The Power of Blogging
I was recently asked to speak about the power of blogging to a group of fellow colleagues who also have private practices. Upon reflection of my recent history with blogging, I have definitely found it to be very beneficial, in a number of ways.
First of let me say that I am a relatively new blogger. However, I have done my research. For instance, I recently read Pat Flynn’s article on how to not be a newbie blogger, and determined that I had been following most of these best practices. I definitely recommended reading content by people like Pat Flynn to understand how to build a blog. I have found that there are many strategies, suggestions and best practices when it comes to blogging. I have also discovered that the power of blogging for me has been somewhat related to my business and some just related to my own personal development.
Consider these aspects of blogging that may be powerful for you and your business –
Blogging to keep up with your specialty and serve your clients
Blogging is a great way to hone your own specialty as a clinician or coach…..or in any industry really. Blogging can apply to any field because it can be a way to research, keep up on trends and practice explaining concepts. Blogging can be an additional way to serve through your own self-development as a researcher, writer and communicator. Blogging helps to push limits of understanding within any concept and continue to dissect and explore ways of communicating particular practices or philosophies.
Hone your writing skills and ability to communicate through blogging
Blogging can help to improve your own ability to communicate. According to an article in The Journal of CyberPsychology and Behavior, a study showed that blogging has a positive impact on well-being, particularly in perceived social support. In an article in The International Journal of Information and Educational Technology, it was found that blogging is a potential tool for the development of linguistic skills.
Connecting on social media through blog posts
Connecting on social media can be a little tricky if you don’t have a place to start. Blogging regularly can be a wonderful conversation starter as well as a way to engage with your friends/followers/audience etc. Posting regularly on social media about topics you are writing about and engaging in conversations about these topics offers up a way to build an audience and ultimately your own brand.
Blogging for SEO
Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is a complicated thing. One of many strategies for this is blogging. Having lots of content on your website around a particular theme can help you to rank higher in google searches and help you reach more people in the long run. Here are some very basic SEO tips –
- Adding subheadings
- Research around specific keywords or phrases and including them in your post
- Adding pictures, video if an option ( I recommend using Canva for picture alteration)
- Tagging words and phrases
For a more comprehensive list of tips and SEO strategies I again recommend following Pat Flynn. Here is a great webinar to get you started. Pat is great!
Guest blogging and feature opportunities
Writing does not have to be limited to your own website. There are many opportunities to guest blog or be featured on someone else’s website. Connecting with others within your niche or related niches or fields may lead to blogging exchange and an opportunity to write more and expand your audience. For instance, I recently met with a health coach and after some discussion we determined that her audience would benefit from an article on How Therapy is Keeping you Stuck. Even though this person wasn’t in the same field directly, there was still an opportunity to collaborate.
Alternatively, there may be opportunity to get featured on someone’s website. This may take a bit more collaboration, but certainly possible. For instance, I have been following a consultant for the last eight months or so and implemented some of the strategies that he has recommended which have been really helpful! If you have a private counseling, coaching or consulting practice he is definitely worth checking out and can be found at Practice of the Practice. At a conference recently he offered to do a write up featuring my practice and how I’ve used some of his suggestions. Of course this benefits both of us! He gets to show how his audience is being impacted and I get to have more exposure to a larger audience. However, I’m not sure I would have been as comfortable submitting the writing sample if I hadn’t been practicing regularly through blogging.
Here is a list of sites that you can pursue guest blogging opportunities through –
Connecting with the media
Blogging takes regular practice and if it is a successful blog there are posts regularly. One way to practice, outside of writing for the blog, is to get featured in the media. This has been an easier thing to do then I expected. A resource called Help a Reporter Out has been a great tool for getting featured in the media, in addition to being an avenue to practice the craft of writing. Basically this avenue allows you answer questions from reporters on topics that you have a specialty in. Reporters post questions and if you feel you can contribute, you write about what they are requesting. When submissions are not “picked up” to be featured in the media, these submissions can be repurposed into a blog post.
Blogging for your own personal development
Writing and blogging can be a great way to exercise your own development as well. Here are some areas I have noticed that have been impacted through regular blogging –
- Builds discipline
- Improves productivity
- Pushes me to be more scheduled
- Helps me to explore areas that I am interested in and blog about them
- Allows an avenue for some self-reflection through including my own insights and stories through blog posts
How has blogging been helpful to you?
Best,
Michael
