10 Tips for Blogging Success
They’re everywhere these days. People have personal blogs, political blogs, travel blogs, health blogs, corporate and small-business blogs. But do you really need a blog?
Small-business blogging is a popular method of marketing. For zero dollars, depending on the blogging system you choose, you can have your own blog up and running today. Most blogging publishing sites require no software installation, and maintaining a blog requires no help from tech support—creating a blog and adding posts is just about as easy as sending email. That’s why there are literarily countless blogs out in cyberspace. But the point is not just to get a blog out there; the point is to have it rise to the top of competing blogs. So, how do you do that?
Here are a few tips that will help you create a blog worthy of a significant and loyal following.
- Read other small business blogs. You’re more likely to see what works by reading other blogs, especially those in the accounting industry. Do a quick search, and bookmark all those you want to follow. This is, possibly, the most effective way to witness what works and doesn’t work in the wonderful world of blogging.
- Update frequently. People expect to find new information on a blog, so you’ll loose readers quickly if you neglect it. While some blogs update daily and others two to three times a week, you’ll find your sweet spot, once again, by visiting other small-business accounting blogs to see what they’re doing.
- Build in numerous links. Not only do visitors find that useful, but those same sites just might return the favor by adding your link to their site, increasing your traffic.
- Include free and practical information. Not only does this demonstrate your accounting expertise, but it demonstrates a professional generosity which current and potential clients will appreciate.
- Avoid blatant self-promotion. While your blog is obviously a good way to get the word out about your valuable accounting services, you should avoid successive posts that only boast about your services.
- Enable social sharing. Most blogging systems allow you to add links to posts, enabling readers to share your blog via Facebook, Twitter, etc. Doing so gives will increase your readership more quickly.
- Keep posts short and sweet. The nature of blogging is to abbreviate rather than blather on and on. Most readers opt out of reading a post that involves much scrolling.
- Respond to comments. The great thing about blogs is that they are conversational. Readers can post comments to the blogger and visa versa. Encourage that interaction because it inspires greater loyalty among your readers.
- Include pictures. Graphics add professionalism and interest to your posts. Look for an inexpensive graphic subscription that would enable you to easily find and upload images to your blog.
- Avoid negativity. Nobody likes to continually read text through which the author rants and raves about the injustices of the world—that is, unless those readers themselves are Negative Nellys. Keep your posts positive.
Once you get your blog up and running, share the URL with current clients, have it printed on your business card, include it in your email signature, and provide a link to the blog from your website. You may discover that blogging might be one of the best marketing tools you’ve used in a long time.
Adding New Services Will Increase Your Blogging Appeal and Your Bottom Line
Nearly every individual and every business is legally required to submit a tax return (talk about a prospective client base!). In addition, not many people like to do their own taxes, and the truth is many are leery to try. And with increasingly complex tax regulations, who can blame them? Thus, tax preparation will always be a service that is in demand.
Enter the Professional Tax Preparer who can expertly prepare both individual and business returns with grace and ease, submit them faster than a speeding bullet and file any necessary extensions in a single bound. Okay, so maybe tax preparation isn’t that brand of super, but it is pretty cool. And if you possess a penchant for numbers, you just might be able to get a little excited about tax services.
Becoming a tax preparer opens up countless career options. You could supplement your current income with part-time work in the evenings or on the weekends. You could expand your accounting practice by adding tax preparation to your menu. Or you could replace your full-time income by becoming a Professional Tax Preparer. Whichever option appeals to you, the training necessary to become a tax preparer isn’t as long and painful as you might expect. Universal Accounting Center has made it easy.
Our Professional Tax Preparer program includes the following:
- Informative video instruction
- Full 1040 training
- Full business return (1065, 1120, 1120S) training
- One Year Follow-up Support from expert tax preparers
You know better than anyone whether or not it’s time for you to increase your service offerings. Call 1-877-833-7909 to learn more about our Professional Tax Preparer program and see how it can benefit your practice.
