As you might imagine, I can list lots of great reasons to have a blog. However, if there is one thing that I can rely on causing looks of panic or downright resistance in a client call it’s bringing up the idea of having a blog. I get it. Blogging is daunting. You have to think of things to write about!You have to properly write them! format them! You have to share them! and then you have to do it all over again!!!! Ugh…

I’m always super clear with my clients – if you don’t want to blog – don’t. If you don’t feel comfortable as a writer, know that you will just never follow through with it, or have a different marketing strategy you want to focus on – just skip the blog. Look me in the eye, say “Sarah, I don’t want to blog“, and I will graciously accept your response and not bring it up again – I promise.

This blog post is my chance to convince you to blog with 8 great reasons why you should consider blogging.

Blogging helps you reach people

Seriously, like a lot of people. People who weren’t even originally looking for your services. Why? Because you can write blog posts about all sorts of related topics that are of interest to your ideal client or niche. For example, if you are a birth center owner with fabulous state of the art birth tubs, writing a post about water birth safety or how water birth helps with labor pain management will help those interested in water birth find you. Or, if you are a chiropractor a blog post about how to wear a baby sling can help lead people to learning about your care for back health as new parents. While I am a web designer specializing in holistic practitioners & wellness websites, a blog post I wrote years ago about How to Make Doula Care your Full-Time Job generates a significant amount of traffic for me every month. I never imagined it would be that popular when I wrote it!

Blogging provides value

Each blog post you write provides the opportunity to feed your audience with value. Tips, guidance, insight, resources… everything you share will help to build their trust in what you have to offer as a practitioner. Even better, your blog posts don’t require anything of them – you are giving freely of your expertise and they are getting an excellent taste of your awesomeness. So yes, even if the post is not directly related to what you do, you are still marketing your services.

Blogging creates links

I want you to imagine the internet as a massive web of links that are all intertwined. The more links weaving to and from your site, the more google pays attention. Blogging creates fresh new content that provides new terms (keywords) for you to show up for in search. Every single one of those new posts represents a new way for clients to find you! It’s a clue to google that you are an active, engaged business and it creates energy around your website that will help you show up better in search overall.

Imagine: If you were to write one new post every single week of the year, that would generate a baseline of 52 new links leading back to your services. 52 new opportunities to inform & inspire. 52 new chances to convey your expertise & value.

Blogging builds relationships

I’ve been building websites and blogging about business & web design since 2011. Sometimes it feels like nobody is listening. Sometimes, I share a post and maybe a few people like it or comment, but I wonder – was that worth it? And then I get the call from a potential new client who says something like:

“I’ve been following you for YEARS and loved that blog post you wrote about doula business cards, or finding your niche, or moving beyond competition, or how to rock your about page. I’m finally ready to work with you!”

Essentially, my blog and my giveaways are building relationships with clients for me. Not everybody who lands on my website is ready to work with me right away – so my blog posts offer the opportunity for a much broader audience to get to know me tangentially. And yes, this means they know my name, they see me as a valuable resource, and when the time comes for them to build a new website, they are more likely to book a free consult!

It’s also a lovely way to share bits of your personal life. I do this from time to time, and whenever I do I get such lovely interactions and feedback from my audience. For example, I have posted about Why I am Not a Midwife, and of course my favorite chocolate truffles. Bottom line: People want to know who they are working with – what you value, stand for, how you came into this work. Your blog is a great way to share that.

Blogging shows off your expertise

One of the things I really love about having a blog is that it invites me to dig deep and write thoughtfully about topics that I know will be of value to my client base. It’s a chance for potential clients to learn about the topics I have expertise in, yes, but it also pushes me to increase my knowledge base. When I sit down to write a new blog post and have to organize my thoughts in a way that makes them accessible & applicable to your business, it makes me a better Website Doula.

Having a blog builds connections

One of the best reasons to have a blog is a surprise to many until they begin blogging and start to see the magic happen. Blogging has great potential to build connections and collaboration with other local businesses. You can feature other local practitioners in interviews, or invite them to write guest posts. It’s also more likely that media or event organizers will think of you to be featured in their upcoming event. For example, one client was invited to be part of a state-level breastfeeding awareness campaign based on her blog. Another was contacted to collaborate with a major retailer on a community outreach project.

Your blog can generate sales

If you offer a service or product that in some way relates to your blog topic, your blog is a great way to talk about related topics and generate interest in what you offer. With any given blog post you should always consider what action you want readers to take at the end of it. It may be as simple as encouraging them to check out another one of your uber-helpful blog posts, but in some cases you might have an affiliate link to a product you mentioned in the post, or a link to one of your products or services.

Blogging builds your resource base

I KNOW there are certain topics that just come up over and over and over again with your clients. What are they constantly asking you about? What do you have to explain – in detail – all the time… Why not use your blog as a place to provide high-value informative content that can serve as an ongoing resource to your client base as well as the wider community? Bonus – you can even link to it from your resources page, and other practitioners might decide to share your high-value post with their audiences as well!

Excited to start blogging? Be sure to check out my six ways to keep blogging simple and the blogging tips guide.