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6 Tips For Startups Wanting To Add A Blog To Their Website

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Since I started being involved with blogs back in 2006, a lot of people ask me questions about how their startup can add one to their website. When I was involved with a blog in the early days it was pretty easy to rank for a topic in Google if you had lots of keywords in your post. Whilst some of the concepts remain the same, it’s a lot harder in 2015.

The difficulties you now have are a blessing if you see it that way. It means that businesses that are not committed, and posting content for the sake of it won’t make it. Google will not look upon your blog favourably if it has out of date content with no sort of consistency – your customers won’t be interested either.

There is lots of competition for eyeballs in the online space nowadays so you have to stand out, be different and master your niche!

1. Tell your startups story

As they will teach you in sales, the thing that sells more than anything is your story. Decide what your startups story is and then tell it to the world via your blog. Don’t shy away from the failures either, make sure you tell them to because that shows your human and you have done the hard yards.

One of the best things you can do is talk about real life experiences that your startup faced with a particular product or service and how you overcame it. In some posts you could refer to why you started your business in the first place and why you want to continue to solve the problem that your business solves.

“When telling your story make sure to always be humble and don’t brag. No one likes a show-off!”

2. Write articles that have great content

Many blogs that I have seen just create content for the sake of creating it. Your startups blog should be a place to educate your customers and to give them hints to what your products and services are about. The content should compliment what your product or service does and be an extension of it. If your startup sells computers then your blog should talk about all the accessories you can buy for your computer and how to set it up.

Great content is usually written by someone who loves what they’re doing. The person that is writing the content would ideally be the founders (some of the time) because it’s their passion that helped them to create the startup in the first place. You want this to bleed through the content so it draws people in.

“Your blog is your startups identity and your place to make a mark.”

3. Add rich media

When you write articles for you startups blog make sure you include rich media. Things like photos can be really good especially if they are shot by you and include real life things that have happened in your startup. For example, if you meet the CEO of Walmart ask him if you can take a picture with him and then feature it in an upcoming article. This makes your blog feel genuine and not generic like a lot of startups blogs that are just trying to smash out keywords to rank in Google.

Whenever you’re posting images on your site keep in mind that Google is very sensitive to a blog’s page load time and so are users, yet 90% of websites (even the famous ones) put up rich media that is massive in file size. If you’re putting up images you need to crunch them down without making them look pixelated. If you just did this right you would be ahead of most of your competition.

The other thing to do is look at your blog on a smartphone. Does it look good? How quickly does it load? When sharing videos just use embedded Youtube videos because then they will be a good size and have the option of HD for those that want it. Videos are another obvious way to enhance your posts but remember that the words in a video can’t be searched by Google, so it’s always good to pull the best points from the video and include them in text form below the video.

4. Make your content social

What will help you rank in search engines the most is how shareable your content is on social media. There is no magic trick to this you just have to create the best content you can. Don’t worry about trying to post every day as long as you have a few updates a week that are really good quality.

When posting your content on different platforms remember that each one has a different method of consumption. If you post on LinkedIn make sure it has a business theme, if you post on Instagram then it’s all about the photo and if you post on Twitter it needs to be short, captivating and make people want to click the link and read the full article.

Don’t try and be on every social platform all at once otherwise you will risk becoming a jack-of-all-trades and master of none. Whilst it’s good to be represented on the main ones you should focus your efforts on one or two. Keep in mind where your customers hang out and their age group, before you decide which ones to focus on.

When your blog is new, build up the content first before you tell everyone about your blog. There is nothing worse that when someone asks you to go to their blog and there are 3 articles on there that were written 6 months ago.

5. Make the layout clean and sexy

When you are writing your content make sure that it’s laid out nicely and your blog is not too busy. If you don’t have a great eye then get someone who does, to give you their opinion. Consider the colors of your photos, text and template, and make sure they match as much as possible. Avoid big chunks of text and remember to highlight great quotes or phrases. Don’t bombard Google with lots of tags either, pick the ones that are most relevant to the content and what you do and then mention those. Ten tags and ten keywords is more than enough. If you like clean layouts then I suggest using something like WordPress. You can pickup some great themes from sites like Envato’s ThemeForest.

We all know that subscribers to your startups blog is very important, but my advice to you would be to avoid putting pop up boxes that block the page. Anything that’s annoying like this will see users clicking away from your blog. You can encourage them by mentioning in your articles for users to subscribe, in your Youtube Videos, tweeting a subscribe request and by creating a subscribe form that is prominently featured on your blog.

6. Seek assistance from your raving fans

One person that knows your business as well as you (and sometimes better than you do) is your customers, more specifically, the ones that are raving fans. They are a great contact to have and could be useful to get as authors on your blog. If you approach them in this way you will probably find that they will be humbled and dying to contribute content to your startups blog.

The other raving fans are your employees who have given up their time to come and work for you and believe in the vision of your business. Each one of them has their own job function, which brings a different perspective to your product or service that could help prospective customers engage with your business. Consider interviewing them for a 3-minute video and posting that on your blog.

The other cool thing you could do is allow your customers or prospects to send in a question and then feature them on your blog with the answer. If you get a client that wants to give you a testimonial, ask them to write an article for your blog instead.

