On our “How to blog to build your business” conference call last week,
one woman wondered what she’d write her blog about if her purpose in creating it was to help her sell her products.
“Since no one wants to be sold,” she asked, “what do I write or talk about to sell my products?”
Indeed. Plus most women want to stay as far away as possible from the typical sales person image.
What then, to write about?
First, make it something you love madly, that you are passionate about. It might be the fix you got from your product, for example. If you now have that old energy back, you might write about all the things you can do now, that you never thought you’d be able to do again. For example, “How to [fusion_builder_container hundred_percent=”yes” overflow=”visible”][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type=”1_1″ background_position=”left top” background_color=”” border_size=”” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” spacing=”yes” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” padding=”” margin_top=”0px” margin_bottom=”0px” class=”” id=”” animation_type=”” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_direction=”left” hide_on_mobile=”no” center_content=”no” min_height=”none”][ski/walk/feel extra good about/YOU NAME YOUR THING] when you had almost given up.”
The focus for this kind of story is on how your life has improved, and what it means to you to have been able to make the change.
Make these stories the topics of 3-9 blogs. Just daily things and how you feel now, compared to before. It has a purpose, which is to share THAT kind of information. Once in a while you can add that one of the things that got you going on this new path was product X…
The idea is to write about something that means something to YOU first, and sell second.
That’s for several reasons. First, no one wants to listen to anyone talk about how great their product is. No one wants to be pitched. But stories on how people are doing things again they didn’t think they could, and little stories every day about that, those are things others like to read about. If you were then to add, say some Google ads, you could start to earn some income from people clicking on those.
Writing a blog or creating a business based on things YOU CARE ABOUT with a great big passion, well that’s the only way I know of to be certain you can survive the process of building a good business. Since being an entrepreneur is a volunteer activity, if you really don’t enjoy what you’re doing, you will just slowly do less and less until it finally fades away. You know what I mean, right?
According to this Sunday’s New York Times, the most successful new web companies have been “purpose-driven” by founders who were more passionate about their thing than they were money-driven. Yes, the title’s borrowed from the book, A Purpose Driven Life. Story’s here.
But, you say, I need money now!
If so, get something that pays you now, like yes, a nice little job, until you can build your business up. It takes time to build a following, to earn the trust of others, and we know the old sales pitch doesn’t work like it did years ago.
So give yourself permission to work at something that pays right now, while you build up something that gives you joy to do or write about anyway, AND you have a way to make someone else’s life better, also, just knowing the kinds of things that have happened for you, and how you’re enjoying your life more now, than before.
Isn’t everyone looking for a little more joy in their life?
So spread yours around, and plan 6-12 months to learn how to do it. Remember, even Mozart didn’t write his first symphony until he was four years old. Building up a good business of any size is more like having and bringing up a baby than that quick one night stand. And we all know it, don’t we? Don’t let overzealous recruiters persuade you anything else, even if you are having a weak or desperate moment.[/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container]
Sound advice from someone who practices what she preaches. Thanks, Kim.