Blogging for Freelancers and Businesses

[Treehouse Presents - Quick Tips: Blogging - Freelances & Businesses with C.C. Chapman] 0:00 Hey everybody. I'm C.C. Chapman, author of Content Rules. 0:06 In that book, I talk about a bunch of ways you can use content to promote yourself, and these tips are especially valuable 0:09 for freelancers and small businesses. 0:15 One of the most effective tools is a blog. 0:18 Starting up a blog is a fairly simple process these days. 0:21 But what's not so simple is figuring out what to write about and keeping the content pipeline full. 0:24 First of all, blogging is not the same as social networking. What you can provide in a well thought-out and prepared blog post 0:30 is totally different than firing off a random tweet or Facebook update. 0:36 Posting great information in the form of research, articles, interviews, photo galleries, and other announcements 0:40 allows you to present content in a way that would be valuable to your customers. 0:47 Also, when you write blog posts, are you writing them for yourself or for your readers? Because there's a big difference. 0:52 You have to consider the value this content will have for existing potential customers. 0:59 Providing real value through content means anticipating needs and questions and addressing concerns before they ever get raised. 1:03 Many successful blogs have taken otherwise average topics, and through some insightful posts and case studies, 1:11 open the eyes of new customers. 1:16 When you share great ideas about what to do with your products or how your services can fit their needs, 1:19 customers that need your help will find you. 1:25 But you have to start by writing what you know. 1:28 Don't pretend to be an expert on something you don't know because everybody will see right through it. 1:31 For example, if you're new to one type of web-design framework, but you are more experienced with another, 1:36 consider writing about the one you know best. 1:41 Your knowledge and expertise will be reflected in what you write and customers will see how valuable it can be. 1:44 So consider a blog when trying out new ways to present your content, 1:50 understand the value it can have to generate new business, and write what you know. 1:54 If you can do all that, you'll have a blog that's not only great to read, but also great for building your business. 1:59

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