Whenever you get your raving fans or employees to write for your site you have to place one caveat and that is, they can only do it if they agree to share it on all their social media channels. The best way to find more customers is to find more who are just like the ones you have. Posting the article on the customer or employees social media is the best way to do this.

If you want to supercharge this, go one step further; tell them that they must also comment on any replies that are written on their content both on the blog and on social media. It’s the actual engagement with the content that helps to build the audience further. People will only engage if they see other people engaging. If your blog is new, ask your employees or friends to comment initially (it must be genuine though) until your audience builds.

You can even take it a step further, once you have established your startups blog, get your authors to guest write on other people’s blogs, just make sure they have a Gravatar account so that when people click their name they find your website. Obviously you need to choose other blogs who are in the same field as you and where there can be a sharing of value. This means that their audience will then have access to your vision and message, and hopefully your businesses solution as well.

A great example

All of this talk means nothing unless I can actually show you. Pixc were a startup just like you and they had another business that had issues removing backgrounds from product images. This then spawned the idea to start a business and solve this. As part of this they created a blog.

Their blog is simple, clean, sexy and has some great how-tos. If I was building an online store and needed their product, their how-tos would tell me exactly how to use their service. Their articles are short, sharp and to the point so you don’t need a lot of time to consume them either which is very important. The only area they are currently lacking in is having enough white space on their site.

Neil Patel, an SEO genius, often talks about the importance of creating white space on your site and that you should consider putting paragraphs in your words, even if it’s not technically a paragraph, to make it easy on the eye. Sometimes you just have to defy the rules, I know it’s hard considering the rules of the English language have been around for a very long time, but just do it!

Finally, I want to hear your tips. There are a lot of bloggers in the Addicted2Success community, who wants to share their ideas to help startups?

Aussie Blogger with 500M+ views — Writer for CNBC & Business Insider. Inspiring the world through Personal Development and Entrepreneurship You can connect with Tim through his website www.timdenning.com

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Startups

5 Strategic Power Moves to Successfully Build Your Empire

Transitioning from idea to empire is a journey of strategic planning, execution, and constant evolution

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how to build your empire

The journey from a fledgling idea to a thriving empire is both exhilarating and daunting. The Startup Launchpad is not just a process but also a strategic framework that enables visionary entrepreneurs to become market leaders. This framework comprises five power moves, each a critical steppingstone in building a successful business.

These moves—Ideation, Business Plan, Online Presence, Strategic Marketing, and Launch and Growth—are the blueprint for turning aspirations into achievements. (more…)

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Startups

How to Avoid Startup Clichés and Buzzwords When Pitching Investors

Using jargon can make you sound like you’re trying to fill space instead of providing meaningful data

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How to pitch investors better

Entrepreneurs frequently seek startup funding through a variety of channels. Yet, none seem as challenging as successfully pitching to experienced investors. After all, investors are pressed for time and eager for opportunities. These characteristics make it challenging to motivate them, especially if you’re bombarding them with a pitch full of jargon. (more…)

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Startups

From Idea to Empire: 5 Power Moves for Your Startup to Thrive in Today’s Market

As an entrepreneur, I’ve learned that understanding market dynamics and choosing the right business model are crucial

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How to thrive in the startup market in 2024

As an entrepreneur, I’ve learned that understanding market dynamics and choosing the right business model are crucial.

A few months into the startup, I was quick to gauge why it is necessary to go beyond the nuances of operational efficiency and the art of sustaining a business amid growing competition.

Collaboration is key.

The HR and the recruiting teams work with departments to foster a culture of collaboration, but what’s indispensable to business performance is the sync between the marketing and sales teams. What we’d consider as entrepreneurs is the need to ensure seamless collaboration to predict and achieve business goals together. In turn, this will help secure long-term recurring revenue for the business.

Besides, entrepreneurs need to focus on revenue as they gear up to take their startup from $0 to $1 million. The journey is filled with critical decisions, from identifying your target customer base to choosing the right funding strategy.

So, what next?

Read on… because here are five practical, results-driven strategies that you as a founder can implement to make a mark in their industry.

#1. Embrace the Lean Methodology

What is lean methodology?

It is all about pivoting resources to create more value for customers with fewer resources. 

This principle encourages you to be more agile and allow rapid iteration based on customer feedback rather than spending years perfecting a product before it hits the market.

Want to implement it?

Here’s what you can do.

Build “Measure-Learn” Loop: What I did was develop a minimum viable product (MVP), a simple version of the product. You can do the same since it allows you to start the learning process as quickly as possible. After launching MVP, measure how customers use it and learn from their behaviors and feedback.

Here’s what I can recommend here:

  • Identify the core features that solve your customers’ primary needs and focus solely on those to develop your MVP.
  • Know the feedback channels where early users can communicate their experiences, suggestions, and complaints.
  • Analyze user behavior and feedback to make informed product development and iteration decisions.

#2. Focus on Customer Development

Let’s talk about taking our startup to the next level. 

It’s not just about getting customers – it’s about really getting to know them. We need to dive into their world, understand their struggles, and see how our product or service can make a difference in their lives. 

