Get blogging and raise your web profile

February 15, 2011 Posted by workingdesign in Clients, Web Design

“My business is now bursting at the seams. Very exciting. You were right when you pushed me to set up a blog. It is having an impact!”

That’s our client, Cheryl Woolstone, a Kitsilano-based psychotherapist. Working Design developed her website a couple of years ago using the WordPress CMS (Content Management System) that was initially developed as blogging software.

An experienced counsellor, Woolstone was just setting up her own business when we started working together. We recommended blogging as a key part of her site and valuable strand of her marketing communications.

She was reluctant. What would she write about? Who would read it? Wouldn’t it take a lot of time?

What helped convince her that blogging is useful was the Search Engine Marketing campaign she undertook. That highly successful campaign was developed and implemented by Gabriel Dhahan of Function 5 Solutions. The effort generated more traffic to her site and calls to her office. She gained subscribers to her blog’s RSS feed.

An audience was growing. And waiting for new information. She started writing more.

Her callers had browsed the site and read her blog entries.

“I think the most amazing thing about blogging is how you can establish a relationship with a potential client before they pick up the phone.” says Woolstone.

“My clients tell me that they decided to hire me because they really got a sense of me from my writing, and this distinguishes me from other counselling websites.”

That’s one of the key strengths about blogs: they speak in your voice and tell readers who you are. In a personal field like psychotherapy, building that kind of familiarity before meeting in person is a huge asset.

And there’s more:

  • blogs help establish you as a specialist in your field which boosts your credibility and reputation
  • they tell your readers about your main areas of interest and why you are a good fit for them
  • they underline your key marketing messages
  • blogs encourage interaction with your audience if you choose to allow comments
  • they’ll boost your site’s rankings with search engines because new content gets attention
  • and, they’ll help you form a regular connection with the ever-expanding base of clients who subscribe. Rather than needing to visit your site, they receive regular updates via their RSS feeds or in their email.

Woolstone says: “Content is king but I have learned that predictably putting out a post on a schedule increases credibility. I think that longer than two weeks between posts and it looks like your commitment is tenuous and people do not continue to seek you out, or forget about you.”

So true. People are fickle. And forgetful. Out of sight, out of mind. If you’re active in your field and you want people to know, tell them.

Your blog is one of the best ways to do that.

Check out Cheryl’s site on our web portfolio page.