Gemma Knight Writes

Woohoo! It's January.

That probably means it's time to write your first blog post for the year.

But, what are you going to write about?

New year writer's block is totally a thing.

You have all the motivation and none of the ideas. Just a blank Word doc on the screen staring back at you.

Lucky, there's an easy solution.

Think about the questions that your potential clients ask you ALL the time. Choose one that you have a lot to say about.

Then, create a blog that answers their burning question.

Clearly, people want to know your thoughts on this as they wouldn't ask the question in the first place otherwise.

Set up a doc to start writing an article for a client and made the mistake of leaving it open when I popped to the toilet.

Miss 9 finished the article for me.

Some solid advice, but I think it needs more work... thoughts? 🤣

I think every Tuesday workday should involve flamingo Lego from now on!

What was the last statistic you remembered off the top of your head?

I know, I am funny, right? You don’t remember statistics, you have to look that kind of stuff up!

But stories are another matter.

You could probably still recite your favourite childhood story almost word for word. And that was *mumble mumble* years ago since you heard it told!

That is the power of a story. It sticks in your mind and stays with you.

If you use storytelling in your business marketing, then you are compelling people to remember who you are and what you do. Pretty cool stuff, huh?

I was having one of those weeks.

You know the kind.

A week where you really can’t be fluffed.

You do all the essential tasks on the list, but don’t have the energy for anything more.

The deadlines get met, the kids get fed, and you show up everywhere you are meant to be.

But that’s about it.

That week I decided that my marketing content didn’t belong on the essentials list.

That I would add it to my list for next week.

I think you know how this is going to play out.

Next week came, and it still didn’t seem essential.

Then the same happened the following week.

Suddenly, the pressure to put “something” out there was starting to build.

That pressure made me draw a complete blank on what to write.

So, I figured I would come back to it tomorrow.

It doesn’t take a genius to realise it wasn’t going to happen tomorrow.

Which brings me to today.

I’ve realised that I haven’t posted anything about my business since June.

Ironically, the last post I made was about going quiet on your social channels.

Why am I telling you all of this?

Well, I figured you might be in the same boat.

And if you are, it’s time to change all that procrastinating.

Use a story as a way to get back into the habit of prioritising your marketing.

I’ll see you again soon. Well, you’ll see me at least!

One handed typing this afternoon, thanks to fuzzy workmate #2!

Fuzzy workmates are the best ❤

Ever wondered why your leads have suddenly dried up?

Well, often it is because you have stopped being visible. Take it from Candice, resident marketing expert at Marketing Baker...

"I can definitely tell if I let my consistency slip. The regular content lets me show up in online communities and it starts discussions on social media. It’s really the relationship builder. So if I’ve been quiet for a little while, I can definitely tell in terms of my pipeline, and all of those other things.

Sometimes it feels like new clients just drop out of the sky. But it turns out, they’ve been on the list for a while and then suddenly they’re ready. It’s actually because you’ve shown up, something’s resonated with them and they’re ready to take action.

Those clients don’t drop into my business if I’ve let something slip."

Check out more of Candice's wisdom about content marketing here: https://gemmaknightwrites.com/blog-log-2-candice-baker/

Content is a key ingredient in your marketing recipe when you run a service business.

Just ask expert marketing strategist baker from The Marketing Baker.

Yep, that's right. In this episode of The Blog Log, Candice gives us all her best tips on creating content that WORKS and how to make your content earn its own living!

Click here to watch the video interview or read the blog version of our chat.

https://gemmaknightwrites.com/blog-log-2-candice-baker/

Blog Log 2: Interview With Candice Baker - Gemma Knight Writes Today on the Blog Log, I am chatting with Candice Baker from The Marketing Baker about how consistent repurposed content drives clients into her business.

The cool thing about the world today is that you don’t have to all sit in the same room to work collaboratively.

You can build your team even if you run a business by yourself.

It is all about choosing the right strategic partners for the right tasks. If you find them, then you can make magic happen in your business.

So, how do you find these people?

Well, you stalk them! Not in a creepy way of course, but check out what they have to say.

Have a look at their website and their social pages. Jump on their email list so you get their awesome advice delivered right to your inbox.

