Marketing: Six Steps to Writing a Blog

“Content is king.”

For the past few years, that phrase has been a buzzword in the marketing world. Why? Because it’s been proven that businesses that publish content — whether it’s a blog or educational videos — improve their SEO and are seen as experts in their communities.

But when it comes to actually creating content, where do you begin? Below are six steps to help you get started producing content, courtesy of Club Solutions’ Heather Hartmann.

Have a Plan: “Where are you going to post your content? On your website? Do you have a tab for it? Figure out the logistics of where and how you’re going to post, including a schedule of when you will be putting up your blogs so you can remain consistent.”
Know Your Audience: “Who are you writing to? Pick one or two members you would want to duplicate and have more of in your gym. Write to them. Or, find out some general needs of your local community and write about those. Figure out your audience and focus on them each blog.”
Pick Your Passion: “Is there a topic, like nutrition, you love writing about? Don’t steer away from it. Yes, you might need to change up the subject every now and then, but if you cover what you’re passionate about, people will be able to tell. They’ll also be able to tell if you are writing on something you don’t like or don’t believe in. Be honest and truthful in your content.”
Just Write: “Sometimes, people say they need to wait for inspiration to hit before they start writing. But often you’ll find the best authors sit down at designated times and force themselves to start writing. Then their muse comes to them. You just need to start blogging today instead of waiting for the perfect topic to come to you, because otherwise you’ll never start writing.”
Proofread. Seriously: “You should read your own work at least twice before posting, checking for grammar and flow of the content. Misspellings, errors and confusion can decrease your credibility, even if you know your stuff. Have another staff member read each of your blogs as well; someone else will usually catch what you don’t.”
Post It, Share It, Like It: “Once you’ve written your blog, share it. Post it on social media, share it in your gym’s community page, post it on your personal feeds. If people don’t know you wrote something, they won’t read it.”