Which of these first sentences would make you read further? Let this be your first lesson: a key to your blog being successful is getting people to actually read it. Try to hook your reader with something catchy – maybe a pop culture reference, an interesting fact or a thought-provoking question.

The next steps are to focus on the content you’re writing, why you’re writing it, and who you’re writing it for. Let’s start with a top-down approach to give us the big picture and then drive us home to the finer details!

Step 1: Remember Who You Are

This should be the easy part – who are you as a brand? Beyond being “Joel’s Automotive,” what type of company are you? Maybe you carry a witty sense of humour around the shop, or maybe you keep it more reserved and professional. Either way, your writing should carry over that “brand voice,” so that when a customer reads your blog, it sounds like your shop.

Step 2: Remember Your Audience

When you’re beginning to write your blog, keep in mind who will actually be reading it. If you create a brilliant piece of content, but your customers can’t connect with or understand it, then the only person it benefits is Google (we can call Google a person now, right?). Most likely, your customers aren’t very car-fluent when it comes to auto repair, so you’ll need to be conscious of that when writing. Try to focus on basic tips like how to know when your brakes are going bad or why seasonal inspections are so crucial. Resist writing in highly technical terminologies, and keep it simple!

Step 3: Remember Your Focus

This leads you right into the “what on Earth should I write about” question. Now that you know who your readers are, it will evolve into what your blog’s focus should be. If you don’t already have FAQs from your customers, jot down a list of what your customers ask both on the phone and in the shop. The questions might be about repair and maintenance, how your shop got started, or what you’re doing within the community – the answers will be your blog post! At the end of the day, the key is to make the blog worthy of reading by providing valuable information.

Step 4: Write!

This might seem the most obvious step, but it’s by far your most important one. You can prepare to your heart’s content, but the end result will always be getting your ideas written down. Write for your customers, for your business, and for yourself. This is the perfect trifecta to keep your shop linked with the community and providing valuable knowledge to your customers. It may feel like unknown territory at first, but as a wise teacher once said: “It’s okay to lose to opponent, must not lose to fear.” – Mr. Miyagi
 
Once you’ve reached “The End,” the first thing to do with your new blog post is post it directly on your website! Not only does it give your customers something new and exciting to read, but it gives you a little boost in the eyes of Google. Last and final step: Put the blog in front of your customers. How did you get here to this blog, after all? Share your blog on social media, and make this the perfect addition to your e-newsletter!