It’s like we’re detectives, piecing together the puzzle of our business hypothesis by actually chatting with our customers

What would you ideally do here?

Understand Customer Segments: I’d say, start dividing your target market into segments and develop a deep understanding of each segment’s demographics, behaviors, needs, and pain points. The idea is to get into their shoes and really feel what they feel.

Ensure your Product Clicks: When starting up, think of what you offer and consider whether it clicks with what our customers need. My thought was “Does my product solve their problems? Does it make their day better?” Put yourself through a tough grilling session to show customers the value proposition and ensure that the product’s promise matches what our customers are looking for.

I’d recommend the following actions here:

  • Talk to them – through surveys, interviews, or even casual chats. The goal? To gather real, raw insights about what they need and expect.
  • Use the collected data to create detailed profiles for each type of customer. This way, everyone on our team really understood we were serving. I think this should help your startup as well.
  • Try out different versions of our product with a few customer groups. It’s all about feedback here – understanding if you’re hitting the mark or if we need to pivot.

#3. Foster a Data-Driven Culture

The digital world is highly data driven since it fuels key decisions in a startup. 

I believe it’s essential for us to build a data-driven culture. This means, you’ll move from making decisions based on hunches or assumptions. Instead, the focus should be on data analytics and insights to guide our strategies and improve our outcomes.

What can you do?

Use Data Analytics Tools: You should be using these tools to gather, analyze, and interpret data related to customer behavior, market trends, and our business operations. Here, consider the adoption of pipeline forecasting that leverages AI to find patterns in marketing data. 

In turn, you’ll get areas for improvement since it can analyze historical data and predict the outcome for you to plan your.

Action Items:

  • Pinpoint key performance indicators (KPIs) that align with your business objectives and ensure they are measurable and actionable.
  • Next, you can consider training your team to understand and use data analytics tools. This might involve workshops or bringing in experts to build a data-savvy workforce.
  • Once everything is in place, regularly review data reports and dashboards. This gives us a clear picture of a startup’s health and helps adjust your strategies and predict future trends.

#4. Strengthen Your Financial Acumen

A good grip on financial skills is important to steer your business towards growth and making sure it stays on track. For this, you’ll have to understand the money side of things, which helps you manage your cash flow. Think of figuring out smart investment moves and sizing up any risks that come your way.

Here’s a tip on how you can get savvy with your finances.

Maintain Rigorous Financial Discipline: I’m really focused on cultivating a strong company culture, one that truly resonates with our mission. So, I’d suggest fostering open communication and encouraging a sense of ownership and collaboration among everyone in the team.

Action Items:

  • Get to know your financial statements inside out – I’m talking about the income statement, balance sheet, and cash flow statement. These are like the vital signs for your business’s financial health
  • Use financial forecasting that helps predict your future money moves. With this, you will have a heads-up on upcoming revenues, expenses, and how much cash you’ll need. Also, research on the available financial forecasting tools that can make predictions spot-on.
  • Don’t go at it alone. Regularly touch base with financial advisors or mentors. With them by your side, you’ll have a fresh perspective on your financial strategies to ensure you’re on the right path to hit your business goals.

5. Prioritize Team Building and Leadership Development

It is crucial to focus on building a solid team and developing strong leaders. This means putting our resources into the people who are going to propel our company forward. 

What you’ll aim for here?

Creating a culture where everyone collaborates and every team member has the chance to emerge as a leader.

What I would do:

Cultivate a Strong Company Culture: This culture should mirror our mission and foster open communication. It’s important that it encourages everyone to feel a sense of ownership and work together.

Invest in Leadership and Team Development: As founders, we’ll have to make way for opportunities for teams to enhance their skills, face new challenges, and grow in their careers.

Some concrete steps that you should consider taking:

  • Begin with clearly communicating your startup’s vision, mission, and values so that every team member is on the same page.
  • Conduct regular team-building activities and workshops to boost skills and strengthen a sense of unity and collaboration.
  • How about starting a mentorship program within our organization? The more experienced team members could guide and support the growth of newer or less experienced folks.
  • Alas… encourage feedback at all levels. We should keep striving to create an environment where open, honest communication is the norm and everyone feels safe to speak up.

I know it’s one thing to get your head around these ideas and quite another to actually make them a part of your everyday business life. But that’s where the real magic happens, right? It’s all in the doing. 

As a startup founder, this means more than just being a big dreamer. How about rolling up your sleeves to be the planner who pays attention to the smallest details. Ultimately, these tips and more tactics around it will help carve a leader in you who listens and cares and the learner who’s always ready to adapt

So, as you’re either starting out or moving forward on this entrepreneurial adventure, keep these practical tips right there.

May these be your guiding lights, helping you steer through the wild and exciting world of building a startup that’s not just a dream, but a thriving reality.

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12 Things I Learned in 12 Months of Working on My Startup

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Image Credit: Unsplash

A few weeks ago I launched my startup. It took exactly 12 months from the initial idea until the moment I saw my app in the App Store. And these were some of the most challenging, fun and exciting 12 months of my whole life. (more…)

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