frame. Many small businesses don’t have large budgets or a lot of free time for marketing. We want to show you that marketing can be done on a budget, and within the time you have, with just a little prodding from us. Just consider us your marketing cheerleaders!

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If you’ve listened to my previous advice and created a blog schedule, this should be easy. But if you haven’t, deciding what to talk about can often be the most difficult part of blogging. Just like posting ahead for social media will save you time, planning blog topics ahead will really help.

If you don’t have a list to pick from, think of one thing related to your product or service that YOU personally would like to know more about. For example, if you’re a car dealership, talk about how often you should change your oil and why it is important. If you sell beauty products, discuss the ways different scents can affect your moods. Just pick something related to your industry that would interest you and that you know a little about.

Want so extra help in crafting a great blog? Read The Secret to a Successful Blog for 5 essential questions you need to answer before creating a great blog.

Use words that convey importance. Using our examples from above “How Proper Oil Changes Dramatically Increase the Lifespan of Your Vehicle” is more exciting than “The importance of regularly changing your oil.” Or “The Common “Scents” to Increase Happiness and Ward off Fatigue.” 

Think: Is this an article I would want to read, based only on the title?

Pick at least 3 to 5 key points to focus on. Write a little introductory paragraph and then jump into the info. Write as much or as little as you feel comfortable. Use whatever voice is most natural for you; be funny or casual or more factual. Readers will enjoy your blog more if it is genuine, personable, and they feel as if you are speaking directly to them. They will also find your content more trustworthy if it is coming from an individual rather than a company.

Pick at least one image to fit the subject and feel of your blog. Remember, people are driven by emotion, so use imagery that invokes positive emotions in your readers. If you’re talking about oil changes, instead of showing someone unhappy with a broken-down vehicle or changing their oil (because nobody likes to do that), show a happy family or individual with a car that looks and runs great. If you’re writing about scents and emotions, show someone happily sniffing your product or one of the ingredients contained in your product. Using your own images if possible, or choose one from a stock photo site.

Choosing an image can be time-consuming (believe me, I know), so just remember that it doesn’t have to be perfect, just appropriate for the content and persona of your blogging. (By persona, I mean the personality you put into your blog. A persona helps your blog, and your brand, be more relatable. Try to match your blogging persona with images. Humor, serious, healthy, socially conscious, environmentally aware… these are all personas you can give your brand.

Once you’ve selected and downloaded an image, add it to your blog and post!

Don’t forget to add your blog to your social media schedule and share it with your mailing list!

Want to really capitalize on your blog? Find out how to create a higher-converting blog sidebar.

Your first blogs might take a little longer to create, but once you get into a routine, it will help make the process smoother and writing should become easier. Don’t overthink it, and it doesn’t have to be perfectly polished. You might not be a professional writer, but you are an expert on your business. Share your expertise with others, and it will help build your brand and draw more visitors to your website!