We all have a story.

When I started blogging in 2014, I had no idea what I was doing. I didn’t know anything about SEO, keywords, niches, and all of the other parts that blogging now includes. I just knew that there was a story inside of me that needed to be released.

That story was painful but true.

That story was beautiful but broken.

That story was a part of me that I had kept hidden away for years.

That story was a way for me to stay safe in hiding my true self from everyone around me. The thing is….

I was always good at writing. I fell in love with words when I was in grade 5. A wonderful teacher taught me that to help heal from painful situations, words could help. I was hooked. Writing became a part of my identity but I had no idea how it would impact the world, me, or my career.

Blogging seemed like the natural next step. I had just moved to a new province and I remember telling my kids that they could be anyone they wanted because no one knew who they once were. That is when I realized that it was the same for me. For years I had been struggling emotionally and mentally.

Feeling like I was never good enough. I hated myself. I hated how I looked, who I was, and the deep dark secret that kept the real me hidden enough that I no longer knew who she really was. It took releasing my secret through blogging to finally begin to excavate myself out of the blackness that I didn’t even realize I was in.

HOW CAN BLOGGING HELP YOUR CLIENTS GET TO KNOW YOU

We all want to be known for our business. Whether our business offers products, services or both. We want to achieve success through our passion. We want to know that our efforts are making a difference in the world. A world that despite all the negativity is filled with love, determination, and a will to be better than the day before.

Share your truth. The benefits of being an entrepreneur and owning your own business are that you can share your story. You can truly connect to your clients in a way that a big business can’t. Truth is connection.

We no longer want to be consumed with a world which only shows it’s perfections. We want to see the real and the raw. We want to see the moments of struggle and the moments of celebration. Your truth will change the world.

We want to see the moments behind the scene where something failed or something succeeded. We want to feel like we are part of your family and that you appreciate us as more than just clients. We want to feel wanted and not used as consumers as that is why small businesses have the advantage.

Share your why. Your why comes from your past. It is the reason that you are doing whatever it is that you are doing. Show them the why. More than ever, our clients want to know NOT only WHO they are buying from but WHAT their story is.

What got them to where they are today? What events brought them to create this business and this life? Your why is going to get you through the tough moments of having your own business because let’s face it, there are MANY times a day that you will feel like just walking away BUT having your why in the forefront of everything that you do will remind you that better moments are coming.

Share the reasons for your products. This goes hand in hand with sharing your why but on a more personal product level. As a society, we are more conscious of what we are buying and who we are supporting. We want to know that the products and companies we are supporting have our best interests at heart.

How did you come up with the product? What made you fall in love with the product that you have? How did you know that it was finally right? What was the inspiration behind creating the products?

USE BLOGGING TO YOUR BENEFIT AS A SMALL BUSINESS OWNER

In order to exceed in anything, you need to have a plan and a clear outcome of what you want to achieve. That is no different when it comes to blogging. You need to know what you want to get out of it in order to know where you are heading.

If you already have a business, your blog is meant to help build your brand and your expertise in whatever niche you are in. You want your blog to support your business, talk about your business, and showcase your products.

Adding a blog page to your website is an easy way to engage with your clients and potential clients. It is a space where they will go to learn more about what you do and what you offer. It is a space where they can communicate with you and you can learn even more about them. It is a space to help build up your relationships with your clients.

Questions to ask yourself when you are ready to start building a blog for your business…

1. How do I want my blog to support me in reference to my business?
2. What expertise can I share on my blog?
3. What experiences helped to shape my business?
4. What are the questions that my clients come to me with?
5. Will I have guest experts on my blog or will it be just me?
6. What resources can I share with my audience that will be of benefit to them?

I would start your blog with an introduction post. Let your followers know who you are, what your business is, what it is that you do and who you help. Get personal. Share photos of your life. This is a great way to begin opening up discussions with your followers. If they currently aren’t your clients, it may help them decide to become one.

Sharing your passion is what your clients want. They want to fall in love with you and your business. Let them.