We believe having a blog is a great way to build a community around your business, to connect with your audience – and to showcase your expertise within your field. Today, we’re sharing 5 ways to jump-start your blog!  Whether you’re in a blogging lull, or you’re simply looking for fresh, new ways to approach your blog – this post is for you!

5 Ways to Jump-Start Your Blog

1. Begin with the end in mind.  Who are you writing to?  Who do you hope will benefit from reading your blog? When you begin every blog post with your “Ideal Reader” in mind – you’ll create purposeful and engaging content. At With Grace and Gold, for example, we serve creative small business owners through brand and web design. So, we use our blog not only to share about brand and web design — but also to share our expertise in small business ownership: blogging, social media marketing, and more. When you begin each post knowing who you’re writing to, planning and composing each blog post becomes easier and more natural to do.
2. Create an editorial calendar.  An editorial calendar is a means of organizing and planning each blog post you aim to write in a given week or a given month. Creating an editorial calendar helps to ensure you’re bringing purpose, strategy, and variety to your blog. Whether you create a plan blog series or rotate among each blog category, having a plan and structure for your blog can help you to work efficiently while knowing your content is purpose-driven.
3. When composing your blog posts, be mindful of the details. We recommend completing every field of your blog post: title, body, featured photo, etc. Ending your blog post with a call-to-action or a question can encourage and equip readers to engage with your business or your blog.
4. Determine how you’ll market your blog post.  Will you share each blog post on Facebook and Twitter?  Will you share each blog post on Instagram?  How about Pinterest?  Create a graphic to correspond with your blog post – a graphic to encourage your audience to click or swipe to view your blog post in full.
5. Analyze your blog post performance. On a quarterly basis, commit to analyzing your blog’s performance. Which blog categories or blog posts receive the most readership? Use what you learn about your blog’s performance to make strategic decisions regarding how you’ll use your blog in the future. We believe your blog posts should equip your audience for success. When you keep your audience and their goals in mind, you can create meaningful and helpful content.

Since 2014, With Grace and Gold has provided brand and web design for creative small business owners. Hire With Grace and Gold or shop With Grace and Gold’s pre-made designs and Showit website templates – and come away with an elevated brand and web design for your small business!