Blogging is a powerful marketing tool. Done well, it can bring targeted traffic to your website, establish your business as a thought-leader in its field and give you the credibility that helps you to win new business and become part of a wider community. Strategy and planning is the difference between successful content marketing blogs and posts that nobody reads, and one of the best ways to plan and execute your strategy is to use a virtual assistant.

What is content marketing?

Content marketing should be a key part of your online sales strategy. This channel includes all forms of content, such as blogs, videos, imagery, polls, thought leadership pieces and more. Of all these, blogging is an easy way to get started, and not only gives you a library of relevant and useful content, but builds up a store of great quality marketing blog content that you can repurpose at any time, keeping your brand connected with your customers.

How do I get started?

For many people, starting to write a blog is a daunting process. Most of us don’t write this type of content – or perhaps any content at all – so it can feel like a steep learning curve. And to begin with, getting 400 words that you’re happy with can take hours of your precious time. So what would happen if you didn’t write it at all? Instead, the quickest way to get started might be to outsource the writing to someone else. This leaves you in complete charge of the themes and general direction, but leaves the more time-consuming role of how to generate content for your blog to someone else. This helps you to:

• Save time – someone else is administering, writing and uploading your blog. They may even source images, add links from and to your social media sites and ensure that people are driven to read the blog on your website.
• Save money – you’re only paying for the time it takes a seasoned writer to create your blog. Outsourced writers and administrators can accomplish tasks much quicker than you, saving money along the way.
• Produce quality content – one of the perks of a virtual assistant blog service is that you have access to experienced strategists and writers, who can identify and create quality content that can be used across your website and social media, giving you the best impact.
• Plan ahead – content marketing blogs are promotion tools. Having a strategy that supports your business plans, makes use of relevant themes and resonates with your customers allows you to make sure your marketing is consistent across all your channels and your messaging is clear.

Using a virtual assistant for small business blogging

For many small businesses, learning how to outsource your blog requirements is the key to success. You need to find someone who understands the power of blogs; knows how to make the most of them via your website and social media; can write well about your business and has the technical knowledge to manage uploading content and images to your website, if you need it. A good virtual assistant service matches your business with the people who have the skills, talents and expertise to help across any or all of these areas:

• Blog strategy and planning
• Content research and generation
• Carry out keyword and SEO research
• Writing, editing and proofreading
• Image sourcing
• Uploading to your content management system
• Tracking views and interactions
• Managing replies and comments

In addition, your virtual assistant can help you to repurpose your content – so for example, condensing your blog into a paragraph for LinkedIn, or creating a set of useful tips for your Facebook page, or putting together a presentation for your local business network.

Your virtual assistant will work closely with you to understand your business, find out what you want your business blog to achieve and to suggest ways you can attract more readers and sharers, as well as helping you plan key topics and themes. A good VA can offer a wide range of social media marketing support services to help you bring in the customers you need.

Is it time you got blogging help?

Blogging is something most businesses know they should do, and it often gets put on the back burner. All it takes is for one local competitor to do things better than you, and you’re playing catch up. Instead, make content marketing blogs a marketing priority, and save yourself time, money and hassle by outsourcing to experts who can help keep things running smoothly.

If you or a business you know would find it useful to talk to a content marketing assistant about blogging on your behalf, or you’d like to know more about our virtual assistance services feel free to call us on 0800 994 9016 or use our contact form in the menu above.

Related articles:

• Generating marketing content online – how to overcome writer’s block
• Marketing content strategies for small businesses
• Blog your business to success – tips for small business owners