And most importantly, hop on a discovery call with them to see if they are a good fit.

Find out more about why you don't have to turn the wheels of business alone right here:

https://gemmaknightwrites.com/dont-turn-wheels-business-alone/

You know you are starting to get on in years when you don't understand "young people speak" anymore.

Well, the first slap in the face was when I heard people my age are now classed as "Geriatric Millenials".

Yep, if you are born between the years of 1980 and 1985, you are now geriatric in some sense.

But, then it went a step further. Apparently, Gen Z are now calling us Geriatric Millenials "cheugy".

I had to look up the term to see what it actually meant. Apparently, it means that my side part, skinny jeans, love of Rose and penchant for Harry Potter just aren't cool any more.

Rather, they are "cheugy". Or following an out of date trend.

So, there you have it. I'm cheugy. Are you?

Read the article here if you want a bit of a giggle. https://www.vice.com/en/article/m7eepq/what-is-cheugy-the-word-gen-z-is-using-to-troll-millennials-again

Do you ever feel lonely in your business?

It is easy to do when you are a solopreneur, the only one calling the shots, or working from home.

The thing is, just because you are building a biz, it doesn't mean you have to be alone.

In fact, you can build a powerful team even when it's just you steering the ship.

Have a read of my recent blog to see why you don't have to do business alone.

https://gemmaknightwrites.com/dont-turn-wheels-business-alone/

Your business is your baby. You know it better than anyone else.

So why wouldn’t you do all the things for it yourself?

Well, the simple answer is that by trying to do all the things, you are costing your business money!

If you aren’t able to focus on the activities that attract sales and nurture your existing clients, then you are stifling your own business growth.

And no one goes into business to make backwards progress!

Outsourcing your non-essential tasks and freeing up your time, means you can focus on the areas of your business that are going to make the biggest impact.

If you are ready to get some help with your marketing content, then let's chat!

https://contentstrategychat.as.me/

Sick of the amount of time it takes for you to write your blog content?

Wish you could produce your blogs quicker?

Then stop writing them!

No, I don't mean stop publishing your content.

I mean, get an expert to write them for you instead.

Gain hours back in your week by outsourcing your blog, social and newsletter content.

So, let's chat about how I can help you do that. Book a convenient time here:

https://contentstrategychat.as.me/

As a kid, I used to imagine what it would be like if there was a secret passageway behind my bookshelf.

You know, one of those cool ones that activated by pulling on a certain book. The whole shelf would swing out into the room, revealing a secret space in behind.

My secret space would have been full of cushions and books. A little secret haven to escape into the books I loved without interruption.

The thing that fascinated me the most was the idea that it would have looked like any old bookshelf from the front. Anyone could have walked in the room and seen that front.

But, they would not know what lay behind unless I told them.

The other day when I was stuck in Auckland traffic, I was pondering strange things (as I usually do in traffic) and I got thinking about my secret space.

Suddenly, it hit me! Business blogs are like the secret space in behind the bookshelf.

Your website home page is the bookshelf front. Anyone can see it and lots of people know that it is there. It performs a very important function.

However, people don’t know about the treasure trove of information that hides behind it all in your blog pages unless you tell them about it!

So, trigger the release and let people see your blogs.

Don't just publish and be done with it.

Drive traffic to your blogs through your social pages and email list to get the most mileage out of your content!

When you publish a blog, do you get oodles of leads or tumbleweeds?

If it's the latter, you could be making one simple mistake.

Grab my freebie resource to find out the number one reason your blog isn't working... and how to fix it.

Get it here: https://gemmaknightwrites.com/10-ways-repurpose-blog/

The Reason Your Blog Isn't Working | Gemma Knight Writes Sick of spending so long writing your blog and then hearing crickets? Then learn my secret formula for creating quality content that generates leads!

Secret clubhouses are cool...

Only very special people can gain access.

But, the thing with secret clubhouses, is that they are SECRET.

Certain things are meant to be a secret.

But your blog is not one of them!

In fact, you should be shouting from the rooftop every single time you publish one.

Make sure your blog pages are not reserved for those with a secret membership.

