Virtual Assistant Forums

#1 (**permalink**) 09-15-2010

So I'm realizing a lot of VAs have blogs out there that they use. I was wondering what is the benefit of adding a blog to your website? Does it bring in more people than other routes of advertising such as social media marketing, or advertisement marketing elsewhere?

I'm just running through pros and cons on if I should do a blog or not. Can anyone provide me from their experience the benefits of blogging vs other ways of promoting?

Thanks in advance!!

#2 (**permalink**) 09-15-2010

Shandon,

I go back and forth on blogging however, from two posts that I did I was asked to speak on the topic at hand. The last was on my post for email maintenance which has only been up since yesterday and today in my in-box I got a request from the founder of a large networking group to do a presentation on it. So yes it does have a benefit and now from one little post I am not getting more exposure in a large group.

#3 (**permalink**) 09-15-2010

Hi Lee,

that is great. But my question on blogging, maybe stupid, but how do you decide what to blog about. Personally I am not much of a writer and I can come up with a few topics to blog about, but to make it good blog, I think there should be something new to read on a regular basis.

Regards,
Melissa

#4 (**permalink**) 09-16-2010

Hi Lee, I really like the idea of adding the little survey at the end of your article. Great idea!

#5 (**permalink**) 09-17-2010

Hello Melissa,

I am experimenting with blogging right here on VAF... It is a great place to learn and grow your experience to see if a blog is something you want to implement on your own site. I really like how Lee has implemented hers and has a regular stream of articles.

#6 (**permalink**) 09-17-2010

Determining what you are going to write about in your blog truly depends on what you want the purpose of your blog to be.

For instance - I have my blog (which is my site) front and center and I blog about topics relevant to what my readers find useful and focus on business related topics close to my target market. So I write about marketing, cool applications, how I use those applications - right now I have about 7 different topics I need to sit down and write. I use Wordpress for all of my sites and so whenever I have an interesting topic idea and quickly log in, start a new post and save it to draft so I have a reminder to go back and write it.

I also have a blog set up at www.ReneeShupe.com - this is my personal one. I might write about a cool gadget, recipe or just something that gets my goat (bugs me) I'm more flexible there and not tied to keeping it focused on business.

Hopefully, that gives you some insight and shoot out some other questions if you curious about anything.

Renee

#7 (**permalink**) 09-18-2010

There are many benefits to blogging for business. First, it can be a big SEO boost for your site as you're adding fresh content and writing posts that most likely contain many of your keywords. Second, it can give potential clients a way to get to know you and see how knowledgeable you are, it's a great way to become an expert in their eyes. And third, it gives you an opportunity to build a community (network).
As for what to write about, your best bet is to provide answers to the questions that your target market is asking. Are you a transcriptionist, then your target market may have questions about digital recording and secure transmission of files. Answer client calls? They might like to know about virtual pbx systems and how their calls can be routed to a VA. Think about the questions that are asked of you most often and answer them with a blog post.
If you have lots of questions about blogging for business, those of us involved with Start Blogging Today conduct a Twitter chat every Tuesday night at 9pm Eastern time, just follow the hashtag #sbt10. You can ask questions and get answers from Grant Griffiths, Danny Brown, John Haydon and lots of other blog experts.

#8 (**permalink**) 09-19-2010

Hi lee. Just came across your post re blogs. You have asked many of the same questions I have been wrestling with. I am going to give it a go, even though like you I'm not too sure what to put in my blog. I am fairly new to the virtual world of office assistance so I don't feel I have the experience to start writing like I am a specialist, but at the same time I don't want my blog to be purely social. Bit of a conundrum!

I guess one other question I need answered is (this is where I show my ignorance) how do you attract people to your blog. I understand you can have a link between your business website and your blog and visa versa, but how do I attract people not in touch with my web page?

Cheers
Wendy (Australia)

#9 (**permalink**) 09-19-2010

Wendy,
My first suggestion is that you make your blog a part of your website if at all possible. Having a blog elsewhere is leading people away from your own site and the SEO benefits are going to be attached to the site your blog is on.
As far as attracting people to your blog, reading and commenting on other blogs (especially those in your target market), using social media services like Twitter and Facebook to share your blog posts and adding mention of your blog to your marketing materials and pitches are just three ways to help get it noticed.

#10 (**permalink**) 09-19-2010

Always a good discussion, because the phenomenon of blogging is remarkable in so many ways. Maybe I'll write a post about it soon!
But just to take a stab at the initial Why blog? question, my response is that a website must be dynamic and a blog is the easiest way to ensure that it will be. A simple static site gets you nowhere online, because it's no more than a glorified brochure. And note, as well, that a blog is a regular journal of some sort, but its nature can be of many sorts: writing, photography, recipes, music, videos, etc, etc.