Painters how to blog without the hassle
If the idea of No time to blog resonates with you, this post is definitely for you! To help fellow painters and contractors who don’t blog, because they say they are already up to their ears in admin in the real world, I have listed some ideas on how to get yourself blogging and noticed online with the least possible commitment and time. (Please note I say least not zero commitment!)
Blogs play a major role in a successful online business presence. However, if blogging it alone from scratch seems a task too far, try this.
Piggy back off another blog
Unless you are famous or have loads of money to throw at internet marketing, blogs take time to pay off. They take time to set up, they take time to fill with content, they take time to get noticed, and then they take time to maintain and improve. The time element is probably why most painters don’t blog.
So the solution is simple. Piggy back!
Write for a trade blog that is already up and running, already has the features in place, the traffic is rolling in, the admin is taken care of.
Blogging Painters
Painters and contractors looking for a rock solid start to blogging in USA should check out Blogging Painters. The design and functionality is top notch and in good hands, and they have a lot of really top professionals on board already, writing about their daily work, the latest greatest products, the good and bad of painting. Having so many wise heads blogging under one roof is a good recipe for long term exposure for all the painting businesses who have posted a blog there.
Write up an article and email it in, and see what happens. Chris will help you out wherever possible. And if you pen something of interest, and it is published, you just got your business an accelerated and higher online profile than you have now. Better to contribute your best articles there than stay a blogless contractor behind the curve.
And don’t forget the point of blogging. If you post insightful articles regularly, you will eventually build a good reputation for knowing what you are doing, and people will actively seek out your website…
Traditional Painter
In the UK, this site is pretty successful at attracting traffic and eyeballs. If you are an expert on painted kitchens, write up a good post and I will publish it. If you know about paint, or pine furniture, or wallpapering or Mirka CEROS… these sorts of topics attract homeowners and contractors from all over the UK. Add your pennyworth and you will raise your online profile far quicker and easier than if you start your own blog from zero – or worse, don’t blog at all.
Paint Trade forums
As a last option, not last resort! consider frequenting a good painting forum where like-minded professionals post their thoughts and ideas for general discussion. Painters Pitstop is my personal UK favourite. The technical quality of the postings is high, especially the reviews, and the public (your potential customers) get to read all that good content. Get noticed and it all adds to the kudos of your online profile ie Google will be your friend one day when a local homeowner searches online for info on xyz product or process, lands at PPS and your name appears in the thread. And in the signature on the forum, a link to your website is loud and proud and asking to be clicked on.
Employ someone else to create your blog posts
Content is king, and unfortunately a lot of clever tradespeople have trouble penning a good article and expressing some very cool ideas.
You could hire a copywriter to put your ideas into a coherent blog post. Ask for advice from Darren Slaughter, who knows the construction industry blogging game inside out, and if he can’t help, he will know someone who can.
But again, this is not a zero sum blogging option. You need to give the writer a clue about what to write about, and you need to read over it before it is published. But it is certainly a good option if you are willing to throw a bit of money at a blog.
Bad blogging ideas
What you don’t want to do is set up a blog and fill it with rubbish. Avoid these $4 for 400 word essays from non native writers. Much better to spend a lot more time or money on a few high quality posts. It will pay off much better.
Don’t get a freeby blog loaded with free ads. A real turn off for readers.
Don’t start a blog if you aren’t committed to the long term. If you think you are going to leave it after a few excitable weeks, best not to even go there, as it just leaves a big online sign hanging – Painter who can’t be bothered.
Don’t be impatient. Plug away with a blog and the enquiries will eventually come.
This will give you a better idea too about what a blog is, what format it can be, and how it fits into the modern marketing mix. Bottom line, if you want to generate work online, it is critical, I would say, to have a healthy blog.
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