Blogging To An Empty Room

I was recently asked if I ever worry about how many people are reading my blog. If there aren’t many, is it really worth doing? The immediate answer is “Yes, it’s absolutely worth doing!”

Although it would be lovely to have hundreds or thousands of followers hanging on my every word, this little blog doesn’t get that… at least not yet 😉  So, why do I do it?

1. To show who Coastal VAs is

Early on, when we started Coastal VAs, I was talking to a prospective client and I asked “Have you seen our website?” He replied “Yes, I read every word.”

I was a bit taken aback at first, but the more I thought about it the more this made sense to me. When I am thinking of working with someone I too want to read as much as I can about them. Who are they? What do they offer? How do they deliver? What is their style? etc.

The main body of a website is generally quite formal and is usually written in the third person. It offers information, facts and figures and it needs to be clear, concise and informative. However, in a blog you can really let your hair down. You can write as you would speak and share emotion, ideas, expertise and excitement. The blog section of a website lets you show your personality and allows readers insights into who you are and how you work.

2. To build up a valuable resource

Many of the posts we write are informative and helpful for small business owners. They are mini guides exploring a particular topic and explaining how things work. Many of the posts will stay relevant for months or even years and we often refer people to them when they ask us questions via email. This allows us to provide a full and comprehensive response with just a few lines and a link.

3. To keep www.coastalvas.com fresh

Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) is a tricky subject. But one thing that experts agree is that search engines like to see regular new content that contains your key words. Writing a blog about topics in your field is an easy and natural way to do this.

It also steadily builds up the content on your site. If you asked me to write 20 pages of quality website content I would baulk at the thought. But with weekly posts, that is exactly what I have done over the past few months. And, I can quite easily see myself continueing for many months to come.

So, please don’t ever worry about “blogging to an empty room”; a good blog really can help you serve your existing clients and win some new ones.