Open your blog clubhouse doors to everyone who wants to come in!

Are you keeping your business a secret?

Even if you are publishing a blog every month, you could be making a simple mistake that restricts your ability to generate web traffic.

If you don't tell your people you have published a blog, then they won't know it is there!

Find out why simply publishing a blog isn't enough in my latest blog:

https://gemmaknightwrites.com/blog-just-not-enough/

Just A Blog Is Not Enough - Gemma Knight Writes You know that blogging is a key part of your marketing strategy. But, a blog alone is not enough. You need other content to wrap around it.

Content marketing is a great way for small businesses to play on the big digital stage.

Not only are there oodles of SEO and relationship building benefits, but it really helps you to become an authority in your field.

That is what the Spice HR discovered when they outsourced their blog writing to me...

“We now have a credible source of content on a range of HR topics that we can share and refer to. This has also helped with our natural SEO with Google as we are regularly posting monthly updates to our website.”

Want to gain credibility for your business too? Then, find out more about how I can help you here:

Worried that you are writing about a common topic?

Don’t stress about it.

You will approach it with your own unique take or opinion.

After all, there are no new stories, only different ways of telling them!

It can be a nerve-wracking decision when deciding whether or not to outsource some tasks in your business.

Spice HR chose to start outsourcing their blog writing for the usual reasons:

“When it came to our blogging, we felt a lot of pressure with time and conveying expertise to get it spot on. We were following a Marketing Strategy that recommended we start blogging and getting our ideas out there, but we were too busy doing HR!”

The thought of outsourcing always comes along with a bunch of hesitation. What if the person you choose doesn’t get your business? That’s why it is so important to take the time to find a provider that you connect with.

“Gemma invests the time to ‘get’ you and your business and then reflects this in her work. She’s also very flexible, helpful and friendly and just makes everything easy. We never have to worry that the content will need revision or reworking. For the past 4 years, it has always been spot on!”

I'd love to help you with your blogging too! Grab more info here: https://gemmaknightwrites.com/monthly-content-package/

Your business blogs are a starting point for connection and conversation with your audience.

People will want to read your content because it is interesting. You want to capitalise on that interest by opening up a conversation.

That can be as easy as asking them to subscribe to your email list so you can continue the conversation long after they have read that first blog post.

When people meet you in person, do they get the same experience as when they "meet" you online?

Obviously, you want a consistent message across the board, whether someone comes across one of your posts online or they are standing in front of you!

That was one of the major hesitations that Nic and Nic from Spice HR had when considering outsourcing their content writing.

They wanted to ensure that their consistent message and personality was going to remain.

And it did!

Find out how outsourcing their blog boosted their business and credibility in the marketplace right here:

https://gemmaknightwrites.com/business-content-sound-like/

Does Your Business Content Sound Like You? - Gemma Knight Writes Are you giving your potential clients or customers the right perception with your business content? Nailing you tone is key, here's why:

Your business blogs should be full of all the things that your audience will find fascinating.

That can be anything from your wisdom and advice, to How To guides or solutions to their biggest problems.

You want to ensure you are providing fresh and relevant content every time.

Make sure what you write is original and addresses the challenges that your clients are experiencing on a regular basis.

Are you forgettable?

I didn't think so.

Even if you are the most charismatic person out there, you might still be forgotten.

If you don’t stay in front of your audience consistently then they might accidentally forget about you.

It’s not like they will mean to.

But, there is so much info out in cyberspace these days.

Back in the 70s, people saw about 500 advertisements a day. Now, in 2021, we can see as many as 10,000 ads in just ONE day.

Don't despair about the sheer volume of content out there. People still want to hear from you too.

Don’t forget to throw your content into the mix too so that you can stay memorable and stay connected to your audience.

If you are bored writing your blog, then what do you think your readers are going to be when they read it?

If either you or your readers are bored, then something is very wrong!

Blogging is a key part of your marketing strategy. So it is important to get it right.

It could be your chosen topic or it could be your mood. Whatever it is, you want to fix it, as your blogs are a representation of your business.

Consider changing up your writing environment, rediscover your passion with a bit of mindfulness, or even outsource the job to an expert.